Cities / Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam in 48 hours 🚲

Day 1: museums and the park

• Rijksmuseum. Rembrandt's Night Watch and Vermeer, in one grand building. Book online.
• Van Gogh Museum. The biggest Van Gogh collection in the world. Timed tickets, sold online.
• Vondelpark. Amsterdam's living room. Grab a snack and people-watch.

Day 2: canals and the Jordaan

• Anne Frank House. The hiding place from the diary. Tickets are sold online only, so book well ahead.
• The Jordaan. Pretty canals, small shops and brown cafés.
• Canal cruise. Seeing the 17th-century canal ring from the water is touristy, and still worth it.
• Bike ride. Rent a bike for an hour if you're confident. Follow the rules: locals ride fast.

Eat this

• Stroopwafel: two thin waffles with caramel syrup in between. Get one fresh and warm.
• Bitterballen: crispy fried meat-ragout balls, dipped in mustard, with a beer.
• Dutch apple pie: tall, chunky and served with whipped cream.

Skip this

• Walking in the red bike lanes. You'll get rung at, or worse.
• Trying to buy Anne Frank House tickets at the door. There aren't any.

Getting there

Trains arrive at Amsterdam Centraal, including direct international trains from Brussels, Paris and Germany. From Schiphol Airport, trains run to Centraal in under 20 minutes.

Coming from somewhere else in Europe? Compare trains, buses and flights to Amsterdam on Tryp.com (yes, that's where our team works; see About).

Quick answers

Is 48 hours enough for Amsterdam?

It's enough for one or two big museums, the Anne Frank House, the Jordaan and a canal cruise.

Do I need to book the Anne Frank House in advance?

Yes. Tickets are only sold online and popular times go quickly.

How do I get from Schiphol to central Amsterdam?

Direct trains run from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal in under 20 minutes.

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