Where to go in Amsterdam -- Where not to go in Amsterdam
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| Amsterdam Trams.. | Schiphol Airport Information |
| Leidseplein - Tourist Entertainment | Red Light District: History, etc. |
| Vondelpark | Museumplein: Rijksmuseum, van Gogh |
| Centraal Station area | Dam Square, National Monument |
| Jordaan - Jewish Quarter, Cafes, Art, Clothes, Shopping, History | Amstel River, Singel-, Heren-, Prinsen- and Keizer-gracht (canals) |
| Canal Tours & Taxis; Museum Boat | Amsterdamse Bos (forest) |
For the traveler who only has a day or few, you might do well to spend most of your time in Amsterdam and just make a side trip to Haarlem and beach town Zandvoort an Zee. Amsterdam has enough things to do that after I have spent more than a month there on various trips, I still have new things to find there. Amsterdam is nice that way -- even though it feels like home to me, I continue to discover new shops, cafes, neighborhoods, parks and museums. You should not feel pressured to see everything because you can't.
Your time in Amsterdam can be spent pursuing various activities. Amsterdam has the finest museums in Holland, excellent shopping in diverse districts, nice restaurants, canal tours, impressive architecture. It's a relatively small city so you can walk around the central part for a day, then go back to specific things you want to see.
I consider a visit to the Rijksmuseum to be the most important thing to do in Amsterdam. Nearby is also the van Gogh and Stedlijk museums. There are located at the recently completed Museumplein, featuring an underground Albert Heijn grocery store. Across the street is the Concertgebouw, or the National Concert Hall. Nearby is Leidseplein and its surrounding neighborhoods.
Of course Amsterdam has all the attractions of the Red Light District: coffeeshops and the legalized prostitution behind the windows. While some may scoff at me for saying it, Amsterdam's Red Light District is not perfectly safe as some might think. It's best to tour there in the late afternoon and early dark hours. Leave your passport in the hotel safety deposit box and carry a photocopy, walk in groups when possible, and when people ask you to buy drugs don't pay attention to them. Making eye contact is a mistake.