A couple of months ago I visited an experiential campaign for Easy Jet where I won free flights to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It was even more exciting as it happened shortly after I launched my blog online, and because I went there with some friends and we all got two tickets which meant we could go there as a group. 

I had visited the city a few times before but this was my first time taking a plane there and the flight from London was the shortest flight I have ever taken, only 45 min.  Getting from the airport to the city was also very easy, as after getting a train ticket for only 5.20euros, you will get to the main station in city center in about 15 min. 

Easy Jet outside plane

We arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday, a few hours before the check in time to our apartment so we started looking for a place to eat. Unfortunately the place we chose wasn’t the best. The restaurant, called Joselito Café, was a tapas place. Unfortunately my Spanish omelet tasted like it had been bought frozen from a supermarket. No one else from my group was happy with their food which was a bit disappointing for our first meal in Amsterdam.

After that we made our way to the Cityden apartments, where we were staying for the weekend. I traveled with 7 other people so we had to get two flats. Each of them had a bedroom with a double bed and a double sofa bed in the living room. It also had a kitchen where you can cook your own meals, a dining table, a nice bathroom and even a laundry machine as well as a dishwasher. It was a little bit small but the location was great and it was pretty cheap.

We spent our first night in the red light district. We decided to walk there as it was only 40 min away which enabled us to discover new places. The famous neighborhood, full of coffee shops, live shows and girls standing in the windows didn’t change at all. We had a few drinks, quick dinner and New York Pizza ( which used to be my favourite)  and headed back as we were tired from all the travelling and walking around.

New York Pizza

On Friday we started at Museumplein which is the Museum Square with three major museums: the Rijksmuseum (the Dutch national museum dedicated to the art and history of Amsterdam), The Stedelijk Museum (a modern art museum) and the Van Gogh Museum. When you are there, you can also visit the House of Bols (a little vodka experience), the Diamond Museum or the Moco Museum (another museum of modern art ). All of them are a little expensive to visit but the city tourism agencies offer many museum or attraction passes. So if that’s your thing you should definitely check those out as you can save a lot of money. 

Around there you can also find the big “I Amsterdam” sign, which I recommend to visit late at night as it is generally overcrowded during the day. 

sigh I Amsterdam

The only museum I have visited this time was Foam – a photography museum, located 10 min away from the Museumplein which had very interesting exhibitions of William Eggleston, Nelson Morales & Diego Moreno and Daisuke Yokota. 

Museum Of Photography in Amsterdam
Museum Of Photography in Amsterdam

For lunch we found a place called De Laatste Kruimel but unfortunately when we got there, the menu wasn’t clear enough and the queue was quite long, so we just grabbed sandwiches from a cheese shop next door which was also very delicious and sat by the canal to enjoy our food and the amazing weather.  

Amsterdam

It was very sunny but also windy, and I hadn’t pack enough warm clothes, that is why our next move was a little shopping on Kalverstraat which is a street with many shops such as Zara, Bershka or H&M ending in Dam Square and Royal Palace of Amsterdam.

Dam Square in Amsterdam
Dam Square in Amsterdam
Dam Square in Amsterdam

Our last destination for the day was the Heineken experience located in an old brewery of the famous beer. You can learn the history, see authentic interiors, old photos, do a little tasting, play some games and in the end you get two free beers. I am not a big fan of the beer but I had a lot of fun

Heineken Experience in Amsterdam
Heineken Experience in Amsterdam
Heineken Experience in Amsterdam
Heineken Experience in Amsterdam
Heineken Experience in Amsterdam

We spent the evening in one of the crazy areas of Amsterdam – Leidseplein, full of bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

Amsterdam

On Saturday we were wondering around Jordaan, one of the most unique and beautiful  neighborhoods of Amsterdam, full of cafes, art galleries and beautiful buildings. 

If you are in the area you can also visit Anne Frank’s House. I would recommend to get tickets online few days or weeks ahead so you can avoid the ridiculously long line.

The weather was amazing, so we had our lunch in a restaurant near the canal called Waterkant. The food and atmosphere was fabulous.

On our way back, we stopped at a dessert place called Ice bakery, which offered everything we needed including ice cream, waffles, or doughnuts. Definitely not a good place if you are on diet 🙂  

In the evening, we went to the nightclub Sugar Factory. Choosing the club wasn’t an easy task as Amsterdam is famous for its great nightlife so there were too many options. I was fully satisfied with our choice though, as the place had an amazing décor and the music was pretty good. 

On the last day, after checking out, we found an amazing place for breakfast called Coffee and Coconut. I recently became a huge fan of that fruit so it was like a dream place for me. Not just for the fantastic food but also because the whole place was super stylish.

Coffee and Coconut Amsterdam
Coffee and Coconut Amsterdam
Coffee and Coconut Amsterdam

We didn’t want to move too much with our suitcases so we decided to spend that day in our area, just chilling and eating. For lunch, we went to a place called Boca`s, which is a lovely café serving mini sandwiches

After that we took an uber to the airport, which was actually one of the best one I have ever been to. It has a great selection of restaurants, little shops and bars. 

 

The whole weekend was fantastic. I am very thankful to Easyjet for giving me and my friends the opportunity to visit Amsterdam!

32 COMMENTS

  1. I can’t believe that it is almost two years since I was in Amsterdam. Like you I went to only one museum. My choice was the Anne Frank museum.

  2. Jordaan is adorable, and the food looks amazing!! I’m going to Amsterdam once I move back over to Europe in a few months, and can’t wait to use this blog as a guide. Love it. I find that it’s really interesting how many different museums about EVERYTHING there is in Amsterdam.

  3. Thanks for a beautiful travelogue! I have landed in Amsterdam airport twice while on my way to the USA from India. Since I didn’t have the required permissions, I could not step out of the airport. After reading your blog, I know exactly where to go and what to do!
    P.S. Loved your Minnie mouse jacket!

  4. Coincidentally, this is what I exactly needed. I am headed to Amsterdam soon. And I needed a comprehensive guide that included what to do, where to visit, how to visit the city center etc. Thanks for covering all of it. Bookmarking

  5. Amsterdam is truly one of the most amazing cities. Given that it has so many places, it becomes difficult to plan when you have limited time. Your post covers that exactly. Thanks for this comprehensive post. Btw, I just loved the pics and your blog’s theme 🙂

  6. Amsterdam is so lovely during the day and lively at night. I enjoyed my time there when I visited a few years back. The Coffee and Coconut brunch spot looked like it had a good atmosphere. Thanks for sharing.

  7. That is a cool itinerary. Amsterdam is a city where you can always return to and you’ll discover something new. I especially lived all those museums 🙂

  8. It sounds like you had a great time! We absolute loved Amsterdam when we visited a few years ago with friends. The Heineken brewery is fantastic and I would gladly go again and the Anne Frank museum is a must. Thanks for sharing.

  9. What a fun article. I have never been to Amsterdam but really want to go. The canals look lovely and it is awesome that you had NY pizza there. Lol. Also think the Red Light district would be fun to explore. Thanks!

  10. Ah sorry you had a crappy experience at the tapas place. Try the ribs at De Klos or the sandwiches at Broodje Bert next time- those are our favourites! We aren’t big on museums either but we did have fun at the Heineken Experience. Coffee and Coconut looks like such a cool place to chill. Would love to go the next time we’re in Amsterdam! Thanks for the suggestion 🙂

  11. That’s so cool you won the flights!! Epic!! I’ve loved your post on Amsterdam, one of the most fun cities. I’ve never done the Heineken Experience myself actually but your trip looks so great!

  12. I like your style of post -big photos and short description. Thank you for sharing your Amsterdam experience – I’ve been there a couple times myself, always for short period of times, but I always managed to see different things each visits. My favorite is the Rijk Museum – I could spend a full day there, as I’m a big fan of Dutch paintings. Travel safe!

    Halef
    the Round The World Guys

  13. Amsterdam now a days is in every major news channel as their country had a election and now I know why. These guys are way social that any other country in the world. I don’t have plans to visit this awesome city, but definitely, it;s in my bucket list.

  14. Sounds like you had a lot of fun!
    We have been to Amsterdam 2 years ago, and loved it as well. We also visited Keukenhof, the tulip park, about an hour away from the city – it is also worth a visit in Spring time.

  15. Beautiful Amsterdam! We love those old houses by the river; they’re very scenic. The harmony of the modern and the classic is perfectly balanced. We definitely would have a walking tour here.

  16. What a stunning weekend ? I would love to do same trip Amsterdam has so much things to offer. Im glad the weather was good because like this you enjoy more the views. Great post

  17. We were in Amsterdam last year and had a blast. We didn’t get a chance to do the Heineken tour but that would have been interesting I am sure. It seems like you had a pretty good foodie experience outside of the first location. There are definitely a lot of museums in Amsterdam. We agree about getting the tickets for Anne Frank as we waited in line for over 2 hours to get in.

  18. Nice photos. I love Amsterdam and also a city I’ve visited more than any other in Europe. The weather looks favoring on your trip!

  19. Who doesn’t love a weekend getaway! And Amsterdam? Why not! It is one of my top three favourite cities in Europe and I love going back there all the time. I always find new fun things to do and places to see. Loving your pictures too.

  20. OMG! your post brings back so many great memories! I visited amsterdam with my family just exactly like yours we were there for a weekend! and yes we made the best out of it. It was a great fun and people are very helpful too. although we tried that pastry and cookie as well. It was too much! Haha! Lol!

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