Today as I am writing this post, I am not really sitting in
my kitchen looking out across the street lights down the road, I am instead
embarking upon a fantasy trip to a European city I have heard friends talk
about time and time again and a place I seen thousands of photos of, but as of
yet have not visited. I’m talking about Amsterdam. If you have been reading my
blog for a while, you’ll know that I love to travel and you’ll have seen my
post about my super-mini-city-break to London this summer. It does not matter
what time of year it is, Amsterdam seems to be one of those places that always
has things to do and see, and people flock there in a constant stream. So,
without further ado, here is my super packed yet in-a-nutshell itinerary of
what I would do if I had 24 hours to spend in Amsterdam.
9:00am - Breakfast
I would start the day with breakfast in a local cafe – ‘Two
For Joy’ is heralded as a fantastic breakfast stop as they blend their own
coffee mixes to really wake you up for the day and I would want to be fully
alert because I’ll be hopping on a bike at some point in the morning, trying out
the locals’ preferred transportation method! After some coffee, fresh orange
juice and sourdough toast with wild strawberry jam (yes, I’ve planned my menu
choices #SoOrganised!) it’d be straight out and onto the first stop of the
day...
10:00am – Walk to the Canal and a River Cruise
To get some bearings and see the city from a different
vantage point, a canal cruise would be my first activity. I love to take
photographs and Amsterdam is famous for the totally picturesque houses which
look like they’re actually coming out of the river itself, so I’d use the cruise
as a photographic opportunity to snap some photos of these buildings and the
bridges too.
11:00am – Exploring Vondelpark
1 cruise and 50 photos later, I would take a walk to
Amsterdam’s most famous park, ‘Vondelpark’ and hire a bike to cycle around it
to take in all of the wildlife and sculptures which have been commissioned. Everyone
knows that Amsterdam is one of the most cyclist-friendly cities in the world
and this is affirmed by the fact over half of the Amsterdam locals choose to
cycle instead of use other modes of public transport! I’d get a coffee at one
of the cafes nearby midway through my park-cycling adventure and sit back and
watch the world go by and take in the ambiance of the city.
1:15pm – Lunch at ‘Scandinavian Embassy’
Because I love cinnamon buns and another coffee is only a
good thing – I’m on the go for 24 hours here! This cafe / restaurant does light
sandwiches and salads with a Scandinavian twist which sounds good to me.
Location: Scandinavian Embassy, Sarphatipark
34, 1072 PB
AMSTERDAM
2:30pm – Time To Get Cultured
This is the tricky bit because like so many
cities, Amsterdam has SO much to choose from in the way of culture, but since
this is my first time going, I’d want to do the classics, so definitely a trip
to the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum where art from Van Gogh, Rembrant, Ver
Meer and other masters of the art world are housed. The buildings themselves are considered
national treasures too because of the exquisite architecture, so for me they’d
be must sees. If there’s time, I’d also want to see the Anne Frank House
museum.
5:00pm – Free Exploring
Because sometimes you just need a bit of time to walk around
the streets, explore hidden gems and discover what’s around the corner. I’d cycle
up to Jordaan as this neighbourhood is praised for being otherworldly, by that
I mean quintessentially olde-worlde and quaint. I’d park up the bike and ditch
the map and get lost in the maze of streets which this district has. I’d stop
for a drink at an atmospheric independent cafe when I find one and watch the
day fade into night and the city slowly begin to light up. Definitely a good
opportunity for more photographs!
7:00pm – Cocktail-o-Clock!
Amsterdam is often thought of as a party city and this is
something I think I need to find out! I’d hit up a rooftop bar to enjoy a birds’
eye view of the city to begin with, before finding a themed bar as they are
always fun. Apparently the ‘Vesper Bar’ in the Jordaan district which is Bond
themed!
8:30pm – River Side Walk / Skate
To take in just how romantically idyllic the city looks as
the lights from the nearby restaurants and cafes reflect on the water’s surface,
I would want to go on a canal side stroll. It’s something that you only really
ever see in the movies, so I want to give it a whirl in real life! If I was
visiting in winter, I would brave the canal ice rink! (Note: would have to be
travelling with a competent ice-skating friend who can hold onto me!)
9:00pm – Street Food in the Oud West Neighbourhood
Like Covent Garden in London, but the Dutch equivalent, the
Oud West district serves street food galore! I’d get something like stir fry,
cashews and noodles and maybe some churros and Nutella for dessert, before
hitting the town!
10:30pm – Party Party!!
Because you can’t go to Amsterdam without trying out the
nightlife. ‘Sugarfactory’ is a famous club in the city with a funky name, so
maybe I’d give that one a whirl! After dancing until about 2:30am, I’d head to
my hotel and be up and ready to return home at 9:00am – whoa, that really would
be a jam packed 24 hours and one that would certainly be Instagram-worthy! Have
you ever been to Amsterdam before? If so, any hot-spots you’d recommend for an
Amsterdam newbie? Looking forward to reading your suggestions! Bilgi x
PHOTO CREDIT TO DUTCHAMSTERDAM.COM
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