I love mixing business and leisure. In fact, the notion of ‘bleisure,’ as its now known, is the idea of getting out and about in tourist mode before, during, or after transitioning to work mode. I recently found myself in with an extra 48-hours to see the history, art and culture of Amsterdam.
So, I dove right in and crisscrossed this amazing northern European city. First up, I bought the key to the city. Called the I Amsterdam card, it can be purchased in 24,48, 72 or 96-hour increments. I got the 48-hour card for $91.50 (exchange rates vary to Euros), which provided me access to unlimited metro transportation, a one hour canal cruise, and admission to dozens of museums and attractions and a variety of discounts throughout the city. This card paid for itself over and over in my two-day jaunt. I even got a highly detailed map!
Here’s my advice on maximizing your enjoyment in this city.
8:00am – Fuel up with a great breakfast at your hotel, Best Western Dam Square Inn. The property is located in the heart of the city, with easy access to everything you’d like to see.
8:30am – Hop on a 1,2 or 5 tram and walk from Leidseplein to Museumplein. Here you’ll find several key museums to visit.
9:00am – Start at Rijksmuseum. Here you’ll find important works of art from Rembrandt such as Night Watch, and Vemeer, as well as other essential works.
11:00am – Stroll over to the Van Gogh Museum, also located in Museumplein.
Home to all Vincent van Gogh’s most significant masterworks, it houses the world’s largest collection of artworks from all periods of his working life. You’ll see 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 letters. This museum is super popular, but you can reserve the time you want to enter online, through the link above.
12:00pm – Drop by the Amsterdam Diamond Factories and the Diamond Museum.
Here you’ll learn the history of diamonds in culture and see how they’re polished. And, also see an assortment of royal crowns and art created by diamonds.
12:30pm – Lunch break! Grab a bite at one of the myriad street cafes or restaurants a few blocks from the Museumplein within Vondelpark.
1:30pm – Enjoy Vondelpark.
This is the city’s largest public park, with lots of natural beauty. It’s a great balance to being in museums all morning. Here, you will also find The Sloten Windmill, the only mill open to the public in the city, as well as the Kuiperijmuseum, which focuses on Dutch culture and heritage.
3:00pm – Hop on the #1 tram. Hop off at Dam Square and transfer to the #9 or #14 and head to the Rembrandt House Museum.
3:30pm – Enjoy Rembrandt House.
The artist lived and worked here from 1639-1658. It’s been restored to the state it was in when the master painter was in residence. It’s also a glimpse into seeing how the Dutch lived during this period.
4:30pm – Take a deep breath
You’ve already done a lot. Head back to the hotel and rest up for a bit.
7:00pm – Walk through Dam Square and downtown Amsterdam. Find a bite to eat and enjoy an evening walk around the city and its canals. Don’t forget to buy some souvenirs.
Next day!
8:00am – After eating breakfast at Best Western Dam Square Inn walk to the Anne Frank House.
9:00am – De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam is a more than 600-year-old church now housing a museum. It’s currently featuring an exhibit on Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. But to me, the main draw is the church itself.
10:00am – Difficult to experience, but essential, Anne Frank House is where the teen and her family hid from the Gestapo during the early days of WWII. It’s a critical history lesson and something that cannot be missed. There is an entry fee (I Amsterdam card not accepted) and you can reserve entry time through the website when purchasing tickets.
11:30am – Brighten your spirits with a walk over to the nearby Amsterdam Tulip Museum.
Here you’ll learn the flower’s history and how it became central to the Dutch economy.
12:00pm – Time for that canal boat ride and lunch!
Hop on to a canal boat near the Tulip Museum for a tour of the city from the water. The slow-moving tour is tranquil and provides a great way to see parts of the city from a different angle. Get off by the National Opera & Ballet building, which will bring you within walking distance of many more museums and sites. Eat either prior to, or after, the canal boat ride. There are plenty of great options everywhere.
2:30pm – Choose your own adventure!
Now is the chance to visit more museums, the Jewish quarter, or the local zoo. All in the De Plantage section of Amsterdam.
This area is home to the Hermitage Amsterdam, which currently features Dutch Masters; as well as the Outsider Art Museum, dedicated to those not formally trained as artists; and the Portrait Gallery of the Golden Age, featuring 17th century group portraits.
Or, learn about Jewish culture at the Jewish Historical Museum, which is located throughout four synagogues. There is also a children’s museum here, as well as the National Holocaust Memorial and the National Holocaust Museum.
The third option in this neighborhood is the Artis Zoo. It was founded in 1838, so the way the animals are kept are not up to modern standards. This may turn some people off, understandably. But there are many cool animals here such as elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, great apes, chimpanzees and many more. It’s also home to a planetarium.
5:00pm – Exhausted yet? Perhaps you’d like to head back to the hotel or rest up. Grab the #14 tram to get you closest to the hotel from this route.
Then spend the evening walking, eating and drinking in downtown Amsterdam. After these two long days you deserve to reward yourself and chill out!