When I booked my flight to Amsterdam, I told myself I only had two days. But Amsterdam doesn’t need much time. It just needs you to stop rushing. The city is small enough to walk across in a couple of hours, which means you don’t need to choose between rushing through attractions or seeing nothing at all. There’s a middle ground, and it’s actually pretty great.
Day 1: Finding your pace
I started near Dam Square, mostly because that’s where I got off the train – one of the most popular public transport in Amsterdam. I didn’t go inside any of the big tourist buildings. I just walked. The whole area around Dam Square gives you this strange feeling, because everything is beautiful but also completely normal. People are buying groceries. Kids are biking to school. Tourists are taking photos of the same bridge everyone takes photos of.
I grabbed coffee at a tiny place where the owner barely looked up from his newspaper. Strong coffee, the kind that tastes like it knows what it’s doing. Cost three euros. Walked for another hour.
By late morning, I felt ready to go inside something, so I picked the Van Gogh Museum. There’s a famous argument about whether you should see the Van Gogh or the Rijksmuseum, and I’m here to settle it: just pick one. Seriously. Don’t attempt both in one day unless you want to become a person who speed-walks through four hundred years of European art while looking at your phone. One museum, three hours, take your time. I got tired in the middle section, sat on a bench, looked at Starry Night for a while without thinking about anything.
The Rijksmuseum is incredible and will be there on my next trip.
After the museum, I was hungry, so I walked to Jordaan. This neighborhood feels like Amsterdam pretending to be a small town. Narrow streets, tiny restaurants, flower boxes, people actually living their lives instead of performing tourism. I stopped at a cafe with a blue door and drank another coffee. Sat in the sun. Watched people shop for flowers.
I considered the canal cruise. Some people said it was the best way to see the city, and others said it was the worst way to see the city while sitting down in the rain next to a guy from Ohio who keeps saying “beautiful” at everything. I did it anyway. It was fine. Not life-changing, but a nice way to float past hundreds of buildings without having to figure out which street you’re on. I’d say it’s optional, but if you have a spare hour and the weather is decent, go for it.
Evening came faster than expected. I walked to the Nine Streets area, which is exactly what it sounds like: nine little streets packed with independent shops and restaurants. Nothing fancy. Just nice places. I got dinner at a spot with six tables and sat next to a window. The food was simple: good bread, good cheese, good wine, and nobody was trying to impress me or win a Michelin star. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Day 2: Going slower
I didn’t set my alarm on day two. I woke up when I woke up and went to Albert Cuyp Market. This is where Amsterdam eats. It’s a long stretch of stalls selling everything from flowers to stroopwafels to cheese you’ve never heard of. Not a market for tourists, even though tourists go there. A market for regular people buying groceries, arguing with vendors about prices, tasting samples. I had fresh herring (which I’d never tried and assumed would be disgusting, but wasn’t). I had fresh orange juice. I bought some cheese I still can’t remember the name of but remember the taste.
Then I took the free ferry from Central Station to Amsterdam Noord. I think this is one of the best-kept secrets of the city. The ferry ride is free. You just walk on. It takes ten minutes. And on the other side is a completely different Amsterdam: quieter, newer, full of young people and abandoned warehouse art galleries and cafes where the espresso machines look like they cost more than a car.
Back on the ferry. Back to the main city. By afternoon, I had a choice: visit another museum or just sit in a park. I chose Vondelpark. This might be the smart choice every single time, and I’m wondering why I even asked myself the question. The park is huge and green and full of people.
As the afternoon turned toward evening, I rented a bicycle – it’s about €15. The next hour and a half, I just rode around the city, and I rode along canals where there were no tourists. I got a little lost, which was fine. You can’t really be lost in Amsterdam because everything connects back to something you recognize. Hungry and with evening coming on, I found a small neighborhood restaurant near the bike rental place.
Is two days actually enough?
In two days, you won’t see everything. But the real question isn’t whether two days is enough to see Amsterdam. It’s whether you’re willing to stop seeing it like a checklist and start experiencing it like a place. Two days is plenty for that.
About the Amsterdam Card
I didn’t buy the Amsterdam City Card. It’s a thing that exists. It gives you discounts at museums and free public transport. It might make sense if you were planning to visit five museums in two days, but I’m not, because I already established that.