This guide to Amsterdam in 4 days will be very useful for you to prepare itineraries that take in the different tourist attractions of this city, known for its freedom and tolerant atmosphere.
With its historic centre laid out in a series of circles bounded by pretty canals, the tourist capital of the Netherlands is captivating at first sight with its traditional architecture, thousands of bicycles and a lifestyle where people live and let live.
If you have four days, you can explore all the sights at your leisure on foot, by bike, metro or tram and take a trip by train or bus to some of the surrounding wonders such as Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and even, if you're travelling in spring, the beautiful tulip fields of Keukenhof.
Based on the different visits we have made to the city, the last one during 10 days to update the Amsterdam guide, we have made this route through the best of Amsterdam in 4 days, which we hope you will find useful on your trip. Let's get started!
Amsterdam Travel Tips
This list of Amsterdam travel tips will help you make the most of your trip and save you some money in this expensive city.
To get to the centre of Amsterdam or to your hotel from Schiphol Airport, we recommend combining train and metro, using the 197 or N97 bus or booking this comfortable private transfer. For more information, see this post on how to get from Amsterdam Airport to the city centre.
Stay 4 nights in one of our recommended accommodations in Amsterdam such as the Singel Hotel, the WestCord City Centre Hotel and The Exchange Hotel, all located very close to the Central Station and the historic centre. For more information, check out this post on where to stay in Amsterdam.
Learn more about the history and curiosities of the city by booking this guided tour, one of the best free tours in Amsterdam or this private tour, perfect for groups.
Feel like a local by renting a bike for less than 10 euros a day to get to all of Amsterdam's sights faster.
If you're visiting some of Amsterdam' s best museums and want to take a boat trip along the canals, it can be cost-effective to buy the Amsterdam City Card.
Remember that to avoid paying commissions and to always have the current exchange rate, we recommend using the Revolut card and the N26 card- they are the ones we use, they are free and will save you a lot of money. You can find more information in this article on the best cards for commission-free travel.
First day in Amsterdam
The first day of Amsterdam in 4 days starts early in the morning with a pleasant walk along the banks of the Singel Canal from Central Station to the floating flower market, Bloemenmarkt (opens at 9am). If you haven't had breakfast, before arriving at the market you can buy some delicious chocolate biscuits at the famous Van Stapele Koekmakerij. Remember that it is advisable to order them on their website if you don't want to spend too much time queuing.
Ensure to have a comfortable accommodation for your discovery of Amsterdam. Consider booking in advance from the comfortable, specialty hotels in Netherlands at https://www.hotels-in-netherlands.com/en/type/love-hotels-28/ designed for a cozy stay.
Once at the market, we recommend you enjoy the beauty of the flowers as well as the possibility of buying a souvenir in the form of a bulb. It is important to know that tulip bulbs must be bought at a certain time of year for them to bloom. Don't forget to ask at your accommodation or in the shop if you want to buy some.
And if you're still looking for the perfect place to stay while you explore Amsterdam, you can find some of the top hotels in Netherlands at tophotels.com. These top-rated hotels offer a perfect blend of comfort and local charm, setting the stage for the perfect Amsterdam getaway.
Flower Market
After visiting the market you can continue your walk across the Doelenslui Bridge to the Staalmeestersbrug, which has a beautiful view of the canal with the Zuiderkerk Church in the background. Continuing along the Gravelandseveer, which runs alongside the great Amstel canal, you will come across the photogenic dancing houses, houses with typical Dutch architecture, with a certain inclination, which have become very famous. A few metres from these houses is the Blauwbrug Bridge, a historic bridge over the Amstel River that connects the Rembrandtplein area to the Waterlooplein.
The next stop of Amsterdam in 4 days will be the Kaasmarktsluis Bridge, a viewpoint where you can see 7 bridges lined up, although it is important to know that the best way to see them is to book this boat trip, considered one of the best things to do in Amsterdam.
From this bridge you can also start a route along the Herengracht canal, which has some of the most beautiful houses in the city, to the shopping area of the 9 straatjes (9 streets) full of vintage shops, boutiques and trendy cafes.
Canals of Amsterdam
Near these streets is the Renaissance-style Westerkerk Church with a tall tower, perfect for enjoying views of the historic centre, and the Anne Frank House Museum, one of Amsterdam' s must-see sights.
Before visiting the Anne Frank House we recommend you try typical dishes such as meatballs and sausages accompanied by delicious stamppot at Café Sonneveld, De Reiger or Moederes, three of the best restaurants to eat at in Amsterdam.
The afternoon of Amsterdam in four days begins with an interesting one-hour tour of the moving Anne Frank House, where it's essential to book tickets well in advance from the official website if you don't want to miss out.
After leaving the museum, we recommend a stroll along the Keizersgratch and Prinsengracht canals, past the Houseboat Museum, to the beautiful Lekkeresluis crossing (one of Amsterdam's postcards) and then stroll without a map through the picturesque Jordaan neighbourhood, our favourite in the city.
Jordaan district
In the evening you can return to the centre by stopping at a chip stall such as Mannekin Pis and Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx or at Haring & Zo and Rob Wigboldus Vishandel, where they serve delicious herring sandwiches, and then eat them on the steps surrounding the National Monument, an obelisk in the centre of Dam Square.
Dam Square is the most famous square in Amsterdam and is surrounded by several interesting buildings such as the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), the Madame Taussauds Wax Museum and the luxury boutique De Bijenkorf.
From this square you can go out along the Kalverstraat shopping street and approach the Red Light District, known for its lively nightlife, where alternative shops, sex shops and some of the best-known coffee shops in the city, such as Hunter's Café or the Bulldog, predominate. We recommend strolling along the banks of the Voorburgwal and Achterburgwal canals, and their adjacent streets, and above all not taking photos of the red shop windows because although prostitution is legal in this country, it is disrespectful to them and they can be disturbed.
Red Light District
Route map of the first day in AmsterdamSecond day in Amsterdam
We've reached the second day in the city, so if you're wondering what to see in Amsterdam in 4 days, let's get to it! The second day starts with breakfast on the terrace of De Laatste Kruimel and then, in a few minutes, you can visit the Begijnhof (opens at 9am), a 14th century beguinage that hides the Het Houten Huis (the oldest house in the city) and the Begijnhof Chapel, a surprising clandestine church.
After the visit you can walk along the Spuistraat to Dam Square to see it by day and continue along the Warmoesstraat to the Oude Kerk, the oldest building in Amsterdam, which marvellously houses the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe.
Oude Kerk
After leaving the church you can stroll through the Red Light District past the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple, the historic Waag building and the Oude Hoogstraat, which has the narrowest house in Amsterdam at number 22.
If you have time to spare, you can head to the Waterlooplein Market flea market and visit Rembrandt's House Museum, the place where he lived and painted many of his masterpieces, although we prefer the Rijksmuseum which houses some of his most famous paintings.
Rijksmuseum
For lunch we suggest you go to the Museumplein area, which houses the two most important museums in the city: the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, to try the home-made food at a good price at The Pantry or Stoop & Stoop eetcafé.
After lunch you can continue your Amsterdam in 4 days with a stroll through Vondelpark, the city's green lung, and enter the Van Gogh Museum (closes at 5pm) to see some of his most famous paintings such as The Bedroom at Arles, The Potato Eaters or The Sunflowers.
Remember to get your ticket early as it tends to sell out quickly as it is one of the most visited places in the city.
Vondelpark
If you want to avoid the queues and learn more about the history of one of the great geniuses of painting, we recommend you book this guided tour in English or this one, which also includes a visit to the Rijksmuseum and a cruise along Amsterdam's canals. If you want to go on your own, you can book this ticket in advance and take a brochure or an audio guide inside.
If you have more days we recommend visiting the Rijksmuseum and the surprising Moco Museum, both located just a few metres from the Van Gogh, or take the free ferry from Central Station to the NDSM stop to visit the Straat, the world's first street art and graffiti museum. All museums are included in the I amsterdam City Card, but if you only want to visit this one we recommend you book your ticket from this page.
Straat Museum
On leaving the Van Gogh Museum you can head to Leidseplein, a lively square where various street artists perform every evening and where you can have a good beer in a bruine café, such as Café Reynders. These traditional cafés are known for their dark wooden furniture, excellent atmosphere and for serving authentic Dutch food and good beers.
In the evening you can return to the centre by taking a romantic stroll along the banks of one of the canals to the pizzeria La Zoccola del Pacioccone or Il Pacioccone, our favourite Italian restaurant in Amsterdam.
Map of the second day of Amsterdam in 4 daysThird day in Amsterdam
On the third day of Amsterdam in 4 days we suggest a visit to the village of Zaanse Schans, famous for its windmills, which is also considered one of the best excursions from Amsterdam.
The best way to get to Zaanse Schans, located 20 kilometres from the capital, on your own is to take bus 391 from the top floor of Amsterdam Central Station, which will drop you off in about 45 minutes near the windmill area. Another option is to take the train from the same station, which will take you to Koog Zaandijk station in about 20 minutes and then walk another 20 minutes to the windmills. You can buy tickets at the ticket office at the station itself, as the trains run frequently and are not overcrowded.
If you prefer the comfort and convenience and want to learn more about the history of this village, we recommend you book this tour or this one that also includes the villages of Edam, Volendam and Marken, both with an English speaking guide and with the departure point at number 153 De Ruijterkade, located a few metres from the Central Station.
Zaanse Schans
Once in the village you can enter one of the 8 traditional windmills that remain of the more than 600 windmills that were built in this region, making it the first industrial region of the country in the 17th century.
Other must-sees include the Zaanse Schans Museum, a visit to a cheese factory and a clog factory, and above all, a pleasant stroll through this village that looks like an open-air museum, surrounded by beautiful Dutch countryside.
For more information on how to visit the Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam, see this guide.
Zaanse Schans
If you visit Amsterdam from mid-April to mid-May, you can combine a visit to the Zaanse Schans, which will take less than a morning, with a trip to the Keukenhof tulip fields (closes at 19:30).
Once you arrive at Amsterdam Central Station, simply take metro line 52 to the Europaplein/RAI stop and take the Keukenhof Express 852 bus to the park entrance in an hour or book this convenient tour in advance, which departs from the station side of the station. If you go on your own, we advise you to book your tickets in advance from this page, as this garden is only open for a few weeks a year, during the tulip blossom, and tickets sell out quickly.
For more information you can consult this guide on how to visit Keukenhof.
If you don't do Keukenhof, in the afternoon of this third day of Amsterdam in 4 days you can visit some of the museums you still have to visit or walk to the De Gooyer mill, which has a famous beer garden at the bottom of the mill. For lunch or dinner near the station, we recommend the Mister Meatball restaurant or the Ramen-Kingdom.
Map of the third day in AmsterdamWhat to see in Amsterdam in 4 days
On the fourth day of the What to see in Amsterdam in 4 days you can take a trip to Edam, Volendam and Marken, three of the most beautiful villages to see in Holland.
To get from Amsterdam to Edam you can take bus 314 from the top floor of the Central Station, which will drop you off at the entrance of the village in half an hour. Once you arrive you can complete this list of places to see in Edam by strolling along the banks of the two main canals until you reach Kassmarkten where you can buy a number of delicious Edam and Dutch cheeses.
Edam
The same train ticket will get you to the bus which will take you to Volendam in about 10 minutes and on to the neighbouring village of Marken.
In Volendam, an old fishing village, we recommend a stroll along the beautiful promenade and a good fish in batter in one of the many restaurants such as De Lunch or Café van den Hogen.
After completing this list of places to see in Volendam, you can finish off Amsterdam in 4 days by taking another bus or boat (our favourite option) to the village of Marken and take a short one-hour stroll through this small traditional village full of canals and green areas.
If you have more days, you can take the train from Central Station to some of the more interesting cities in the Netherlands, such as Rotterdam, Utrecht or The Hague.