It’s no secret that Amsterdam’s pure city break material. It’s got history, culture, art and nightlife – and most importantly, great food. From canalside walks, bike rides and cool cafés to streetwear shops and the best places to eat, plan your trip around this itinerary to make sure you don’t miss a thing on your five-day trip to the Dutch capital.
Day 1 – travel and treats
Our trip started when we touched down at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. We headed straight to the Sir Adam Hotel, which is in the iconic A’DAM Tower. The hotel’s super stylish and has a cool rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, plus you’re just a five-minute ferry ride from the centre, so it’s the perfect base for your trip.
Once we were settled in, it was time to head out for some food. We were searching for the best Dutch frites – Amsterdam’s famous for them, but they’re not your average chips… For the best, go to either Pont Neuf for a classic serving with peanut sauce and mayonnaise or Fabel Friet for a gourmet twist with garlic mayo, truffle and parmesan. After this, we fancied something sweet, so we got some freshly made stroopwafel from Van Wonderen Stroopwafels. Their warm, caramel-filled waffles will change your life…
We then spent the afternoon chilling in NewTimes coffee shop, one of Amsterdam’s go-to spots for hot drinks and checking out the local vibes. We were on our way back to the hotel when we walked past Chai Time, so we couldn’t resist popping in to grab a watermelon and mango bubble tea.
The first day of any trip’s always super tiring after travelling, so we just had a laidback evening in the hotel. We ordered nachos and beer from the bar on the ground floor and soaked up the hotel’s lively atmosphere before calling it a night.
Day 2 – cycling around the city
We started the second day with a serious breakfast from the hotel buffet, before setting out to get to know the city more. After strolling through the streets for a bit, we grabbed lunch at Lila, a Middle Eastern spot only 10 minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Centraal. The lamb, houmous and falafel were so good, and they have loads of veggie and vegan options, too. Then, we walked off our lunch along the canal before stopping in Amnesia, another popular coffee shop.
In the afternoon, we decided to explore like locals and hired bikes – when in Amsterdam, right? We pedalled through the pretty streets and past grand buildings, which was such a good way to see all the waterways and historic sites. We really worked up an appetite doing this, so afterwards we headed to Royal Thai for some dinner. This is the place to go for authentic Thai dishes full of aromatic spices and big flavours. After we filled our bellies, we had a leisurely stroll back through the streets, then got the ferry back to the hotel.
Day 3 – Dutch countryside tour
After breakfast at the hotel, we headed straight out for a daytrip in the countryside around the city on a tour of Volendam, Edam and the iconic windmills. You learn all about rural life, traditional Dutch cheese-making – with tasters, ofc – and how wooden clogs are made. The fishing villages are so picture perfect and are nice break from the buzzy city centre.
When it was time to get back to Amsterdam, we found another cool coffee shop to chill in, Prix D’Ami. At lunch time, we decided to continue the hunt for the best Dutch frites, and the ones in Frites Huys are a strong contender – we went for the BBQ and curry sauce. The rest of the afternoon was for picking up souvenirs in the city’s independent gift shop, with a little stop in Chun to refuel with some matcha and one of their famous toasties. It was worth the hype.
Our evenings had been pretty low-key up until this point, so we spiced things up by heading back across the river to brave Europe’s highest swing at A’DAM LOOKOUT. If you don’t like heights, maybe give this one a miss, but it was so worth it for the epic scenes of Amsterdam’s skyline. We stuck around up here for dinner in the boujie Ma’dam Sky Bar – the food is unreal, but the panoramic views are even better.
Day 4 – self-care and shopping
It had been a busy few days, so we slowed things down with a morning spa session over in the WestCord Fashion Hotel. They have a strong line-up of treatments and massages that will make you feel properly pampered. Once we were feeling all zen, we went to Locals, a cool brunch spot with a sleek, minimalist design. All the food here is super fresh and made from locally-sourced ingredients – the truffle scrambled eggs get a special mention.
After brunch, it was time for some culture at the Moco Museum. It looks all historic from the outside, but inside it’s all modern art installations and futuristic sculptures. Walk through immersive digital exhibitions and see some of the most famous pieces of art by Banksy and Andy Warhol.
In the evening, we had dinner at Stick-Up Indo Food, an Indonesian-Dutch fusion restaurant – there are honestly so many different types of cuisine here. After we ate, it was back to the streets to do some late-night shopping in Amsterdam’s flagship streetwear stores, like Patta, the New Originals and Rezareez. Whether you treat yourself to some new garms or just do some window-shopping, it’s great retail therapy.
Day 5 – last day
Our final day! Our flight home wasn’t until the evening, so we had loads of time to pack things in. We made the most of our last morning by checking out the city’s thrift shops – you can come away with a serious haul of vintage items, and it’s all super cheap. Episode and Zipper are great for retro clothes, and IJ-Hallen is a market with all sorts of weird and wonderful treasures.
We went big for our last lunch with an insanely good burger from Maijard Smash Burgers. I went for the new chicken smashed burger – it might seem like a rogue choice, put it was so juicy and crispy, I’m still thinking about it. The food coma was real, so we went on a wholesome canal cruise tour. It was such a nice way to end the trip and see all the sites we’d visited over the last few days from a different perspective – the architecture along the waterfront is some of the best in the city, too.
Before heading to the airport, we had one last meal at The Pancake Club. Go for one of the big crepes covered in your fave topping, or try the mini Dutch pancakes – they were so fluffy and light. It was a very sweet ending to an amazing trip in Amsterdam.
If @hadleyogarro’s trip sounds like a bit of you, have a look at our Amsterdam holidays and you can find all their picks on our Insiders Hub.
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Author: @hadleyogarro
Last updated: 7/2/2025
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