Amsterdam: the city of art, canals, bikes, boats, stroopwafels- you could spend endless days here and never get tired of this magical city. Though if you are limited on time like I was when I visited last month, you may be pondering how to fit the best of the city into a short amount of time. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right spot. This 3 day Amsterdam itinerary takes you through the must visit museums, tours, food stops and more if you are trying to see the whole city in just a few days.
When visiting for the first time last month, it was important to me to prioritize diving into the city’s rich history, culture, and art during my short stay. However, I didn’t want to do this at the expense of being too exhausted to enjoy each of my adventures. This Amsterdam itinerary breaks up some of the heftier sightseeing events with leisure activities in a way that will sustain you through your 3 days in the city.
Ready to dive in and start planning? Keep reading to put together your ideal 3 day itinerary for Amsterdam!
Day 1: Walking Tour, Friet, and Van Gogh Museum
Free Walking Tour
One of my favorite ways to start out any visit to a new city is to go on a walking tour to get a lay of the land. This is the perfect way to get an overview of the city’s history and culture. Also, I’ve found that my tour guides are excellent for food recommendations and lesser known places to check out.
In Amsterdam, there are a number of free walking tours available online to book in advance every day. I booked the “classic tour” with Free Walking Tours Amsterdam which I highly recommend. The tour lasted a couple of hours and I learned so much about the city’s architecture, its 750 year history, important cultural hot topics today such as the Red Light District and “coffee shops”, among so many other topics. They take you out in relatively small groups (I think mine had about 10 of us) so we had plenty of opportunities to ask our guide questions along the way.
If you are interested in a more specialized tour, or perhaps even a second tour, they offer themed tours including the “Anne Frank Tour“, “Dark Side Tour“, and “Food Tour” among many others as well.
Note that while the tours are free, there is a €2 booking fee and tips are strongly encouraged!
Friet
After your walking tour, I highly recommend heading to get some friet from one of the many shops scattered throughout Amsterdam. Friet is a local specialty consisting of a cone of fries and a sauce of your choosing. Beware, the servings are huge and delicious!
I visited Manneken Pis Damrak right outside of Dam Square and highly recommend if your walking tour ends somewhere in the area (which mine did). However, you will see a friet shop around every corner in the touristy areas of Amsterdam so you should have no trouble finding one no matter where you are!
Van Gogh Museum
End the first day of your Amsterdam itinerary with a visit to the world-famous Van Gogh museum, located in the museum district. Home to some of his most well known works, including “Sunflowers” and many of his self portraits remain on permanent residency in the museum, this is surely an unforgettable stop.
Tickets are €24 for adults and include an audio guide tour to walk you through the museum. Tickets tend to sell out in advance, especially during busy tourist periods so I recommend reserving your time slot in advance.
Optional: Dinner at The Burger Room
Across the street from the Van Gogh museum was one of my favorite restaurants that I visited while in Amsterdam: The Burger Room.
Have you ever been to a restaurant that is a cross between a burger bar, the Wizard of Oz, and a gluten free safe haven? Probably not, which is what makes The Burger Room in the Museum District of Amsterdam so unique! Walking in, you are greeted on the “yellow brick road” into the main dining area that is decked out to make you feel like you are sitting in the center of Emerald City.
The burger-forward menu is themed to the restaurant as well, with options like “The Scarecrow” and “Back to Kansas”. For folks with allergies like me, they have a fantastic allergen guide as well. And for my gluten free friends, The Burger Room is one of many gluten free Amsterdam restaurants that I highly recommend!
Day 2: Bike Tour and the Anne Frank House
Amsterdam Countryside Bike Tour
Amsterdam is known for being the biking mecca of Europe. With more bicycles than people, the city is brimming with bikes everywhere you turn. To kick off our second day of our 3 day Amsterdam itinerary, its time to join the masses and hop on a set of wheels!
Hesitant to ride a bike around the city myself, I opted to do a guided bike tour that takes you away from the crowds of the city and into the countryside. The tour meets in the city center not far from Centraal Station but immediately starts with a short ride to the ferry to cross into North Amsterdam.
Upon arrival in North Amsterdam, you will feel like you have been transported into another world. It is much more residential with parks and quiet villages. The tour then took us to a seaside fishing village, through farmland, and we took a break at an adorable cafe for lunch. Then, we hopped back on our bikes to ride past more sheep, cows, pigs and past an old windmill to round out the tour!
Altogether, the tour lasted about 4 hours and we rode 18 miles so I would only recommend this tour if you think you are up for the ride. For me, this was one of the best experiences to learn more about the agriculture and infrastructure of the Netherlands while also learning more about its history and culture.
Anne Frank House
To round out the second day of your Amsterdam itinerary, head on over to the Anne Frank House to step back in time to an important period in Amsterdam’s history. The home that the Frank family hid in for over two years has been turned into a time capsule showcasing what it was like for the families hidden there and the people that aided in hiding them.
The museum provides every visitor with an audio guide that will walk you through each room. Altogether, the tour lasts about an hour.
Its imperative that you book tickets to the Anne Frank house well in advance as this is one of the city’s most visited tourist sites. They release tickets every Tuesday, 6 weeks in advance. Within hours, many time slots will sell out so I recommend booking as soon as possible.
Optional: Dinner at Koh-I-Noor
If you are in the mood to spice things up a bit (pun intended!), head over to Koh-I-Noor for some of the most delicious Indian food you can dream of. Just a few blocks away from the Anne Frank House, this place is perfect to round out the second day of your Amsterdam itinerary.
The staff were incredibly kind and attentive, the menu is almost too big to choose from, and everything was cooked to perfection. What more can you ask for? If you are torn on what to get, get the chicken birriani.
Day 3: Vondelpark and Canal Tour
Vondelpark
To begin the last day of your 3 days in Amsterdam, head to the city’s largest park for a slow morning. Vondelpark, located in Amsterdam-Zuid, is over 100 acres and is filled with walking paths, bike paths, grassy expanses, cafes, and performance venues.
Depending on when you visit, you may be able to catch a theater performance, movie screening, or concert. Check the website in advance to see what events are happening during your visit.
You can even grab a bite to eat! There are a handful of cafes with outdoor seating scattered throughout the park.
Canal Boat Tour
The final must-do attraction on your 3 day Amsterdam itinerary is a boat tour through Amsterdam’s canals. There are a number of different companies offering all types of tours: cheese and wine cruises, pizza cruises, and my personal favorite, bottomless drink cruises!
My friends and I opted for a bottomless drinks cruise and it was one of my favorite experiences of our stay. Besides the drinks, our tour guides were great at balancing having fun while still pointing out cool fun facts throughout the ride.
You can catch a boat tour from a number of meeting spots throughout the city, though two of the most popular pickup spots are Centraal Station and the Anne Frank House.
Here are a few cruises I recommend checking out:
Looking for More European Guides?
Check out my other itineraries and guides to seeing Europe:
- How Many Days in Madrid is Enough? Itineraries for 2, 3, or 4 Days in Madrid
- How Many Days in Florence is Enough? Hand-Crafted Itinerary for 2+ Days in the City
- How Many Days in Venice is Enough? Itinerary + Recommendations for a 1, 2, or 3 Day Stay
- How Many Days in Rome is Enough? The Perfect Itinerary for 2, 3, or 4 Days
- Ten Days in Italy Itinerary: The Ultimate Guide to Seeing 3 Beautiful Cities
- Malaga in One Day: 5 Must-See Places to Visit
Gluten Free like Me?
It’s uber important to always travel prepared! No matter where you are going, it’s important to always travel with some gluten free snacks on hand!
Click here to learn more about my favorite gluten free travel snacks!
Travelling Gluten Free in Europe? Read on more here:
- Gluten Free Amsterdam: 10 Must Visit GF Restaurants
- Gluten Free in Florence: 7 MUST Visit Restaurants and Eateries for a Delicious Trip
- Gluten Free Venice: 8 BEST Restaurants and Stores to Visit
- Gluten Free Rome: 9 Must-Visit Restaurants, Bakeries, and Gelaterias
- Gluten Free London: 9 Delicious Stops for Your Next Visit
Don’t Stop Exploring Here!
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