Amsterdam 7-day itinerary

Start in the Jordaan — Amsterdam's most atmospheric neighbourhood. Walk Prinsengracht past houseboats and leaning gabled houses. Explore hidden hofjes (courtyard gardens) like Karthuizerhof on Karthuizerstraat. Browse the Negen Straatjes for vintage shops and canal-side cafes. Coffee and famous apple pie at Winkel 43 (€4.50) on Noordermarkt.

Pre-book the Anne Frank House (€16, released 6 weeks ahead). Walk through the secret annex — the concealed bookcase entrance, the tiny rooms where eight people hid for two years, Anne's original diary pages. Profoundly moving. Allow 90 minutes. Afterwards, walk along Prinsengracht to decompress — the canal light is beautiful in the afternoon.

Amsterdam's brown cafés are the heart of the city. Café 't Smalle (1786) on Egelantiersgracht, Café Papeneiland (1642) on Prinsengracht, and Café de Kat in de Wijngaert are all within walking distance. Order bitterballen with mustard (€6) and a local beer. Dinner at De Reiger (mains €16–22) or Balthazar's Keuken for a set menu (€35 for three courses).

The Van Gogh Museum (€20) holds the world's largest collection — 200 paintings, 500 drawings. Walk chronologically from the dark Dutch peasant works through Paris, Arles, and Saint-Rémy. The Bedroom, Sunflowers, and Almond Blossom are here. The story of his life, told through his letters and art, is deeply moving. Allow 2 hours.

The Rijksmuseum (€22.50) is a masterpiece itself — the cycling tunnel through its arches is iconic. Rembrandt's Night Watch dominates its dedicated gallery. Vermeer's Milkmaid and other Dutch Golden Age paintings are extraordinary. Then walk to the Albert Cuyp Market (Mon–Sat) for stroopwafels (€3), kibbeling (€5), and the multicultural buzz of De Pijp.

De Pijp has Amsterdam's best dining scene. Try Bakers & Roasters for fusion food (€12–16), Firma Pekelharingen for a €25 three-course set menu, or SLA for the health-conscious. For nightlife, walk to Paradiso (legendary church-turned-venue) or Melkweg for live music and club nights. Otherwise, the bars on Marie Heinekenplein have great terraces.

Free ferry from Centraal Station to Noord (5 minutes). NDSM Wharf is a former shipyard turned creative precinct — enormous street art murals, artist studios, and the Straat Museum (€18) for the world's largest indoor street art collection. Walk the waterfront and explore the containers converted into cafes and workshops. A'DAM Lookout (€14.50) has panoramic views.

Brouwerij 't IJ (open 2–8pm daily) is Amsterdam's most beloved brewery — set beneath a windmill with a sunny terrace. Beers €3.50–5. Walk through the Eastern Docklands — modern architecture on former harbour islands. The KNSM-eiland and Java-eiland have striking building designs and waterfront cafes. The Nemo Science Museum's rooftop (free) offers city views.

Walk De Wallen — the Red Light District is also Amsterdam's oldest neighbourhood. The Oude Kerk (1213) stands amid the windows. Visit the Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder — a 17th-century secret Catholic church hidden in an attic (€16). The area is safe and atmospheric at night. Dinner at Café de Jaren on the Amstel — huge waterside terrace overlooking the river.

Bus 391 from Centraal Station (40 min, included with OV-chipkaart). Zaanse Schans is a living village of preserved Dutch windmills, green wooden houses, and traditional workshops. The windmills are working — visit a sawmill and paint mill (€5 each). The cheese farm and clog workshop are free. The village is open-air and free to walk. Arrive by 9am before coaches.

Train from Zaandam to Haarlem (20 min, €4). Haarlem is a miniature Amsterdam without the crowds — canals, gabled houses, a beautiful Grote Markt square, and the Grote Kerk where a young Mozart played the organ. The Frans Hals Museum (€16) has excellent Golden Age paintings. Lunch at a Haarlem terrace on the Grote Markt (pancakes €10–14).

Train back to Amsterdam (15 min). Explore Oud-West — a residential neighbourhood with the Foodhallen (food court in a converted tram depot, mains €8–14), the Ten Katemarkt (daily street market), and excellent neighbourhood bars. De Hallen complex also has an art house cinema and cultural space. Drinks at Café Soundgarden or Butcher's Tears brewery.

The Stedelijk Museum (€22.50) is Amsterdam's modern and contemporary art museum — Mondrian, Malevich, de Kooning, Warhol, and excellent rotating exhibitions. The building's extension (nicknamed "the bathtub") is striking. Walk Museumplein afterwards — the "I Amsterdam" sign replacement, the Concertgebouw concert hall exterior, and buskers in the square.

Take a canal cruise (€14–18, 75 minutes) — the perspective from the water reveals details you miss on foot. The Woonbotenmuseum (Houseboat Museum, €5.50) on Prinsengracht lets you explore a real canal houseboat. Walk to the Bloemenmarkt (floating flower market) on Singel for tulip bulbs and souvenirs. Lunch at a canalside terrace.

The Plantage neighbourhood east of centre is quiet, leafy, and atmospheric. Walk along Plantage Middenlaan past the Hollandsche Schouwburg (Holocaust memorial, free) and the Hortus Botanicus (€12, one of the world's oldest botanical gardens). Dinner at Café Koosje or Restaurant Greetje for modern Dutch cuisine (mains €18–24). End at Hannekes Boom — a waterside bar.

Rent a bike (€10–12/day from MacBike or Black Bikes) and cycle like a local. Head along the Amstel River south to the Amstelpark and Rieker windmill — flat, scenic, and traffic-free paths. Or cycle north on the Waterland route through the villages of Broek in Waterland and Monnickendam — polder landscapes, cows, and water as far as the eye can see.

Cycle to Westerpark and the Westergasfabriek — a former gas factory converted into a cultural complex with restaurants, a cinema, breweries, and the Sunday Market (first Sunday of each month). Pacific Parc has a huge terrace. The Westerpark itself is a local favourite for picnics. Lunch at Mossel en Gin (mussels and gin, naturally) or Kanteen inside the complex.

Return the bike and head to Leidseplein — Amsterdam's nightlife hub. Dinner at The Pantry for traditional Dutch food (stamppot, bitterballen, €14–18) or splurge at Restaurant Blauw for Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table, €30–38 per person — 12+ dishes). For nightlife, Club Air, Escape, or the jazz clubs around Leidseplein keep going until 4–5am.

One final canal walk — take the route from Centraal along the Singel, past the Bloemenmarkt, down to Reguliersgracht for the seven-bridge view. If it is Saturday, catch the Lindengracht Market in the Jordaan (300 stalls, food and goods). Breakfast at The Breakfast Club (Bellamyplein) or grab a fresh stroopwafel from the Albert Cuyp Market one last time.

For souvenirs, skip the tourist shops — buy Delft Blue pottery at Heinen Delfts Blauw (Prinsengracht), cheese at Henri Willig, or stroopwafels from Van Wonderen. For a final Dutch treat, try a kapsalon (fries, shawarma, cheese, salad — a Rotterdam invention) from any snackbar (€8–10). Or one last pannenkoek (Dutch pancake) at The Pancake Bakery.

Farewell dinner at Moeders (decorated with photos of mothers, Dutch home cooking, mains €14–18) or a final waterside drink at Café de Ceuvel in Noord — a sustainable cafe built on reclaimed houseboats. Schiphol Airport is 20 minutes by train from Centraal Station (€5.70) — trains run 24 hours. Amsterdam says a casual, cosy goodbye.