How to spend 36 hours in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam is an alternate universe.
I’ve never experienced anything like it. The entire time I was there, it felt like I was walking through a simulation; nothing felt real, nothing felt legal (or illegal for that matter). It was the last weekend trip I took while studying abroad, a last hurrah with the girls I got so close with over the course of the semester, and it was unlike anything I ever expected. We only had 36 hours in Amsterdam, so we made sure to make the most of it.
I feel like depending on the time of year, or simply the weather you encounter, Amsterdam can come across as a light, fairytale daydream or it can be a moody scene from a gothic novel. Can you guess from the photo above which Amsterdam I got?
It rained nearly the whole time we were there; the skies were stormy, the dark hues of the city seemed even darker, the water in the canals was pitch black. Normally you hope for good weather when traveling, but we stuck it out with our flimsy umbrellas and thick coats and managed to still have a lot of fun.
We got a few peeks of sunlight throughout the weekend, but the moody weather actually ended up being a vibe, and we didn’t let it get the best of us.
How to Spend 36 hours in Amsterdam
Explore the waterfront
Of course, the appeal of Amsterdam is that the city layout is so unique and different than what the majority of us are used to, with more bike lanes than actual roads and canals separating every block. Naturally the first course of action during your 36 hours in Amsterdam should be to simply explore and get a feel for the city! We had a blast wandering around the front portion of the city by the train station, taking endless photos, laughing at the raunchily themed museums and marveling at the boats tied to the edges of the canals we later discovered were the priciest houses in the city.
On a budget? Find cheap places to stay in Amsterdam
2. Take a Walking Tour
The second thing i would recommend doing is taking a formal walking tour of the city. Not only will you be shown secret spots within the city and see things you would never be able to discover on your own, you will also be told fascinating facts and secrets about the city. What are the enormous hooks on the facade of every building for? Why are the houses so skinny? How many bicycles do they have to fish out of the canals every year? take a walking tour and you’ll discover the answers to these questions and many more. Our walking tour deposited us right in front of the old pub pictured below where we ordered hot chocolate and warmed up our toes before braving the cold again.
3. Anne Franks house
As sad as it is, you simply cannot go to Amsterdam without paying a visit to the Anne Frank Museum. Reading about her is one thing, but actually walking through the space and seeing for yourself just how tiny and cramped her hiding place that she shared with her family and friends was is on another level. The museum was highly interactive, and you can progress through the exhibits at your own pace.
****This is something you must book far in advance. I did not book mine at the same time as my friends, (the tickets for each time slot get snatched up quickly) but I found the museum engaging enough that I didn’t even notice their absence; its not something you need a whole group of friends to do.
4. Vondel Park
While still a pleasant activity to do during the winter, I’m sure Vondelpark would be much more enjoyable during the summer. It is a massive expanse of green areas, ponds, outdoor gyms, and restaurants, but my group came here specifically to eat their shrooms they bought at one of the many shroom dispensaries around the city LOL.
It was a very anticlimactic experience. As the designated trip-sitter, I did not partake (taking drugs in a strange country sounds like the opposite of a good time to me), but everyone ended up vomiting theirs up anyways: apparently they aren’t the most appetizing things in the world. I wish I had more useful Vondelpark tips for you but thats genuinely all I’ve got HAHA.
5. Moco Museum
Another museum worth splurging on is the Moco Museum. Best known for their collection of Bansky pieces, the Moco museum is a modern art museum that is far more entertaining than your average history museum. We chose this museum out of all those available to us because of the uniqueness of the art and the wide variety of pieces they had on display; there was something there for every person in our group.
Even as someone who generally does not understand modern art, I can confidently say that I would spend my money there again. It is definitely worth your time! Every piece was unlike anything I’ve ever seen and getting a peek into the minds of some of the most modern artists is so interesting.
6. The Heineken museum
When it came to the alcohol experiences Amsterdam has to offer, our group differed in priorities. We all managed to agree to meet in the evening for a river cruise that served mulled wine and spiked hot chocolate, but for the afternoon leading up to that, we had two people in our group split away to go to the infamous ice bar, but as there are ice bars beginning to pop up all over the world, the other girl in the group and I decided to go to the Heineken museum.
Spoiler: we won this decision.
The Heineken factory is so interactive I would have no problem recommending this even to people who are underage (which is 18 in The Netherlands). The museum led you through the history of the beer with entertaining actors and light shows, tastings of the beer in all its forms of development, cool photo ops, games, and trivia. The stations were so well thought out, and it was truly an experience I will never forget. Two drinks are included with the price of entry, not including a smaller sampler that was passed out after one of the light shows. The gift shop offered engraved pint glasses and unique collectable Heineken glasses, wearable merch and small trinkets you can bring back home for family members. 10/10 decision.
7. Christmas lights cruise
After our win at the Heineken museum, we met up triumphantly with the other girls in our group and hopped on the lights cruise we found on Airbnb experiences. We were in Amsterdam during Christmas, and there are always beautiful lights installations throughout the canals around that time of the year. This experience took us through all of them. Our guide was fabulous, telling us about the artists and the meaning behind their work. He had snacks and drinks for all the passengers and made the experience very enjoyable for us!
If you only have 36 hours in Amsterdam, this is something you can do in the afternoon or even at sunset before dinner! We only stayed until the evening of the next day specifically for the Christmas lights tour.
One thing to note is this: be SURE to use the bathroom before getting on board. The tour was quite long, and after a day of drinking and then receiving even more drink options on the boat, it was hard to enjoy towards the end because my bladder was SO FULL. SO. FULL. All of us were squirming in our chairs so be sure to avoid that mishap and you’ll be golden.
8. Red light District
Of course, no list of things to do in Amsterdam would be complete without a mention of the Red Light District. It’s something very unique about Amsterdam that I haven’t seen in any other parts of the world. Without a doubt, Amsterdam is a very provocative city, and not something I would recommend for family vacations, but it was perfect for a girls trip.
We got a glimpse of it on our walking tours, where the guide explained that the workers are a part of the community there and are some of his best friends. It’s not a taboo topic, and no one is looked down on because of their choice of work. Photos are 100% NOT allowed throughout the red light district, so instead, enjoy the photo of the raunchy gallery wall that was in a random bar we popped into for some dessert.
Between the red and blue lights that signified different types of sex workers, the neon signs for restaurants and bars, and the green glowing lights that signified a weed coffee shop, Walking around Amsterdam at night felt like I was in a video game. It was very out of my comfort zone, but I had no issues going and finding actual coffee by myself whenever my friends decided to pop into a coffee shop with glowing green lights.
Every time someone asks me about my time in Amsterdam, I tell them it felts like an alternate universe. Maybe it would have felt different in the warm summer months, but with the gloomy cold weather and the questionable legality of everything going on (everything i’ve spoken about is legal there, but sometimes my brain just does not compute), it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
9. Eat a Stroopwafel
What did redeem my time in Amsterdam, however, was the existence of stroopwafels. Allegedly, the best place to go to get these babies in Amsterdam is Van Wonderen. They make them to-order, right in front of you, and while it is time-consuming to wait, it is WELL worth it. They’re made of layers of thing waffle glued together with chocolate and caramel sauce, and while this doesn’t sound very revolutionary, it blew my freaking mind. I’ve never ever had something so delicious, and I think I went back like three times.
You get to choose the toppings, and while I chose mini m&ms solely because of the way they would photograph, I did try all the rest of the flavors and I won. So, there you go. Now you know what to order.
10. Rent a bike
Riding a bike in Amsterdam is not for the faint of heart. The amount of times we forgot to look both ways before crossing the bike lanes is highly embarrassing, we had no less than three run-ins with upset bicycle drivers in the three days that we were there. They take it so seriously, so make sure to stay out of their way! My group and I decided we weren’t brave enough to rent bikes (and the wind was too cold on our faces already so that also played a factor in our decision) but if you decide to take the plunge, there are rental places all over the city that charge fairly low rates!
It would make a great photo-op and would probably make you look a little more like a local! If you give it a go, let me know how it went in the comments below!
What did I miss? Anything else you would recommend for 36 hours in Amsterdam? drop a comment!:)
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