5 Days in Amsterdam: Our Day-by-Day Itinerary

Amsterdam in 5 Days: Our Real Day-by-Day Itinerary

Five days in the Netherlands, mostly Amsterdam, sounded like plenty. Four nights, five days, and enough time, we thought, to see the city without rushing from one attraction to another. Then we started planning. Amsterdam has a way of making an itinerary grow very quickly.

We visited Amsterdam in May, arriving by train from Belgium and spending five days and four nights in the city. We waddled a lot, used public transport when our feet had had enough, crossed the IJ to explore NDSM, visited museums, ate our way around the city, and still left with things we wanted to see. So, this isn’t an itinerary built behind a laptop around what you could theoretically squeeze into five days. This is exactly how we spent our five days in Amsterdam: what worked, what we’d change, and what we’d happily do all over again.

How Many Days in Amsterdam Are Enough

For a first trip, we think 3 to 5 days in Amsterdam is a good amount of time. Three days gives you enough time for the main sights, canals, and a couple of museums, but five days felt right for us. We could explore beyond the center, visit NDSM and ARTIS, take a canal cruise, try different restaurants, and still have time to waddle without following a strict schedule. Even with five days, though, we didn’t see everything. If you enjoy museums, food, and slower city trips, you certainly won’t struggle to fill five days in Amsterdam.

Our Amsterdam Itinerary at a Glance

Our Amsterdam Itinerary: Day by Day

Five days gave us plenty of time to see Amsterdam without turning every day into a race. Here’s exactly how we spent them, day by day.

Day 1 in Amsterdam: First Waddle Through the City

Morning: Arrival by train from Belgium & first city waddle
Afternoon: Dam Square, De Waag, canals, canal cruise, Johnny Jordaanplein, Burgermeester & Vondelpark
Evening: Exploring Amsterdam
Waddling: Heavy
Our highlight: Our first canal cruise

We arrived in Amsterdam by train from Belgium, and we got our first impression of the city almost immediately. Stepping outside Amsterdam Centraal and seeing the water, boats, and rows of narrow houses made it feel like we had properly arrived. We headed straight to our hotel to drop off our bags, and with that out of the way, we were ready for our first waddle through Amsterdam. No complicated plan for the first few hours, just exploring the city and getting our first feel for the canals, streets, and neighborhoods we’d call home for the next five days.

Amsterdam Oersoep. One of the first landmarks we passed was Amsterdam Oersoep, the striking red-brick building right beside Amsterdam Centraal. Originally built in the early 20th century as a shipping office, its façade now features references to Amsterdam’s maritime past. Its unusual nickname, Oersoep, means “primordial soup,” a nod to the building’s mix of decorative figures, symbols, and stories.

• National Monument on Dam Square. From Amsterdam’s busy shopping streets, we waddled toward Dam Square, where the white National Monument immediately caught our attention. Built in 1956, the monument commemorates Dutch victims of World War II and later conflicts and remains the focus of the Netherlands’ annual Remembrance of the Dead ceremony on May 4. Standing in the middle of one of Amsterdam’s busiest squares, it offers an interesting first glimpse into the city’s history.

• A Little Amsterdam Shopping Along the Way. As we waddled toward our next stop, we couldn’t resist popping into a few shops along the way. We checked out the famous Dutch wooden shoes, browsed some souvenirs, and, naturally, stopped at a cheese shop to see what was on offer. A little shopping break later, we continued our waddle through the city.
• A Quick Stop at De Waag. As we continued through Amsterdam, De Waag was one of those buildings that made us stop for a closer look. Sitting right on Nieuwmarkt, with its brick walls and small towers, it looks almost like a little castle in the middle of the city. The building dates back to 1488 and was originally one of Amsterdam’s city gates before later becoming a weighing house. We only stopped outside to admire it and take a few photos before continuing our waddle.

• Waddle Along Amsterdam’s Canals. One thing we quickly loved about Amsterdam was simply waddling along the canals. You don’t really need to plan where to find them because another canal, bridge, or row of narrow houses seems to appear behind almost every corner. We spent plenty of time just walking, stopping for photos and enjoying the views along the water. And while Amsterdam has a long list of attractions, some of our favorite moments came from simply exploring the canals with nowhere specific to be.

• Historic Gable Stones on Sint Olofssteeg. While waddling along Sint Olofssteeg, we came across this brick wall covered with old Amsterdam gable stones. Before house numbers became common, these carved plaques helped identify buildings, often using ships, animals, occupations, or other symbols. One of the stones we spotted, In de Arcke No 76, dates back to 1676 and depicts Noah’s Ark. It was one of those little pieces of Amsterdam history we found simply by wandering. It was interesting and fun to notice these small things while waddling.

• Cruising the Canals of Amsterdam. Then came one of those unplanned moments. While waddling through the city, we spotted a canal boat with a few empty seats and decided to jump aboard. We spent about an hour cruising through Amsterdam’s canals, passing narrow houses, bridges, and houseboats while listening to stories from our skipper. Seeing Amsterdam from the water felt completely different from walking beside it. Sometimes the best travel plans are the ones you never make.

During our canal cruise, there was always something new to spot. We passed Amsterdam’s famous crooked houses, leaning toward each other along the water, and cruised beneath the Aluminum Bridge. We also spotted one of the city’s smallest houses, squeezed into a tiny space between much larger buildings. But our favorite find was De Poezenboot, the Catboat, a floating sanctuary for cats right on the canal. Only in Amsterdam can you be cruising along and suddenly discover a boat full of cats.

• Johnny Jordaanplein. From the canals, we waddled toward Johnny Jordaanplein, a small square dedicated to Amsterdam’s famous Jordaan musicians. Here, you can find several statues celebrating singers connected to the neighborhood, including Johnny Jordaan, one of Amsterdam’s best-known voices in traditional folk music. It was a quick stop, but another fun piece of local culture along our route.

• Burgermeester: Time for Burgers. All that waddling eventually made us hungry, so our next stop was Burgermeester, a popular Amsterdam spot for burgers. What caught our attention was the option to order three mini burgers, which meant we didn’t have to settle for just one. We loved being able to try different combinations, and the smaller size was perfect for tasting more without getting completely stuffed. A good food stop before we continued exploring Amsterdam.

• A Waddle Through Vondelpark. Next, we headed to Vondelpark, one of Amsterdam’s best-known green spaces. The park covers around 47 hectares and first opened in 1865. It was later named after Dutch poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel, whose statue stands inside the park. But we didn’t come here with a list of things to see. We just wanted to walk. And we loved it. We waddled along the paths, passed ponds, and watched people cycle, run, picnic, and relax on the grass. Amsterdam can feel busy, so Vondelpark gave us a chance to slow down for a while. It was simple, but it became one of those parts of the day we really enjoyed.

Day 1 Verdict. This felt like a solid first day in Amsterdam. We saw plenty without following a packed schedule, mixed sightseeing with lots of waddling, and finished the day feeling like we had already experienced a good slice of the city. We wouldn’t change much.

Day 2 in Amsterdam: Museums, Penguins & Meeting a Friend

Morning: Amsterdam Cheese Museum, Anne Frank House & Amsterdam Tulip Museum
Afternoon: ARTIS Zoo, penguins & NDSM with our friend
Evening: Ethiopian food at Lalibela, ice cream & more Amsterdam exploring
Waddling: Heavy
Our highlight: Visiting the Anne Frank House

We started our second day by taking a tram to the Prinsengracht area, where we planned to spend the first half of the day. There was plenty to see here, including several museums on our list, so we parked ourselves in this part of Amsterdam and started exploring.

• Amsterdam Cheese Museum. One of our first stops in the area was the Amsterdam Cheese Museum, and as cheese lovers, we obviously had to go inside. The ground floor is actually a cheese shop with plenty of free samples to try, while downstairs you find a small museum dedicated to Dutch cheese-making. It doesn’t take long, but it was fun, free, and very Dutch. And yes, we left with cheese.

• Anne Frank House. We then continued to the Anne Frank House, where we had a specific time slot booked in advance. This was one of the places we knew we wanted to visit before we even arrived in Amsterdam, so we made sure we weren’t late. We also booked the 30-minute introductory program, followed by our visit through the museum and the Secret Annex.

• Amsterdam Tulip Museum. We also stopped at the Amsterdam Tulip Museum, which is actually part museum and part shop. The small museum tells the story of the Netherlands’ relationship with tulips, while the shop is packed with tulip bulbs, souvenirs, and gifts. Even if you don’t visit the museum itself, the shop is worth a quick look while exploring the Jordaan.

• ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo. Our next stop was ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo, and of course, we had one important mission: find the penguins. We arrived at around 2 PM and spent the next few hours exploring the zoo, including its African penguins and the Planetarium. ARTIS feels like a park mixed with a zoo, which made it a nice place to waddle around between museums and city sightseeing.

• NDSM Amsterdam: Exploring the City’s Industrial Side. Later, we met up with our friend and took the free ferry across the IJ to NDSM. This former shipyard shows a completely different side of Amsterdam, filled with old industrial buildings, street art, and spaces given new life. We waddled around together, explored the area, and enjoyed seeing Amsterdam beyond its canals and historic center.

• Ethiopian Food at Lalibela & Ice Cream. Our next stop was Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant our friend recommended. This was actually our first time trying Ethiopian food, so we were excited to see what would arrive at the table. We shared a large injera platter with Doro Wot Special (chicken and a boiled egg) and Segni, a spicy beef stew. Eating everything with pieces of injera instead of cutlery was part of the experience, and we really enjoyed trying something completely new. Before continuing with our day, we also made one very necessary stop for ice cream.

Day 2 Verdict. Day 2 was packed, but one of the most memorable days of our Amsterdam trip. We visited the Anne Frank House after reading her diary, found our beloved penguins at ARTIS, explored a completely different side of Amsterdam at NDSM, and tried Ethiopian food for the first time. A lot for one day, but we wouldn’t change it.

Day 3 in Amsterdam: A Rainy Day of Indoor Experiences

Morning: Museumplein, Back to Black coffee & Gerrit Park
Afternoon: Heineken Experience, Foodhallen, Fabrique des Lumières & Hans Egstorf stroopwafel
Evening: De Posthumus Winkel, Oudemanhuispoort Book Market, Red Light District & the Little Woodcutter
Waddling: Heavy
Our highlight: Finding De Posthumus Winkel & our penguin stamp

We started our rainy third day with a waddle around Museumplein, Amsterdam’s famous Museum Quarter. This is where you find some of the city’s biggest museums, including the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum. We walked around the area for a while, but with the rain showing no signs of stopping, indoor activities quickly became the plan for the day.

• Coffee at Back to Black. We continued our waddle and escaped the rain for a while at Back to Black, a small coffee shop with a cozy atmosphere. It was exactly the kind of stop we needed on a wet Amsterdam morning. The café was a little cramped and busy, but we found a spot and warmed up with a cup of coffee. We also liked that the coffee wasn’t overly sour, which is always a win for us.
• Break at Gerrit Park. We grabbed our coffees from Back to Black and took them to nearby Gerrit Park. We found a spot to sit, enjoyed our coffee, and took a short break from waddling around Amsterdam. The weather wasn’t exactly on our side, but coffee in a little Amsterdam park still felt like a pretty good way to start the day.

• Escaping the Rain at the Heineken Experience. As the rain picked up, we decided it was the perfect time to hide indoors at the Heineken Experience. Set inside Heineken’s former brewery, the experience takes you through the brand’s story, the brewing process, and plenty of interactive rooms. It turned out to be a good rainy-day choice and kept us dry for a couple of hours while still adding another Amsterdam experience to our day.

• Lunch at Foodhallen. By then, we were getting hungry and wanted something a little different, so we headed to Foodhallen. Set inside the larger De Hallen complex, this indoor food hall brings plenty of food stands under one roof, making it perfect when you can’t decide what to eat. We took a lap, checked out the options, and eventually grabbed loaded sausages with sweet potato fries. It was busy, and finding a seat took some patience, but the whole experience made it much more fun than simply stopping.
• Fabrique des Lumières. Our next stop was Fabrique des Lumières, an immersive digital art center inside a former gasworks building in Westergas. Instead of looking at paintings hanging on walls, here the art takes over the walls, floors, and entire space, accompanied by music. We found a spot, sat down, and watched the projections move around us. It was completely different from a traditional museum and another perfect indoor stop for our rainy Amsterdam day.

• Stroopwafel at Hans Egstorf. Of course, we also needed something sweet. We stopped at Hans Egstorf, a historic Amsterdam bakery known for its freshly made stroopwafels. We watched them being prepared right in front of us, then tried one while it was still warm. At €7.50, it certainly wasn’t a cheap stroopwafel, but trying one freshly made in Amsterdam was part of the experience.

• De Posthumus Winkel: A Dream for Stamp Lovers. Then we found one of Amsterdam’s cutest little shops. De Posthumus Winkel has been here since 1865, and stepping inside feels like stepping back in time. The small shop is packed with stamps, wax seals, inks, stationery, and all sorts of tiny treasures. If you love stationery or stamps, definitely put this one on your Amsterdam list. We spent quite some time looking through everything and, of course, found a penguin stamp. There was no way we were leaving without it.

   

• Oudemanhuispoort Book Market. Our next stop was Oudemanhuispoort Book Market, and as book lovers, this one was definitely for us. Hidden inside a covered passage, the market has a history of selling second-hand books here going back to 1876. Today, you can browse tables and old wooden cabinets filled with second-hand and antique books, English and Dutch titles, old maps, prints, posters, and sheet music. We loved simply looking through the piles to see what we might find. It feels less like a regular bookshop and more like a little treasure hunt, where you never quite know what will be sitting on the next table. If you love books as we do, put this passage on your Amsterdam list.

• Waddling Through Amsterdam’s Red Light District. We also waddled through De Wallen, Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District. It is one of the city’s oldest parts, filled with narrow streets, canals, historic buildings, bars, and the well-known red-lit windows. The area is certainly different from anywhere else we visited in Amsterdam, and we wanted to see it for ourselves rather than only hear about it. Remember that taking photos of sex workers in the windows is not allowed and should always be respected.

• Finding the Little Woodcutter. We also went looking for one of Amsterdam’s tiny hidden artworks, the Little Woodcutter. Hidden up in a tree near Leidseplein, the bronze figure is only about 50 centimeters tall and shows a little man busy sawing the very branch he is sitting on. The sculpture appeared in 1989, and its artist remains a mystery. You really need to know where to look because it is surprisingly easy to walk straight past it. Finding him made the stop even more fun.

By the time we found the Little Woodcutter, it was already past 6 PM, and the rain was only getting heavier. We had packed a lot into the day, so we decided to call it a day and head back to our hotel, ready to dry off and rest.

Day 3 Verdict. The rain changed our plans, but Day 3 proved that Amsterdam works just as well on a rainy day. We mixed the Heineken Experience and Fabrique des Lumières with food, coffee, books, and plenty of waddling. But our best unexpected find was De Posthumus Winkel, the tiny stamp shop where we even found a penguin stamp to take home. Sometimes the smallest discoveries become the ones you remember most.

Day 4 in Amsterdam: A Day Trip to Zaanse Schans & More Amsterdam Exploring

Morning: Half-day trip to Zaanse Schans
Afternoon: Amsterdam Centraal, ferry to Amsterdam-Noord, A’DAM Tower & Eye Filmmuseum
Evening: Dinner at Marathonweg
Waddling: Moderate
Our highlight: Exploring the windmills of Zaanse Schans

We started Day 4 by leaving Amsterdam for a few hours and heading to Zaanse Schans, one of the easiest day trips from the city. Windmills, wooden houses, and Dutch traditions awaited us, offering a completely different setting from Amsterdam’s canals. But our day wasn’t over when we returned. We still had plenty of Amsterdam left to explore.

• Beyond Amsterdam: A Day in Zaanse Schans. We spent the first half of Day 4 outside Amsterdam at Zaanse Schans, a historic area known for its windmills, traditional wooden houses, and Dutch crafts. We stayed for a few hours, which felt like enough time to waddle around, visit the windmills, and get a taste of a very different side of the Netherlands. We definitely recommend adding Zaanse Schans to your Amsterdam itinerary if you have four or five days in the city. It is easy to combine with more Amsterdam exploring later in the day. You can read all about our visit, what we saw, and how to plan your own trip in our separate post, Beyond Amsterdam: A Day in Zaanse Schans.

• Back in Amsterdam: Amsterdam Centraal. Back in Amsterdam, we took some time to look at Amsterdam Centraal properly. We had already passed through it several times, but this time we stopped to admire the building itself. Opened in 1889, the station was designed by Pierre Cuypers, the same architect behind the Rijksmuseum. With its red-brick façade, towers, and decorative details, it feels like much more than a train station and makes quite an entrance in Amsterdam.

• Across the IJ to A’DAM Lookout. Next, we hopped on the free ferry behind Amsterdam Centraal and crossed the IJ toward Amsterdam-Noord. Our original plan was to visit A’DAM Lookout and maybe even brave its famous Over the Edge swing. In the end, we skipped it and explored the area instead. We waddled along the waterfront, checked out the A’DAM Tower from below, and stopped to see the Eye Filmmuseum from the outside, with its unusual modern architecture right beside the water.

• Dinner at Marathonweg. Once we finished exploring around A’DAM Tower and the Eye Filmmuseum, we took the ferry back across the IJ and later headed to Marathonweg for dinner. It was time to sit down, eat, and recharge after a day that had taken us from the windmills of Zaanse Schans back to Amsterdam-Noord.

Day 4 Verdict. Day 4 gave us a completely different side of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. We started among the windmills of Zaanse Schans, returned to admire Amsterdam Centraal, crossed the IJ to explore around A’DAM Tower and the Eye Filmmuseum, and finished with dinner at Marathonweg. It was a full day, but the mix of a half-day trip and more Amsterdam exploring worked really well for us.

Day 5 in Amsterdam: One Last Waddle

Morning: One last Amsterdam waddle & Love or Generosity sculpture
Afternoon: Train to Eindhoven, Catharinaplein, city exploring & football celebrations
Waddling: Moderate
Our highlight: The unexpected football celebrations in Eindhoven

Day 5 was really only half a day in Amsterdam, as it was also time for us to leave. But we weren’t quite ready to say goodbye yet. With a few hours still left, we packed in one final waddle, making the most of our last morning before heading home.

• Sculpture Love or Generosity. One thing still on our Amsterdam list was the Love or Generosity sculpture, so we made a special waddle to see it on our final morning. We had passed plenty of unexpected art during our five days in the city, but this was one we had actually planned to find. With only half a day left, we weren’t leaving Amsterdam without ticking it off our list.

One Last Stop: Eindhoven

Then it was time to say goodbye to Amsterdam. We hopped on the train to Eindhoven, where our flight home was leaving from. Luckily, we still had a few hours before heading to the airport, so we used them for one last waddle. We explored the city center and made our way to Catharinaplein, home to the impressive St. Catherine’s Church (Catharinakerk). The square sits right between Eindhoven’s main shopping area and Stratumseind, making it an easy place to include when you only have a few hours in the city.

Eindhoven felt very different from Amsterdam, but a few hours were enough to get a small taste of the city before our flight. If you’re flying from Eindhoven Airport like we were, it is worth leaving a little extra time to explore rather than heading straight to the terminal.

What made our few hours in Eindhoven even more memorable was the football match happening that day. The home team won, and the city turned into pure craziness. Fans filled the streets, people were celebrating everywhere, and the atmosphere was completely different from what we expected when we arrived. It was actually a lot of fun to experience this side of Eindhoven, even if only for a few hours. From there, we headed to the airport and said goodbye to the Netherlands.

Day 5 Verdict. Our final day was short, but we made the most of the time we had left. We squeezed in one last Amsterdam waddle to find the Love or Generosity sculpture before hopping on the train to Eindhoven. What was supposed to be our departure city turned into one final travel experience, complete with sightseeing and football celebrations. Not a bad way to say goodbye to the Netherlands.

Our 5-Day Amsterdam Itinerary on a Map

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Is 5 Days in Amsterdam Too Long

No, we don’t think five days in Amsterdam is too long. If you only want to tick off the main attractions, two or three days can cover a lot. But five days gave us something we value much more when traveling: time actually to enjoy the city instead of racing through it.

We could visit museums, spend a few hours at ARTIS, cross the IJ to explore Amsterdam-Noord, take a spontaneous canal cruise, try different restaurants, and waddle along the canals without planning every hour. We even had enough time for a half-day trip to Zaanse Schans.

And despite having five days, we still didn’t see everything on our list. Amsterdam has enough museums, neighborhoods, food spots, and small discoveries to fill five days easily. For us, five days felt just right for a first visit.

How We Got Around Amsterdam for 5 Days

• Waddling: Our Main Transport. Our main way of getting around Amsterdam was simple: waddling. The center is compact, and walking often became part of the sightseeing itself. Some of our favorite Amsterdam moments came from simply wandering along the canals.
• GVB Public Transport. For longer distances, we used GVB public transport and bought a 72-hour ticket. We mainly used the trams, plus Metro 52, which made getting around quick when our feet needed a break.
• The Free Ferry to Amsterdam-Noord. To reach Amsterdam-Noord, we used the free ferries from behind Amsterdam Centraal. We took them for both NDSM and the A’DAM Tower area. They’re easy to use, and you don’t need a ticket.
• And No, We Didn’t Cycle. Yes, we spent five days in Amsterdam and never rented a bike. Cycling might be one of the things Amsterdam is famous for, but we never felt we needed one. Waddling and public transport worked perfectly for us.

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

Where you stay in Amsterdam can change the feel of your trip. The center is convenient for a first visit, but staying a little farther out can mean quieter evenings, more local restaurants, and often better value.

• Centrum. Best if you want to stay close to the main sights, canals, Amsterdam Centraal, Dam Square, and the Red Light District. It is convenient for a first visit, but expect more visitors and higher hotel prices. Hotel recommendations: Hotel Estheréa or INK Hotel Amsterdam.
• Jordaan. A good choice if you want to stay near the center without being right in the middle of Dam Square. You will have canals, cafés, restaurants, and the Anne Frank House within walking distance. Hotel recommendations: Linden Hotel or Mr. Jordaan.
• De Pijp. Best for food, cafés, and a more residential base. The Albert Cuyp Market is here, and the center is still easy to reach by tram or metro. Hotel recommendations: Sir Albert Hotel or Hotel Okura Amsterdam.
• Museum Quarter. A practical choice if the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Museumplein are high on your list. It is also close to Vondelpark and generally feels calmer than the historic center. Hotel recommendation: Jan Luyken Amsterdam.
• Oud-West. A good middle ground between central Amsterdam and a more residential neighborhood. You can walk or cycle into the center while still having places like Vondelpark and Foodhallen nearby. Hotel recommendations: Hotel De Hallen or Conscious Hotel The Tire Station.
• Amsterdam Noord. Consider Noord if you want something outside the historic center, with quick access via the free ferries behind Amsterdam Centraal. Hotel recommendations: Sir Adam Hotel or BUNK Hotel Amsterdam.
• Eastern Docklands. This area works well if you prefer staying outside the busiest tourist streets while keeping good public transport connections to the center. Hotel recommendations: Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam or Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Landmark.

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What We Would Change About Our Amsterdam Itinerary

Looking back at our five days in Amsterdam, there isn’t much we would completely change. We liked the balance between museums, food, canals, neighborhoods, and simply having time to waddle without a plan. We also wouldn’t skip our half-day trip to Zaanse Schans. It gave us a chance to see something beyond Amsterdam without taking away an entire day from the city.

However, we didn’t manage to visit quite a few places. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are probably the biggest ones, while STRAAT Museum, Micropia and Our Lord in the Attic are also still sitting on our Amsterdam list. If we returned, these would be our priorities, rather than repeating everything we did the first time.

We would definitely change our Day 5 departure time. We would book a later flight and give ourselves a few more hours in Amsterdam. Our fifth day felt very short, and we would have happily squeezed in one more museum, another food stop, or simply one final waddle along the canals before saying goodbye.

Buy Us a Ko-fi

Five days sounded like plenty when we booked Amsterdam. By the time we left, our list of things we hadn’t done was somehow longer than when we arrived. But that’s also what we loved about this trip. We saw plenty of Amsterdam’s famous sights, but five days gave us time for much more than ticking attractions off a list. We jumped on a spontaneous canal cruise, ate our way through the city, hunted down cheese, found our beloved penguins at ARTIS, crossed the IJ to NDSM, escaped the rain inside the Heineken Experience, and even left Amsterdam for a few hours to explore Zaanse Schans. Some of our favorite moments were even simpler. Finding a tiny stamp shop, leaving with a penguin stamp, and sitting in a park with coffee while looking for hidden sculptures.

And that’s really the point of this itinerary. This isn’t the perfect 5-day Amsterdam itinerary. It’s the one we actually did. Some days were packed, one was rainy, plans changed, and we didn’t see everything. But that’s travel. And for us, five days gave us enough time not just to see Amsterdam, but to enjoy being there.

Travel Bold. Eat Well. Waddle Wild.

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