Amsterdam captivates visitors with its maze of enchanting waterways, elegant canal houses adorned with ornate gables, and a vibrant art scene. Amsterdam offers charming cafés, leafy parks, boutique shops, and lively markets. Exploring the city on foot or by bicycle is both easy and rewarding and no visit is complete without a canal cruise, offering a unique perspective of the city from the water. While the gritty Red Light District draws many curious visitors, Amsterdam’s oldest quarter is only one small part of a city rich in culture, charm, and history.

Beyond the city limits, the Dutch countryside unfolds in all its beauty. Picturesque towns such as Haarlem and Utrecht make for perfect day trips, inviting visitors to wander along cobblestone streets and soak up the relaxed atmosphere. For a quintessential Dutch experience, head to Zaanse Schans, a village dotted with traditional windmills. 

I amsterdam City Card

For our trip, we were gifted two I amsterdam City Cards, which we used over a 48-hour period. We picked them up at Amsterdam Centraal Station shortly after arriving from the airport. The staff at the I amsterdam City Card store gave us a friendly greeting, and we couldn’t help feeling giddy with excitement as we received our packs, complete with the physical cards, maps, and a magazine. It fealt like the card to the city and many fun adventures ahead.

The I amsterdam City Card is an all-in-one pass that gives you free entry to more than 70 museums and major attractions, unlimited access to public transport, a complimentary canal cruise, free bike rental, and discounts at theatres and popular experiences like the Heineken Experience. Available in durations from 24 to 120 hours, the card is activated upon first use. Once activated, you can explore freely and save significantly on entrance fees. It offers excellent value for money,  especially if you take advantage of visiting many attractions.

Walking tour with Who is Amsterdam - € 29.00

Wanting to experience as much as possible, we decided on booking a walking tour and what better way to get to know the city than through the eyes of a local?. The I amsterdam City Card includes a free spot on a guided walking tour, with the company ‘Who is Amsterdam’ our guide was brilliant in telling us the history of Amsterdam, sharing personal stories, local insights, and hidden corners that reveal the city’s true character. It’s such a brilliant and engaging way to understand what makes Amsterdam and its people, so wonderfully unique.

Museums and galleries we enjoyed visiting: 

I highly recommend checking online in advance to see everything included with the I amsterdam City Card and planning which museums and galleries you’d like to visit before your trip. It’s also helpful to map out which attractions are close to one another so you can make the most of your time and see as much as possible. We’ve listed our favourites below:

Van Loon House Museum - €16.00

Step into a perfectly preserved 17th-century canal home once owned by a wealthy merchant family. The elegant interiors and garden reveal how Amsterdam’s elite once lived. The museum also regularly organises contemporary art exhibitions.

Foam Photography Museum - €16.00 

A vibrant space dedicated to contemporary photography. Foam’s rotating exhibitions showcase everything from classic portraiture to experimental visual art. (Across the canal from the Van Loon House Museum, so deffo worth doing after).

Canal Boat Museum - €9.50

Amsterdam is famous for its canals lined with houseboats, but most visitors only marvel at them from the outside. At this museum, you can walk into a fully furnished, authentic houseboat and see how people live on the water.

The Rijksmuseum - €25.00

The Rijksmuseum is Amsterdam’s most popular museum, a national treasure dedicated to Dutch art and history. It’s vast, world-renowned, and attracts large crowds, so we recommend visiting as soon as it opens. 

Anne Frank House - €16.00 

Although the I amsterdam City Card does not include free entry, I highly recommend visiting the Anne Frank House. This remarkable museum and preserved hiding place honours the life and legacy of Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank. You walk at your own pace with an audio guide that helps you really immerse yourself in Anne’s experience during that time. 

It is one of the city’s most poignant and popular sites, be sure to book your ticket in advance.

Exploring the city

Go on a canal cruise - €17.00 

A canal cruise is one of the best ways to experience Amsterdam’s iconic waterways in all their beauty. Drifting along the canals, you’ll take in picturesque waterfronts, historic bridges, and charming houseboats. We opted for a guided tour, which gave us fascinating insight into the city’s history and daily life. It’s a fantastic way to admire Amsterdam’s unique architecture from a completely different perspective. Although some may say it is so touristic, it truly was one of our highlights! 

Visit Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes)

A charming grid of boutique-lined streets in the Canal District. Browse designer shops, vintage stores, and cosy cafés, the perfect spot for a leisurely afternoon.

Visit NDSM Amsterdam

Once a massive shipyard, NDSM is now one of Amsterdam’s coolest creative hubs. Think street art, quirky cafes, festivals, and artist studios inside old industrial warehouses, all with a raw, urban edge right by the water. It is easy to access, you can jump on the free ferry from the city centre and you are in NDSM in around 15 minutes. 

Places to visit outside of Amsterdam: 

If you have time to explore beyond the city centre, hop on a train to visit Muiderslot Castle. Located in the town of Muiden, this beautifully preserved 17th-century fortress is easily accessible by public transport and your I amsterdam card covers the trip.

Holland is known of their impressive windmills, a short train ride away will take you to the iconic, windmill-filled village of Zaanse Schans,  a truly picturesque slice of Dutch history.

Where to eat in Amsterdam

You are spoilt for choice with the plethora of places to eat in Amsterdam, there is so much on offer, below are a few of our favourites. 

Pluk 

Situated in the heart of Nine Streets, this charming café has Instagram-ready interiors and serves up hearty, healthy breakfasts, all-day eggs and rich coffees, a great pit-stop for shoppers.

Café Celia at Kimpton De Witt

Located in the buzzing city centre, the restaurant’s bright and breezy style takes inspiration from California, with a mix of dishes to suit all tastes. We indulged in their tacos and fine wine, while they had the special Tuesday Taco offer. Gorgeous interiors and if you sit by the window, it’s a great way to people watch. 

Recover 

Recover makes eating super-healthy into a culinary art. Simple interiors, simple ingredients, and the most delicious grain bowls and protein treats you are ever going to taste.

Sampurna

Sampurna offers fresh, expertly spiced Indonesian cuisine.  Just a few steps from the iconic flower market. It is more on the pricier side, but so worth it, this was our last meal in Amsterdam before our flight back home and it felt like the perfect send off. 

We had an incredible time in Amsterdam, we barely let our feet rest as we hopped from one attraction to the next. The I amsterdam City Card made exploring effortless and excellent value, allowing us to visit a range of museums, join a walking tour, enjoy a scenic canal cruise and hop on trams and trains for free, The only perk we didn’t use was the free bike rental, which is a fantastic way to experience the city. We were perfectly content walking and taking trams, but if you’re a confident cyclist, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try.

If you’re a fast-paced sightseer eager to fit in as many museums and attractions as possible, this card is well worth considering. To decide whether it’s right for you, simply list the attractions you want to visit and add up the individual ticket prices. If the total exceeds 65 euros, (24 hours price) then the I amsterdam City Card will save you money, I must say it did feel nice going into each attraction and flashing our card at the entrance, making it a smoother and more enjoyable experience. 

To find out more about the I amsterdam City Card and to book your ticket, click here. https://www.iamsterdam.com/en 

Written by Nyla Sammons and Claire Bloom 

Photography by Nyla Sammons