The architecture inside the palace is stunning! You have to do a free bag check for any bags. The…read moreinside isn't super big but is still sizable and it would be easy to spend an hour or two thoroughly looking at everything and listening to the audio guide. There are numbers to guide you through the things of note in the palace in order which I appreciated.

Wow! So much more than I expected. Tour is about 75 minutes. The stonework is, hands down, the…read moremost impressive I've ever seen. Absolutely incredible and worth every penny of the 13.50 euro entrance fee. It was pretty busy and the tour was a little confusing, but don't let that keep you away.

Museumplein ("Museum Square") is the public area located by the Concertgebouw concert hall and…read morethree major museums -- the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelijk Museum. Near transit, shops, and restaurants, Museumplein is a nice place to go for a walk or eat lunch on a nice day. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful tulips in the planter -- cheaper than Keukenhof! [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands]

Great space for catching some sunshine or meeting friends. From the concert house to the…read moreRijksmuseum with the Van Gogh on the side. Also a big Albert Heijn at the Concert Hall end. The US consulate is also located to the far end of the plein. For those of you who read this far, "plein" roughly means "square" in Dutch.

This is one of many centrally located squares in Amsterdam, a touristy area with many restaurants,…read morebars and some entertainment options, and one of the less significant transit hubs in the city. You can reach it via metro to Leidseplein or various tram and bus lines. Surrounding the square notably are: the Heineken Grand Cafe, the Hirshgebauw (a historic landmark building with shops and offices including an Apple Store), the Amsterdam International Theater, the Diamond Hotel with clear glass facade over the front of the building, and Albert Heijn grocery store. Close by within a couple blocks are Pathé City cinema, the Holland Casino and Hard Rock Cafe. Worth walking or transiting thru and stopping for a look at the memorial sculpture in the center of two hand s touching, called "Against All Currents" a tribute honoring late investigative crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, who reported and contributed to evidence on several very high profile international crimes, including the Natalee Holloway case.

Leidseplein is where I first began my discovery of Amsterdam. I stayed at the Marriott and because…read moreof its central location, the shops, restaurants and Vondelpark, it's a favorite location. I deducted a star because some of the restaurants are very touristy, which is okay, but anytime someone is standing out front trying to lure you inside its a place for me to skip. But this is the best place stay as visitor in Amsterdam in my opinion. I can write for hours about where to go from here, but that is your adventure to learn next time.

Coming from our hotel we had seen this marvelous cathedral, and I knew we had to stop by on our…read morereturn. Fortunately it was open, as we saw some others going in. The cathedral is gorgeous, awe inspiring. The quiet and reverence here offers a complete escape from the outside world. After soaking up the timeless architecture we were lucky stumble on the choir practicing for their Saturday 5 PM performance - amazing, beautiful voices and music. We only wish we had more time and could have stayed for the complete performance.

This is a stunning church, the Basilica of St. Nicholas, sits across from the Centraal train…read morestation in Amsterdam. One of my favorite things to do while traveling especially Europe is, to randomly walk into an intriguing church-- must be part of my Catholic upbringing, ha! Named after the patron saint of Amsterdam, the basilica was designed by architect Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912). It's stark somber looking on the outside, stark stunning looking inside. I appreciate the church's use of technology. It's the only church I've seen with electronic confessionals. The church also has a very well designed and branded website. There are 5 churches in this conglomerate and St. Nicholas is the most ornate. The dome of the church is visually awesome, intricately constructed. I had to take photos. St Nicholas is a beautiful work of art and I like it more inside than outside. I very well understand the decades sometimes centuries of toil and pain artisans went through to create Art to please the church's exacting standards. The Sistine Chapel is probably the epitome of that dedication. For these historical reasons, I've come to appreciate pre 1900 churches all over the world. Another really supahcalifragilisticoolthing I discovered was the church holds mass in Gregorian Chant. Wowzah! Now that was amaaaazzzzzzing mass to experience after a long night of debauchery and partying in Amsterdam. Geniusly Sick! Website: http://www.nicolaas-parochie.nl/ Visits: 2

Dam Square - one of the main squares in the city, if you're visiting for at least 2-3 days you may…read morepass through on most itineraries. Based on how Amsterdam is laid out in a semi-circle, this is in the inner part of its radius, so relatively speaking close to the center. What might bring you here? Some of the notable landmarks and buildings are: - the Nationaal Monument: a WWII memorial sculpted of white travertine marble erected in tribute to the fallen civilians and soldiers. Figures representing suffering, resilience and the victory of peace are carved as reliefs on this obelisk. Two lion statues symbolizing the Dutch nation are placed close by. The statue was unveiled May 4, 1956 which is The Netherlands' WWII Remembrance Day. - the Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam (Royal Palace Amsterdam): since the 17th C, this palace has been used for official state receptions and events, and was temporarily closed when I visited in November 2025, though re-opened December 17 thru January 4 for the holidays. Adult tickets normally €13.50, discounted tickets available for students, certain groups and pass holders, and include a free 45-min audio tour. For more info: https://www.paleisamsterdam.nl/en/ - De Nieuwe Kerk (The New Church): a medieval church turned into modern event space, they host a variety of happenings--most commonly museum exhibitions, as was the case when I visited, though also royal weddings and music recitals. Tickets are €22.50 for adults, discounted tickets available for students, certain groups and pass holders, and include a free audio tour. Takes about an hour to go thru the tour, maybe an extra 30 minutes to check out the church building itself. For more info: https://www.nieuwekerk.nl/en/ - Madame Tussaud's Amsterdam: a branch of the world-renowned wax museum where you can see close replicas of famous celebrities. €24 online price €27 at the door. - Ripley's Believe It or Not: g-map description "museum with kitschy oddities on display" sounds about right. Go to be amazed and entertained though also take the exhibits with a grain of salt. €22.50 for adults, €13.50 for kids. - Kalvarstraat: this thoroughfare perpendicular to the south east edge of Dam Square is a main shopping destination with retailers lining the street. - Magna Plaza shopping mall: while not directly next to the square it's a block west and the neo-Gothic architecture is a treat. Given the amount of things to do in the relatively compact city that is Amsterdam, I would put this area as a "nice-to-stop-by" if you have the time, if the palace is open for visit, or there's an interesting exhibit at De Nieuwe Kerk. It's a more touristy area and weekend crowds can be significant so keep this in mind if you're looking for a calmer, quieter experience.

I stumbled on the square by accident. I received directions of where the mall was, where Louis…read more Hutton was located and stumbled upon the square. It's a huge wide open area, in which, it's heavily populated with tourists and people shopping. All the touristy places are here and they had a large monument which I was told was a memorial for their fallen heroes after the World War. I would definitely say this should be an essential stop on your trip to Amsterdam and get some photos!

While I hadn't initially known about Het Begijnhof before stumbling upon it on a weekend afternoon,…read moreI'm glad to have visited. It was an insightful glimpse into the hundreds of years of history and thousands of lives impacted by this community, for women seeking religious and economic sanctuary. While it doesn't balance out the inequity of treatment across classes, race, religion and gender back then, it's still quite a progressive undertaking for those times. Since many other reviews have gone into detail about the religious backgrounds, I'll just add a few observations: - walking up to the entrance gate, a security guard is posted at all times, he reminds visitors to respectful of the environment and inhabitants of the neighborhood. The streets around are pretty busy and loud so I'm glad that they're there to maintain a calmer environment. - no walking or stepping on the lawn areas, there are signs with this request posted around the outdoor spaces. - the chapel designed in 1671 within the two townhouses for catholic worship was considered a "hidden" church, since Catholicism wasn't openly sanctioned after the late 16th century. The church building on the courtyard is a Protestant church; both are working church structures. Though the English Reformed Church building isn't always open for visitor access. - there's no tourism photography allowed in the chapel so take note for those who like selfies. Begijnhof is free to visit, hours are 10am-6pm daily. For more info: begijnhofkapelamsterdam.nl

This magnificiently manicured compound is a free attraction in Amsterdam with an interesting…read morehistory. Strictly a female residential commune. Women are on a long list to reside here with certain restrictions: They are over thirty five years old, widowed, no children and poverty stricken. The grassy courtyard is full of beautiful colored trees and two active Protestant churches. Monies are derived from donations and a gift shop.

Funny how the Zeedijk doesn't generate more reviews! This is where you'll get the best Chinese food…read morein town, find really good bars and even a Buddhist temple! Great street, love it :)

A great street with some of the best Asian food in town! I've had great Malaysian and Thai... but…read morealso thought the Brazilian was quite alright! You should check out the street and pop into one of the Asian stores or shops for some interesting flavors :)

It's definitely a part of Amsterdam that I want to revisit when there's more time. It just happened…read moreto be our drop off and pick up point when given free time to roam about in Amsterdam during a shore excursion. Our guide gave us a little history about the Jodenbuurt before walking us over the Amstel River to a more centralized part of the city. The Joods Museum and the Portuguese Synogogue are the biggest highlights in the quarter. The Jewish History Museum is housed in a building that once had four separate Ashkenazi synagogues. It focuses on the 350 years of Jewish history in Amsterdam prior to Nazi occupation. The Portuguese Synogogue is also a place that shouldn't be missed. It miraculously survived through WWII untouched thanks to Leo Palache (a volunteer firefighter) who somehow prevented the occupying forces from turning it into a Jewish deportation center. There are still Jewish relics being discovered today that were hidden in the synogogue by the fire brigade to protect their heritage. It's stories like this that really bring it all to light. As you're walking through the Jewish quarter, you'll also come across many brass plated stumbling stones that signify the loss of this great community. These have the names of people who were deported and then taken to extermination camps. I just happened to see 2 memorial stones from the Abrahams family who later died at Auschwitz. Their memory lives on as more people discover their names in the bricked pathways. Rembrandt's house (now a museum) is also in the Jewish Quarter. It's about a 5 minute walk away when passing through Waterlooplein. There's a lot of natural beauty and many cafés as you head in the opposite direction towards the botanical garden in De Plantage. So, there's really a lot to see and do in this area. It was a part of Amsterdam that I hadn't seen before. Hopefully we'll return to discover more hidden gems in this area.

The former Jewish Quarter is where from the late 16th century to WWII most Jews lived. The Statue…read more'De Dokwerker' on the Jonas Daniël Meijerplein, waserected in memory of the February Strike of 1941 For more than 350 years, Amsterdam was a center of Jewish life & its Jewish community was a major contributor to the city's vitality and prosperity. The Waterlooplein area was their neighborhood, where they held their market & built their synagogues. In 1593, Sephardic Jews from Portugal & Spain settled in this neighbourhood. In the course of the 17th century Ashkenazi Jews from Central, Eastern, and partly Western Europe also moved into the area. After WWII those that survived relocated to Israel, Canada & the United States. There are art installations & guest speakers bringing attention back to this neighborhood.

As we were walking around Amsterdam, we came across the Homomonument, the first monument in the…read moreworld commemorating gay men and women who were killed by the Nazis due to their sexual orientation. The monument was designed by artist Karin Daan and unveiled on September 5, 1987. The memorial is composed of three pink granite triangles laid in the ground, and each triangle forms the point of a larger triangle. Each point of the triangle is symbolic -- one points towards the National Monument in Dam Square, one points towards the Anne Frank House, and one points towards COC Amsterdam, a Dutch LGBTQ+ rights group founded in 1946. While I love what the monument represents, if it weren't for the sign, I probably wouldn't even have known that I was walking over a monument. The only way to see the entire memorial is from above, but from the ground, you can't see the entire memorial at once or get a good photo. If walking by, stop and take a look, but I would not go out of my way to see it. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Monuments, Memorials, and Historical Markers]

It's not particularly memorable, so it's not worth going out of your way to visit. While the…read moresentiment behind it is meaningful, it's simply a modest sign with a few flowers placed on some steps as a tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, located near the Westerkerk. That said, it's a thoughtful and photogenic stop if you happen to pass by during your walk.

Vondelkerk has a special place for me -- it was one of the first churches I noticed when I first…read morevisited Amsterdam, thanks to its location right next to Vondelpark and near the Amsterdam Marriott. It's easy to miss at first glance, but once you really look at it, it's quietly stunning. The building itself is small but tall, with elegant, pointed spires that rise above the surrounding streets. It's a bit unassuming from the outside, yet very beautiful -- classic, calm, and perfectly placed beside the greenery of the park. The contrast between the church and Vondelpark makes it especially photogenic. I'm honestly not even sure if it still functions as a traditional church, but that almost adds to the charm. These days it feels more like a historic landmark and cultural space, and there are tours available if you want to learn more about its history and architecture. Whether you're heading into the park, staying nearby, or just wandering Oud-West, it's absolutely worth stopping for a look. A peaceful, graceful presence in one of the busiest parts of the city.