I did it, guys – I went to Amsterdam. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before but I’m so happy to finally tick it off my ‘30 before 30‘ list. My hubby and I went there to celebrate the second part of our Honeymoon (as we decided to split it between Marrakech and Amsterdam). We had such a lovely time, and I wished that we could’ve stayed a little bit longer (four days were way too short a stay).
Nevertheless, we managed to pack a lot in our short stay, so here’s a lil’ Amsterdam travel diary!
Day 01 – Amsterdam Cultural Visit: Museum Hopping
We managed to visit four museums during our first stay, starting off with Stedelijk Museum, Moco Museum (where they showcased Banksy), the Diamond Museum, and ending it with the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmuseum was by far my favourite but we didn’t actually spend a lot of time there as we went just an hour before closing time. Luckily I managed to see the glorious ‘Night’s Watch’ painting by Rembrandt. It was such a beautiful day and gave us a wonderful impression of Amsterdam as we pigged out on wonderful food and ice-cream. I must mention where we had dinner, though, as it was such an amazing place with hilarious menu designs called Rotisserie Amsterdam. Would definitely recommend it, especially if you love chicken!
Day 02 – Of Princes and Princesses: Muiderslot Castle
Our second day wasn’t so, well, shall I say… well planned. I really wanted to visit Muiderslot Castle but it was incredibly far away so we ended up spending so much money on taxis. If it wasn’t for that, we would’ve kept within our budget but noooope. So if you ever want to visit Muiderslot then I would suggest to plan it well and keep an eye out on train times so that you’re not waiting around for hours like we were! By the time we got back to central Amsterdam we were pretty tired, so went on a little walk to see the Bridge of 15 Bridges before heading back to our AirBnb.
Day 03 – A Good Ol’ Chit Chat: Nemo Museum and Central Amsterdam
We started the day by going to Nemo, a science museum that wasn’t too far from our Airbnb. My hubby loves science museums so we couldn’t miss our chance to visit this place! It was quite fun but absolutely bursting with children, so at one point I had to step away from the noise and just sat outside enjoying the sun. Later on we met up with my friend Amber, who I haven’t seen in so long! (You might remember her from this post). It was so good to catch up with her over a delicious burger, and afterwards we walked around central Amsterdam for a little bit – as we hadn’t had the chance to yet – before my hubby and I headed to the Red Light District. Yep, we went to one of the places that Amsterdam was most famous for! I had to say it was an experience, although everywhere smelled heavily of pot which made me feel a little sick.
Day 04 – Just Chillin’ in the ‘Dam: Sex Museum, Museum of Prostitution and Canal Ride
Our last day was spent milling around in Amsterdam after we dropped off our luggage at the Central station. We managed to squeeze in a canal ride (which I actually nodded off on – I was so tired!) so I was happy to tick that off my Amsterdam to-do list. We also popped into the Sex Museum and then the Museum of Prostitution before we headed off to the airport and onto our merry way home. The Museum of Prostitution was definitely more interesting as they lead you through the everyday life of a prostitute in Amsterdam. The Sex Museum was, well, quite amusing but if you want to go in for a history lesson then this isn’t for you.
Our holiday in Amsterdam was over before we knew it, although I’d love to go back one day to the neighbouring cities like The Hague or Rotterdam!
Have you ever been to Amsterdam before? What did you think?
Love,
Lizzie xx
