When arriving in a new city, it’s tempting to want to squeeze everything into your visit. But if you have a limited amount of time, you’ll need to plan your itinerary wisely, which means eliminating some items from your list. It’s tough, but doable! Below are the 5 things you should ditch doing in Amsterdam if you only have a day.

1. Ditch: Biking

Bikes are abundant in Amsterdam. It is by far the most popular mode of transportation, which is evidenced by the thousands of bikes lining the streets. But as common as they are, the city isn’t as conducive to biking as you might expect. Uneven cobblestone streets, congested traffic, trolleys and large groups of pedestrians crossing makes biking a harrowing task for the inexperienced visitor. You don’t want to waste your limited time bandaging wounds as the result of an almost certain accident!

Instead: Walk Around The City

Amsterdam is a large city, but it’s still possible to cover a lot of ground by foot in a day. It’s shaped like a semicircle and connected by an intricate network of bridges and canals, making it easy to navigate. Walking allows you to enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells at your own pace rather than worrying about avoiding a collision.

 

The line outside the Anne Frank House

The bell tower outside the Anne Frank House

2. Ditch: The Anne Frank House

As historic and significant as the Anne Frank House is, if you only have 1 day to explore in Amsterdam you’ll spend most of it waiting in line if you try to visit this museum. There are ways to expedite the que such as purchasing tickets online in advance, but you’ll still be faced with a significant wait time.

Instead: Visit The Jewish Historical Museum 

I encourage you to visit the lesser known, but equally educational Jewish Historical Museum. Located in the Jewish Cultural Quarter of Amsterdam and constructed in four former synagogues, this museum features both temporary collections and permanent exhibits that highlight Jewish history in the Netherlands from 1600 to present day.

The town center of Castricum

A charming farmhouse in Castricum

3. Ditch: Staying In Amsterdam

If you’re only in Amsterdam for a short stay, you may think that booking a room in the city is the best way to maximize your time. Not so. Staying outside Amsterdam is the far better option. Not only will you find more affordable accommodations, but you’ll get to experience sites outside of the city.

Instead: Book A Room Outside The City

On my recent trip to the Netherlands I opted to stay about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam and it was a great move. I was able to enjoy the Dutch countryside of Castricum and still take a trip into the city and spend a full day exploring.

Bikers rolling through the Museumplein courtyard 

People enjoying Museumplein 

4. Ditch: Vondelpark

Vondelpark is a main attraction located on Amsterdam’s south west side in the Amsterdam-Zuid borrough. The sprawling greenspace draws large crowds and with good reason. Acres of lush lawns, ponds, countless outdoor activities and even an open air theatre make it a great place to visit. The problem is if you only have a day in the city, venturing there will eat up a lot of your time.

Instead: Visit Museumplein

To get your outdoor fix, visit Mueseumplein. This lush public space is located just outside the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and Stedelijk museums. Relax on the lawn or better yet, enjoy a picnic and watch the sun set over the city. There is a nearby market, the AH Van Baerlestraat, where you can stock up on snacks. It’s a great alternative to Vondelpark if you’re short on time.

5. Ditch: Booking An Organized Tour

If you’ve never visited Amsterdam or any city for that matter, it may be tempting to join an organized tour in order to see the main attractions. But in my experience, this often eats up a lot of time and you’re unable to venture off to explore areas of interest that fall outside the planned schedule of the tour. No thanks!

Instead: Download A Tour To Your Smartphone

Nowadays, there are several great apps that provide customizable tours you can download directly to your phone. My favorite is GPSmyCity, which offers hundreds of walking tours for cities all across the globe. A unique feature is that you can access these tours offline. They also recently partnered with bloggers – I’m very excited to be one of them – to combine posts with corresponding maps equipped with GPS navigation. This essentially brings the posts to life and allows readers to follow along in real time and visit sites mentioned in their favorite posts. How cool is that?! You can learn more about the app and download it for free here.

*NOTE: The GPSmyCity app offers optional in-app purchases of which featured authors may receive a small commission.

 

Ever visited Amsterdam? What would you add to the list? If you haven’t been, what have you always wanted to see there? Share your comments below!

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