Aug & Sept 2024

Another solo trip!

This was the start to my birthday trip! I went to six countries and Amsterdam, Netherlands was the first & last leg of the trip in 16 days. I was here for 2.5 days at the end of August, then came back for 1.5 days in September, so a total of almost 4 days in Amsterdam, and I think that was a good amount of time, because 3 of the days was in Amsterdam, and the last day was in Zaanse Schans, Netherlands.

I have listed the places of things to see and do, and places to eat in alphabetical order. I also added some photos & information below the list that I have experienced.

How to Get Around
Mainly walking and the metro! And biking if you want! The metro was super easy to use and you can pay at a machine to get a ticket OR, just pay on when you get onto the metro itself. You can pay with your credit card (which is the easiest in my opinion), you just tap in and tap out. There will be a worker on the metro to ensure that you do tap in and tap out. Or, you can also get the 24-72 hour metro card, whatever you want. I decided to just pay with my credit card as I go, because Amsterdam is super walkable. Also, there are a TON of bikers everywhere, so becareful, because they have the right of way! You can also rent a bike and bike around the city too 🙂 

Where Did I Stay
When I went in August, I stayed at City Hub, near Vondelpark. The room at City Hub is like a mini cube for 1-2 people (private room), but the restrooms and showers are in a shared space – however, it felt really private, because I barely saw anyone when I took a shower and used the restrooms. It was also very clean too. The room itself is semi small and I thought I would feel claustrophobic, but I did not. There’s also no AC in the room, and I thought that could be an issue, but  it wasn’t. Luckily, it wasn’t too hot when I went in August. They also provide robes for you too. When you check in, you check in through a big ipad and you get a wristband to scan to get into the Hub area and use it to go into your room, and when you check out, you return the wristband. There’s also a common area to hang out at as well. WIFI was very strong too. The City Hub is located near Nicolaas Beetsstraat metro station. I would describe this place as a very luxurious private hostel.

When I came back about two weeks later, in September, I stayed at a friend’s of a friend’s place (thank you, Rohith!). His place was located near De Pijp neighborhood. It was such a lively and safe neighborhood. Everyone was out and about! 

How was the weather?
When I came in August, it was sunny and warm, not too hot. When I came back in September, it was a bit cold! Partly cloudly, partly sunny, and it also rained for a little bit too! I definitely needed pants and a thicker jacket in mid September, since I only packed shorts, tshirts, tank tops and dresses throughout my entire two week Europe trip haha.

What is the currency?
Euros! Majority of Amsterdam takes credit card. You do not really need to have cash. If anything, maybe 20 euros in cash if you want to pay in cash for the markets or something.

Things to do/see
Albert Cuyp Market
Anne Frank House
Canal Cruise (if I had more time)
Dam Square
De 9 Straatjes
Jordaan Neighborhood
Heineken Brewery
Sarphartipark
Vondelpark
Zannse Schans

Things to eat/drink
Fabel Friet
Foodhallen → De Ballenbar
Kibbeling
Mannekenpis Fries
Massimo Gelato De Pijp
Omelegg De Pijp
Poffertjes
Sjefietsh
Stroopwafel

Albert Cuyp Market
This was one of my favorite things to do in Amsterdam! This market is open everyday (except Sundays) from 9:30am/10:00am til 4/5pm and they have everything from food, groceries, clothing, souvenirs, etc. for sale! It is such a fun, lively market and this is where I did majority of the souvenir shopping and had majority of the snacks: poffertjes, stroopwafel, etc. 

Anne Frank House
You must get tickets online about six weeks in advance! I was on the website refreshing non-stop in the morning when I knew the date that I wanted to go to Anne Frank House. Those tickets get sold out FAST! They do it by time slot, because only a certain amount of people can “fit” in the Anne Frank House at a time. I went in the morning, and when we were in the house, there was a “line” to explore INSIDE the home because there are some stairs/ladders/things to read, and people took their time, so I understand the time slot. Also, there is a free audio hearing. It was a very interesting to “hear/read” her diary of what her and her family went through during the Nazi persecution. She was so young. If you have time, definitely check this out.

Dam Square
Just a location to see some famous sites and people watch. It was very crowded when I went, so I did not enjoy it too much, I just passed by it!

De 9 Straatjes
Also known as the 9 streets. The 9 streets are pretty small and is an upscale neighborhood in Amsterdam. There are a ton of shops, cafes, and restaurants around this area. It’s also near some bridges to get the cute touristy Amsterdam photo 🙂 This place is a nice area to take a stroll by!

Jordaan Neighborhood
I stumbled upon this neighborhood when I was exploring. I saw the pink Jordaan flags and kept walking through! There were a bunch of restaurants. It was a calm area!

Heineken Brewery
You can buy tickets online or in person. I bought tickets in person right when I got there. They briefly check your bags, then you can get in line if you bought a ticket online. If you do not have a ticket, you can purchase one at the kiosks. Then you stand in line and a staff member will walk and scan your ticket and give you two coins for your two drinks that comes with your ticket. Once you enter in, it is a semi self-guided tour. There is a staff member at the main rooms to tell you a bit more about the room, history, and/or brewery process. During the tour, they also surprised us with a free small glass of Heineken and we all said “Prost!” and drank it together – the beer was soooo fresh, it was nice! The tour shows you how the beer is made, package (this part feels like you’re on a ride…but you’re standing haha), etc. And there’s also another part of the tour where you can design your own label on your Heineken bottle for $7 euros and you can pick it up at the end. At the end of the tour, you are shown the “basement/underground” Heineken bar area where you can use your two coins to get your two free drinks. I only drank 1 Heineken, and ended up giving my other coin to three people from New York that I met there :). After that you exit to the gift shop, and then you’re done! I think this is a cool place to check out if you’re into beer/Heineken!

Sarphartipark
I took a quick stroll through this park on my last morning in Amsterdam and it was so quiet and peaceful – although I was a bit surprised to see some homeless people…but I guess, where will we not see homeless, unfortunately.

Vondelpark
I took a stroll here during the evening, and wow, I loved it. There were so many people running here during the evening and I loved it! Everyone is so active out here. I can’t even imagine how this park looks during the day. It was very beautiful. It reminded me of Central Park in New York, haha. If you have time for a park, this one is it!

Zannse Schans
This place is outside of Amsterdam, come read about it here!

Things to Eat/Drink
Fabel Friet
One of the famous fries spots in Amsterdam! This was actually the first place I got fries from and I ordered the Fries Parmesan and truffle mayonnaise. It was good, however, after awhile I got tired of truffle mayonnaise and miss the ketchup haha! The actual store itself is pretty small and is located in De 9 Straates neighborhoodl. There are staff members outside to regulate the line. You go in, order, then go out and go into another line and they will call your name to pick up your order.

Foodhallen → De Ballenbar
Check out Foodhallen if you have time. It is a large space with a bunch of food vendors. It is a nice place to go with family/friends, grab a bite, listen to music and enjoy each other company. The place that I tried in Foodhallen was De Ballenbar. It’s a dutch beefball snack. Some of the balls have cheese in them or other flavors. I got the tasting plate and it was good but very rich. I definitely needed a coke drink or something with it.

Kibbeling
Another dutch snack of battered fish with mayonnaise sauce or tartar sauce. This one was okay. It reminded me of fish & chips. I got kibbeling outside of FoodHallen. There’s kibbeling everywhere 🙂

Mannekenpis Fries
Voted as #1 Holland Fries. I thought this was pretty good because they had some chopped onions on here and I also got their special ketchup sauce so it was more enjoyable to me. This place is SUPER crowded, but I went to it at random time at 2pm on a Friday and the line was not long at all.

Massimo Gelato De Pijp
I am not a sweets person, and thought this Gelato place was fine! I got the pistacchio flavor. Went around 9/10pm at night and there was a line but did not wait for that long.

Omelegg De Pijp
This was a really good breakfast spot! The interior is super nice and I got the BBQ Sausage omelette and it was so good! You can see the chefs make it fresh too. Service was fine.

Poffertjes
This was surprisingly one of my favorite food…even though it was sweet haha! But it wasn’t too sweet! It’s a traditional Dutch batter cake and sprinkled powdered sugar on top. It reminded me of mini pancakes with syrup! It was so soft & fresh, and tasty. I want some now! It cost about $4 euros for 10 small pieces.

Sjefietsh
This is a fancier restaurant with South American dishes and it was yummy! The plates are on the smaller side, so you may need to get more than you normally order for you to be completely full! I went here with one of my friend’s friend and forgot what we ordered but all of it was really good!

Stroopwafel
Stroopwafel is a thin, round cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held together by syrup filling and I got some at the Albert Cyup Market for 3 euros. You got to try it! It’s a staple!

Oh, Amsterdam was so much fun. I enjoyed my solo time here and I also had a great time meeting up with one of my friend’s friend here too. It is so easy to walk around and the metro station are efficient. I would definitely come back because there’s so much to do and it’s super lively!

As always, thank you for visiting Vivian’s Ventures. Have you been to Amsterdam? If so, tell me in the comments/reply section about your experience. What should I do when I go back? If you haven’t been, tell me what you are planning to do there. Any questions or comments, let me know. Let’s chat! #viviansventures