Three Days in Amsterdam

Amsterdam has always been at the top of my list of cities to visit in Europe. I knew I would fall in love with the picturesque canals and narrow houses, and I fortunately got the chance to visit last month over my spring break. I booked my trip with my cousin pretty spontaneously because I thought I had to be at my internship that week, but when I learned I had off I immediately found cheap airfare on Aer Lingus and got so excited! We were visiting during the tulip season too so that made things even better. The only challenge booking so little in advance was that all the hotels we were looking at were fully booked, so we had to do a lot of digging to find one with availability. Here are my favorite things we did in Amsterdam.

Get lost wandering the canals

We stayed at the Beethoven Hotel which is near Museumplein, and found it very easy to get to the canal belt since there was a tram stop right outside. On our first day, we had no plans but just to walk around and explore the city! Amsterdam's beauty and charm totally exceeded my expectations, I just fell in love with it. Some of the prettiest canals are Prinsengracht, Herengracht, Brouwersgracht and Keizersgracht.

Check out the museums

The Van Loon Museum is an old canal house owned by a wealthy Dutch family that has a beautiful courtyard and interior design. I also loved the Van Gogh Museum because you feel like you're walking through the story of his life through his paintings. 

The Anne Frank House is a must do for a glimpse into what it was like for Jews in hiding during the Holocaust. It's very emotional and you learn a lot about her ambitions and how her family was separated after they were discovered. You'll end up waiting in line for hours (like we did) if you don't book tickets in advance.

Begijnhof

Begijnhof is a beautiful courtyard nestled in the Singel canal that dates back to the 14th century, where people still live today.

Tulips

During the spring you can see tulips at the Bloemenmarkt in the city or the huge Keukenhof Gardens about 40 minutes outside Amsterdam. There's a huge tulip field outside the Keukenhof Gardens that's free to see.

Explore Jordaan

Jordaan used to be a poor neighborhood but is now one of the best areas to live in Amsterdam. It's right near Westerkerk and has plenty of boutiques, cafes and markets to explore.

Watch the sunset over the canals

And now I'm going to take you through the incredible sunset evolution we witnessed on our last night.