Tiptoe Through the Tulips…Part 1 (Amsterdam)

In part 1 of this 4-part series, Bethany explores the amazing city of Amsterdam before her European River Cruise on Avalon Waterways sets sail.

In late March and early April of 2019 I had the pleasure of sailing on my third Avalon Waterways river cruise. The Tulip Time Cruise for Beer Enthusiasts is one of many special interest cruises offered by Avalon. This cruise focuses on two different special interests that I happen to love…tulips and beer! I spent seven nights aboard the Avalon Impression, with two additional nights pre-cruise on my own in Amsterdam. This post highlights the wonderful things I did and saw during my two-night pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam.

My Amsterdam Plan

• Day 1:
  • Check in: Dikker & Thijs Hotel
  • Begijnhof
  • Dam Square
  • Bloemenmarkt
• Day 2:
  • Van Gogh Museum
  • Rijksmuseum
  • Heineken Experience
• Day 3:
  • Prinsengracht Canal
  • Anne Frank House
  • Embark: Avalon Impression

Day 1 – Arrival Into Amsterdam and Initial Exploration

On the morning of Saturday, March 30, 2019 I arrived into Amsterdam. My first stop was to check in at the beautiful Dikker & Thijs Hotel and grab a quick cup of coffee before starting to explore the city. The best way I have found to combat jet lag when I travel to Europe is to hit the ground running on the first day. Try to get out in the fresh air, walk as much as possible, and start exploring! Go as long as you can on that first day and try to go to bed as late as you can. This will help your body clock reset itself and adjust to the new time zone.

Dikker & Thijs Hotel

The hotel is located right on the Prinsengracht Canal and is in easy walking distance to all of the major attractions within the city. Accordingly I did not use any public transportation on this visit and got to and from everywhere by foot! The hotel’s building was home to the first Dikker & Co shop (founded in 1895), which was famous for selling oysters, lobsters, and caviar. It was converted to a hotel in 1995. My room was on the top floor, with a small balcony that provided extraordinary views of the canal and the city. I chose a “Deluxe Double Canal View” room, each of which is one-of-a-kind! However, these warehouse rooms with wooden beams can only be reached by stairs. My room included a comfortable Queen sized bed, a large bathroom, and a separate sitting area with a large television, writing desk, and mini fridge.

Begijnhof

The first stop of the day was to explore the Begijnhof. This is one of the oldest hofjes, which is a courtyard with almshouses around it, in Amsterdam. The “begijn” part of its name comes from the fact that it was originally a beguinage (an architectural complex created to house lay religious women, called beguines, who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world). There are also two churches on the site as well. It is a gorgeous little oasis in the middle of the bustling city and I enjoyed spending time leisurely exploring this beautiful area.

Dam Square

After exploring the Begijnhof I walked through Dam Square. This is the main square in Amsterdam and is located in the historical center of the city. Dam Square is a main hub where many streets come together. Some of the notable attractions here include the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), the National Monument, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, De Bijenkorf (an upscale department store), and the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. As I had a few other stops planned for the day I just walked through the square. But there are definitely lots of options of places to visit within, and in the immediate vicinity of, Dam Square.

Bloemenmarkt

My last stop on day 1 in Amsterdam was the amazing Bloemenmarkt. This is the world’s only floating flower market and is located on the Singel canal. It dates back to 1862 and is full of stalls selling fresh flowers, bulbs, plants, and souvenirs. The original market is where flower growers would sell their wares on barges. Today’s market is comprised of a series of fixed barges. It is beautiful to just stroll down the long line of stalls and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells all around, but of course the shopping is great fun too! I purchased a beautiful bunch of tulips to brighten up my hotel room, as well as a few trinkets to add to my growing travel collection.

Day 2 – Museums Galore

For my only full day in Amsterdam I chose to visit three different museums: the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Heineken Experience. Both the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum are located in the beautiful Museumplein (Museum Square) area of the city. The Heineken Experience is an easy 10 minute walk away from Museumplein. Between visits to the museums I stopped to enjoy my first, but definitely not my last, stroopwafel! There are many vendors around the city to get a fresh, hot stroopwafel. These delicious treats are two very thin waffle cookies held together by a warm and gooey caramel filling. Getting one hot and fresh from a vendor is amazing!

The Van Gogh Museum

My first museum to visit was the Van Gogh Museum. This is one of several attractions within Amsterdam that is very popular and sells out fast, so I booked my ticket ahead of time online. I arrived at my scheduled time and walked right in, bypassing a rather long line at the ticket counter. The museum includes a permanent exhibition of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, including Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, The Bedroom, many of his various self portraits, and so much more. There are also a handful of rotating temporary exhibitions as well. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside, but I was able to snap a few photos of the exterior!

The Rijksmuseum

After the Van Gogh Museum, it was just a quick walk across the Museumplein to my next stop, the Rijksmuseum. This is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history. The permanent collection here is wonderful and includes many pieces by Vermeer, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and many more. Of course, the main attraction here is the enormous and truly breathtaking Night Watch by Rembrandt. When I visited there was also an amazing temporary exhibit of ALL of the Rembrandts – drawings, etchings, and paintings – which was absolutely amazing. The museum itself is also gorgeous, with its stunning Grand Hall and Library as two highlights. As with the Van Gogh Museum, purchase tickets ahead of time online to save a lot of time waiting in very long lines!

The Heineken Experience Tour

After a short walk from the Rijksmuseum I arrived at the Heineken Experience. As with the other museums I visited, I purchased my ticket ahead of time online for this tour as well. I purchased the VIP Tour, which includes a guided tour of the historical brewery, exclusive access to a hidden bar with a tasting of five beers in the vast Heineken portfolio paired with matching bites, and a personalized gift. The entire tour and tasting lasts about 2.5 hours. The building itself is a former active brewery, but is now used exclusively for tours, tastings, and other private events. During the tour we visited different areas of the old brewery and learned about the brewing process. There was also a lot of interesting and unique memorabilia on display throughout the facility.

The Heineken Experience Tasting

After the brewery tour was finished, my tour group entered the fridge door to the hidden bar called Freddy’s to enjoy the tasting. There were five beers from the Heineken portfolio on the menu: Heineken, Amstel, Lagunitas, Affligem, and Brand. Each beer was paired with a small bite such as bread or cheese. All five beers were quite tasty. The Affligem was my favorite, followed closely by the Brand! After the tasting I got my personalized VIP Tour gift: a bottle of Heineken with my name engraved on it.

Day 3 – Canals and the Anne Frank House

Prinsengracht Canal

Day 3 in Amsterdam was another beautiful and sunny one, albeit a bit chillier than the first two. I started the morning by taking a leisurely walk along the Prinsengracht Canal from my hotel to the Anne Frank House. The canals in Amsterdam are absolutely beautiful. I could spend days on end just wandering around the canals and enjoying all of the beautiful scenery! There is a lot of traditional Amsterdam architecture on display along the canals…many tall and skinny buildings sit shoulder to shoulder or are fully adjoining. Most buildings have a forward incline and a large winch hook protruding from the roof. The winches are used to haul large items to the upper floors, and the buildings are leaning to help prevent the items from colliding with the building façade on their way up!

Anne Frank House Ticket Information

My last stop in Amsterdam, and arguably the most important, was to the Anne Frank House. While it is recommended to purchase tickets to other museums and attractions in Amsterdam ahead of time, with the Anne Frank House it is required. The Anne Frank House can only be visited with a ticket purchased online for a specific time slot. Tickets are only available on the first Tuesday of each month, when all tickets for the following month become available.

Anne Frank House Tour

I purchased a museum visit ticket with the optional introductory program. The introductory program was a 30 minute presentation by a guide with more details about Anne Frank and her family, as well as some general history of the time to help put everything in context. I found the introductory program to be very good. I had also just finished re-reading Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl just before the trip, which was very helpful to remind me of the details of her story. Both the introductory program and re-reading the book absolutely enhanced my visit to the museum.

Anne Frank House and Secret Annex

The museum itself has several parts. The main house and secret annex, where the eight people hid on the top floors, are the main features of the tour. The tour takes you throughout the main house and through the infamous hinged bookcase into the secret annex. The main house includes photos, videos, and many original items. The secret annex remains stripped of all furniture and belongings…the Nazis took all of it during the raid, and Anne’s father wanted it to remain that way to give a true picture of the result of the tragedy. There is also a separate exhibition area at the main entrance, with many more original items on display, including Anne Frank’s original diary and videos of holocaust survivors.

After completing the sobering and educational tour of the Anne Frank House, I headed back to the hotel to collect my luggage. I hopped into a cab and took a short ride through the city to the dock so I could embark the Avalon Impression. Look for more details about the rest of the cruise in future posts!

Conclusion

Amsterdam is a wonderful city to explore! It is a very compact city and it is easy to get around on foot. There is a lot to see and do regardless of your interests.

Links

For more information on the places I explored in Amsterdam, click the buttons below:

For more information on the hotel I stayed in, click the button below:

For more information on the 2023 Avalon Tulip Time Cruise for Beer Enthusiasts itinerary, click the button below:

Note: I fully funded this trip on my own and received no compensation or any other benefits from any service providers I used along the way. The opinions expressed here are my own and I am not being compensated by any service providers.