You are going to the Netherlands for a weekend and want to visit Amsterdam in 2 days. So if you want to discover the must-sees of Amsterdam, here are my self-guided walking tours to visit Amsterdam in just 2 days.
Below you will have the 2 routes that you can follow in pedestrian GPS mode on Google Maps in order to discover the most beautiful places in Amsterdam.
How to get from the airport to the center of Amsterdam?
Like the majority of tourists who come to visit Amsterdam in 2 days, you will probably arrive by plane. So, the first question we ask ourselves is: How to get from the airport to the center of Amsterdam?
Well, you will have 4 transport options to go from the airport to the center of Amsterdam:
- By booking a shuttle (from 7 am to 21 pm) which connects the airport to more than 100 hotels in Amsterdam. They wait for travelers in front of the arrivals hall in section A7. Price: 27 € round trip or a little more depending on where the hotel where you drop off is. Tel: 31 (0) 20-405-6545
- By taking the train which runs from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Central Station. The station is located at the airport: The platforms are located under the Schiphol Plaza which is the central hall of the Terminal.
- Take the red Amsterdam Airport Express bus which provides transfers every 10 minutes between Schiphol airport and the city center of Amsterdam. The bus is waiting for travelers on platform B15-19. See how book your bus transfer online.
- By taking a taxi whose station is located in front of Schiphol square, just opposite the arrivals hall.
Walking route to visit Amsterdam on the first day
For your first day of visit, I suggest the following itinerary which is done on foot:
- Morning:
- Departure from Dam Square – Royal Palace – New Church
- The Beguinage
- Amsterdam Museum
- The 9 alleys: Negen Straatjes
- The Houseboat Museum
- Noon: Lunch around Leidseplein square
- The afternoon :
- Visit to a museum among the major museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museu)
- Walk in the Vondelpark
- Discovery of the Red Light District in the evening
- International hotel return
Google map route for this walking tour
Here is the google map route of my self-guided tour to visit Amsterdam on the 1st day:
Walking route to visit Amsterdam on the second day
- Morning:
- Depart from Amsterdam Central Station to take a boat and take a canal tour
- Jordaan district
- Anne Frank House Tour
- Singel and the flower market
- Afternoon :
- Magere Brug to enjoy the view and take pictures
- Jodenbuurt (Jewish quarter)
- The Oude Kerk (Old Church)
- International hotel return
Google map itinerary for this second day
What to visit during these 2 days in Amsterdam?
Now that you have read the walking routes, here is more detail on how your days will unfold with the 1st and 2nd day visits:
First day tours
Dam Square
Located in Amsterdam old town, Dam Square represents the center of the city. She was the theater large historical events like the arrival of Napoleon and his troops.
Dam Square is in front of the royal palace (17th century) which was used as a home by the Royal family From the Netherlands.
Beguinage
what is the Beguinage or Begijnho? This is an architectural feature of the houses of the old town: they include buildings connected by passageways and interior courtyards. This is where the women of a Catholic order from the Middle Ages (the Beguines) lived.
Some houses can be visited as well as a small chapel.
The 9 streets (Negen Straatjes)
This district with its 9 alleys has many original and vintage shops. You can find antique shops, fashion stores, restaurants and cool cafes. The walk is pleasant because there are few cars circulating in these narrow streets.
The Houseboat Museum
This is a 1914 boat transformed into a houseboat that can be visited to discover what everyday life was like on these boats along the canals of Amsterdam.
Lunch in the Leidseplein district
This is the most lively area with shops, restaurants, cafes. During the day, the Leidseplein attracts the jugglers, mimes, and musicians who bring this place to life.
Museumplein
It is the Museum Square which is one of the main squares in the city of Amsterdam. This is where tourists take the souvenir photo in front of IAMSTERDAM.
Here, we have the choice to visit the Rijksmuseum Museum (museum containing masterpieces by famous artists such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and many objects from Dutch history), the Museum Van Gogh or Stedelijk Museum (modern and contemporary art).
Van Gogh Museum
Since we only have to choose one, for me it will be the Van Gogh Museum!
It is entirely devoted to the painter and has the largest collection in the world of the painter.
Vondelpark
The Vondelpark is the largest park in Amsterdam, the most emblematic of the city.
Red Light District Amsterdam
In the evening, why not take a trip to the Red Light District? Famous for its very “original” windows (I'm not sure that's the right word…) and its coffee-shops, this district also has some very beautiful churches, but they don't attract the same tourists!
Second day visits
Boat trip on the canals
To board, you must go to the central station on the platform located at 25 Prins Hendrikkade.
You can choose a cruise from several boat companies because the majority of tours are similar. They last around an hour and will take you along the canals to:
- the district of herengracht (the richest and most luxurious district of Amsterdam),
- the canal keizersgracht, which was called this way because of Maximilian I of Austria and which dates from the year 1612. This 4 kilometer long canal is one of its main attractions in Amsterdam including the famous House of heads (6 heads of Roman gods),
- le prinsengracht which is one of the most modest and popular areas of Amsterdam,
- the Anne Frank house,
the Barge Museum.
Jordaan district
Le Jordaan district is surely the most famous district of Amsterdam. It is a neighborhood that before was poor and linked to the working class. Today, it has become a very bohemian place frequented by artists, students, young entrepreneurs and of course many tourists! Its narrow streets and small canals make walks in this neighborhood very picturesque.
Anne Frank House
Visiting the Anne Frank House is a must when visiting Amsterdam.
Singel and the flower market
Le Singles refers to the canal that surrounds the old town of Amsterdam. You can follow it by walking to reach the flower market, another must-see in the city.
The flower market is called flower Market. It is the only floating flower market in the world. It was created in the 19th century, when flowers arrived in Amsterdam by barge from all over the Netherlands. Even today the stalls of hundreds of flowers float on the Singel canal.
Magere Brug
To enjoy the view and take some great photos, continue to the Magere Brug Bridge. It connects the two banks of the river at the Kerkstraat, between the Keizersgracht and the Prinsengracht.
Jodenbuurt
My tour continues in the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam: The Jodenbuurt. Before the Second World War, during which the majority of the city's population was deported, the neighborhood brought together the entire Jewish community of Amsterdam.
Why not take a break at the famous and old Sluiswacht lock café?
Oude Kerk (Old Church)
In the red light district, to end the weekend circuit, I advise you to visit the Oude Kerk church, which is over 700 years old. It is splendid with its typical architecture and its remarkable wooden vault.
Where to stay for a weekend in Amsterdam?
If you are planning your weekend or a stay in Amsterdam, I advise you to book your hotel as quickly as possible. Indeed, thebudget hotel offer is not very important and suddenly full very quickly and even on Airbnb!
Here for your information, the small hotel that I was lucky enough to be able to book: theHotel International. See More information about this hotel
It is very very modest but very very well placed in the very center (right next to the station) and really cheap (compared to the others)! To choose your hotel for your 2 days in Amsterdam, I recommend that you look for it in the best Amsterdam neighborhoods.
Do you have a few more days in Amsterdam? Here are some ideas for visiting Amsterdam in 3 days or, Amsterdam in 4 days