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Amsterdam Travel, Hotel, and Visitors Guide

You may think of Amsterdam as the home of beer, bicycles and boats, but this historic city has much more to offer travelers. From the relaxing canals to the Royal Palace to the pulsating nightlife, Amsterdam can provide all the entertainment you could desire, and then some. Dating back to the 12th century, culture lovers will be in heaven at the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House. Take a canal cruise, eat in some of Europe's finest restaurants or just take in the free-spirited liberalism in a cafe that Amsterdam is famous for. Amsterdam is a city guaranteed to have something for everyone, and the nightlife and fun never ends in this vibrant, colorful city.

Top rated hotels

Swissotel Amsterdam
Damrak 96

Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel
Kattengat 1

Ams Hotel Concert Inn
De Lairessestr 11

Amsterdam Marriott Hotel
Stadhouderskade 12

Qbic Hotel Amsterdam WTC
Strawinskylaan 241

Hilton Amsterdam
Apollolaan 138

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Top rated attractions

In Amsterdam
1.	Sex Museum This is not as sleazy or seedy as you might think and many visitors tend to find it highly amusing. Camp and kitsch, there are numerous displays of erotic photography, statues, and very early examples of pornography. This tongue in cheek amusement is very tame by other standards in the city. None-the-less, the sex museum does draw in the tourists, many of which find the museum a scream. Situated near an inner harbor crammed with canal boats and tourists, loads of visitors find the museum by accident. NOTE: No one under the age of 16 permitted entrance « hide
2.	The Amsterdam Historical Museum Located in a former City Orphanage, this fascinating museum focuses on the city’s history from a once small fishing village to one of the world’s capital cities. The Historical Museum has all the history on the city you could want from major works of art to video and hands-on exhibits. You could spend a whole day here and still not see all of the historical exhibits available. Don’t miss Rembrandts Anatomy Lesson of Dr Jan Deijman or the 1677 scale model of the then Town hall. « hide
3.	The Anne Frank House The Anne Frank House has become extraordinarily famous and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Amsterdam. The house, close to Leliegracht, is where the young Anne Frank and her family hid from Nazis for almost two years until capture. During this time Anne wrote in her diary of her experiences, the diary itself has sold millions of copies worldwide. The rooms that Anne and her family lived in are preserved as to the time when the Franks lived there. You can feel the claustrophobic atmosphere in the cramped rooms and watch video clips of the family and history of the Holocaust. The Anne Frank house is a moving and historical look into the time of the holocaust. « hide
4.	The Torture Museum For a step back to the days when punishment was both cruel and in most cases permanent, visit the Torture Museum. A gruesome yet fascinating display of artifacts and implements of torture are on display and rather ominous. Just to enter the museum you need to travel through a long, dark tunnel that immediately sets the tone for the macabre instruments on display, including the guillotine and the Inquisition chair. This tour is not for the faint hearted and most visitors find the Torture Museum interesting and thought provoking. « hide
5.	The Royal Palace The Royal Palace dominates Amsterdam’s Dam area and is a must visit tourist attraction. Dating back to the 1648, The Royal Palace became royal when King Louis moved in, in 1808. The interior of the palace is magnificent complete with maps inlaid on marble floors, huge ceilings, and spectacular sculptures such as Atlas holding the world. Large-scale paintings, including Ferdinand Bol's Moses the Lawgiver, inspire artists and visitors alike. Adjacent to the Royal Palace is the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church, worth visiting for its 15th century gothic style splendor and easy access from the Royal Palace. « hide
6.	The Van Gogh Museum Vincent van Gogh is one of the most popular and reproduced of all artists and the Van Gogh museum is one of Amsterdam's most popular tourist attractions. The museum’s collection is outstanding and includes some of his most famous works like Starry Night. The vibrant colors of his Sunflowers masterpiece will astound you but the darker, earlier paintings are the first paintings you will encounter at the first floor gallery. His colorful paintings of Paris are enchanting and the whole collection will inspire any artist. The Van Gogh museum is a must see for all visitors, art lovers or not. « hide
7.	Canal Cruises A cruise along Amsterdam’s canals is a must do activity. An excellent activity during the daytime, an evening cruise can be very romantic as night draws in. Candlelit midnight cruises are very popular, or try a full dinner cruise that includes dancing. There are several companies at the docks beside Damrak, near Centraal Station, and their rates vary depending on the type of cruise you wish to take. The Canal Bus, 2-hour cruise is very popular and features a live jazz band with unlimited drinks and snacks included in the price. Booking in advance is required. « hide
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Top rated restaurants

1.	Dynasty Dynasty is a cozy restaurant where you can dine indoors or enjoy your meal in the outdoor garden. The menu is diverse with Thai, Cantonese, Filipino and Vietnamese dishes all vying for your attention. Don’t miss jumbo shrimp or the mouth watering lobster seasoned with ginger. The starter crispy pancakes are excellent and Dynasty is an ideal place for a romantic evening. « hide	6.	De Jaren De Jaren is an unpretentious yet fashionable cafe-restaurant that is popular with students and travelers with laptops. De Jaren has two, open-air terraces overlooking the Amstel River, where you can dine on spaghetti Bolognese, rib-eye steak or just enjoy an ice cold drink. Da Jaren is a great place for the 20 to 40 somethings. « hide
2.	Nam Kee Nam Kee is situated in the heart of Amsterdam’s Chinatown area. Nam Kee serves authentic food at reasonably affordable prices with few frills. The local Chinese residents love to eat here so practice with your chopsticks to gain the ultimate respect. Choose from 140 menu items such as Peking duck or steamed oysters in black bean sauce. Nam Kee is perfect for a group of friends to enjoy amazing Chinese good in a great atmosphere. « hide	7.	Royal Cafe de Kroon Royal Cafe de Kroon is a modern restaurant with an upstairs balcony that affords a great view of the busy square down below. You can order everything here from breakfast to a full three-course meal in this relaxed cafe. A popular place with the locals but reservations are not necessary. « hide
3.	Treasure Decorated in traditional Chinese style with lanterns and watercolor paintings, Treasure serves up amazing Chinese food that tastes as good as it looks. Treasure is extremely popular at both lunch and dinnertime as the food is authentic and delicious. The Bejing Duck and the steamed dumplings may be too much at lunchtime but they are a perfect choice for dinner. « hide	8.	Grand Cafe l'Opera Grand Cafe l'Opera is a chic Art Deco styled restaurant that serves everything from steak and mushrooms to Thai curry to mussels. A great place to get away from the busy city streets and take pleasure in the always welcoming friendly staff. « hide
4.	Sluizer At Sluizer, comprised of two restaurants next door to each other, you can choose from the fish restaurant that has at least 10 fish specials a day, or the continental side, which has a French feel and serves great steak and chicken dishes. A great place for a group, although deciding which restaurant to eat at may be a problem. « hide	9.	In de Wildeman Dating back to 1690 this beer-tasting house is a beer lover’s heaven. With over 200 different kinds of bottled beer and 17 different drafts, visitors are spoiled with choices. An old fashioned, solid drinking den with a separate room for non-smokers, Wildeman is an essential stop in if partaking of a pub-crawl. « hide
5.	Brasserie De Kelderhof Brasserie De Kelderhof has a distinctly French Mediterranean feel with its cobbled floor, plants and cellar location. The seafood and meat dishes are as good as it gets and there is live music weekly from Wednesday to Sunday. This Brasserie is perfect for a romantic dinner with a dance for dessert. NOTE: "Unfortunately our restaurant closes as from 1 June 2009 for a serious renovation to interieur and concept. We hope to be operational again from the middle of August, but under a new name and a new formula. " -The staff of Brasserie De Kelderhof « hide	10.	Cafe Dante This is a chic bar that will have you confused as to whether you have wandered into an art gallery by mistake. Modern art covers the walls and the exhibitions are changed monthly. A great place to drink and peruse the artwork, or you can just wander around and look at the art if you don’t feel like drinking. « hide

Amsterdam Insider tips

1.	Brown cafes Amsterdam is one of the few places in the world that people visit solely for the purpose of smoking cannabis. The locals favor the coffee shops outside of the red light area, as the ones within tend to be tacky dives where you are liable to be ripped off. Once inside a coffee shop ask to see a menu that will state the different varieties, weights and prices of Marijuana for sale. After you make your decision, be sure to have a seat and smoke a little while still on the premises. Be aware that the drugs on sale here are usually stronger than you will find elsewhere. In Amsterdam drugs such as marijuana are tolerated but if you are searched by the police, they do have the right to confiscate any amount they find. NOTE: Kayak does not support the use of recreational drugs or any other illegal substances « hide
2.	Personal safety in Amsterdam Although it is generally quite safe to travel through the city there are one or two areas of Amsterdam in which you should be cautious. Avoid the rough area known as De Pijp, located south of Sarphatipark and also be on your guard in certain parts of the red light district, especially the streets between Oude Kerk and Zeedijk. Police officers do patrol the city and will be of assistance if needed and most officers speak English to some degree. « hide
3.	Amsterdam and drugs Although it is quite legal to purchase cannabis in Amsterdam there are a set of rules and regulations in place that should be adhered to. Over the counter sales of cannabis is limited to 5g per purchase and possession of anything over 30g is illegal. The famous space cakes are widely availably in Amsterdam but they are classed as hard drugs and are illegal. Do not buy drugs on the street, if you do then you are basically asking for trouble and never try to take drugs out of the country. Possession of cocaine or heroin is illegal and if caught, you could face a spell in jail. « hide

Amsterdam nightlife

In Amsterdam
1.	Paradiso When live music is not being performed here this is one of the premier dance clubs in Amsterdam. Paradiso attracts big name DJs to its old church interior and the music is eclectic, ranging from raves to speed garage and disco. The high balcony, if not the drinks, will be enough to give you vertigo. This is a must for serious clubbers. « hide
2.	Jazz Cafe Alto Fans of jazz will not have to look very hard in Amsterdam; there are many venues available with live jazz performances. The Jazz Cafe Alto has nightly live jazz and blues sessions from top performers. This intimate, comfortable cafe is also a regular performing spot for the famous saxophonist Hans Dulfer, he plays there most Wednesday evenings. « hide