{"id":28827,"date":"2025-07-06T16:16:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T14:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anxhelaisaj.com\/?p=28827"},"modified":"2026-06-14T15:00:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T13:00:41","slug":"amsterdam-in-5-days-itinerary-and-useful-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anxhelaisaj.com\/en\/amsterdam-in-5-days-itinerary-and-useful-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Amsterdam in 5 Days \u2013 Itinerary and Useful Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Amsterdam in 5 Days \u2013 Itinerary and Useful Tips<\/span><\/h1><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Amsterdam, with its picturesque canals, historic houses and vibrant atmosphere, is a city that has always sparked my curiosity. I have to admit, though, that I’m not a big fan of the cold: that’s why I put off visiting for several years, so I could go in summer. It was a big mistake to underestimate it, because these five days bumped Amsterdam up into my top 3 European cities to visit,<\/strong> especially in the summer season.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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In short:<\/strong> five days in Amsterdam let you see the city at a relaxed pace plus a day trip.
Our itinerary: day 1<\/strong> the historic centre, Dam Square and the canals; day 2<\/strong> the Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark and Chinatown; day 3<\/strong> the Anne Frank House and the NDSM district; day 4<\/strong> a day trip to Zaandam and Zaanse Schans; day 5<\/strong> the Begijnhof, the Albert Cuyp market and a boat tour.
From the airport you reach the centre by NS train; around the city, getting about by bike is fantastic.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Day 1: arrival and the historic centre<\/h2>

In short:<\/strong> on the first day you arrive in the centre by train from the airport, settle into your hotel and explore on foot: Dam Square with the Royal Palace, the canals, the narrowest house at Singel 7, and dinner at the Secret Garden.

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How do you get from Amsterdam airport to the centre?<\/h3>

You have several options for reaching the centre, but I’d recommend going for the cheapest one, the NS train<\/strong>, which runs 7 days a week. Just follow the signs for the railway station as soon as you arrive at the airport. We bought our ticket online for \u20ac20.80 return for 2 people, so \u20ac10.40 each. You can also go straight to the gates and tap through with a contactless card, which you then tap again on the way out: this system, the classic “Tap & Go”, also works on the metro and trams. Remember to always use the same card for each person.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Powered by GetYourGuide<\/a><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Where to stay in Amsterdam?<\/h3>

In short:<\/strong> the centre is prohibitively expensive; it’s worth looking at well-connected hotels just outside the centre (with the metro or tram a few minutes away). Bear in mind that it’s hard to find anything under \u20ac150 a night, plus the tourist tax.

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The first time, we stayed at Hotel Arena (find it HERE)<\/a>, located next to Oosterpark<\/strong>. This park, the first large green space created by the city of Amsterdam<\/strong>, is an oasis of calm and offers a perfect balance between nature and urban culture. The more central accommodation options had prohibitive prices.

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Ps. An update 3 years on: the hotel has tripled its prices<\/strong>, as have all the hotels in Amsterdam. I’ll leave you here a list of hotels with more affordable prices<\/strong>, but bear in mind that it’s almost impossible to get below \u20ac150 a night!

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An important note on budget:<\/strong> in Amsterdam the tourist tax is the highest in Europe, 12.5% of the room price, to be paid directly at the hotel. On top of that, since 1 January 2026 the VAT on hotels has also gone up (from 9% to 21%), so total prices have risen even further: factor it in when working out your spending.

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I’ve put together a list of some hotels I came across while researching our stay. They’re all a good compromise between location and price:<\/p>