4 days in Amsterdam


Last week me and Liam spent 4 nights in Amsterdam and was there for our 3 year anniversary.
Amsterdam is a place I've wanted to go to for years, so I became a bit to-do list happy and found a
bunch of places for us to visit and things to do whilst there. I spent a long time reading blog posts,
watching videos and scrolling though Instagram and Pinterest for recommendations. We browsed the
beautiful streets, spotted incredible architecture, walked along the canals and got everything on our
to-do list done. Amsterdam has become such a popular place, even more than before, over the years
so I made sure to take plenty of photos so I could share our amazing trip with you all!

Monday 
Our flight was unfortunately delayed by 45 minutes but we arrived at our hotel at 6.30pm. We chose
to stay at Ibis Amsterdam Centre Stopera (Valkenburgerstraat 68, 1011LZ), because it was a basic
room close to everything we wanted do and we didn't need anything fancy as we was going to be
exploring all day. After unpacking and getting settled in the room we head into town to try and find
some dinner. 

After stopping at every canal on the way to take photos we found our way to La Traviata Ristorante 
pizzeria (Reguliersbreestraat 43, 1017CM). Obviously we ordered pizza, which was handmade and
the nicest pizza I've ever had. Afterwards we headed to Van Wonderen Stroopwafels (Kalverstraat 
90, 1012XH), after seeing it on Pinterest, but didn't pick anything up because the queue was
extremely long. 

Tuesday 
30th July. Our 3 year anniversary and it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and I even wore
a dress because of how warm it was. We headed straight to the museum quarter and first on our list
for the day was The Rijksmuesum (Museumstraat 1, 1016GV). I've never seen a building and an
architectural piece of history look so beautiful. Both the inside and outside blew me away. Filled
with hundreds of pieces of history dating back to the 1100's.





My favourite museum that we visited was the Moco museum (Honthorststraat 20, 1071DE).
This museum mainly focuses on the work of Daniel Arsham and Banksy. I loved being able to
see modern day art that I found inspiration from. I highly recommend checking this museum out
if you are visiting Amsterdam.




Afterwards we headed to The Hard Rock Cafe (Max Euweplein 57-61, 1017MA) for some lunch.
We shared the classic nachos for starter and both had the original legendary burger. If you are close
by then I recommend stopping by, even just for a browse in the shop. If it's a main priority and
something you definitely want to do then I would recommend booking a table beforehand as we
had to wait 30 minutes for a table.

One of the reasons I fell in love with Amsterdam years ago was because of the film and book; The Fault in Our Stars. I didn't want to visit all of the locations but I did want to check out the famous bench (Leidsegract 4, 1016CK). Unfortunately the bench was stolen a few years ago, so they replaced the originial with 2 others. It's not the same, but it's lovely to see the location and all the quotes that people have wrote all over it.

There wasn't a lot of food places that I wanted to visit but my main location on my list was
Polaberry (Prinsengract 232 H, 1016HE). I saw their incredible selection of chocolate covered
strawberries and sweet treats on Pinterest so it immediately became a priority on my list. I chose a
box of 12 chocolate covered strawberries that I picked out, as well as a unicorn cake-sicle. For what
it is some would say it is expensive (€30-€35) however because it was a special occasion and one
off I wanted to treat myself to some sweet treats.




On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Ripleys Believe It or Not museum (Dam 21, 1012JS). I
love going to visit the Ripleys museums and have wanted to take Liam to one for years, so when we
walked past I basically dragged him inside! Ripleys Believe It or Not museum is filled with a bunch
of bizarre and unique trinkets, facts and more that are founded all over the world and believe it or not
are all true! Each museum around the world is different, which makes them even more unique!

Wednesday
When we first woke up on Wednesday it looked like it was going to be dry but slightly windy, so I
chose to wear jeans just in case I got cold. However about 30 minutes into our day out, it started
raining. Not just a light drizzle, it was pouring it down. We managed to find umbrellas but tried to
spend as much time as we could indoors or under a form of shelter. This continued on all day.

Since we completed the majority of our to do list on Tuesday, we took Wednesday pretty slow. The
first place we headed to was Body Worlds museum (Damrack 66, 1012LM). The Body Worlds
museum is full of scientific and educational facts all about the human body. Inside is filled with
human bodies (you wouldn't know they were real bodies) who have died from natural causes and
donated to the museum for this purpose. Each level is specific to an area of the body and you get to
see things you never would otherwise. I didn't think it would be my kind of thing, but I really enjoyed
learning about the human body in such a different way.



We stopped at Bravi Ragazzi (Damrack 35/36, 1012LK) for a late lunch/early dinner. Again we had
pizza which was delicious. I loved how central this was to everything that we wanted to do without
being too busy. If you are looking for a lovely restaurant, and don't want any fast food, in the central
of Amsterdam then I highly recommend checking this out.

Something we had to do was the Sex muesum (Damrack 18, 1012LG). As the name suggests it is all
about sex. From sex icons such as Marilyn Monroe, to graphic pictures and video previews dating
back to the early 50's to present day. It's really interesting to see how the history of sex has changed
over the decades and how it's portrayed now. You definitely have to go into this museum open
minded and it's one for people whom are 16-18 years or older, definitely not for any younger.

An iconic part of Amsterdam is the Red light district (De Wallen). Obviously we didn't want to visit
it for the purpose of it, but wanted to see what it was actually like, so we checked it out during the
day and when it was quiet. This is a place, again not for children, that I didn't know what to expect.
There was a lot of sex shops and also a lot of opportunities to visit a live show. However the movies
portray this as being filled with a lot of women in windows up and down all the streets which I didn't
find at all. This could be because we went in the day, but I would recommend keeping that in mind if
the Red light district is something that you want to visit when there.

We finished doing everything we wanted to do and had some time to kill before going to our next
location. We found a beautiful café called Hop and Stork (Passage 82, 2511AE). If Harrods and
Thorntons came together and created a café it would be Hop and Stork. Since we didn't have a lot of
time we both had a small milkshake and a chocolate taster selection. If you're looking for a gift for
someone, but unsure of what to get, check out their selection of chocolate and sweet treats in their
shop. However if you have the chance, stop in for a drink and a small bite to eat.


Before we came to Amsterdam I booked for us to go and visit the Anne Frank House (Westermarkt 
20, 1016DK). I booked us a 4.30 time slot and I was so excited to go and visit an iconic moment in
history. However when we go their I developed an incredibly intense migraine, and we still had to
wait another 30 minutes. We came to a decision to go back to the hotel, because I felt so unwell, and
missed going to the Anne Frank House. We did lose our money, but there was nothing we could
have done differently. This is still on my bucket list of places to visit and I hope to go soon in the
future. If you are wanting to go here, I recommend booking it for one of your first days in the city,
and also get there 5 minutes before your designated time rather that 30 minutes, because you most
likely will still have to wait.

Thursday
By Thursday we had walked a total of 16 hours and had also done everything on our list. We headed
into the centre for a browse of the shops and found a Dunkin Donuts (Nieuwendijk 147, 1012ME). I
was so excited when we stumbled across this as it was a total surprise and something I've always
wanted to try. I obviously had to have a donut, but I also tried their classic blended lemonade which
was possibly the best drink I've ever had. In fact we stopped here twice this day!


We found a Flying Tiger (Rembrandtplein 2, 1017CV) and picked up some small items, as you do
every time you head into a store! We then wondered around and looked in a bunch of souvenir shops.
Since we had a lot of time left before we had to head back to the hotel, we checked out a bunch of
book shops that were nearby. The best was The American Book Centre (Spui 12, 1012XA) where I
picked up 2 classic books that were on my wish list and desperate to get my hands on.

We headed back to the hotel and decided to have dinner at the hotel before we waited for our
transfer to the airport. The food was incredible and the atmosphere was beautiful. We was slightly
disappointed that we hadn't tried the restaurant out sooner, however it gave us a chance to explore the
city more. Whilst having dinner we also found some board games and started playing an intense
round, or 3, of checkers. It was the perfect end to an amazing 4 days in the city.




Tips for Amsterdam
Take and wear sensible and comfortable shoes
You will walk a lot, so keep that in mind
Have a rough plan for each day
Be prepared for all types of weather
Always keep a bag on you
Take both cash and card
Don't over do it all in one day

xoxo
Lea-Mai

20 comments

  1. this post is literally the cutest! I've never been to Amsterdam but my cousin is going in the next month or so so I am sharing the link to her for her to read through!
    Rosie
    loverosiee.co.uk

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  2. I've never REALLY wanted to visit Amsterdam, however I would like to visit one day - it looks like such a beautiful place! Happy anniversary too! xx

    Megan Elizabeth

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  3. Ahh I'm so jealous, I'm desperate to visit Amsterdam, I really want to drive over as I think it will be easier with Ru! Happy anniversary! x

    Gemma Louise

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    Replies
    1. We were going to drive but flying was easier for us! Thank you x

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  4. Wow it looks like you've had such an amazing trip - all of your photos are amazing, and so many delicious looking eats :) Happy Anniversary too!

    Kate | http://www.katelovesx.co.uk/

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    1. Thank you! Definitely craving those chocolate covered strawberries again x

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  5. I'm dying to visit Amsterdam! It looks incredible x

    Terri Talks

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  6. Replies
    1. You should add it to your list of destinations! So incredible x

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  7. looks like you had a really fab time xxx

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  8. It sounds like you had an amazing time - and visited some amazing places!
    I definitely want to go to Polaberry when I eventually go to Amsterdam - and the Anne Frank house. It's a shame you didn't get to go this time! x

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    Replies
    1. It really was! I can't recommend Polaberry enough, it's truly incredible x

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  9. I'm going in October and I can't wait - your post was so helpful, I've literally had a notebook on my lap whilst reading this to take note!
    Looks like you had a lovely time :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I hope you have a great time when you go, it's even more beautiful on person x

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  10. Amazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.

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