• Main
• 1. Attractions
• 2. Hotels
• 3. Restaurants
• 4. Nightlife
• 5. Shopping
• 6. When To Go
• 7. Getting There

Attractions

Amsterdam's main canals make a series of rings around the city center, while a few more, along with the Amstel River, run out from the center like spokes on a wheel. Knowing where you are – in the Jordaan to the west, the Museum Quarter or De Pijp to the south, or the Plantage District and the Eastern Docklands to the east – in relation to the canals will help orient you in the city.

Depending on where you're going, you can walk most anywhere quickly, but if you want to blend in with the locals, rent a bike (and a lock!) and get a good city map from the tourist office. Rentals are available at MacBike (Central Station; 4.25€ per day for 7 days, rates vary; www.macbike.nl). Be warned: Stay in the red bike lanes, and don't dawdle – the Dutch aren't out for a scenic ride and will speed past you. Otherwise, you can travel by boat – the Canal Bus (Weteringschans 26; 17€; www.canal.nl) makes 14 stops near the major sights on three routes through the city; a day pass allows you to hop on and off the three routes and provides discounts on museums and attractions – buy tickets at one of the stops (all three routes start at Central Station) or through the GVB office (opposite Central station).

As for tours, canal cruises are among the best way to get a general perspective on the city and take in the views. Rederij Lovers (8.50€; www.lovers.nl) offers a variety of guided cruises during the day and at night. The St. Nicolaas Boat Club (Leidseplein 12; departures times vary; www.petermoskos.com/boat) takes smaller groups out on historic boats for more laid-back, personalized tours. For in-depth city walking tours, take the New Amsterdam Free Tour (Stationsplein 10; 11am & 3pm; 3hrs; free; www.newamsterdamtours.com). To explore on wheels, Mike's Bike Tours (Kerkstraat 134; 4hrs; 22€; www.mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com) meets outside the Rijksmuseum and tours the city and nearby countryside.

The Amsterdam Tourist & Convention Board has three tourist offices in the city, each of them marked with a VVV symbol. All of the offices sell the I Amsterdam card (Stationsplein 10, Stationsplein 15 platform 2b, and Leidseplein 1; hours vary; 33€; www.amsterdamtourist.nl) which covers admission to many major attraction and access to public transportation.

CITY CENTER
The original city center, split down the middle with the old to the east and (relatively) new to the west, is the heart of Amsterdam. Step out of the 1800s neo-Gothic Central train station and you'll walk right into the capital's oldest buildings, which lean after years of shifting on piles driven deep into the earth.

The Gothic Oude Kerk (Oudekerksplein 23; Mon–Sat 11am–5pm, Sun 1-5pm; 5€) dates back to 1306 and is the city's oldest surviving building; inside the church, get a better look at its 16th-century stained glass windows and Müller organ; outside, look up and you'll see an abundance of red lights because, indeed, the church lies within the infamous Red Light District. While it may have been dangerous to walk these streets 20 years ago, the neighborhood is now perfectly safe. Stop into the Prostitute Information Center (Enge Kerksteeg 3; Tues-Sat noon-7pm; fee for lectures and tours; www.pic-amsterdam.com) and get your questions answered by former prostitutes who aim to clear up misconceptions about "the business." Then walk down Oude Kennissteeg to get an eyeful on your own (no pictures) or take a tour with Randy Roy (in front of the Victoria Hotel, across from Central Station; daily 8pm, Fri & Sat 18 pm & 10pm; 12.50€; www.randyroysredlighttours.com). If you want to continue your walk on the wild side, visit the Hash, Marihuana, & Hemp Museum (Oudezijds Achterburgwal 148; daily 10am–10pm; 5.70€; www.hashmuseum.com); you'll learn more about weed here than you ever would in one of the local coffeeshops. If you'd rather repent, the Amstelkring Museum (Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40; Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 1-5pm; 7€; www.museumamstelkring.nl) houses a hidden Catholic church within three 17th-century canal houses.

If you're looking for a lively place with some of the best people watching, head west to Dam Square, once the central marketplace. Through the obelisk-shaped National Monument and straight ahead is the Royal Palace, but for appearances only. Not to be outdone by this imposing building, Nieuwe Kerk (Dam Square; Fri–Wed 10am–6pm, Thurs 10am–10pm; 8€; www.nieuwekerk.nl), a late-Gothic basilica, was built next door; it's now a cultural center with frequent art exhibits and organ concerts, though remains the scene of royal weddings and coronations.

Stroll along the shop-filled Kalverstraat and browse for a few blocks until you reach the gate of the Amsterdam History Museum (Kalverstraat 92; Mon–Fri 10am–5 pm, Sat & Sun 11am–5pm; 6€; www.ahm.nl) housed in a former monastery and orphanage. Pass through the Civic Guard Gallery, which houses group portraits painted by Dutch masters of the Golden Age on your way to the Beginhof (Begijnensteeg Lane, between Kalverstraat 130 and 132; daily 8am–5pm; free), a peaceful, enclosed courtyard encircled by homes for elderly single women, in keeping with the building's origins as a sanctuary for a Catholic sisterhood – do be respectful. The beautifully restored buildings date back to the 1400s, and include an English (Protestant) and Catholic church.

A walk along the scenic Amstel River will lead you to the Stadhuis/Muziektheater, or Stopera for short, home to the Netherlands Opera and the National Ballet. Originally the building was thought to be ugly, but whatever your opinion, it inarguably does offer lovely views of the Amstel. Downriver, the Skinny Bridge, one of the most photographed sights in the city, is beautifully lit at night, while the nearby Jewish Historical Museum (Nieuwe Amstelstraat 3-5; daily 11am–5pm; 6.50€; www.jhm.nl) documents the lives of Amsterdam's Jews. The partially finished Hermitage Amsterdam (Nieuwe Herengracht 14; 7€; daily 10am–5 pm; www.hermitage.nl) offers exhibits from The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg until March 2007.

Rembrandthuis, (Jodenbreestraat 4; Mon–Sun 10am–5pm, Friday 10am–9 pm; 7.50€; www.rembrandthuis.nl) is the remains of Dutch Master Rembrandt van Rijn's home and is decorated the same way as when he lived; it showcases not only his studio and collections of worldly objects, but also 250 of his etchings. Cross the Amstel and you'll run into Rembrandtplein, a buzzing and lively square with Rembrandt's statue in the center. If you're a photography fan, walk as far as Keizersgracht, turn right, and head to the FOAM Museum (Keizersgracht 609; Sat–Wed 10am–5pm, Thurs–Fri 10am–9pm; 6.50€; www.foam.nl), which holds exhibits that cut across many genres of photography.

WESTERN CANAL RING/THE JORDAAN
Four grand canals run in a semi-circle around the city's old center; the western side of this ring and the Jordaan neighborhood beyond it are two of the best destinations for meandering. Between the two neighborhoods sits the Anne Frank House (Prinsengracht 267; mid-Mar–mid-Sept 9am–9pm, mid-Sept–mid-Mar 9am–7pm; 7.50€; www.annefrank.org) – plan to go late in the day to avoid the long lines to tour the cramped rooms her family shared for two years. The nearby Dutch Renaissance Westerkerk (Prinsengracht 281; Mon–Fri 11am–3pm; free except for 5€ tower tours; www.westerkerk.nl) is Rembrandt's burial place and is often visited for scenic trips to the top of its tower, the tallest in Amsterdam.

Many of the canals are lined with houseboats, originally anchored as a part of the housing relief effort after World War II; today, about 2,500 are still used as homes. If you're interested in seeing the inside of one, the Houseboat Museum Hendrika Maria (Prinsengracht opposite 296; Mar-Oct, Tues-Sun, 11am–5pm; Nov-Feb, Fri–Sun, 11am–5pm; 3€; www.houseboatmuseum.nl) is a good bet. Back on land you can tour Museum Van Loon (Keizersgracht 672; Wed–Mon 11am–5pm; 6€; www.museumvanloon.nl), an excellent example of a 17th-century canal-side mansion. Inside you'll find some 150 portraits of the van Loon family – founders of the Dutch East India Company, the world's first multinational corporation – along with the original tiled kitchen and a well-kept courtyard garden.

Make a point to spend some time north of the Jordaan – the Brouwersgracht is the prettiest canal in Amsterdam and you can walk along it to Culture Park Westergasfabriek (Haarlemmerweg 8-10, www.westergasfabriek.nl), a complex of renovated brick buildings turned into art galleries, trendy restaurants, and a movie theater.

MUSEUM QUARTER
Amsterdam is home to 51 museums, including the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the stars of the Museum Quarter. While most tourists fill a day or two just with the main sights here, few venture far beyond into the outlying neighborhoods, Oud Zuid and De Pijp – well worth the trip if you're looking for a more "local" perspective.

Leidseplein, the busiest square in Amsterdam, is situated just next door to Max Euweplein, home to the Holland Casino and a large outdoor chess board, fitting since the square is named for the Dutch world champion chess player. Cross the Singel, and you'll be greeted by the iron gates of Vondelpark, a green haven filled with lounging locals and tourists alike on sunny days. Grab a drink or snack at Blauwe Theehuis (Vondelpark 5; www.blauwetheeuis.nl) or Vertigo Café (Vondelpark 3; www.vertigo.nl), on the terrace of the Amsterdam Film Museum (Vondelpark 3; Mon–Fri 9am–10.15pm, Sat–Sun hours vary; from 2€; www.filmmuseum.nl), more of a theater than a museum with daily screenings of a few of its 46,000 titles.

Nearby is the Museumplein, a grassy square with the Rijksmuseum to the north, the Van Gogh museum to the west, the Concertgebouw to the south, and the kid-friendly "I Amsterdam" statue in the middle. You can spend an art-filled day here, but before you head inside the museums be sure to look for artist Mark Raven's impressionist works for sale near the pond. The Rijksmuseum (Jan Luijkenstraat 1; Sat–Thurs 9am–6pm, Fri until 10pm; 10€; www.rijksmuseum.com) is the city's largest museum, though only one wing is open to the public until 2008 due to renovations. The Phillips' Wing is filled with the Dutch Masters you came to see though – Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Steen. Van Gogh has his own two-wing museum across the square (Paulus Potterstraat 7; 10am–6pm Sat–Thurs, Fri until 10 pm for special events; €10; www.vangoghmuseum.nl) to house more than 200 original paintings (including Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and Self Portrait with Felt Hat), 500 drawings, and 700 letters. The main exhibit is divided into five chronological periods, and the exhibition wing of his contemporaries is housed in Kisho Kurokawa's titanium-roofed creation.

For a little post-museum relaxation, make your way over to the Heineken Experience (Stadhouderskade 78; Tues-Sun 10am–6pm; 10€; www.heinekenexperience.com), an interactive brewery/museum tour, and you'll enter De Pijp, an up-and-coming multicultural neighborhood, home to the daily Albert Cuyp market and Sarphati Park; the area has some quirky shops and plenty of affordable ethnic restaurants.

PLANTAGE AREA
East of the city center lies the garden-green Plantage island, once a rundown district full of gambling dens and prostitution – it now hosts a stylish, but low-key, scene. Trendy restaurants and bars are popping up as tourists make their way into the district, especially on Kadijksplein, but locals still rule here. Three major attractions dominate the area: De Hortus Botanicus (Plantage Middenlaan 2a; Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat–Sun 10am–5pm; 6€; www.dehortus.nl) is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, dating back to 1638 as a medicinal herb garden; Artis Zoo (Plantage Kerklaan 38-40; 9am–5 pm daily; in summer, 6pm; 16€; www.artis.nl or www.amsterdamzoo.nl) is the world's third oldest zoo and mainland Europe's first, and while it's not as large and modern as some international zoos, it's a fun destination for kids with a planetarium, butterfly garden, and aquarium in addition to the normal assortment of animals; and finally, the Tropenmuseum, (Linnaeusstraat 2; daily 10am–5pm; 8€; www.tropenmuseum.nl) is part of the Netherlands' Royal Tropical Institute, which researches various cultures and presents interactive cultural exhibits involving dance, music, and art.