We also bought a 3 day tram pass, which is good for all the trams and any subways in the city. We really only used it once and would've been better off just buying the single ticket. Amsterdam is such a walkable city that you can generally walk or ride a bike everywhere.
Hotel Internationaal - Cost about 80 EUR per night. A great no frills, small local place with lots of action all around.
Pros: Great location, on the edge of the Red Light Disctrict near a ton of great restaurants and coffee shops. It's also very close to Dam Square, Central Station and numerous tram stops. Clean & comfortable w/ a sink in room. The staff is awesome and the first floor is a bar.
Cons: No frills, very simple room. Shared bathroom unless you request the one private room. (We never had a problem or had to wait for toilet or shower.) Scary steep stairs.
Rijksmuseum - We had bought a ticket for this museum in advance & it's a good thing! The lines can get very long. If you already have a ticket, you get to skip to the front of the line. The museum itself is housed in an incredible building that's a work of art itself. It's a huge museum, though while we were there only 1 wing was open. I think I could really only do one wing at the time anyway. We spent about 2 hours here and would recommend it, even if you don't love art, there's so much variety.
Van Gogh Museum - As far as tourist things go, this was the highlight of our trip. Either buy tickets in advance or go right after they open because the place gets packed. Spend the money on the audio tour, it's worth it. The building is very modern and open, so you can really enjoy Van Gogh's work.
Anne Frank Haus - Again, buy tickets in advance. We walked right in & were thankful 'cause it was very cold that day & the line was well over an hour long. If you've read the book and/or have an interest in WWII history, definitely check it out. Otherwise, it may seem boring. I thought it was really neat & I would totally recommend it. My husband thought it was ok.
Heineken Brewery/Experience - I wouldn't recommend it at all. It's boring, kind of lame and totally over priced. I guess, if you love Heineken and don't know anything about how beer is made, then it would probably be cool. At least it's really interactive and they give you a beer at the end. Otherwise, eh, skip it.
Canal Tour - It's pricey, but pleasant. We chose a Museum Bus/Canal Tour. Basically, the boats make a loop and stop in front of all the Tourist points (telling you interesting facts over the speaker) & you can get off and on, as you please. This way we got to take a canal tour & hitch a ride to the museums and parks. It was about the same price as the regular canal tour, but served a purpose too, so I would def. recommend it. Start in the morning, so you can take full advantage of your all day ticket.
Casa Rosa (look for the Pink Elephant) - If you're gonna see a Live Sex Show while you're in Amsterdam, Casa Rosa is supposed to be the best. Since I have nothing to compare it it, I can't be sure, but I'll take it as the truth since some locals told me. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's not totally disgusting or anything either. If nothing else, it's fun, it's a little crazy & where else are you gonna go to a live sex show? Oh, and if you buy tickets early in the day & they offer you the free ticket to the afternoon show across the street, don't do it! That one is tiny and kind of gross.
Coffee Shops - We hit up a ton...sometimes hanging out for awhile, sometimes just stopping in for a water. If you buy pot there you can smoke w/out buying anything else. If you bring your own, you've got to buy something to drink or snack. Even if you don't smoke, you can always go in and grab a soda and people watch. Skip the Bulldog, it's mega touristy. Hunter's has the best Space Cakes.
Red Light District - It's not scary or dirty or gross. I wouldn't linger in dark alleys late at night or talk to people who go Pssst!, but I wouldn't suggest doing that anywhere. There are actually a lot of neat shops and galleries here. Plus, "window shopping" is a surreal, fun, sociologically interesting thing to do. I say, everyone should check it out and see what all the fuss is about.
Sex Museum - A cheap, silly, kind of wild way to spend an hour or so. It's a combination of the absurd, the disturbing, the silly and the artistic. Check it out.
Hemp, Hash and Marijauna Museum - Another inexpensive, interesting place to check out. Even if you don't smoke, it's pretty neat. They have a lot of interesting artifacts on display + horticulture photographs and a garden. Also, your admission price gives includes a pass to Cannabis College just a couple blocks away.
Cannabis College - Similar to the HHM Museum, Cannabis College would still be interesting (maybe even more so) to those who don't smoke. There's a lot of old social propaganda both for and against Cannabis. Plus, tons of neat paintings and pipes.
Outdoor Market - If you take Tram 16 towards the Museumsplein, get off near the Heineken Brewery and keep following the tracks a couple blocks. There, you'll find yourself in the middle of a wonderful outdoor market w/ flowers, cheeses, clothes, etc. It was nice to wander around and check everything out. Plus, all around the market are lovely diners, restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. All with outdoor seating, good for tons of people watching.
***These restaurants are near Dam Square, towards the Old Church, on the border of the Red Light District.***
Kama Sutra Indian Food - http://www.restaurantkamasutra.nl/index.html
This place was fabulous. Some of the best Indian food I've ever had. We went back a 2nd time too. It can get a little pricey if you get carried away, but there's always a bunch of specials that are very reasonably priced. The Naan is very fresh, the curries are bright, the tikki masala full of flavor. Seriously, everything we tried was outstanding. Our only complaint was that it wasn't spicy (hot) enough, but we're a little crazy like that.
Wonder Wok - A quick, inexpensive and awesome take away place. Choose either noodles or rice, then pick main ingredients, the pick a sauce. After that, your choices are stir fried in front of you! It's super fresh, simple and seriously SO good. We hit this place up a 2nd time too.
New Season Chinese - On Warmoesstraat near the Old Church - We were the only ones in the middle of the afternoon, the place was very quiet and clean. The food was good, but not great. Our appetizers was really good, but the main entrees were only alright. A little too expensive for the quality, IMO, but for a couple of apps and a drink, it's a nice stop.
Cafe Pacifico: Mexican - http://www.cafe-pacifico.nl - Another place we went to a 2nd time! We are from California originally and are very snobby about our Mexican food. This place was outstanding. The salsa was burning and delicious, the atmosphere was fun, the tortillas were homemade. Everything was very, very good.
La Paella: Spanish - On Warmoesstraat, close to Zeejik - I don't know much about traditional Spanish food & I'd never before had paella, so I don't know how it would hold up. Some of it was really, really good & some of it was just alright. However, it was all too expensive.
Other - Pick up a chocolate covered waffle! Try a space cake from Hunters. Buy a hunk of gouda and a roll at the outdoor market.
That's all I can think of for now.
All in all, we had a wonderful time in Amsterdam & look forward to going back. It's a very fun city with tons of great food, friendly people and incredible art.
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