Amsterdam, Netherlands

If you haven't been following along, for my 30th birthday, I did a 10 day Europe trip in Dublin, Positano, and Amsterdam with my boyfriend. For my actual birth day, we woke up in Positano, got on a flight and spent the rest of the day in Amsterdam. We stayed in Amsterdam for 3 days and 2 nights and had the best time. We went in the middle of April and the weather was still a bit chilly but we lucked out with 2 days of sun! We didn't really have a set itinerary but keep reading to check out what we did!

I loved the aesthetic of the Vondel Hotels so I stayed at two of their hotels during my stay. There are a total of 7 Vondel Hotels in Amsterdam and they all have a unique aesthetic. The first one I stayed at was called Hotel De Hallen. I really loved the vibes of this hotel. All the of the aesthetics were on point and the rooms are bigger than majority of Amsterdam hotel rooms. Everywhere you turn is basically an Instagram spot.

The hotel is also located in a super hip part of Amsterdam. There were cute bars, shops, restaurants, a food hall, and even a movie theatre all right next to the hotel. Make sure to check out the Kanarie Club! The Kanarie Club is basically a food hall, there's also a bar, workspace facilities, hammocks, and a pool table upstairs. It was such a cool little spot and it is literally right next to the Hotel De Hallen.

The first night we went out to a coffeeshop nearby and then headed to a the Red-Light District! We decided to go to a barcade called De Tonton Club, I was actually curious to see if the games in Europe would be any different from the US and guess what? They weren't! They were all American games. There are a ton of retro games and board games, it was a fun little date night spot or a place for groups. Next, we HAD TO get french fries with mayonnaise. We went to a walk up window called Manneken Pis, the fries are perfectly crisp and there are a ton of toppings to choose from besides mayo (if that's not your thing), there's ketchup, a cheese sauce, barbeque, truffle, and so much more.

It was so much fun just to walk around and people watch in the Red-Light District. There's also a ton of nightlife like bars, clubs, and even a sex museum.

The second Vondel Hotel we stayed at was called Hotel Van De Vijsel. This hotel had an open air feel and the outdoorsy vibe of this hotel was awesome. The hotel is located right next to Vondelpark. It's their newest hotel and it has a modern and rustic feel to it.

If you are ever in Amsterdam, I would highly recommend to stay at one of the Vondel Hotels, you can use code "Vondelfriend" for $10 euro discount per night on the rate, a welcome drink, and 25% discount off breakfast!

Since we came to Amsterdam in April, it was perfect timing to see the tulip fields! The tulip season in Amsterdam runs from the end of March until mid May, but the flowers are usually at their best halfway through April. We decided to take a bus out to Keukenhof in Lisse and check them out! Also, my boyfriend had brought his drone with him so we wanted to get some cool shots.

So we had no idea, but Keukenhof is a park with a beautiful field of tulips, within the park there are 7 million tulip bulbs and a windmill. Although the park was gorgeous, this place was crowded with tourists and we weren't allowed in the tulip field. *If I was to go back to Lisse, I would ride the bus to Keukenhof, rent bikes and go find other local tulip farms where you can go into the fields! Although, the bike line is also super long, just expect to spend an entire day in Lisse because of the crowds.

If you don't have a photo with an Amsterdam canal, did you even go? Ha! Just kidding. But I had to get an infamous shot by the canals, of course. I just loved walking over the bridges and exploring the city.

Later that night we went to the Dolphin Coffeeshop, I remember going to this place in college when I studied abroad in Europe back in 2011! It was awesome to see that it was still around. It's a coffeeshop that is dolphin/under the sea themed!

The next day we decided to rent some bikes and ride around Vondelpark and the canals. This was my favorite activity we did in Amsterdam. It was so much fun. The streets of Amsterdam are just so quaint and quiet. The park was gorgeous and was huge, it is about 120 acres including a lake. We basically rode around the entire park and then just road around and bar hopped. Also, we noticed that people don't really wear helmets in Amsterdam! They didn't even advise us to wear one when we were renting the bikes.

Quite possibly the best spare ribs I have ever had in my life was at the Cafe de Klos. This intimate restaurant is such a hole in the wall. The servings are big and the food is amazing, they also pour some big glasses of wine! I absolutely loved eating here and it was one of my favorite restaurants in Europe. The open kitchen is right in the middle of the restaurant so be prepared to smell like meat but it's so worth it.

Sunsets at the canals, nothing beats it. We didn't have enough time but next time I would love to do a sunset boat ride on the canal, that's one activity I haven't done in Amsterdam yet!

There was no way I was going to go home without any Dutch cheese. We stopped at the Amsterdam Cheese Company to grab some smoked gouda to take home. They provide samples of all the cheeses they offer so that you can try before you buy. I am still savoring the gouda block I brought home and busting it out for special occasions.

We went to what is now officially my favorite spot in Amsterdam, which is Leidseplein. There is a square filled with a ton of bars and smokeshops. The square has open air seating with fire places and pretty lights. The square is right in the middle of the city so you are being towered by buildings, it's a super cool spot to people watch and eat dinner or grab drinks.

On the last day we only had time for breakfast. We found a cute french restaurant that was outside of a theatre. It was called the Cafe-Brasserie De Wildeman. This little spot is so cute and is at a prime location right in Leidseplein, I would definitely recommend eating outside!

We both ordered the avocado toast with salmon lox and scrambed eggs. It was SO DELICIOUS! My mouth is watering thinking of it! The coffee is also really good here. It's a great restaurant to eat breakfast!

I love Amsterdam even more every single time I visit. This was my third time in Amsterdam and I feel like each time I go, it's always a different adventure. Not only is it a fun place but it's also very beautiful and I love the architecture. If you have never been, you should definitely put it on your list! Hope you enjoyed reading our itinerary!

<3,

Laura C.