How to Plan an Amazing Girls’ Trip to Amsterdam
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Written by Lisa Ward
Amsterdam is a beautiful European city that oozes charm and will make you fall in love with its design, historic buildings, top-tier restaurants, and numerous colorful attractions along the canals. Despite being small, Amsterdam is still a great place to tour, with multiple fun activities to fit into a visit. This, however, can make planning a girls’ trip to Amsterdam quite daunting as you try to carve out the perfect itinerary everyone will enjoy.
Deciding on suitable tours, hotel bookings, where to visit, what to eat, or even how to get there can be overwhelming. But don’t let this put you off! Whether you’re visiting for a quick weekend or something more substantial, Amsterdam can provide the best girls’ trip for you and your friends!
In this guide, we’ll shed some light on how you can plan the best trip possible, with advice on when to visit and how to get around this incredible place. We’ll also divulge some top activities to pop onto your Amsterdam itinerary that can help you create the best memories with your best friends.
How to Plan for the Best Girls’ Trip to Amsterdam
If you’re wondering how to plan the perfect trip to Amsterdam, follow these steps to maximize your time visiting the “Venice of the North.” First, you must pick up an I Amsterdam card – it makes getting around the city and exploring tourist attractions much easier.
The card grants you free access to major highlights like canal cruises, bicycle rentals, and exceptional museums. It also includes free public transport, which can help you avoid costly taxis.
The card’s price is dependent on its validity period. For instance, a 24-hour city card sells for around €60, while a 48-hour city goes for €84.
How to Get There
If it’s your first trip to Amsterdam, be aware that your two best means of getting there are via plane or train. Amsterdam has the third busiest European airport, Schiphol Airport, with over 108 airlines flying to and from over 250 worldwide destinations. This means that the city center is quite accessible from almost anywhere!
It’s easy to find an airline suitable for your travel plans. The leading airline operating in Amsterdam is KLM, with the city being its home base.
Major airlines like British Airways are available, and budget options like EasyJet are popular and reliable. Once at the airport, you can find taxis and rideshares that can quickly get you to your hotel/accommodation.
If you are in Europe already, Amsterdam is a short train ride from various points such as London, Cologne, and Paris. For example, the Eurostar will get you from London to Amsterdam in under four hours, sometimes for as little as $50 for a standard one-way ticket.
Determine the Best Time to Visit
It is essential to consider the seasons when planning a girls’ trip to Amsterdam. This helps you efficiently arrange appropriate activities you might want to do and enables you to plan what to pack and what to wear.
Amsterdam is an excellent place to visit all year round, but the ideal tourist season is between April and September. These months have agreeable temperatures, blooming flowers, and longer days, providing a perfect opportunity to enjoy the city’s daytime activities fully.
However, the colder months in Amsterdam are an ideal choice to avoid overcrowded sites and city streets. During the holidays, you can also get a chance to enjoy a ‘winter wonderland.’
This is when the lights in homes, businesses, and streetlights lighten up the city while the canals reflect the lights, creating quite a spectacle. Besides, during the cold season, airfare and hotel accommodations are less expensive, thus making the girls’ trip to Amsterdam less expensive during this time.
Find the Ideal Accommodation
Amsterdam has various accommodation options, either for long vacations or short stays. From five-star hotels to budget-friendly hostels, you won’t have trouble finding somewhere to fit your budget and needs. Booking sites like Booking.com are among the cheapest ways to secure hospitable and safe accommodations.
Jordaan is beautiful if you are looking for cute and safe neighborhoods in Amsterdam for a girls’ holiday. The neighborhood is characterized by its narrow alleys, 17th-century houses towering over leafy canals, designer boutiques, cafes, and quirky specialty shops.
Jordaan is a perfect neighborhood to spend a night out on a girls’ trip to Amsterdam since it is relatively cheap and close to the city center. Additionally, it harbors several fun clubs, nightclubs, and restaurants to help wind down the day as you have fun with the girls.
However, this does not mean that the other neighborhoods are bad options. Far from it! Check out other affordable accommodations and hotels in the famous Red Light District, such as Canal House and Kimpton DeWitt. If you need a longer list, check out our list of the best hotels in Amsterdam.
See Related: Best Hotels in the Netherlands | Top Places to Stay
Things to Do in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has so many brilliant attractions, so planning to make the most of your visit is a good idea. To fully enjoy a trip, whether as a group or an individual, it’s advisable first to list the activities you intend to do and then prioritize the sites you plan to visit.
1. Explore the Canals
Amsterdam is famous for its extensive canal system that curls its way within the city. There are over 165 canals that form a unique layout as the streets follow the canal belt. While visiting this beautiful city, you cannot afford to miss out on the fun of a canal cruise.
Walking tours are great, but use Amsterdam’s canal circuit for something extra special! Numerous cruises and boats are always ready to ride tourists around the city through the water-filled canals.
By hopping on to a cruise, you allow yourself to relish the breeze as you explore Amsterdam’s most notable architecture that towers alongside the canals. Enjoy your trip while exploring Amsterdam by getting a guide for a canal tour for as low as €13.65 per person.
Read Also: Explore Amsterdam’s Canals Like a Local: A Guide to Renting a Boat
2. Walk and Shop the Nine Streets (De 9 Straatjes)
These Nine streets are in the heart of Amsterdam and the middle of the canal belt. They are tiny streets full of little shops and cafes.
Take a visit to Nine Streets as an opportunity to get in some retail therapy or enjoy local cuisine at the cute little cafes. You can enjoy a leisurely stroll as you interact with the locals and experience some authentic Dutch lifestyle.
A walk through De 9 Straatjes is always a treat, as the streets are full of life, awe-inspiring, and infused with swirling canals. You may enhance the experience with a personalized tour guide through De 9 Straatjes.
3. Visit the Floating Flower Market of Bloemenmarkt
Bloemenmarkt is an interesting and fun place to wander during a girls’ trip to Amsterdam. Bloemenmarkt is incredibly unique in that it’s the only floating flower market in the world! It has several shops inside a row of floating barges waiting for you and your friends to explore.
When visiting the flower market, you can purchase flower bulbs and tulips to return home as souvenirs. Even though you won’t buy any flowers, it’s an excellent spot to wander around as you admire the tulips and take cute pictures to share with friends.
See Related: Best Markets in Amsterdam to Visit
4. Enjoy the Museums and Art Galleries
Amsterdam has a rich cultural background and boasts many museums, art galleries, and theaters. This tourist hot spot is said to have the greatest number of museums per inhabitant around the globe, with more than 50 museums to spice up your trip.
One of the most popular museums to explore, and one I would happily recommend as a highlight of my time in Amsterdam, would be the Rijksmuseum. As one of Europe’s leading art museums, you will want to take time out during your trip to admire some of the most awe-inspiring works you’ll see in your lifetime, all in one convenient spot!
There’s also the famous Anne Frank House, made famous by the Diary of a teenage girl, that gives valuable insight into the lives of her and her family during the war. Other popular museums include the Museum Van Loon, The Van Gogh Museum, the Sex Museum, and the Herman Brood Gallery.
5. Snap a Selfie with the I Amsterdam Sign
If you want to flash up your Instagram, why not do so with an iconic picture of you standing by the I AMSTERDAM sign with your fellow girls? The sign is just in front of Schipol Airport, and it’s free to climb and take pictures.
It is an iconic sign that is always busy with tourists trying to get a perfect snap. If you want fewer photo bombers in your snaps, head to the sign early in the morning or late in the day when the place is less crowded.
6. Ride Bikes Around the City
Amsterdam is well-known for its bike-riding culture, as it has more bicycles than cars. Feel free to discover and tour the city on a bike, as it’s easy to find numerous bike rentals offering up a good deal. You can have fun as a group while cycling through the streets and experience Amsterdam’s famous cycling culture.
If you want to find unique and fun experiences, you can’t go wrong with a guided tour around the city on a beer/prosecco bike tour. This can be among the best Amsterdam tours to get stuck in with, as it’s a fun way to burn calories as you pedal along while sipping your delicious glass of bubbly.
7. Indulge your Taste Buds with a Food Tour
Many brilliant food tours in Amsterdam are worth popping onto the optimal itinerary for you and your friends. Treat your taste buds to typical Dutch cuisines like smoked sausage, Poffertjes (Dutch pancakes), and creamy Gouda! If you’re still hungry and a little adventurous, try something different and go for some pickled herring, a local delicacy.
Going on a guided food tour will help ensure a more enriching experience with a local guide who can delve into local culinary traditions and find all the best foodie delights! You could even focus on the best local cheese and wine for a completely indulgent and worthwhile food tour!
8. Visit at Christmas for a Winter Wonderland
Visiting a Christmas market in Amsterdam during the busy festive season makes for a lovely whimsical girls’ trip to Amsterdam. Moreover, the annual Light Festival falls during the festive season. Enjoy an aromatic hot mulled wine (glühwein) while cruising the canals and enjoying the light shows.
For something a little energetic, pop over to Museumplein right in front of the iconic Rijksmuseum for winter ice skating, or head to Rembrandtplein in the city center. Afterward, dive into a cozy bar for local Dutch beer (or more glühwein) for an easy, relaxing evening.
See Related: Your Guide to Cheap Trips to Amsterdam
9. Enjoy all the Hype of King’s Day
Time your girls’ trip to Amsterdam to fall on 27th April and join in the festivities of King’s Day! King’s Day is one of the main festivals of Amsterdam. So, you are guaranteed an incredibly lively atmosphere with canals and streets bursting at the seams with people.
Often considered one of the largest street parties in the world, don your favorite orange duds and get involved. Enjoy live music, fun fairs, flea markets, and eat like a king as various vendors set up street stalls selling delicious Dutch food at great prices. Plenty of activities are available for a lively and jam-packed girls’ weekend trip away.
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