Amsterdam | The Cheese Lover

Amsterdam Travel Tips

If you're planning on visiting Amsterdam, here's some personal tips from me to help you plan your trip.

From booking tickets to Museums, Hotels recommended by my guests, my favourite Bars and Restaurants and other places to visit within the Netherlands together with links to other Tour Guides I know and can vouch for!

Amsterdam

Although I live near Arnhem in the east of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is where I work. And I love it!

It's one of the most iconic, and most visited, cities in the world. Unesco protected Canal district, Rijksmuseum, van Gogh museum, Anne Frank and Resistance museums as well as the famous "Coffee Shops" and Red Light District.

Read my tips below about how best to get around and how it's actually very easy to book tickets to the main museums. As well of course, where to enjoy and buy the best cheese!

And coming soon, some of my favourite day trips and spots to eat and drink.

Getting into Amsterdam from Schiphol

Most of the time, you will only need public transport to get to and from the airport (Taxis are expensive and can be slow compared to Public Transport). Check directions on Google Maps from Schiphol to your hotel, there are 2 main options at the airport, bus and train. If your hotel is on the south side of the city it's often easier to take a train from the airport to Amsterdam South, then take a metro or tram into the south side of the city (this way you avoid the crowds and busy trams stops at the central station).

If your hotel is in the Museum District, the bus 397 direct from the airport will probably work. If it's more central then the direct train to Central Station will be best. If it's on the north side of the river then a train to Central station and either the free ferry behind the station and walk, or the 52 Metro from the station one stop to Noord station. To be sure, put your hotel in Google Maps and click "directions" from Schiphol, it'll give you the best options.

You can buy tickets from machines or the manned desks at Schiphol and other stations, but the easiest way is to use a bank debit/credit card or device (phon or watch etc) and tap in and out (look for the yellow posts at at the airport ground level, as in the photo - other train and metro stations have gates) you need a different card or payment device for each person.

The train station is in Schiphol airport, the platforms are underground, take the escalators or lifts down. There's plenty of rail staff around to help you if you're lost, they all speak excellent English!

If you really don't want to use public transport, Uber and Bolt work fine. If you use a taxi, be sure to get one at the official rank. Big Tip #1. All official taxis have Blue License Plates, don't get in one without these!

Getting around the city

First of all, Amsterdam is smaller than you might realise. The central area, which includes almost all the museums, is compact and easy to walk around. Your most important tool to help you get around is Google Maps. But the City Mapper app is also useful.

There's 3 modes of Public Transport in the city. Trams, Metro and Buses. National trains also serve some stations outside the very centre. You can buy a daily public transport card (or for 3 or 5 days) but these are only good value if you know you'll be using public transport more than 4 or 5 times a day - remember, the city centre is compact and very walkable. Otherwise, use your bank card or payment device to tap in AND out of buses and trams. The Metro stations have gates similar to the train stations. On buses and trams the tapping units are on poles inside the doors as in the photo below.

Big Tip #2. On trams, just get you and your party on the tram and then tap in otherwise you might create a queue and the doors might close and some of your party will be stuck outside! And when you're approaching your destination, you can tap out before the tram stops - even 100m or more before the stop, again, avoiding creating delays. Tapping out doesn't open the tram doors, you have to then press a button on the door.

Big Tip #3. If you're stuck, don't be shy. All transport staff speak good to excellent English as do the majority of locals, ask nicely if they speak English and 99% will be more than happy to help you, the Dutch are very friendly and helpful!

The map here shows the different areas of the city as well as some of the most popular museums and attractions. In the very centre of the Central area in yellow, a couple of streets running from the Central station, through Dam Sq and a little further south, is the area I describe as "Disney Amsterdam" It's the area where no locals would go shopping (although there are a few very good bars and Cafés down some side streets). Just go 1 or 2 blocks east or west to discover the real Amsterdam!

The Canal Belt running from the Museum district and then through the Nine Little Streets and the Jordaan down to and including Haarlemerstraat in the north west are my favourite areas and where most of my Cheese Discovery Walks take place.

Districts and popular sites

Click on the map to enlarge

Some useful Links

Here's a few links to help you plan your trip to Amsterdam.

Kayak - A great list of things to do and explore in Amsterdam

Iamsterdam. Official city site for tourist information

OVChip. Information about "Tapping" in and out of public transport

Lilly Likes Amsterdam - very informative and fun site listing things to do.

Amsterdam2GO - General travel tips

FB Groups to help you plan your trip.

Amsterdam Secrets

Amsterdam Travel Tips

Amsterdam Travel Hacks

Other Walking Tours

I'm friendly with a number of other tour guides in the city who also recommend my cheese walks. If you book with them, please tell them I sent you!

Walks In Amsterdam. Daily history walking tours of the city as well as private tours of art galleries by my friend David.

Dutch Tours. Day trips from Amsterdam to various beautiful places around the country.

AmsterdamSkaya. Katya hosts general and food related walking tours through the city

Brews & Tales. Craft Beer walking tours.

Amsterdam Cheese

For more detailed info about the Amsterdam "Cheese Scene", read my full article. You can also download my 16 page booklet or join me on a Public or Private Cheese Discovery Walk.

Here's my Top Tips for buying cheese.

Avoid the many Tourist Cheese shops in the very centre. The cheese is mass produced and very expensive. All of these shops below stock far superior cheeses at half the price and will vacuum pack cheese for you to travel home with.

Noordermarkt, Organic food market on Saturdays only. The best market in the city for food (try the Oysters and Herring as well as the grilled mushrooms!)

L'Amuse. Stunning Cheese shop in Amsterdam south, big selection of serious quality Dutch and International cheeses.

Abraham Kef. Three shops around the city including 1 with a Cheese Café north of the river (take the free ferry, it's a 10 minute walk from there, but book in advance). Every cheese in these shops is world class.

Kaas Kammer. Great selection of Dutch and other European cheeses right in the "Nine Little Streets" area. I like their display of soft goat and smelly cheeses!

Kaashuis Tromp. A real "locals" cheese shop on Elandsgracht near the Houseboat Museum (they have other locations too). Great selection of Gouda as well as foreign cheeses at great prices.

Beer & Wine

Breweries. As well as working with cheese, I also love beer and in 2013 I founded Zürich's first Craft Beer bar, The International. In Amsterdam, many people visit the Heineken Brewery. It's a slick and fun experience, but if you really like beer, avoid it (it really isn't great beer!). There are some superb quality beers brewed in Amsterdam, here are my favourite breweries.

Troost. Independent brewery in Westerpark to the west of the centre and my main partner for beer and cheese workshops. They host brewery visits on Saturday afternoon, the presentation may not be as slick as Heineken, but here, it's the beer that counts! Their original brewery in De Pijp on the south side of the city is now a large bar. Both locations have a superb kitchen, the food really is high end. Do mention me when you go!

Brouwerij t"IJ. Although not independent anymore, these guys still brew some great beers. They have a very popular bar on the east side of the city in the base of a windmill. Large outside terrace.

De Prael. Community led brewery bar on the edge of the Red Light District. Large, busy and buzzy bar with great beers, they employ people who have issues of one kind or another who might find it hard to find work elsewhere. A great place to support.

Oedipus. Craft Brewery on the north side of the river. Again, not now independent but still brewing some great stuff. Try their Thai Thai - Thai spiced Tripel, I use to serve it at my bar in Zürich!

Here's a link to more Breweries in the city worth visiting.

Beer Bars. As well as my favourite, In De Wildeman mentioned in the Bar section, here's a few other bars that serve great beer.

Arandsnest. Herengracht 90. Really superb high end beer bar that only serves beer from small Dutch Breweries. All the beers are superb and the staff are very knowledgeable. They also have an events room where they sometimes host tastings.

Beer Temple. Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 250. 50 taps with some European beers but concentrating on special US beers.

Café Gollem. Amstelstraat 34. An old beer bar institution in the city. Some mainstream beers but plenty of great Belgian brews too.

Here's a link to more Beer Bars in the city worth visiting.

Wine. Restaurants and bars in Amsterdam generally serve good wine at affordable prices. But I'll concentrate on the niche markets, the types of wine that you'll struggle to find anywhere else in the world.

Dutch Wine (yes, we make some great wine in this country!). I don't know of any bars that specialise in serving it (it's very small production so the price can be rather high) but there are 2 speciality shops that stock it and offer tastings.

Benelux. Anjeliersdwarsstraat 15H. As the name suggests, this small shop run by an American couple, also stocks wine from Belgium and Luxembourg. They have tasting sessions most Saturdays. Also stocking a range of "Natural" Wines.

Design & Wijn. This "Speakeasy" wine shop and tasting room only stocks Dutch wine and they are my partners for my most popular cheese and wine walks and workshops. As Benelux, it's not a bar but you can book a table for a Dutch Wine Discovery. I host public Cheese Discovery Walk tastings here once or twice a week and Private tastings most days. Note that they will be closed all of February 2025 as they are moving to larger premises.

GlouGlou. Tweede van der Helststraat 3.This is a fabulous wine bar serving only Natural Wines from all over Europe. It's in the De Pijp area to the south of the centre.

(Some) of my favourite Bars

Amsterdam is FULL of traditional and very special bars. Forget the Ice Bar (where you could be in any city in the world) and get out there and explore real Amsterdam!.

I've often been asked "What is the best bar in Amsterdam?" My answer is always the same - "It's the bar that you find yourself that "clicks" with YOU!"

There are many bars listed on articles on the internet that claim "These are the best". But if you do visit them (and some are no doubt very good) you're only visiting bars where many tourists have been before. Next time, take a left down that side street, cross that canal bridge, put your head in the door of a bar and if all you can hear is English (or other non Dutch languages) being spoken, try the one next door.

The bars below though are some of my favourites, some haven't been discovered by crowds of tourists but are real, authentic locals bars. And don't be shy, the vast majority of locals are very friendly and speak English!

Café Kobalt. Singel 2a.

Bistro/Café/Bar just east of the central station. Popular with locals and office workers. Great selection of beers and a good and affordable menu. Outside terrace by the canal for summer (but I prefer inside). The café even has its own (grumpy) cat!

In De Wildeman. Kolsteeg 3.

250 year old bar in a side street off the main tourist drag. Really a speciality beer bar (fantastic and serious selection) but they also serve wine and spirits. Simple but tasty bar snacks. My favourite bar for beer and I sometimes host beer and cheese workshops here.

Café De Prins. Prinsengracht 124.

Simple, locals place. Good selection of drinks, friendly young staff and cheap and simple (but tasty) menu. A great place for a light lunch

De Pilsener Club. Begijnensteeg 4.

Head back to the 18thC in this small and discreet "Brown" Café close to the Lord in the Attic. An absolute haven of peace.

Café de Eland. Prinsengracht 296.

A traditional corner "brown" cafe opposite the Houseboat Museum. Always some locals to chat to.

Café Kalkoven. Prinsengracht 283.

Opposite the West Church. I often have a refreshment stop here with guests on private tours. Nice selection of drinks and simple bar snacks, very friendly staff.

Hotels