Netherlands · 5-day itinerary
5 days in Amsterdam
Canals, Old Masters and life on two wheels. Here's a 5-day plan that clusters each day by neighbourhood, with real times, so you walk less and see more.
Day 1
Arrive & settle into Amsterdam
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Arrive in Amsterdam
Check in at your stay in De Jordaan.
- 12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. · Jordaan
Jordaan and the Nine Streets
Hidden hofjes, indie shops and canal-side cafés.
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. · Jordaan · ~$50
Brown café crawl
Centuries-old pubs with candlelight and jenever.
Day 2
Art & design
- 12:15 p.m. Lunch
- 6:00 p.m. Dinner · Bitterballen with a beer in a brown café
Day 3
A taste of the city
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch
- 6:00 p.m. Dinner · Indonesian rijsttafel
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. · Oud-West · ~$36
Foodhallen
An indoor food market in a converted tram depot.
Day 4
Into the green
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. · Oud-Zuid · ~$21
Vondelpark by bike
Rent a bike and ride through the city's favourite park.
- 12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. · Amsterdam-Noord
NDSM Wharf
Free ferry to a shipyard turned street-art and creative hub.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Evening at leisure
Dinner somewhere that catches your eye, then a stroll or an early night.
Day 5
Farewell, Amsterdam
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. · Zaandam · ~$28
Zaanse Schans windmills
Working windmills, clog makers and cheese farms.
- 2:15 p.m. Lunch
3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Depart Amsterdam
Check out and head to the airport or station, allowing plenty of time.
- 7:00 p.m. Dinner · Apple pie at Winkel 43
Where to stay in Amsterdam
Shoestring
Amsterdam-Oost
Leafy, local and a short tram ride to the centre.
Hotels in Amsterdam-OostComfort
De Jordaan
Postcard canals, brown cafés and the Nine Streets on your doorstep.
Hotels in De JordaanLuxury
Canal Belt (Grachtengordel)
Seventeenth-century canal houses turned grand hotels.
Hotels in Canal Belt (Grachtengordel)
What to eat in Amsterdam
Stroopwafel
Caramel-filled waffle, best hot from a market stall.
Bitterballen
Crisp, molten ragout balls with mustard, a borrel (bar snack) staple.
Raw herring
Hollandse Nieuwe with onions and pickles from a herring cart.
Dutch apple pie
Tall, cinnamon-spiced appeltaart with whipped cream.
Stamppot
Mashed potato with kale or sauerkraut and smoked sausage.
Poffertjes
Tiny puffy pancakes with butter and powdered sugar.
Where locals send visitors
Winkel 43 $
Café · Jordaan · Best for lunch
The city's best-loved apple pie, by Noordermarkt.
ReviewsAlbert Cuyp Market $
Street market · De Pijp · Best for lunch
Fresh stroopwafels, herring and poffertjes. Closed Sundays.
ReviewsVleminckx Sausmeesters $
Fries · Centrum · Best for lunch
A hole-in-the-wall frites stand with dozens of sauces.
ReviewsFoodhallen $$
Food hall · Oud-West · Best for dinner
Indoor food hall in a former tram depot.
ReviewsThe Pancake Bakery $$
Pancakes · Prinsengracht · Best for lunch
Dutch pancakes, sweet or savoury, in a canal house.
ReviewsMoeders $$
Dutch home cooking · Jordaan · Best for dinner · Reserve ahead
'Mothers' serves stamppot under walls of diners' mums' photos.
Reviews
Heads-up: what to steer clear of
- Safety: Red lanes are for bikes, which come fast and silently. Look both ways before stepping off the pavement.
- Scam: Street dealers offering drugs often sell fakes or dangerous substances. Buying on the street is illegal.
- Local rules: Smoking cannabis in the street is banned in the red-light district, and photographing workers in the windows is forbidden.
Giro's notes, reviewed October 2026. Things change, so check current advice before you go: Government of Canada travel advisories .
Good to know
- Book the Anne Frank House online; tickets release about six weeks ahead.
- Stay out of the red bike lanes when you're on foot.
- Tap a contactless card on trams and metros (check in and out).
Daily budget per person
| Shoestring | ~$178 |
| Comfort | ~$323 |
| Luxury | ~$804 |
A shared double room, meals and local transport. Flights and tickets not included.
Make this Amsterdam trip yours
Giro rebuilds this plan for your dates, your group and your budget. Swap stops, drag them between days, add your flights and hotel, and share it with everyone coming.
Plan this tripTimes and prices are estimates (prices in CAD at the latest ECB rate). Check opening hours before you go. Place descriptions and photos from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, credited on each photo. Giro may earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to you.