2 Days In Amsterdam…Just Perfect

Last Updated on April 3, 2024

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

I’ve returned to Amsterdam often over the years, often staying just two days at a time. It’s perfect…

By Jim Ferri

I’ve returned to Holland numerous times over the years, often spending just 2 days in Amsterdam. 

Obviously, I’ve fallen in love with the city. But I’ve also found that returning for short periods over the years is a great way to see the city.

This means I’ve often seen it mostly in dribs and drabs, always in a rush and passing through on my way to somewhere else, never having time to give anything more than a cursory glance.

But this time, I wanted to see it in a more relaxed way. I wanted to peel back a bit of the city’s veneer. 

I would revisit several of the old places I liked, maybe viewing them from a new perspective. But I also planned to unearth some new ones without the gun of time pointed at my head.

It turned out to be a wonderful 2 days in Amsterdam, done relatively inexpensively. And just at the right pace to reinvigorate my love of all things Dutch. If you have an additional day, you’ll find that Delft and other cities are just a short day trip by train from Amsterdam.

Location, Location

For my 2 days in Amsterdam, I booked myself a room for three nights at the three-star Alexander Hotel. I chose it for its location in a nice upscale area near the Museumplein. It’s there where much of the world’s great art is gathered in a group of wonderful museums.

My room was quite small, just six feet wide and a third-of-a-bowling alley in length. But it was clean and quite suitable as my base of operations.

The price was also reasonable for the area, just a bit over $100 per night. And it included a large Dutch Continental breakfast, which is always important for me.

I soon was in touch with my Dutch friend Bas. We had met the previous year in South Dakota, where we were both writing about the state’s annual buffalo roundup. Bas bicycled over that evening, and we went to a nice local pub and restaurant with not another tourist in sight.

Visit Rembrandt’s House

Since I had only 2 days in Amsterdam, early the next morning, I was off to Rembrandt’s House and the Portuguese Synagogue, two places I had missed over the years.

Luckily, they turned out to be quite close to one another. They weren’t far from Central Station and the local tourist office (VVV) – only two stops away on the underground adjacent to the VVV. They were easy to reach and seeing them together saved time for my 48 hours in the city.

Take the underground to Waterlooplein, exit the station, walk north a block, and turn into Waterlooplein Market. It’s a little secondhand street market, which I found attractive more for its local color than for anything on its tables.

Walk through it, and at the end, turn right; on the next corner, you’ll find the Rembrandt House Museum. It’s here the artist painted many of his greatest works.

It’s a fascinating little place where Rembrandt lived for years before losing the house in bankruptcy.

The Portuguese Synagogue

When you come out of the museum, turn right and walk down two blocks, then cross the square. The dark building you’ll see on your right is the old Portuguese Synagogue. It was built in 1675, inspired by the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Be sure to see the interior.

Next to the synagogue stands the bronze statue “De Dokwerker,” a tribute to the Dutch dockworkers who went on strike in 1941 following the arrest of 450 Jews for the killing of a Nazi sympathizer. I found it poignant and moving.

Across the street in the heart of the Jewish Quarter is the Jewish Historical Museum. Non-Jews should be aware that the synagogue and museum, and just about everything in the neighborhood, is closed on Saturday, the Sabbath.

See the Anne Frank House, During Your  2 Days in Amsterdam

I headed back to Central Station and boarded a tram for the Anne Frank House (take either the #13 or 17 to the Westerkerk stop). According to the VVV, about a million people visit the museum each year. When I arrived, I saw that a good number of them must also have decided to visit the museum that day.

Due to the long line, I decided to forego the Frank House and continue on. It was a bit of a let-down, but I had seen it years earlier, so I wasn’t totally dismayed. Nevertheless, the Frank House is a place you should visit when you’re in Amsterdam, even if only for two days. But learn from my experience and purchase your ticket in advance.

The Amsterdam Museum

After leaving the Frank House, I backtracked to the Amsterdam Museum. It’s a pleasant 30-minute walk along the Singel Canal, which you’ll find a few blocks east of the Frank House.

The museum was originally a convent and later an orphanage. The conversion took place in 1580, which gives you an idea of the age of the place.

Its age is fitting, though, since the building’s halls are filled with paintings, maps, jewelry, and archaeological finds and artifacts. They all provide a stunning glimpse into the history of the city and its people.

The Amsterdam Museum can occupy you for hours, but I spent only an hour or so there before I headed over towards Central Station. There, I embarked on the most touristy of Amsterdam’s activities: a canal boat tour.

During Your 48 Hours in Amsterdam, see the City From the Waterline

Despite my many visits to the city, I had never taken a canal cruise. “It’s time,” I thought as I wound my way to one of the waiting boats near the station.

It turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be. That was mostly because of the waterline perspective it provided of the facades of the city’s famous gabled houses.

What was even better, however, is that it let me view an authentic slice of late afternoon life in Amsterdam. There were people picnicking along the sides of the canal, lovers cozying above us as we slipped beneath a bridge, young and old on bicycles flying along the cobbled streets, people sitting in open windows watching life go by. It was a perspective of the city everyone should see at least once.

Visit the Museumplein During Your 2-Day Visit

Although you find clusters of museums in other great world cities – London’s popular clutch of museums in South Kensington and New York’s wonderful Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue, for example – nothing comes close to Amsterdam’s marvelous Museumplein. Even if you only have 2 days in Amsterdam, you should see at least one museum at the Museumplein. I suggest the Rijksmuseum.

Tucked away in the center of the city, on a huge lawn rife with picnickers, joggers, children at play, lovers, you name it, are a triumvirate of world-renown art museums and a grand concert hall, all within a few minutes walk of one another. At one end of the park is the large “IAMsterdam” sign, which is usually surrounded by crowds of visitors.

Together, the three museums – the Rijksmuseum, with the world’s greatest collection of 17th-century Dutch art; the Van Gogh, home to hundreds of the artist’s works; and the Stedelijk, filled with modern and contemporary art and design – ensure that there’s something here for everyone.

The Van Gogh and the Stedelijk

First thing in the morning I headed for the Van Gogh since I glimpsed its long lines the day before. Now I didn’t want to eat up part of my 2 days in Amsterdam standing on line.

It’s a treasure trove of the artist’s works. There are more than 200 of his paintings including the renowned “Sunflowers,” “Self-Portrait as a Painter,” and “Wheatfield with Crows.”

In it you’ll also learn much about the tortured life of the artist, as well as see works by contemporaries. His brother Theo, an art dealer, brought the entire collection together.

I just wish I had more time to spend with Van Gogh (if you visit on a weekend go early to avoid the crowd) but after only an hour or so I walked over to the Stedelijk. I didn’t spend much time there either, something that suggests my lack of interest in modern and contemporary art, although I did find a few of the exhibits of interest.

To be truthful, I had given both museums short shrift because my real interest stood at the other end of the plein: the treasure trove in the Rijksmuseum.

Don’t Miss the Rijksmuseum

I’ve always loved the Rijksmuseum, not just for the art but also for the architecture. It’s a beautiful building, spacious and regal, with plenty of room to walk around without being too hemmed in by the crowds. It’s the perfect place to spend a few of those 48 hours in Amsterdam.

As you walk about, you can’t help feeling awed by the masterpieces that surround you. Thankfully, in the more popular galleries that hold such treasures as Rembrandt’s Nightwatch, placemat-size guides explaining the painting and its nuances are provided to visitors.

Nightwatch, along with other masterpieces, is on the second floor (the American third floor), the most popular section of the museum. The first floor, on the other hand, has few visitors, and you can walk through galleries that are completely empty, leaving you alone to admire the paintings, antique furniture, and pieces of art.

One other thing I’ve always loved about the Rijksmuseum is that, unlike the Van Gogh (which prohibits photography), you are allowed to take photos of all its exhibits. Walk up to your favorite Rembrandt, Vermeer, or Hals and snap that photo to use as a screensaver on your computer back home.

If you’re not worn out after leaving the Museumplein, walk over two blocks to Pieter Cornelisz Hooftstraat – Amsterdam’s premier shopping street, where you’ll find many of the treasures of the fashion world in a multitude of boutiques…Jimmy Choo, Canali, Gucci, Chanel, Corneliani, Vuitton…the masters of fashion just five minutes from the masters of art.

For some travelers, it’s the best of both worlds.

---

You may also enjoy: 2 Great Day Trips From Amsterdam / Food Festivals in Europe / Amsterdam – It’s All About the Food

If You Go:

Amsterdam Tourist & Convention Board
De Ruyterkade 5
1013 AA Amsterdam
Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 702 60 00
https://www.iamsterdam.com/en

Netherlands Board of Tourism
http://www.holland.com