Four Days in Amsterdam: Scrapbooking My Travels

In December of 2022, I spent three days traveling in Amsterdam with some friends (other auxiliares de conversación). Despite the cold—and it was really cold—I had an amazing time exploring this area of the Netherlands in winter.

During my wintertime travels through Amsterdam, I did my best to keep costs low. Traveling on a budget in Amsterdam is easier said than done though, because as a big city, it can be quite expensive, especially when you’re trying to see and do as much as possible—and especially when it’s too cold to stay outside for very long.

Well, without further ado, here’s my virtual scrapbook of my three-day trip to Amsterdam! Oh, and if you want to see a more streamlined four-day travel itinerary for Amsterdam in winter, click here.

DAY 1:

Around 1:30 PM, I boarded my direct flight to Amsterdam. To save on costs, I didn’t check any bags, so I just brought one very stuffed backpack.

We arrived in Amsterdam around 5:00 PM, and from there my friend and I followed the signs for the trains and found a ticket machine to purchase our 3-day unlimited public transport passes. (The Netherlands offer several options for public transportation, but if you’re planning on traveling around the Amsterdam as a tourist, you should definitely consider purchasing a multiple-day unlimited travel pass to make your trip a bit cheaper.)

Then, knowing we needed to take an “intercity” train, we followed the signs and hopped on a train. Once the train started moving, however, we realized we had a little problem: it wasn’t heading for Amsterdam. It was heading to Leiden. Luckily, it only took about 12 minutes to get to the Leiden Central Station, and from there it was actually quite easy to find a train heading to Amsterdam Central Station, because we knew we weren’t just looking for the word “intercity” but also for “Amsterdam Centraal.” It was a very silly mistake, and luckily it didn’t delay us toooo much, because the public transport in Amsterdam is just that good. Along the way, we got to see some very interesting parts of the trains, including some cars with second floors and silent areas.

Once we made it to Amsterdam Central Station, it was just a short ferry ride to our hostel, ClinkNOORD. (Staying in hostels might not offer the most comfortable sleeping arrangements, but they’re a great way to travel on a budget!) The ferries behind Amsterdam Central Station run about every 5-10 minutes, so it’s a super convenient way to get across the canal.

In general, public transportation in Amsterdam is incredibly well-engineered—at least compared to the public transport systems I’d seen before. People ride bikes allll around the city and take trains, trams, busses, and ferries. The ferries are actually made to easily transport bikes, and people literally ride their bikes on and off the ferries. And it’s not just a few people. People with bikes actually outnumbered pedestrians on the ferries we rode on!

After dropping off our things at the hostel, we went back to the city center to grab some dinner. As we were waiting for our friend, we got a bit hungry, and we decided to stop for some fries at Chipsy King. Before heading to Amsterdam, a friend had told me that the Dutch are famous for their fries, but I didn’t realize just how good they were until I tried them myself. Maybe it’s that it felt so comforting to eat hot fries in the chilly weather, but they really are spectacular fries. And the truffle mayonnaise made them even more extraordinary.

DAY 2:

We started our second day in Amsterdam with breakfast at Bagels and Beans, a Dutch chain with great vegetarian options. The location we visited ended up being a really cozy spot with huge windows and cute views of the neighborhood around it. The bagels and teas were tasty and reasonably priced (for Amsterdam).

After breakfast, we walked around Amsterdam’s historic center. I found the buildings quite stunning, especially along the canals. Plus, the city is really easy to get around as a pedestrian (although you have to constantly be on the lookout for bikes). 

While downtown, we grabbed some fries at Manneken Pis, because after our first Dutch fries the day before, we were hooked! And I thought these fries were even better than the first ones we ate!

Next we took a canal boat tour through Lover’s, which is conveniently located close to Amsterdam Central Station. I was afraid it would be too cold cruising on the water, but the boat was mostly sealed, so the temperature was actually really nice. They gave us little headphones to plug into the boat to listen to the guided audio tour of the canals. It was really lovely to see the city from that angle.

After a pit stop at the hostel to fill up our water bottles, we headed to the Anne Frank House to make the time on our tickets. (Tickets to the Anne Frank House sell out, so we booked in advance.) My visit confirmed what I had heard was true: the Anne Frank House is a must-see for travelers to Amsterdam. Not only is the house itself an incredibly important and well-preserved historical site, but the house is now included as part of a museum that documents the life of Anne Frank, her family and friends, and her diary. I don’t think my trip to Amsterdam would have been complete without a visit to the Anne Frank House. It felt profoundly important to visit the museum.

Later, I grabbed dinner near Amsterdam’s Chinatown at a Vietnamese restaurant called Little Saigon. There, I got a delicious tofu banh mi for only 5 euros—the cheapest meal I’ve had in this city by far. 

To top the day off, we grabbed freshly baked stroopwafels at Crepes & Waffles!

DAY 3:

To save some money, we grabbed a quick breakfast at Hema, a Dutch grocery store with a small bakery and coffee shop. They have plenty of pastries for around 2 euros each, so it’s a great place to eat breakfast on a budget in Amsterdam. I got two bread rolls and a container of hummus for a total of 3.05 euros. 

After strolling around and taking some pictures, we grabbed some tea and hot cocoa at a cozy, historic corner bar called Zee Post. The owner explained that the bar got its name (which translates to “sea mail”), because its building used to serve as the post office for mail coming in from the harbor. Sitting at the bar, we had a great view of the canal.

Eventually we made our way to Zandaam, a town near Amsterdam with unique green buildings in its center. We spent the afternoon exploring the town’s neighborhoods and parks. Then we grabbed a late lunch at Foody Kitchen, which basically served Asian tapas. It was sooooo yummy. And it was a great way to eat several dishes. 

Later we grabbed Heinekens and Dutch apple pie at a cute restaurant by our hostel called Café ONS.

DAY 4:

We began the day by attending a free yoga class at our hostel. It felt so nice to stretch after sleeping in those stiff hostel beds.

We grabbed an early lunch at Moaz, a vegan falafel chain where you can build your own falafel salad or pita with a wonderful buffet of veggies. At only 6.90 euros per salad, it was a great deal for that amount of food in Amsterdam. 

After strolling around a bit and picking up some souvenirs, we made one last stop at Dutch Pancake Masters to try some poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes). I’m so glad we did that because they tasted phenomenal. 

Then we made our way to the train station and airport to head to Copenhagen! Oh, wait, did I forget to mention that we went straight to Copenhagen after leaving Amsterdam??? Well, click here to read my blog post on my two-day trip to Copenhagen.