Travel Guide: One Day Solo in Amsterdam.

Back in July I took a little solo trip through Holland and Germany. I flew into Amsterdam, had just one day to explore Amsterdam, and then got the train across to Germany where I visited Krefeld and Cologne. I dubbed this my ‘Ancestral Adventure’, as I was re-tracing the steps of my German ancestors (and fun fact: my surname, ‘Lux’, comes from Krefeld!). I wasn’t sure what to expect from Amsterdam, but I had THE BEST time and absolutely fell in love with it, and I actually found that one day was the perfect amount of time to get a taste of this beautiful city.

Also can you believe, that despite visiting 51 countries and living in the UK for most of my life, I had never visited Amsterdam before now?! Whenever I told people this they were always shocked, so I thought it was time to sort it out and finally get a visit in this year.

So, are you ready for my one day in Amsterdam itinerary? Let’s go!

Check-in: MotelOne Waterlooplein

I landed late at night on the Friday evening after a delayed flight and headed straight to my hotel to get some sleep before my busy day the next day. I stayed at the MotelOne Waterlooplein and I was really impressed with the contemporary design and friendliness of the staff. I’d say it was ‘budget luxe’ and perfect for just one night as I was arriving so late and then spending the next day out and about.

9am: Wander the canals enroute to breakfast

Get up early and start your day at 9am on the dot! The walk from MotelOne Waterlooplein over to breakfast at Pancake Bakery is literally the most perfect way to start the day. You’ll pass by the canals, the Royal Palace, and make sure you stop and take a photo at De Sluyswacht – the cutest wonky canal-side pub, that was built in 1695!

It’s a solid half-hour walk from the hotel to breakfast, but with stopping for photos and to look at things, it took me about 45-minutes. Stop off at Oslo just round the corner from Pancake Bakery to get a cup of coffee – I don’t drink coffee, but I’m assured that this is the place to get one in the area!

9:45am: Breakfast at Pancake Bakery

The Pancake Bakery is apparently one of the best breakfasts in Amsterdam, and I can see why! There’s always a queue, so make sure you get here early and get in line to grab a spot. They have a few seats outside by the canal, and then seating indoors as well.

They offer a wide selection of savoury and sweet pancakes. I chose the cherry pancakes with a side of scrambled eggs – if I ever have anything sweet I always try and accompany it with some protein to help increase the nutritional value of the meal and give me a boost of energy that isn’t just a sugar rush!

The pancakes were really good, so I’d definitely recommend visiting for breakfast. However, the service was pretty slow and bit meh.

10:30am: Market & Apple pie at Winkel 43

I know it sounds absolutely mad to have pancakes followed by apple pie, but trust me on this.  You have one day in Amsterdam and you need to make the most of it! The Apple Pie at Winkel 43 is famous in Amsterdam, and was so delicious! On Saturdays there’s also a super cute farmers market right outside Winkel 43, so have a wander around and then go for Apple Pie after you’ve seen the market. They have everything from cheeses, jams, honey, to fresh flowers, gifts, all sorts!

11:00am: Damrak Houses & Red Light District

Head to Rederij Plas to see the Damrak Houses, which are the famous houses that are directly on the water without a path in front of them. You’ll see them in all the iconic Amsterdam photos flying about the internet. This particular area of Rederij Plas is super touristy and a bit grimey, but it’s worth going just to see the houses. It’s also the entrance to the city’s famous Red Light district.

Walk over the bridge towards the side the houses are on, and then down the road immediately in front of you, which is called Nieuwebrugsteeg. Keep walking until you hit the next canal, then walk the entire way down the canal. Although this is part of the red light district, it’s really beautiful (at least, during the day it is), but it does stink of weed (I personally can’t stand the smell).

Stop in at the Sofitel The Grand hotel to use the fancy toilets, and charge your phone a bit if it needs it (make sure you take your own charger with you) in their little lounge area – there are plug points you can use there!

12noon: Begijnhof Square

Begijnhof Square is one of the oldest hofjes (a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it) in Amsterdam. It was originally a béguinage, which is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines (lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world). Begijnhof Square is the only inner court in Amsterdam that was founded during the Middle Ages, and because it sits at medieval street level, it actually sits a meter below the rest of the old city center.

The history is really fascinating, so I would encourage you to look it up before you visit and it will make you appreciate your visit more. It’s a small square so doesn’t take long to wander around, and there are two small churches you can go into as well.

12:30pm: Lunch at Ivy and Bros

Walk back up along the canal to Ivy and Bros for lunch. I was desperate for something light and healthy after my pancakes and apple cake, so I ordered the smashed avocado with a homemade iced tea. Sitting by the (albeit very brown) canal in the 30-degree celcius heat sipping on an iced tea was absolute bliss!

1:30pm: Laze about in the Vondelpark

Visiting Amsterdam in a heatwave was tough. I felt very dishevelled and exhausted, so decided to walk over to the Vondelpark to chill-out and just laze about in the park before going to the Van Gogh Museum. I ended up really loving it, the park is beautiful and it was really relaxing just laying on the grass in the shade, people-watching (it was packed!) and soaking it all up.

2:30pm: Van Gogh Museum

The main thing I wanted to do in Amsterdam, was visit the Van Gogh Museum. It’s really well done, with multiple floors filled with Van Gogh’s works, interesting facts about him, and a large section with letters between Van Gogh and his brother.

Make sure you book your ticket in advance, as they don’t accept walk-in visits on the day.

4:30pm: Wander & Delft Antique Shopping

After visiting the Van Gogh Museum, wander up to Kramer Kunst & Antiek for some souvenir shopping. This beautiful store is full of antique Delftware, and they have an entire wall of shelves filled with the famous KLM Delft houses, with most of them costing just 20 Euros. The KLM Delft houses are the perfect souvenir from Amsterdam, as they’re all modelled on actual houses within Amsterdam’s city centre.

I mean seriously, just look at this Delftware!!!

Continue on back to the hotel from here, and you’re ready to head home or onto your next destination!

Um, okay but where’s the Anne Frank House?

I know, I know. I must be the only person to visit Amsterdam and not visit the Anne Frank House. It was on my list, but when I went to book my ticket a couple of weeks before my trip, it was already sold out! If you do want to visit, you need to make sure you book your ticket at least 6+ weeks in advance, and you have to book through the official website.

Is One Day in Amsterdam Worth it?

It is 100% worth it, I absolutely promise. I had never visited Amsterdam before because I was convinced I would hate it – drugs and a red light district? Absolutely not. But then I visited, and fell in love a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I still hated the smell of weed in certain places along the canals, but it wasn’t too bad and I think it helped that I only really saw the city during the day.

But, I felt like I had a perfect taster of Amsterdam, and as a solo female traveller I also felt super safe. This itinerary really gave me such a lovely day and although it was quite hard going walking around so much when it was 30-degrees-celcius, I had such a good time and really loved my visit!

What would I do if I had more time?

I would definitely do a boat cruise!!! I was SO jealous of all the people on boats and really wish I had the time to do one. I’d definitely visit in the summer again, and maybe do a Friday – Sunday trip and do a boat cruise one day (they have champagne ones!), and then also do the Anne Frank House, and I’d love to test out more of Amsterdam’s restaurants.