So you want to go to Amsterdam, but
you don't know what to do other than
visiting coffee shops in the Red Light District...
Don't worry. There're coffee shops in
other neighborhoods, too.
I'm Marko. I'm Alex. And we are
the Vagabrothers. This is your go-to
guide for travel tips, vlogs, and
inspiration here on YouTube.
So if you're a new viewer, please do us
a favor and hit that subscribe button,
give this video a thumbs-up, and enable
notifications. Let's get into it.
This is the top ten things to do in Amsterdam.
Number 1: rent a bike.
The Netherlands is the most bicycle
friendly place on the planet, and
the best way to get around Amsterdam
is on two wheels.
The city is connected by these little bike
highways, and you can literally get
anywhere in the city on a bicycle.
But be careful and be warned...
Dutch, extremely friendly as they are,
will not tolerate people F***ing around
in the bike lane.
Number 2: the Red Light District.
We know that your entire plan revolves
around smoking a Dutch Tulip, sitting in
a coffee shop , watching the ladies of the
night beckoning you from across the
canal, but there's so much more in
Amsterdam to do than that.
Locals don't do either of those two vices.
The Red Light District is the historic
core of the city.
It dates back to the 17th century when
the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in
particular was the hub of global trade.
There're tons of canal houses, tons of history
if you can wash away that smoke
cloud and get out and explore the city.
You're not supposed to smoke in public.
There're tons of rules around it.
You're supposed to do it in private
or in the coffee shops.
If you do smoke weed, read the laws
and be respectful.
Also, just to clarify, there're coffee shops
and then there are cafes.
If you just actually want a coffee,
do not go to a coffee shop.
Go to a cafe
because they don't sell coffee
at the coffee shops. Well they might.
They don't. Probably do.
Spliffs.
Number 3: the Van Gogh Museum
Vincent Van Gogh was one of the most
famous Dutch painters.
He's an impressionist, and he's
also my favorite artist, as you may be
able to tell.
Regardless, the Vincent Van Gogh
Museum is an essential stop for any
visitor to Amsterdam.
It's a three or four story cube building
that is full of Vincent's artwork,
his personal letters to his brother.
It really does give you a very in-depth
look into Vincent Van Gogh's life and
the things that influenced his artwork
and ultimately his tragic end.
Number 4: Museumplein.
More sober minds might actually like
looking at museums, and in the
Museumplein, which means Museum
Square, you're going to have a couple
of great options.
First up you've got the Rijksmuseum,
which has tons of Rembrandt and the
Dutch masters who were famous for
landscapes and still life.
Around the corner, you also have the
Stedelijk Museum, which is the
modern art museum, and there's a really
cool grassy area that's kind of at a slant
that's perfect for watching the sky
or having a picnic.
There's also the IAMsterdam sign,
which is the essential selfie stop for
any visitors.
If you want some real artistic inspiration,
or if you're just looking for a place to
chill out, head over to Vondelpark.
It's basically this beautiful expanse of
ponds, willow trees, and it's just a nice
little area of green right in the city center.
This beautiful ten acre park is right next
to the Van Gogh Museum, so why don't
you just combine the two into an epic
afternoon.
Number 6 is Oud West.
This is one of the most diverse
neighborhoods in Amsterdam.
It's a really cool place with tons of
great food, coffee shops......
cafes or coffee shops?
Cafes. I mean cafes.
I'm sure there're coffee shops there, too.
It's just a funky part of town.
And if you want to live life like a local,
I think this is one of the most accessible
neighborhoods to get into.
There's also a really cool spot called the
Foodhallen, which is a food hall.
It opened a few years back, and it's
got a bunch of great pop-up restaurants.
This is a destination in itself.
One of my favorite types of food
that I didn't even know existed is
surinamese food, and you can find it all over
the Netherlands. Literally, it's so good.
Do yourself a favor: check out
a Surinamese restaurant when you're in Amsterdam.
Number 7: Amsterdam Noord
Another up and coming neighborhood is
Amsterdam Noord.
It used to be the heart of the Dutch
ship building industry.
It's recently been taken over by artists
and entrepreneurs who formed an
artist colony at NDSM, which used to be
the largest ship building factory in the world.
Open for visitors, so go check it out.
Overall a great neighborhood.
If you're comparing it to New York,
formally known as New Amsterdam,
Amsterdam Noord would be like Brooklyn.
Number 8: Brourwerij't I J
I don't know how to pronounce it, but it's
a brewery, and it's in an old windmill.
Obviously, everybody knows the Dutch
beers, like Heineken and Amstel,
but this brewery is a craft brewery,
and it's in a very old Dutch windmill.
Definitely worth a visit, if only for a pint
outside, overlooking the canal.
Number 9 is King's Day.
If you're able to visit Amsterdam in the
spring, plan around April 27th.
This is King's Day.
It's a giant street parade that celebrates
the king's birthday.
It used to be known as Queen's Day.
If you've heard about that, it's the same
holiday, but now they have a king instead
of a queen.
If you can't visit in the spring time,
come in summertime.
The biggest festival of the summer is the
Pride Festival which celebrates
Amsterdam's long history as one of
the most tolerant places on earth.
It happens the first week of every August.
Number 10: escape the city.
The Netherlands is actually the most
densely populated country in Europe.
Fact. Yeah. And...
that means that exploring different cities
is really easy.
Just outside of Amsterdam you have
towns, small towns like Edam, famous
for its cheese,
Zaandam, famous for its windmills,
or Rotterdam, famous for being totally
flatten and rebuilt with amazing
architecture.
If you haven't seen our videos from
Rotterdam, click here.
All right, guys. Those are our top ten
tips on Amsterdam.
If you're from Amsterdam or you've
been there, leave your own tips in the
comment section so other travelers can
learn from your advice, and vice versa.
If you haven't already, make sure you give
this video a big thumbs-up, share it with
your friends, and subscribe and turn on
notifications, if you have not already.
If you want to see more top ten travel
guides, you can click up here on this
card, and otherwise stay curious,
keep exploring, and we'll see you guys
on the road. Peace.