If you only had 3-4 hours in Amsterdam...

[SEA58]

We'll be in Amsterdam in August -- mid morning to mid afternoon on a weekday.  It's an "On Your Own" type of excursion and I'm guessing we'll have maybe 3 or 4 hours to explore and do what we want before meeting a bus to return to the ship in Rotterdam.  If we're dropped near the city center, what would be the top 2 or 3 things you'd recommend doing?  We're thinking a canal cruise, walk to Dam Square, walk the Jordaan District, maybe see the Red Light District, have a quick meal somewhere.  Any suggestions welcome.  Thanks!

[Globaliser]

6 hours ago, SEA58 said:

It's an "On Your Own" type of excursion and I'm guessing we'll have maybe 3 or 4 hours to explore and do what we want before meeting a bus to return to the ship in Rotterdam.  If we're dropped near the city center, what would be the top 2 or 3 things you'd recommend doing?

 

Given those constraints and with so little time, personally I would do only one unmissable thing - probably either the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum. At least you'd have time to see some of it properly, rather than half doing two or three things badly.

 

But if my ship called at Rotterdam, personally I wouldn't be wasting time travelling to and from Amsterdam for the day. And even if I were to go to Amsterdam, I'd take the train there rather than a bus.

[Senga]

Canal cruise.

[mskaufman]

Agree - Canal cruise

[SEA58]

I think we might possibly have up to 5 hours on our own, but I figure the worst case scenario is 3 or 4 if traffic should slow us down.  The art museums would be excellent, and I do appreciate art, but for a short taste of the city I have to agree that a canal cruise would be very memorable.  Beyond that, we're hoping to do some walking and have a lunch somewhere that isn't overly touristy.

[cyntil8ing]

Our canal cruise, which left from the Anne Frank Museum, was an hour. We then spent about 90 minutes in the Anne Frank Museum, not including the introduction, which was an additional 30 minutes. It took about 20 minutes to get to the Van Gogh Museum, where we spent about 90 minutes and didn’t feel rushed. I would shoot for two of those three. We passed on lunch, and instead ate hot dogs from a cart. It was a rush, but it was an awesome day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CCJack]

1 hour ago, SEA58 said:

I think we might possibly have up to 5 hours on our own, but I figure the worst case scenario is 3 or 4 if traffic should slow us down.  The art museums would be excellent, and I do appreciate art, but for a short taste of the city I have to agree that a canal cruise would be very memorable.  Beyond that, we're hoping to do some walking and have a lunch somewhere that isn't overly touristy.

agree canal cruise.    I would recommend the smaller boat tours.   There are several companies that offer a boat for about 10 or 12 people.   Typically they have a bar (actually a cooler) with a server and then the captain does the live commentary.    These are not the big long  boats you will first see near the city center that have the many seats and headphones you plug into recording.    You may need to research and prebook a small boat company at 2x the cost of a big boat but i think a much better experience.    I have done both. 

 

Have fun. 

Edited April 10 by CCJack

[ontheweb]

Please be aware that for the really major museums like the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Anne Frank House, you are going to need to purchase timed tickets in advance. (We did luck out last summer and there were tickets to the Rijksmuseum available for the half hour after we arrived there, but absolutely none for Van Gogh.)

 

We found the Portuguese Synagogue to be fascinating. Your admission for there will also get you into the Jewish Museum.

[SEA58]

Very helpful info offered by everyone.  Thank you so much.  Really looking forward to this trip, even though time in Amsterdam will be very limited.  It isn't the main focus of the cruise, so we feel fortunate that we will even be there.

[Senga]

We had a nice lunch in Vondelpark; very relaxing.  We are not into museums but a visit to see the outside around Rijksmuseum is beautiful and worth the walk.  Be sure to enjoy the fries!

[FreestyleNovice]

The small boat canal cruise with the walks to and from the boat/bus stop combined with the places you listed.

 

Amsterdam is restrictive in coaches/busses in the city center; see https://www.amsterdam.nl/en/traffic-transport/coaches-tour-buses/. In short: tourist busses are no longer allowed inside the canal belt/S100 road perimeter unless they have some rare permit.

 

Your most probable point of drop off will be De Ruijterkade Oost (Centraal Station). Plan from there, use an app like Moovit or take an Uber to move between further away spots or as last resort to be back in time at the bus stop. Amsterdam is compact, very walkable and lots of public transport options to help you get around quickly.

 

Enjoy your stay in Amsterdam! 

[SEA58]

FreestyleNovice, I think you are likely correct on the point of drop off.  There seems to be many companies offering small boat cruises.  Do you have a name or two that you might recommend based on personal experience?  Ideally we would prefer to wait until the day we're in Amsterdam, see how the weather is, and then find a cruise without a pre-booked reservation.  Our drop off will be on a mid-week morning. Does this seem like a reasonable plan or do you think reservations ahead of time would be essential?  Thanks for your advice.

[WendyVF]

I'll be in Amsterdam on August 6th.  It looks like all the small boat companies I can find are fully booked or not available for 2 weeks around that date.  Is there something going on during that time?

 

[cyntil8ing]

26 minutes ago, WendyVF said:

I'll be in Amsterdam on August 6th.  It looks like all the small boat companies I can find are fully booked or not available for 2 weeks around that date.  Is there something going on during that time?

 

We used Flagship Amsterdam (https://flagshipamsterdam.com/). Lots of availability. They also accepted walk-ups.

We did have to have reservations for Anne Frank Haus and Van Gogh Museum. The Anne Frank tickets go on sale 6 weeks ahead. The introductory tours sell out quickly, like within an hour or two. So if you want to go, put the on sale date on your calendar. I bought the Van Gogh tickets at the same time.

 

[FreestyleNovice]

 

3 hours ago, SEA58 said:

FreestyleNovice, I think you are likely correct on the point of drop off.  There seems to be many companies offering small boat cruises.  Do you have a name or two that you might recommend based on personal experience?  Ideally we would prefer to wait until the day we're in Amsterdam, see how the weather is, and then find a cruise without a pre-booked reservation.  Our drop off will be on a mid-week morning. Does this seem like a reasonable plan or do you think reservations ahead of time would be essential?  Thanks for your advice.

 

https://flagshipamsterdam.com/

https://bootuitjes.nl/en/canal-cruise-amsterdam/

https://www.floating-amsterdam.nl/en/

 

Your plan sounds reasonable, I personally would pre-book the boat giving the time restraint. Your motivation to not pre-book is clear but in general those August days are some of the best days we get and availability might run out with great summer weather. In case of bad weather those open boats will have a canopy up and you might even discuss a cancelation with them (I am not sure of all policies). And even on a rainy day it's still a sight to see Amsterdam from the canals, by foot you will be even more wet. By foot you ca tag on an easy paced 1½-2  hour circle from and to the Centraal Station; Dam, Wallen, Jordaan, etc. 
Be aware the Vondelpark, Rijks and Van Gogh are not within that time frame, as they are too far south unless you take public transport to cover the distances.

 

The Dutch love their summers, I hope you get to enjoy the canals on a beautiful sunny day and see the locals and youngsters relax on anything that will float whilst taking in the views of our historic city. 

[CCJack]

4 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

 

 

https://flagshipamsterdam.com/

https://bootuitjes.nl/en/canal-cruise-amsterdam/

https://www.floating-amsterdam.nl/en/

 

Your plan sounds reasonable, I personally would pre-book the boat giving the time restraint. Your motivation to not pre-book is clear but in general those August days are some of the best days we get and availability might run out with great summer weather. In case of bad weather those open boats will have a canopy up and you might even discuss a cancelation with them (I am not sure of all policies). And even on a rainy day it's still a sight to see Amsterdam from the canals, by foot you will be even more wet. By foot you ca tag on an easy paced 1½-2  hour circle from and to the Centraal Station; Dam, Wallen, Jordaan, etc. 
Be aware the Vondelpark, Rijks and Van Gogh are not within that time frame, as they are too far south unless you take public transport to cover the distances.

 

The Dutch love their summers, I hope you get to enjoy the canals on a beautiful sunny day and see the locals and youngsters relax on anything that will float whilst taking in the views of our historic city. 

I can recommend floating-amsterdam as well.   That is who we booked with.  It was a great canal cruise.

 

[SEA58]

So FreestyleNovice and cyntil8ing, my little bit of research seems to tell me that Flagship Amsterdam and Captain Jack Amsterdam are basically the same group, correct?  Wondering if you could help me out on that?  Thanks so much for all of the advice.  Really looking forward to seeing a bit of the city via the canals!

[WendyVF]

19 hours ago, cyntil8ing said:

We used Flagship Amsterdam (https://flagshipamsterdam.com/). Lots of availability. They also accepted walk-ups.

We did have to have reservations for Anne Frank Haus and Van Gogh Museum. The Anne Frank tickets go on sale 6 weeks ahead. The introductory tours sell out quickly, like within an hour or two. So if you want to go, put the on sale date on your calendar. I bought the Van Gogh tickets at the same time.

 

Thanks so much.  This is perfect as I was looking for something close to the cruise port.

[FreestyleNovice]

15 hours ago, SEA58 said:

So FreestyleNovice and cyntil8ing, my little bit of research seems to tell me that Flagship Amsterdam and Captain Jack Amsterdam are basically the same group, correct?  Wondering if you could help me out on that?  Thanks so much for all of the advice.  Really looking forward to seeing a bit of the city via the canals!

 

I think they are two separate companies, one wears orange and the other one wears pink shirts on their boats. They seem to be quite identical in what they do.

[SEA58]

4 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

I think they are two separate companies, one wears orange and the other one wears pink shirts on their boats. They seem to be quite identical in what they do.

Thanks, FreestyleNovice!  The address of each seems the same.  Both get very nice reviews.  You've certainly helped us narrow down the search.  It's just about time to make an online reservation!  You've been so helpful.  It's much appreciated.

[SEA58]

Decided to book with Captain Jack Amsterdam's departure from the Central Station area.  When making the online reservation, they have a feature that costs an extra 15% that lets you cancel up to one hour before the departure time.  Since their boats are open-top we decided to buy this "insurance" that would let us get a refund, on short notice, if it's a truly wet and nasty day weather-wise.  Optimistic though that August will give us a beautiful day on the canals!  Thanks again for everyone's help.

[FreestyleNovice]

20 hours ago, SEA58 said:

Thanks, FreestyleNovice!  The address of each seems the same.  Both get very nice reviews.  You've certainly helped us narrow down the search.  It's just about time to make an online reservation!  You've been so helpful.  It's much appreciated.

 

No problem, that's what CC is for! 

 

5 hours ago, SEA58 said:

Decided to book with Captain Jack Amsterdam's departure from the Central Station area.  When making the online reservation, they have a feature that costs an extra 15% that lets you cancel up to one hour before the departure time.  Since their boats are open-top we decided to buy this "insurance" that would let us get a refund, on short notice, if it's a truly wet and nasty day weather-wise.  Optimistic though that August will give us a beautiful day on the canals!  Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

That sounds like a good insurance! And good to know. Enjoy your day in Amsterdam! 

[SUESEABE]

Highly recommend Those Dam Boat Guys.

https://www.thosedamboatguys.com/

[jerrib]

8 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

Highly recommend Those Dam Boat Guys.

https://www.thosedamboatguys.com/

I hesitate to make a reservation due to weather concerns.  Is it possible to just show up and hope they have room?  Thanks.

[Cotswold Eagle]

12 hours ago, jerrib said:

I hesitate to make a reservation due to weather concerns.  Is it possible to just show up and hope they have room?  Thanks.

You can cancel up to 48 hours before, so should have a good idea of the weather by then. Also, their booking engine has real time availability, so you could monitor how busy they are for the day/time you want. 
But you can book at their office and I’m sure they’ll try to accommodate you.