Jun 30

Jun 30 Long Weekend in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is famous for a lot of things: the beautiful historic buildings, the Rijks museum, the canals, the Anne Frank house, Van Gogh Museum, the red light district and of course because of their free spirit nature and loads of coffee shops.

Day 1 | Friday

Have breakfast at Water & Brood, a chic restaurant located near many of Amsterdam’s famous museums and attractions where owners and brothers Rachid and Taraq Hok-Ahin serve everything from chicken and waffles and acai bowls to dishes inspired by their Surinamese roots.

Get “coffee” at African Blackstar Coffee shop, in Amsterdam, when a business says “coffee shop” it means the establishment is a marijuana dispensary, while “coffeehouse or cafe” means it’s a regular restaurant.

Then rent a bike and go exploring by the canals and through the city to Nelson Mandela Park, then stopping for dinner at Labyrinth which is the place to be if you want to meet creative locals and enjoy exceptional cocktails by Sam Kingue Ebelle. Here you’ll find live music and poetry nearly every night of the week, and the menu is a mix of American soul food classics, Caribbean dishes, and West African flavors.

Day 2 | Saturday

Brunch is the best way to kick-start a day of shopping. Zoku (£££), Bakers & Roasters (££) & The Breakfast Club (££) are fantastic pre-shopping brunch spots.

Visit Madam Tussauds and Go Shopping in Dam Square, after that you can grab some chips at Amsterdam’s No. 1 Holland Fries, Manneken Pis Amsterdam.

Take a walk down red light district and then have a quick drink the Xtracold ice bar.

After a long day of shopping treat yourself to an Evening Canal Cruise

Day 3 | Sunday

Spend the day Keukenhof Gardens. See the famous tulips of Holland, which you can pick as souvenirs.

Visit the Dutch countryside - experience three quintessential icons of the Dutch countryside - windmills, cheese and wooden clogs.

Bonus: If you want to take a break from Amsterdam, Rotterdam is a short train ride away and has a bustling creative and culture scene of its own.

Day 4 | Monday

Have brunch at either New Werktheater (££), Omelegg (££), or on G’s Brunch Boat (£££).

Visit the Venustempel Sex Museum, translated as Temple of Venus which is the world’s first and oldest sex museum. It displays an extensive collection of erotica.