3 days in Amsterdam: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Amsterdam is small enough to cross on foot, and its canals, Golden Age museums and twentieth-century history all lie within a few kilometres. Day one is the Museum Quarter, from the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh to an evening in Vondelpark, day two runs from the Anne Frank House across the old centre to Rembrandt's house and the Amstel, and day three starts at Dam Square and heads east to NEMO and the Wereldmuseum.

Open in Atlazi Read the Amsterdam guide

Day 1

The Museum Quarter: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and Vondelpark

5 stops

09:00
Rijksmuseum
About 2 h 45 min
The national museum of the Netherlands, where Rembrandt's Night Watch and Vermeer's Milkmaid hang in the Gallery of Honour. The plan gives it the whole first morning, so start with the Golden Age rooms and spend the rest on whatever catches you.
Walk, 5 min
11:50
Van Gogh Museum
About 2 h 40 min
The largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings is arranged roughly in the order of his life, from the dark early work to the Sunflowers and the last canvases. Entry is by a timed ticket booked online.
Walk, 2 min
14:35
Museumplein
About 20 min
The lawn between the three big buildings of the Museum Quarter, with the Rijksmuseum at one end and the Concertgebouw at the other. Treat it as a short break in the open air after two long museum visits.
Walk, 3 min
15:00
Het Concertgebouw
About 1 h
The concert hall at the end of Museumplein is famous for its acoustics, and the inside is best seen at a concert or on a guided tour, so check the programme. Otherwise a look at the facade is enough before you walk on to Vondelpark.
Walk, 14 min
16:15
Vondelpark
About 1 h
The city's best-known park, with ponds, an open-air theatre and long paths shared by walkers and cyclists, is a relaxed place to end a day of museums.

Day 2

The Anne Frank House, the city museum and Rembrandt's house

5 stops

09:00
Anne Frank House
About 1 h 5 min
The canal house where Anne Frank and her family hid during the German occupation, including the secret annex behind the bookcase. Tickets are sold online only, for set time slots, and go quickly, so book as soon as you know your dates.
Walk, 1 min
10:10
Westerkerk
About 30 min
The church next door has the tallest tower in central Amsterdam, whose bells Anne Frank wrote about in her diary, and Rembrandt is buried here in an unmarked grave. It is a short visit, so walk on across the canals toward the old centre.
Walk, 11 min
10:55
Amsterdam Museum
About 1 h 30 min
The city museum tells Amsterdam's story from a fishing settlement on the Amstel to the city of today. Its main building off Kalverstraat has been closed for renovation, with the collection shown meanwhile in the Amstelhof on the Amstel, so check which address is open before you go.
Walk, 12 min
12:40
Rembrandt House Museum
About 1 h
Rembrandt lived and worked in this house in the old Jewish quarter for nearly twenty years, and his studio and rooms have been furnished as they were. Etching and paint-making demonstrations are often part of the visit.
Walk, 10 min
13:50
Magere Brug
About 20 min
The white wooden drawbridge over the Amstel is the best-known of the city's bridges and is lit up after dark. It is a quick photo stop and a good place to end the day with a walk along the river.

Day 3

Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the eastern docks

5 stops

09:00
Royal Palace of Amsterdam
About 1 h 35 min
Built as the city hall in the Golden Age and later turned into a royal palace, it opens to visitors when it is not in use for state occasions. In the Citizens' Hall, look down at the floor, inlaid with maps of the world.
Walk, 1 min
10:40
De Nieuwe Kerk
About 30 min
The church beside the palace now hosts exhibitions and royal ceremonies rather than regular services, so what is inside changes. Check the current exhibition; if it does not appeal, the building from outside needs far less time.
Walk, 2 min
11:15
Dam Square
About 20 min
The square where Amsterdam began, with the National Monument to the Second World War facing the palace. A short stop, then a longer walk east through the old centre to the waterfront.
Walk, 21 min
12:00
NEMO Science Center
About 1 h 30 min
The green, ship-shaped building by Renzo Piano is a hands-on science museum aimed mostly at families. Its sloping roof is a public square with a wide view over the old city, worth climbing even if you skip the museum.
Walk, 22 min
13:55
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
About 1 h 30 min
The former Tropenmuseum, in a large building by Oosterpark, shows world cultures through objects and changing exhibitions. It is a fair walk from NEMO, so take a tram if you want to save your feet, and finish with a stroll in the park outside.

Good to know

Book the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum online before you travel; both sell timed tickets, and the Rijksmuseum is easier booked ahead too.
Everything here is walkable, but trams cover the longer stretches, such as Dam Square to NEMO and on to the Wereldmuseum on day three.
Bike lanes are busy and often marked in red; keep off them when you walk.
Bring a rain layer in any season; spring and early autumn are the easiest times to walk the canals.
You can open this plan in Atlazi and change it to your pace.

Make this plan yours

Copy it into your trips, then change the days, places and times as you like.

Open in Atlazi

3 days in Amsterdam: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Rijksmuseum

Van Gogh Museum

Museumplein

Het Concertgebouw

Vondelpark

Anne Frank House

Westerkerk

Amsterdam Museum

Rembrandt House Museum

Magere Brug

Royal Palace of Amsterdam

De Nieuwe Kerk

Dam Square

NEMO Science Center

Wereldmuseum Amsterdam

Good to know

Make this plan yours