48 Hours In Amsterdam: What To See & Do

This post will share how to spend 48 hours in Amsterdam on a budget.

For my sixth country of the year, I decided to take a trip from Amsterdam to Berlin, which I’ll probably not do again.

In hindsight, I should have stayed longer in The Netherlands and explored Rotterdam and The Hague.

I’m not too mad about this decision because I had a swell time in Germany, but the logistics were quite stressful.

This was my first extended trip since Scotland, so it felt like I was planning two separate 48-hour trips.

It’s all done now, and I’ll share all the details.

I’ll be doing a separate post on my Berlin Travel Guide, but if you’re wondering how I could take four days off a full-time job to travel, I added two of my annual leave allowance to my off days.

My job operates on a rota system, so I don’t always have the weekends off, which I don’t mind because weekend flights are expensive.

So, I find two off days during the week and request two days off from my 25-day annual leave per year.

I have four days of travel with this method as long as I fly out the night before.

I’ve used this method to book my trips in June & July.

From my experience, it is better to travel intercity than international travel, except the countries that are an hour or two apart.

Anything more will add to the stress, which you don’t need.

So, let’s get down to business.

Here’s How To Spend 48 Hours In Amsterdam On A Budget

Amsterdam is one of the top ten most visited tourist cities in Europe.

It is the capital city of The Netherlands, a Western European country famous for its bikes, canals, tulips and windmills.

In theory, that sounds great.

It’s very promising and inviting.

But in real life, you might not enjoy the city, especially when it is warm, and tons of tourists are trooping in and out.

I didn’t enjoy Amsterdam.

I thought it was a bit overrated.

The canals were okay but mainly littered with bikes, making the whole city claustrophobic.

I was counting down to leaving the city, hoping for a semblance of sanity in Berlin, which I got, thankfully.

As always, capital cities are more often than not always crowded with tourists, so you don’t get to enjoy them except when you go in the winter.

But my experience doesn’t mean I’ll give up on the Netherlands.

I’m looking forward to visiting other cities to enjoy what the country has to offer thoroughly.

Flights

Cost: £18/€21 – one way

One day in February, I was browsing through flights and noticed that the prices were gradually increasing.

I’ve enjoyed £10-15 flights all through the winter, so I completely forgot that Summer is approaching and these airline companies will start increasing the prices.

That was how I started booking all my Spring/Summer flights in advance.

They were a bit pricey because I had to work with specific dates.

As soon as my annual leaves were approved, I booked my flights immediately.

I’ve currently booked all through July and am planning my August trips.

I went with Easyjet on this flight, which flew us directly to Amsterdam Schipol Airport in about 90 minutes.

As of May 10, the Netherlands dropped all COVID restrictions they held onto their dear lives for so long.

You don’t even need a Passenger Locator Form.

But checking all entry requirements before every trip is a good idea.

Airport Transfer

The great thing about flying into a major city compared to a smaller one is you don’t have to arrange for airport shuttles.

The rail system from the Amsterdam Schipol Airport is so convenient to use and will transport you to your accommodation in a few minutes.

You can take the train, ride a bike, or catch the bus, depending on your destination.

The trip to my hostel took about twenty minutes via train or ten minutes by foot.

You can get your tickets at the Airport station before boarding your train.

Accommodation

Cost: £67.25/€79.56 – two nights

Since I started travelling a lot more frequently in December, I’ve had my fair share of hostels: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Thankfully, I have entirely avoided terrible ones.

So, I have an idea of what I’m looking for when reviewing the reviews on Google or Booking.com.

I always look out for quiet hostels outside the city centre.

The bathroom must always be clean, and the buffet breakfast must be between 5 and 6 euros.

Anything more than that is simply a ripoff because hostel buffets are usually the same across the board.

I stayed on Via Amsterdam, which, in theory, looked like an aesthetic, well-maintained hostel with all the facilities you can think of, so I was looking forward to it.

It turns out it was a hotel/hostel hybrid with a corporate vibe in a sketchy location.

The metro system was about a ten-minute walk, but I still couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder when I arrived that late.

I do not recommend this hostel for a solo female budget traveller.

But if the corporate vibe is what you’re looking for, please go for it.

Transportation

Like most European cities, Amsterdam has an excellent transport system.

My accommodation was outside the city centre, so I had to use the metro to and fro.

I also had to use the tram a few times because I found it more convenient than the buses.

To get around, I downloaded the GVB app on the App Store, where I buy tickets which give me unlimited travel on all GVB trams, buses and metros.

You can get the 1hr ticket for €3.20, 24 hours for €8.50 and 48 hours for €14.50.

This doesn’t include trains to the Schipol airport.

I’ve used transport apps in a few countries and found them more convenient than paper tickets.

Some parts of Amsterdam can only be accessed via ferry.

Don’t hesitate to take a few free ferry trips to save money on canal boat tours.

Meals

Your Amsterdam travel guide will not be complete without deciding what and where to eat.

Unlike most people, I don’t care about food when I travel, although I’m trying to change.

You’ll mostly see me grabbing McDonald’s breakfast with coffee or hot chocolate and some supermarket and street food for lunch and dinner.

If the breakfast buffet is affordable, I eat as much as possible, reserve McDonald’s for lunch and find something for dinner.

There weren’t that many street food vendors in Amsterdam, so I just got by with supermarket meals, which are usually fresh and tasty.

Attractions

I tried to see as many free attractions as possible to keep me occupied.

Depending on your interest, you might need to splurge on some attractions requiring an entrance fee, but don’t feel pressured if your budget can’t handle it.

Some must-see attractions include:

• Van Gogh Museum: The world’s art most extensive collection of the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh
• Anne Frank House: a permanent exhibition of the actual house of the Jewish diarist during WWII.
• Royal Palace Amsterdam: one of the palaces of the Dutch monarchy.
• Rijksmuseum: the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch art and history.
• Red Light Secrets Museum: a museum dedicated to the Dutch sex work industry.
• Dam Square: a central public square since the 17th century.
• Damrak Waterfront: where you can bask in the Amsterdam Architecture.

Amsterdam has done a great job packaging its art and history as tourism, making the city quite expensive because these entrance fees add up quickly.

So, pick one of two and keep it moving.

If you can ride a bike, rent one, or jump on a free ferry while relaxing and enjoying the views of the city.

Don’t be pressured to spend all your travel budget for the year in Amsterdam.

Shopping & Souvenirs

Like most cities, Amsterdam has a few high-street brands here and there.

There are also a ton of souvenir shops.

Just avoid shopping opposite the canals or beside any tourist attractions.

They are usually more expensive.

Finally

I hope this guide on spending 48 hours in Amsterdam has given you an insight into how to plan and budget for your trip.

Yes, as a tourist, it can get expensive.

You need to pick and choose what’s more important to you.

Otherwise, you can always rent a bike, picnic in one of the parks, or chill by the canals.

You’ll have a great time by yourself, too.