Amsterdam - 3 days. what to do?

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

HI, I have never been and am going with kids 12yrs
What are the things I should do? Go to? look at?

I've looked into Anne Franks House already but that is it.

Love to hear your advice.
Thank you!

Hi

There is canal boats you can get they are really good & interesting also for the kids there is a glow in the dark 3d golf you can play which is great family fun. Once you come out of amsterdam train station there is a tourist attraction that have lots of information whats on an good for you whist there. Hope this helps! Enjoy

The NEMO science centre. Absolutely great with kids. If you think you're likely to use the trams a lot then buy a city card - it gets unlimited travel, a canal cruise and admission to the Artis Zoo, which is great and has a lovely aquarium too.

The Heineken Experience might sound like a strange choice but children are welcome. It’s very interactive and under 18s get complimentary soft drinks instead of trying the alcohol! Several boat tours offer Amsterdam Heineken Experience combined with their canal tour, the boat stops in front of the brewery.
Amsterdam’s Moco has a collection of Banksy artwork as well as a brilliant Roy Lichtenstein 3D installation room.
The swing at the top of the A’DAM tower is a great place for a Selfie!
My dc loved the food tour. You get a history and cultural tour in the guise of sampling chocolate, cheese, and pancakes.
They also went absolutely crazy for Amsterdam’s chocolate sensation Tony’s Chocolonely. If you head to the Beurs van Berlarge store there’s a Tony’s ‘make your own chocolate vending machine’.

Ooh, we’re doing the same (DDs a bit older though). Hope you don’t mind me parking myself here for inspiration!

The zoo is lovely too.

The Rijkmuseum does a great interactive game for the kids to do.

Also, second Nemo and a canal boat tour

You need to book the Anne Frank museum and a lot of other touristy things in advance. You can do it online.

You don't have to book the Anne Frank house in advance at all. You may well be able to book in advance but you can just queue.

You will be queuing for a long time

It would be well worth getting a museumkaart (have to buy at e.g. Rijksmuseum if you are not a dutch national, can't get it online) which seems expensive but gets you free entry to hundreds of museums including Nemo (science museum), Van Gogh, Anne Frank house, Rijksmuseum and more than 30 more in Amsterdam alone - including Micropia which kept a bunch of 5-9 year olds and parents entertained for hours!! Definitely book for the Anne Frank house - see the website, tickets are not sold on the door and only 20% are made available on the day so if you turn up after they are gone you won't get in -you book a 'free'ticket if you have a museumkaart.

Micropia would definitely be great for 12 year olds too. Also scheepvaartmuseum - maritime museum. you would pay for the museumkaart with only about 4/ 5 individual visits. over 2 days we went to Nemo twice (so good everyone insisted on going back the next day), Scheepvaart museum, Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank house (for some of us, not the little ones), Micropia, tropenmuseum, Amsterdam museum.

Every museum we went to in the Netherlands was 10 x better than any we have been to in the UK. Nemo makes the British science museum kids stuff a dry dusty embarassment.

If you get out of Amsterdam you can use the car at many more places including the space centre

1 month Museumkaart @60 Euros adults, @30 euros kids

Entry to Nemo 17.50 Euros for all,
Rijksmuseum 19Euros adults, free kids
Anne Frank 10.50 adults, under 9's free
Van Gogh 19 E adults, free kids

Yes - about an hour on the two occasions I've visited but you don't HAVE to book.

Cat museum

Pancake factory!
Rijksmuseum - see the Vermeer Paintings and the amazing dolls houses
Van Gogh Museum
Anne Frank - definitely go there
Tonys Chocoloeny is fab
Canal boat tour
Browsing in the amazing tiny shops around the 4 main canals
Lots of pancakes!
Go for a posh drink in the Pulitzer Hotel

I bloody love Amsterdam! We went years ago for one night unplanned in the summer and it was gorgeous, but most recently in January and it was freezing and snowing!
Anne Franks was very moving. They also give you an audio thing that talks you around as you go, which really enhances it. I think you're meant to pay extra for that but I just got given one.
The Royal Palace, if you like that kind of thing. Dam Square is touristy but great for people watching.
I liked The Bodyworld Experience, really interesting. There's a glow in the dark mini golf place with bowling down by the ferry.
The Heineken Experience is really fun too.
We intend to go back and go to the A'dam Tower and visit the museums as we just didn't get time on our short trip. I think you can only pay on card or book online for them. There was an ice rink built outside the Rijksmuseum (beautiful building) but I'm not sure when that starts.

I liked a wander in the parks in the daytime and a canal boat trip. You could wander around for hours.
Personally I'd not bother with the torture museum as it's tiny and not even a half hour thing really, although it seemed popular on trip advisor... There's a Tussauds (much the same whichever one you go to), Ripleys Believe it or not (quite fun), lots of shops. You can rent bikes, lots of bikes around so make sure you watch out lol!
There's loads more to list but you're best having a google. It's a beautiful place.

We ate breakfast in a little pancake house but I forget the name. It's opposite Vondelpark and is a stand alone building that kind of looks like a carousel.
For lunch we ate chips and mayo, lovely! There's also plenty of cheap restaurants/takeaways and of course more expensive ones depending what you're after. There's a nice burger place called The Happy Bull, beautiful burgers but they do advise you book as it's only small.

Jealous!

@moondancer73 - rules have changed at the Anne Frank house, you do have to book online now: www.annefrank.org/en/museum/tickets/

It's also worth booking online if you want to do the Van Gogh museum.

Canal boat trip of some kind is essential.

My DCs also enjoyed some tram rides, and going on the free ferry from behind the central station. Pancakes are also good - sweet, savoury and the mini ones (poffertjes).

We ate breakfast in a little pancake house but I forget the name. It's opposite Vondelpark and is a stand alone building that kind of looks like a carousel.

That's actually opposite the Heineken Brewery.

The kids will love Nemo, the actual building looks like a sinking ship!

I agree with getting a Museumkaart.

www.iamsterdam.com/en

Enjoy!

You'll have a great time! Anne Frank Museum, NEMO, Artis Zoo and Foodhallen all hits. If we had more time would definitely have visited Tony Chocolonelys and the IJ area. I wrote a post about our visit here museummum.com/2018/09/28/top-10-things-to-do-in-amsterdam-with-kids/

@Iflyaway my mistake, I meant the inside has bits that look like a carousel. The one I meant is De Vier Pilaren (sp?). Forgot about the actual carousel one!

Wow so many great ideas!
Thanks
I like the look of Micropina
Will def drop by Tonys Chocolonely Do we book or just go into either store?
NEMO also looks great.

For young people modern art or artisans like hand made crafts, clothes, paintings where should I head? My 2 love true hand made one of a kind type things.

We will also do a canal tour and a walk around the old town.

what about dinners? Any restaurant recommendations?

For lunches I agree with the other person who said about chips and mayo. Delicious!

(From most street places - they are everywhere)

I'll be trying to get Anne Frank tickets on the day (online at 9am too)

Watching with interest. Going soon. Been twice before but many years ago.

Crafts, clothes, galleries - there is a lot of that sort of thing in the "Nine streets" area, which is very central and pretty to walk around, but rather expensive: www.theninestreets.com

The Haarlemmer area (and Jordaan area next to it) are slightly more rough-around-the edges but full of interesting shops and galleries. www.iamsterdam.com/en/about-amsterdam/amsterdam-neighbourhoods/centre/haarlemmerstraat-haarlemmerdijk

We did a really good food-tasting walking tour around Jordaan a few years ago, which was child-friendly if your DC are reasonably adventurous eaters.