Amsterdam for the day - traveling alone | recommendations?

quote:

---

Is Amsterdam relatively safe? If not, which spots should I stick to?

---

It’s about the safest place I’ve ever been.

The Van Gogh museum is interesting and you can really go through it in an hour or so. Buy tickets in advance.

If you only have 24 hours, doing one of the boat tours would be a good way to see a lot of the city efficiently. I normally wouldn’t recommend touristy things like that, but we had 48 hours in Amsterdam a couple months ago and did that.

Go to the Albert Cuyp Market. Get a struppewaffle.

If you only have one dinner, highly recommend De Kas

Pickpockets are a thing; otherwise extremely safe.

Probably too late to nab a ticket to the Anne Frank House. I’d find a walking tour and see some sights. Perhaps hit the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum. Have a drink at the Amstel or Heineken Brewery. Eat a Stroopwafel and have some Dutch frites. Go to the Red Light District after nightfall. Tons of people go there each day and it’s a common meeting point for locals before their night on the town.

Looks like you may get lucky with the weather tomorrow, its usually cold and rainy this time of year but no rain in the forecast tomorrow. But 48 and windy so bundle up. I would walk around the Centrum (town center) which has lots of beautiful old buildings. Then walk to the canal zone (Prinsengracht is the most beautiful but they are all really nice, especially at night when the lights are reflecting off the water. In the canal zone, Soupenzo is a tiny place serving some of the best soups I've ever had and will be good in the cold weather. Near Soupenzo is Cafe Spuyt which is an old brown cafe that usually has Westvleteren trappist beer available. Other places that may have it are Wildeman in the Centrum or Gollem in the centrum (and they have 2 other locations, 1 near Vondel Park and the other in The Pijp neighborhood). Also in the canal zone is Proeflokaal Arendsnest which is an old brown bar that serves only dutch beers.
About a 10 minute walk from the canal zone is Vondel Park, sort of Amsterdams Central Park. I always hit the Blauwe Theehuis (blue teahouse) in the park which is now run by Brouwerij 't IJ, a local brewery. The teahouse is a funky spaceship looking structure with lots of outdoor seating but has some indoor seats too. Another area to visit is NDSM Wharf on the opposite side of the Amstel River. There is a free ferry that leaves from behind Central Train Station that takes 15 minutes to get over there. NDSM is a huge warehouse where they used to build ships but has been turned into artists studios. There are probably a hundred different studios in there and is cool to walk around and its inside out of the cold.
Of course Museums are a good option to get inside. I like the Stedelijk Museum (Modern) the best and the Rijksmuseum (dutch Masters)paintings) is cool too. And of course the Van Gogh Museum.
Foodwise, Amsterdam is known for Indonesian food and I like Kartika but there are several other good options. Unfortunately Albert Cuypstraat Street Market is closed on Sundays but has great Stroopwafels at Rudi's Original, don't get them anywhere else in the market. Also in the market is Volendammer Vishandel to get another fanous dutch food, herring. Of course there is the Red Light district (meh) but it may be worth a quick stroll through there.

Amsterdam is safe. The biggest danger you face is getting run over by a bicycle.

I was there for a day in April. We arrived in the morning and embarked a cruise ship that left after midnight.

You have to book the Anne Frank House weeks in advance because they can just accommodate a few people at a time. We didn't do that because our time schedule was uncertain, but we were fortunate enough to meet some people on the ship who had extras for a mid afternoon time slot. That was a moving experience.

Then after dinner we took a nighttime boat ride through some of Amsterdam's most historic and scenic canals.

We considered our time very well spent for only being there for one jet lagged afternoon and evening.