We were lucky enough to go to Amsterdam during my spring break, and you must do as the Dutch do in the Netherlands and ride bikes everywhere!!
I had never ridden a bike in a major city before, so this was a whole new experience, especially in Amsterdam, where about 63% of Amsterdammers use their bike daily. But I promise you, if I can do it, you can do it too, and you will love it!
We rented our bikes from Quality Bike Rent Amsterdam. We rented two bikes for four days for 80 euros in total. Renting a bike for 10 euros daily is a great deal! The owner was very kind and welcoming, which made things even better.
We did a 14-mile bike ride around the Amstel River on our first day. The route we took was a great way to see some of the city on our way out of town and practice riding our bikes in the countryside.
The ride was beautiful. As you leave the city, you ride over multiple canals and see the Dutch architecture. Then you ride into the country and see historic windmills and farmland.
Then we drove into the city to find some coffee and bread at Fort Negen. The one thing I loved about biking was that you could park your bike anywhere without worrying about finding a spot, which was great when we drove past a shop we wanted to poke our heads into.
Next, we drove through the city for our dinner reservations at Moeders – a traditional Dutch restaurant. We didn’t feel too bad eating croissants right before since we rode our bikes everywhere!
Our first day of biking gave us a taste for the next few days. We enjoyed how easy it was to get the bikes and get moving!
The next day we did not have the best weather, and it rained a lot. But the Dutch have the saying, “You’re not made of sugar,” and we made the most of the day!!
We rode our bikes to the Albert Cuyp Market – a market you must visit in Amsterdam. It is filled with traditional Dutch food, sweet treats, and all street food goods.
After filling our bellies with delicious street food, we rode it off on the next adventure to Museum Square and Vondelpark. We are not huge museum-goers, but seeing all the buildings and people was fun. But we are big outdoors people, and Vondelpark is beautiful to ride through.
We continued our biking journey to the Ann Frank House. Pro tip – book your tickets to the Ann Frank House way in advance. We could not get a reservation, so we explored from the outside.
After a very wet and cold day, we ended our second day of biking.
On day three, we explored Amsterdam – Noord. We pedaled over to the free fairy to get to the other side. Then we made our way to NDSM – Werf, a neat warehouse building that has turned into a massive art studio and cultural square. An art exhibit was happening, so we enjoyed looking at the art and different studios.
Then we did a little biking brewery tour of Amsterdam. While in Noord, we went to Oedipus Brewing, and this is the location where they bottle all of their beers. Oedipus had a fun atmosphere like a Dever, Colorado brewery vibe.
Next, we took the ferry back to Brouwerij ‘t IJ – a fantastic brewery. It is attached to an old-style windmill and offers a more Amsterdam feel. Maybe it was just the windmill. But the brewery overall was excellent! It felt cozy in the building, and the beers were tasty!
Then, we went for an evening ride. First, we ate dinner at nNea Pizza. Luckily our friend made reservations because the wait line was about an hour and a half. The pizza was fantastic and probably the closest to authentic Italian pizza I have had in awhile.
We then rode to the Parakeet to enjoy some cocktails. Once again, thank you to Sophie for making reservations! Parakeet is a cute little spot that offers a tropical vibe and delicious cocktails.
Then we wrapped up the night by riding through Dam Square. It was beautiful to see it light up in the night. One of my favorite times to bike was through the city at night. We made multiple stops to take pictures and take in the beauty.
The fourth and final day was one of my favorites for bike riding. We first stopped at Albert Hien to grab some picnic supplies, which happened to be sushi, and we peddled our way to Bloesempark.
Getting to the park was a journey. It was an 8-mile bike ride to the park, but the views made the trip go by so fast! There is no bad side to the Amsterdam area, I swear. Riding past the canals, parks, and architecture would have made for an incredible journey just by itself, but our destination made it extraordinary.
Bloesempark is a park filled with cherry blossom trees, and we timed the trip perfectly to where the trees were in full bloom. It was magical. We set up our little picnic under the blossoms and enjoyed the sunny day in the park.
We could have stayed at the park forever, but sadly we had to return our bikes. You must rent a bike if you ever travel to Amsterdam. We saw many parts of the city that we probably would have missed on foot or in public transit. And it made you feel like a local!!
It was such a fun and easy experience for us, and we missed our bikes greatly the following days we were in Amsterdam. I am so glad we went on the biking adventure!
