Beautiful green space in Amsterdam just a 1/2 block from our hotel, where people can get away from…read morecityscape to nature, on foot, on their bikes, with their dogs. We saw an extensive wooden play structure with rope bridges, ladders, high and low structures, at least 200 feet long! Our daughters would've loved playing on it! Walking paths everywhere, lots of bodies of water with ducks, grassy areas for picnicking and playing frisbee and flying kites!

Vondelpark is the kind of place that looks serene in postcards but, in reality, always feels like…read moreit's one minor incident away from becoming a nature documentary about urban survival. It's beautiful -- genuinely -- but it's also the busiest park in Amsterdam, which means you're sharing the paths with walkers, runners, cyclists, skaters, dogs, children, musicians, and at least three people who have decided today is the day they learn to ride a bike for the first time. Chaos, but charming chaos. The main paths are wide, but that doesn't stop near‑misses from happening every few minutes. You learn quickly that eye contact is optional and braking is a luxury. Still, there's something undeniably lively about it: the energy, the noise, the constant movement. It's the opposite of remote -- you're never alone, even when you wish you were. Find a quieter corner and the park shows its softer side. Lakes, trees, open lawns, and the occasional heron staring at you like it knows something you don't. It's peaceful, but with that faint undertone of "someone is definitely smoking something nearby." Classic Amsterdam ambiance. And unlike the more feral parks on the city's edges, Vondelpark keeps its surprises relatively tame. No cows. No sanctioned adult zones tucked into the woods. Just people, lots of them, all doing their best to coexist without turning the place into a full‑contact sport. If you're staying nearby or just passing through the Oud‑West or Museum Quarter, it's an easy place to wander, sit, decompress, or people‑watch. Just know that "peaceful" here means "peaceful... with witnesses."

Super fun! We had a small group as the last tour of the day and got a full what felt like a…read morepersonal experience. This was my second time experiencing this and would definitely do it again next trip.

Having been to the london dungeon, i had a few hours to kill so thought i would visit a few…read moreattractions in 'dam. My advise first off is to get a ticket from a nearby newsagent/ ticket shop where for (if i remember EUR18 for a ticket to bo the the dungeon and tussards wax museum. I think each venue charge EUR26 each! Its funny how both london and 'dam are similar - basically its the same sort of layout etc.. except instead of a sweeny todd scene, you have a famous dutch 'nutter' scene. If your a kid, youll be scared, if your 27(me) youll be entertained. The rollercoaster at teh end was great! Video link: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eBFojzpWd4c

Nice municipal pool. Safe and secure. Lane swimming, but sometimes crowded. When we went, there…read morewere two sections, one roped for 25m swim lanes, and these were crowded, and another more shallow area. There's also jacuzzi-like tubs, and steam rooms, both coin-operated and inexpensive. Has showers. Reasonably warm water. Changing stalls available. Very inexpensive, and located next to the Rijksmuseum.

this place is the next best thing to swimming in the wild blue warm ocean or an outdoor swimming…read morepool. not only is it a gorgeous swimming pool, the place is very clean, well maintained and the water isn't cold. there's even a diving board to jump off of! there are set lanes for lap swimming and a section of the pool for fooling around with the kids. also a nice fountain you can sit under and do your stretches. 3.50 entrance and you can buy tokens for the steam shower or the mini personalized hot tubs (ie: personal bathtub..haha) after your swim. i always buy a token for the steam shower which is 2.50 i believe? my reward for swimming laps :) oh one last thing... no need to bring a lock for the lockers. they have a digital system that's free and allows you to have your own private locker.

I am a fan of skating at Museumplein ice rink, which is near the Rijkmuseum and Van Gogh Museum,…read moreit's just the ideal size for me as a beginner skater. I was petrified the first time I put on skates here. I sadly came to a conclusion that I would not be the next Debi Thomas in ice skates. However, I do hope to use this ice rink on a regular base, so I can improve my ice skating skills. Ice skating at the Museumplein is one thing you can add to your list for things to do in Amsterdam. From December to February the public rink is available, skating is the best way to make the most of the winter here. Head to skate if you have your own ice skates or rent a pair for a small fee. You will see a number of locals and visitors enjoying the ice skating rink on Museumplein. What's so lovely about skating here is that local vendors come out and serve hot chocolate, mini Dutch pancakes, and olliebollen ( doughnuts).

Terrible purchasing process. Bought tickets for the silent disco and when I arrived they told me…read morethat the skating time is sold separate. Now the skate time is sold out and it is an extra charge, of course. They really should sell the tickets with everything included. When you buy tickets to an event, you don't usually buy separate tickets to be able to be inside the building.

Bikes at this rental spot are all the bulky, city type, which is fine for this kind of riding. They…read morehave ones for the toddlers, too. Rates for an hour was a measley six euro. They also sell insurance here for those occasions when you've had too much Heinekens and ride right over into the canal. Fun fact: a tour guide said they fish dozens of bikes from the canals every year. My only complaint was the steering column was crooked on my rental. Not a big deal, but a little annoying and tells you a bit of something about their maintenance program. Nonetheless, a good experience for the price.

Located in Vondelpark area. I grabbed a bike here using my iAmsterdam pass. The employees here are…read morefriendly enough. There was a short line, but they processed my bike rental quickly. You'll need to provide an ID card. They offer bike insurance for an additional price (not included in the iAmsterdam pass) and they seemed to have a slight attitude when I declined, but overall my experience was still good. I did see someone run over a beer bottle cap at the park which popped their tires, so maybe the bike insurance isn't so bad of an idea. The employees ensure that the bike frame and seat height fits and that we know how to use the locking mechanism before we get sent out. Bikes are in decent condition, functional for the most part, but could be better.

Highly highly recommend if you're looking to do a canal cruise in Amsterdam. I found Mokumboot…read morethrough the I Amsterdam Card (the cruise is included in the card) and decided to book because it was the only company on the card with an open boat. Making reservations was easy online and the boat was easy to find. We essentially had a semi private tour because there were only 3 other guests on board. Mike and our Captain made it such a fun, safe, and enjoyable experience. Because it was an open boat we got to take amazing pictures and even got to touch the underside of the bridges for good luck. It sprinkled lightly for a few minutes during our tour but they have plenty of clear umbrellas on board. Check out Mokumboot! You won't regret it!

Highest possible recommendation and THANK YOU to the lovely Mike and Mariah for yesterday's canal…read morecruise. This open boat - the ONLY way to do this experience - carried us down the Amsterdam canals and it was the perfect way to wrap my trip to Amsterdam. Mike and Mariah are knowledgeable, courteous guides and they made the trip that much more pleasurable with their history lessons. Drinks are available and the first one is on the house (boat)! Will I ever have the chance again to sip white wine while cruising the Amsterdam canals? Maybe not, but thank goodness I got to do it once. Recommend using your I Amsterdam card for this experience (20 euro otherwise) and, don't worry, there's not a bad seat on the boat. Thank you very much, Mike and Mariah!

I'm of two minds about riding lessons here. I like to put in some equestrian time wherever I am in…read morethe world, and after the whole process of getting approved at this stable, I was excited to ride here. On one hand, it was beautiful and the horses were well-trained, and once I got into a nice riding rhythm, the experience was enjoyable. On the other hand, the trainers... I dunno, maybe it was a cultural barrier... because they seemed checked out. They just never seemed particularly enthusiastic or personable. I get that these trainers might be 20-year-olds used to training adolescent girls and they don't need to be particularly sociable to be good instructors, but it kind of felt like I was in their way and they were just rolling from one lesson to the next. Then again, I might be overthinking. My regular private instructor once said that busy riding schools tend to be like this - filling up as many lessons as possible, resulting in stretching their attention thin. They were respectable enough and some of the other students I interacted with were fantastic and much more willing to talk and trade helpful tips.

In dit prachtige rijksmonument van bouwmeester Van Gendt is de oudste rijschool van Nederland…read moregevestigd. Dezelfde architect is verantwoordelijk voor Concertgebouw en Stadsschouwburg. De ingang is aan de Vondelstraat. Bezoekers komen binnen via een museumwinkeltje waar de entree betaald kan worden. Die geeft toegang, recht op een drankje en komt deels ten goede van het Levend Paardenmuseum. Deze stichting heeft tot doel de binnenkant van het gebouw in oude luister te herstellen en te onderhouden. De gemeente Amsterdam is verantwoordelijk voor de buitenkant, manegehouder Vincent Valk voor het paardenbedrijf en de horeca. De manege heeft een binnen- en een buitenrijbaan. De buitenrijbaan en binnenplaats grenzen aan de tuinen van de buren. Dat was bij de bouw in 1882 wel anders, toen was dit braakliggend terrein, ver buiten de stad. De foyer bevindt zich boven, daar is ook de bar. Via de foyer kom je op het balkon. Van daaruit een goed uitzicht op de binnenrijbaan en een prima plek om een drankje te drinken. Je kunt hier paardrijden, volwassenen kopen een starterspakket alvorens in een groepsles verder te gaan. Kinderen vinden zo ook hun weg. Voor hen zijn er ponykampen waar een hele week met vriendjes en vriendinnetjes met en tussen de paarden wordt beleefd. Er zijn hier twee studentenverenigingen actief. Er wordt dressuur-, spring- en carrousel les gegeven. Carrousel is een teamsport waarbij figuren op muziek wordt gereden. Privépaarden stappen na de les regelmatig uit in het Vondelpark, altijd een bezienswaardigheid in dit stadspark tussen de joggers en fietsers. De manege heeft ook een paardenvrachtwagen waarmee buitenritten in het Amsterdamse bos kunnen worden geaccommodeerd. Dit mooie gebouw kan gehuurd worden voor onvergetelijke feestjes, groot en klein. Er zijn hier films opgenomen, even geleden "Keetje Tippel", meer recent "Pak van mijn Hart". Kinderfeestjes met taart, pannenkoeken of patat en een begeleid ritje op paard of pony zijn hier te boeken. Voor de volwassenen zijn er high teas met lekkere hapjes. Zo timmert 's lands oudste rijschool aan de weg om ook in deze moderne tijd succesvol te zijn. En dat lukt aardig, ga maar kijken!

This studio experience turned into a complete nightmare for me. The facility is filthy, smells like…read morecheap incense, and clearly doesn't meet basic health or safety standards. Every corner is covered in dirt and dust, and it feels completely neglected. The mold stench is in all of the bathroom facilities and locker rooms. The worst part was the low frequency atmosphere and lack of staff. The "instructor" Esther was aggressively rude and disrespectful. She locked us in the studio and refused to wait one minute for me to grab my bag after using the restroom. While I was washing my hands, she told me I should've just used the open showers--where several naked men were already showering or just standing around in their underwear on their cell phones. Absolutely NO privacy, NO boundaries, and NO policy to prevent public exposure or protect people's comfort. During class, a predator (male) was in nothing but see through underwear, and the instructor didn't even tell him how inappropriate this is for a public yoga class. This is simply not okay, considering this is expected to be a health and wellness experience. Nonetheless, this rotten place appears to be associated with Bikram Yoga, and if you haven't heard of the disturbing allegations behind it, I strongly encourage you to look it up. The culture at Movements reflects all the worst parts of that legacy. They merely disguise the names with "Hot C" and "Movements". Sincerely creepy, gross, and beyond frightening the demonic behavior Esther exhibited! I left feeling disrespected, unsafe, and honestly violated. Beware, consider your privacy and safety before stepping foot in this place.

There's always that one yoga class on international business trips (or even non business) that…read moreannihilates the jet lag and flight bloat, aches and pains (I don't care how roomy a "premier" seat is, it's not my California King), and just makes you feel human again. For me in Amsterdam, this was the heated YogaFit 60 class at Movements with Lize, and it was incredible. Great, fun playlist: Sia and Spice Girls! YogaFit60 is like a Yoga Sculpt class (CorePower chain in US) for those unfamiliar. It combines yoga with light (or heavy) weights. Quite a few hardbodied gents in the class, which is always a welcome motivation boost. I found the class testing my limits, which was also welcome. The studio is gorgeous and has a tea nook. The actual practice rooms are located in an annex outside. The yoga room was spacious with mat and towels provided. Don't forget your complimentary coconut water with Yelp check-in!

The entire day was wonderful. What an awesome experience. SIMON AAS GREAT! We were extremely lucky…read moreto have a sunny day. Picturesque. Electric assist bike was amazing. Not too stressful, most of the ride was flat.

Fantastic 4 hour e-bike tour to the Amsterdam countryside. Very flat and easy terrain and…read moreinformative guide (Rince) - highly recommend this activity - good quality e-bikes - affordable, lots of fun and educationally.

I had the opportunity to experience both the canal tour and the stroopwafel-making workshop, and I…read morethoroughly enjoyed them both! I had also booked the food tour, but unfortunately, it was canceled. I wish I had been notified in advance rather than finding out upon arrival, but they apologized, explained the situation, and assured me that I would receive a refund, which I believe I did. Stroopwafel-Making Workshop I absolutely loved this workshop, it was so much fun! Sofia was a wonderful instructor who made the entire experience feel welcoming, relaxed, and enjoyable. I first noticed the workshop the day before because the store window was so beautiful. I wondered what it was all about, and by complete coincidence, Sofia was the person who pointed me in the right direction and showed me how to book it. I'm so glad she did because I ended up having such a fantastic time! The best part was getting to make my own stroopwafel and decorate it however I wanted, with as many toppings and decorations as I liked. It was such a fun and unique experience, and I'm so happy I decided to give it a try. Canal Tour Daniel and Summer were incredibly welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. Daniel, in particular, went above and beyond by happily answering our questions and even getting us drinks whenever we needed them. Their hospitality added so much to the experience. The boat itself was beautiful, and the canal tour was a relaxing and memorable way to experience Amsterdam. Seeing the city from the water offered a completely different perspective and made the tour feel especially memorable. I also thought it was really smart to decorate the boat with flowers. They created such a unique and beautiful backdrop for photos, and if you prefer not to have them in your pictures, they're very easy to avoid. My only small suggestion would be to be mindful of where you sit. I somehow ended up getting quite wet all down the back of my legs! I think I was simply unlucky, since no one else seemed to have the same issue, but it's something worth keeping in mind. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and Daniel and Summer made it even more enjoyable! Both experiences were highlights of my time in Amsterdam, and I would happily recommend them to anyone looking for a fun and memorable way to experience the city and its culture. Side note, they are both located right near the Anne Frank Haus!

Booking a last‑minute tour online turned out to be more confusing than expected. Flagship lists a…read morewhole menu of overlapping options -- beer, wine, beer‑and‑wine, full bar, cheese or no cheese -- all at different prices, all departing at the exact same time from the exact same dock. We had the tour that started near the Rijksmuseum, which made getting there straightforward despite the confusing booking process. We chose the basic tour; the couple ahead of us booked the Heineken version, which supposedly included multiple complimentary beers. Yet once onboard, everyone was offered the same single complimentary drink, and anything beyond that was charged. It's hard not to wonder why the pricing tiers exist when the onboard experience doesn't seem to match them. Our captain, Max from Amsterdam, was friendly and clearly knew his way around the canals, but he was repeatedly overruled by the guide, Roger, who insisted on turning the boat around whenever Max tried to take us toward certain areas. Roger's guiding style leaned more toward casual chatter and personal anecdotes than actual commentary on the city. Over the course of an hour, only a small handful of buildings or landmarks were mentioned, leaving long stretches of the ride feeling more like background conversation than a guided tour. At the end, Roger joked about the tip jar being a "traditional Dutch tip jar" -- the kind where you leave what you think the tour was worth, and if you weren't satisfied, you take out what you think you're owed. It was meant as humor, but it landed a little too accurately; we laughed with the group next to us that there wasn't nearly enough in the jar for all of us to reclaim what we felt we were owed due to what the tour lacked. All in all, it was a pleasant boat ride and a nice way to see Amsterdam from the water. But if you're expecting a genuinely informative, structured canal tour, this isn't the company -- or at least not the guide -- to rely on.