Although many people view Amsterdam as the ideal place for a mad weekend away, it is also suitable for a fun city break with friends or your other half! For my boyfriend’s 21st, I was getting fed up of looking up places to go and with the loan almost being non-existent at that stage, I decided to book a city break deal for Amsterdam! At first I was quite sceptical from all the crazy stories I heard, but how wrong was I! It was hands down the best city break I’ve ever been on, fact! Although we went in the winter season we were still not limited to what we could get up to! Here’s a little insight into the top things to do when visiting the ‘dam!
If you’re searching for top tips on visiting ‘coffee shops’ this is not for you! That’s not how I roll…
Shop ‘til you drop
If you’re hoping to go on a massive shopping spree when on a city break, Amsterdam will certainly not disappoint! There is everything a girl could possibly dream of, from Ted Baker to Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters to Zara! Not to mention, the super amazing cosmetics stores offering everything under the one roof! Brisking through the narrow cobble streets, walking in and out of the row of stores that lay in front of me, my heart was complete. It was of course my favourite way to spend my first day in the city! On a further note, if you’re all about those candid Instagram foodie pics, there are endless bakeries and pastries shops offering the most picturesque cupcakes, donuts and macaroons!
Visiting the ‘I Amsterdam’ Sign
If you didn’t get a picture in front of the ‘I Amsterdam’ sign, did you really go? It is one of the top attractions to visit when in Amsterdam, but be aware, getting a pic of just yourself in front of the sign is rather hard with at least 20 other people trying to do the same thing, but it is manageable!
We were fortunate enough to have been going in the Christmas season, so that meant beside the sign was the Christmas markets, and wait for it… an ice rink! On a downside, I can’t skate but I made the most of the wooden chairs in the rink to hold onto!
Amsterdam Ice Bar
When visiting the city, it would be rude not to visit the renowned ice bar! Unlike me, be sure to wrap up warm because although you get a thermal coat, the rest of your body is literally -10 degrees! Everything and I mean everything is made of ice, the tables, the seats and even the glass for your drink! I think we must have lasted about 15 minutes in the ice bar with it being so cold, but I would still go back (with more layers next time!).
Visiting Madame Tussauds
If truth be told, I wasn’t fussed on heading to Madame Tussauds, but Mark was dying to go so I thought why not! Much to my surprise, it turned out to be a second to none experience, and of course we were both mind blown as to how alike the wax figures were to our favourite celebs! To top off our Madame Tussauds experience I got a pic beside Justin Bieber, because why not, it’s Justin Bieber! *love struck emoji*
I would definitely recommend Madame Tussauds if you really want to be in total awe as well as getting endless cringey photos beside celebs including Adele, Taylor Swift, Bob Marley and even Barack Obama!
I’m all about them wining and dining evenings
When opting for a city break in Amsterdam, probably your biggest dilemma of the whole trip is deciding where to eat! With rows upon rows of restaurants, we were totally spoilt for choice! There are of course popular American diners such as Hard Rock and Frankie and Benny’s which I’m a huge fan of! Not to mention, the city is full of contemporary bars to spend the evening sipping away on cocktails or perhaps, if you are hoping for something more lively like I did, the place was packed with buzzing Irish bars offering top class live music! But we aware, if you’re like me and look about 16, Amsterdam is not like any Spanish holiday resort, you will need to bring ID everywhere you go, even if you are just going for an evening bite!
Hands down, Amsterdam was most definitely the best city break I have ever been on and wouldn’t think twice about going back! If I were to go back here are a few of the places I would visit next time:
- Anne Frank House
- Heineken Experience
- Body World
- A’dam Lookout
Shannon Grogan is a final year BSc in Public Relations student at Ulster University. She can be found on LinkedIn on https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-grogan-09712510b/