What to see in Amsterdam in 3 days
Amsterdam is small and entirely walkable or cyclable. What complicates it isn't distance, it's tickets: if you don't book, you don't get in.
First: book the museums
The main museums run on timed entry and sell out weeks ahead, particularly the Anne Frank House, which fills fastest. Book them as soon as you have flights. It's the single most important piece of advice for this trip.
Day 1: the centre and the canals
The canal ring, Jordaan and the Nine Streets. This is the Amsterdam of the photographs and it's best enjoyed wandering. A canal boat trip at dusk gives a different perspective and isn't expensive. Avoid the most touristed area around Centraal Station from the afternoon on if you want calm.
Day 2: the museums
The museum square concentrates the main ones side by side. Choose two at most for one day: rushing them is worse than skipping them. In the afternoon, Vondelpark, which is where the real city is on fine days.
Day 3: districts or a day trip
Districts like De Pijp and its market, or the north across the free ferry from the station, the most transformed part of the city. If you'd rather get out, Haarlem is fifteen minutes by train and Utrecht half an hour: both have canals and a fraction of the visitors.
Getting around by bike
It's the natural way to move and hire is cheap. A serious warning: the cycle lanes are genuine fast lanes, with priority and speed. If you're not confident cycling in a city, walking or the tram is safer. And as a pedestrian, always check the cycle lane before crossing.
Accommodation is the problem
It's expensive and scarce, and it's what drives up the cost of the trip. Sleeping in Haarlem or Utrecht and coming in by train each day can save you a lot, for fifteen or thirty minutes of travel.
Budget
Between 95 and 140 euros per person per day with simple accommodation. Museums add up: reckon 20 to 25 euros per entry. Set lunch menus and supermarket breakfasts bring the bill down considerably.
When to go
April, May and September. The tulip bloom in spring is spectacular but fills the city and raises prices. Winter is cold and wet, but there are no queues and accommodation costs half.
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