Take a Charity Cruise and Experience the Top Ten Things to Do in Amsterdam!

Amsterdam

Three questions:

• Do you live in or near Newcastle?
• Would you like to give to a fantastic local charity?
• Does a 2-night mini cruise break to Amsterdam sound like fun?

If you answered “Yes!” to these questions, you are so in luck!

Our charity partner Children North East has partnered with DFDS Seaways to offer a 2-night mini-cruise break to Amsterdam on November 22nd or 23rd. The ticket price of the cruise will be donated to Children North East.

The cruise includes:

• 2 nights onboard ship in an en suite cabin
• Return coach transfers to Amsterdam city centre
• Optional complimentary coach sightseeing tour
• Live entertainment onboard

To get all of the details and book your tickets, go to the DFDS Website.

Amsterdam Canal

Once you’ve done that, come back to read our Top Ten Things to Do in Amsterdam!

Top Ten Things To Do in Amsterdam

According to the official Visit Amsterdam website, some of the top things to do in this amazing  city are:

1. Take a canal cruise.  Amsterdam is a beautiful city with unique architecture and history. The canals offer a completely different view of the city as well as providing a convenient way to go from one attraction to the next.
2. Explore the open-air markets. Amsterdam’s street markets are legendary, and with good reason! Get food and clothing at the Albert Cuyp market, see and smell the gorgeous offerings at the Flower Market, get a bargain at the Waterlooplein flea market, and pick up a classic antique at Noordermarkt. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it in one of Amsterdam’s street markets.
3. Get some pancakes. Pancakes, or pannekoek, are an Amsterdam tradition. Coming in hundreds of sweet or savoury varieties, these super-sized, thick crepes are a real treat.  Recommended places to satisfy your pancake craving are The Pancake Bakery on Prinsengracht Street (which is right down the canal from the Anne Frank House) and Pancakes! on Berenstraat.
4. Get on your bike! Here’s the ideal way to work off all of those pancakes. Amsterdam is one of the most-cycled cities in Europe, and you can rent a bike from one of the many bike rental stands. This is the best way to see the city like a true resident!
5. Take in Amsterdam’s Museums.  From The Museum of Bags and Purses to the Van Gogh Museum to The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s museums offer visitors an unparalleled experience of a broad variety of arts and culture.  Particularly recommended are the Anne Frank House (get there early to avoid long queues) and the Rembrandt House Museum.
6. Sample the Night Life.  Amsterdam boasts great pubs and clubs as well as the unique “brown cafes,” where “gezelligheid”’ (or “cosy”) is the word!
7. Get Your Bling On! Known as “The City of Diamonds,” Amsterdam has been a centre of the international diamond trade for more than 400 years. The Amsterdam Diamond Group offers guided tours where you can see diamonds being cut and polished, see jewellery and watches from top luxury brands like Cartier, Chanel and Rolex, and maybe even buy an “Amsterdam Cut” diamond for yourself or a loved one.
8. Enjoy World Cuisine. Amsterdam has always been a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural city, and its dining offerings show it. You’re just as likely to encounter Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Indonesian and Iranian restaurants as French, German, Flemish and even American ones.  
9. See the windmills. The Netherlands are famed for their iconic windmills. Just 9 miles north of Amsterdam is The Zaanse Schans, a fully inhabited, open-air conservation area and museum with vintage windmills from the 17th and 18th centuries. You can also see a wooden clog-making demonstration!
10. Check out the Red Light District – for the Fashion!  Several buildings in the famed Red Light District of Amsterdam have been transformed into exhibition spaces for some of the top up-and-coming Dutch fashion designers.  Find out more at the Redlight Fashion Amsterdam website.