{"id":9456,"date":"2024-10-06T21:50:21","date_gmt":"2024-10-06T21:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/justpaste.in\/blogs\/the-lazy-guide-to-a-weekend-in-amsterdam\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T10:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:08:32","slug":"the-lazy-guide-to-a-weekend-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/justpaste.in\/blogs\/the-lazy-guide-to-a-weekend-in-amsterdam\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Essential Guide To A Weekend In Amsterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2026because sometimes all you really want to do is enjoy your visit!<\/p>\n

Sounds like a silly thing to say but travel can sometimes be a lot of hard work. There\u2019s so much planning, mapping, sightseeing and a whole host of other activities that go into it that you end up leaving your holiday needing another holiday to recover from the one you just had.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, I know this feeling only too well, your excitement and enthusiasm for the place you’re visiting take over and before you know it, you\u2019re spending 18 hours of your day sightseeing with very little time in between for sleep or any actual relaxation.<\/p>\n

Now, while I totally understand travelling this way the first couple of times you visit a destination, I totally think one of the greatest joys of re-visiting a place<\/a> is the freedom that comes from knowing you\u2019ve ticked off most of the major sights and can actually spend time now thoroughly enjoying the city.<\/p>\n

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This is the point when it\u2019s no longer about the city bending to accommodate your plans but instead is all about you relaxing and letting the city decide what your plans are.<\/p>\n

It’s just such a refreshing change to the more active travelling and even better still, is one of the best ways to truly get to know a city.<\/p>\n

Best of all, it comes without all the pressure that comes with being there for the first time.<\/p>\n

kinda like the difference between going on a first date and after being in a relationship for a few years. everything is so much easier and natural by that point.<\/p>\n

ams<\/p>\n

Anyway, why all this preamble?<\/p>\n

Well, as you might know, we\u2019ve been to Amsterdam quite a few times and had so many different experiences every time we\u2019ve visited and so, on our recent trip back to Amsterdam (which is nostalgic in a lot of ways as our very first trip, several years before even thinking of starting Hand Luggage Only was actually to Amsterdam, we decided that this trip would be a relaxed, no plans, no stress, no fuss visit to Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

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Needless to say, it felt very appropriate to be returning to one of our favourite cities in a similar fashion to the first time, albeit several pounds heavier and with a much richer appreciation for the city.<\/p>\n

Before I begin properly (you\u2019re probably like \u201cWhat? This post hasn\u2019t even begun yet?!<\/em>\u201d), it’s worth noting that this lazy guide to Amsterdam applies particularly if you\u2019re just looking to have a nice relaxed holiday.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of sights to see in Amsterdam and even more things to see and do but that\u2019s not what this is about (we\u2019ve got you covered on those in this post here<\/a> and here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

This is all about letting Amsterdam be Amsterdam and taking you along on a ride.<\/p>\n

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FRIDAY<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You could arrive early if you like but this is a lazy guide dammit and you deserve a nice lie-in!<\/p>\n

To be honest, chances are that you\u2019re probably going to be leaving for Amsterdam after you\u2019re done with work (like we did the first time) so you\u2019ll leave in the evening but as Amsterdam is only about 45 minutes away, you\u2019ll be there even quicker from London than it would take you to get to Manchester or Edinburgh (it\u2019s also equally quick to get to Amsterdam from Manchester or Edinburgh, I might add).<\/p>\n

You fly into Schiphol, which is a gem or is a seriously huge airport and is home to quite a few gems but it’s late and you\u2019ve got enough time to explore it on Sunday when you leave for home so you head out, grab your train and head into the city.<\/p>\n

Now, to make things totally easy, book this unlimited Amsterdam public transport card<\/a> before arriving. It’s so easy and one of the best ways to get around Amsterdam. <\/p>\n

Where to stay?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve stayed in quite a few places before but this time, we stayed in the Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy (which is now a Hoxton Hotel).<\/p>\n

It’s a hotel, I realised later on that I\u2019ve seen quite a few times and never really paid attention to, despite its grand Art Deco exterior, aside from making a few Lloyd namesake-related jokes and comments.<\/p>\n

You know, the usual lame ones like; \u201cOh Lloyd, you didn\u2019t tell us you owned a hotel here<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The Lloyd Hotel, by the way, is incredible!<\/p>\n

You step in and initially have this whole Grand Budapest Hotel meets Rocky Horror Show vibe but once you make your way through its rather eclectic hallways, you very quickly realise that this is not your average hotel.<\/p>\n

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Look at that bed for starters! How huge is that???<\/p>\n

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Then there\u2019s the design of the different rooms and floors. As it turns out, this hotel used to be a prison and throughout your entire stay, you\u2019ll never be able to place the hotel into a \u2018category\u2019 even when you look at its clientele.<\/p>\n

The hotel is 1* to 5* and has a wide range of rooms and prices to fit that too! I\u2019ve never heard of this concept before and I love the whole egalitarian nature of it \u2013 everyone is welcome here regardless of your budget.<\/p>\n

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The designs are so eclectic and hard to pinpoint to any specific genre and there\u2019s a surprise at every corner. And there\u2019s the \u2018Cultural Embassy\u2019 element of the hotel which, and I quote \u201cplays host to a variety of cultural events, introduce people to one another and give them the lowdown on Amsterdam cultural life\u201d.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the most unique places I\u2019ve ever stayed in and I seriously can\u2019t recommend it enough!<\/p>\n

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Later that evening\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019re all checked in, all freshened up and ready for anything! Seeing as you\u2019ve had a long week, I\u2019d say have a chilled evening, food, a few drinks perhaps and just enjoy yourself.<\/p>\n

The weekend is young and you\u2019ve still got Saturday evening to hit the town properly \u2013 you don\u2019t wanna peak too soon.<\/p>\n

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Dinner will be at the Hotel Restaurant, partly out of laziness but mostly because the food here is seriously good and at a very decent price too!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about \u20ac15 for a 3-course meal – a price that won\u2019t even get you a decent meal in de Bijenkorf these days.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re done with dinner, it’s your prerogative whether you want to head to a local bar for a few bevvies or retire for the evening.<\/p>\n

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SATURDAY<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Morning<\/strong><\/p>\n

Treat yourself to a good lie-in and wake up fairly late. Not too late to miss out on breakfast though \u2013 that finishes at 10.30 am and so you wanna be there on time, even if it\u2019s just to grab a few pastries and a coffee.<\/p>\n

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Have a nice long bath and take the time to enjoy your hotel. Most times, we all make such an effort to look for the best hotels possible, only to abandon them the entire time we visit and use them just for its bed.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve taken the time to make sure your hotel has a spa\/pool\/extra comfy beds\/whatever, this is the trip to use it.<\/p>\n

Leaving the hotel, head out for a stroll through the city centre\u2026 but then again, this is Amsterdam. You need to get yourself a bike to explore the city with.<\/p>\n

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Plus you get to sit the entire time, which is as close to lazy as we can get while exploring the city.<\/p>\n

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If you haven\u2019t seen any specific sights before now, perhaps pop into a couple of them, but only after you\u2019ve had a coffee in one of the many lovely cafes that are dotted all around Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

The shopping here is pretty good too so do pop into whichever ones tickle your fancy.<\/p>\n

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Afternoon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Time for lunch.<\/p>\n

I realise this now more so than the first time I visited but Amsterdam has some pretty fantastic restaurants and the culinary scene here is pretty amazing.<\/p>\n

See, this is the thing about venturing off the well-trodden tourist path, the first time we visited, I was so unimpressed by the food offered in Amsterdam \u2013 it was overpriced and not particularly great. The same kinda held true for the next time.<\/p>\n

By the time we visited the city for the third time (friends in tow), we started to discover a few hidden gems across the city and soon began to find amazing places to eat in the city.<\/p>\n

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Thankfully, we left those leathery steak days behind by the third time we visited and have found several amazing places across the city.<\/p>\n

Let me know in the comments or via email if you need any recommendations and I\u2019ll rustle up a post with all our top culinary recommendations for the city.<\/p>\n

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After lunch, time for a boat tour.<\/p>\n

This is the best way to see the city and one that is perfectly in tune with our lazy weekend. Amsterdam\u2019s canals are definitely best explored by boat.<\/p>\n

You can either get yourself a private boat (which is great as you get a bit more flexibility) or you can get a more common group boat (which is great for its wallet-friendliness).<\/p>\n

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All this lazy boat touring can make you work up quite an appetite so do head over to Winkel 43 for the most famous apple pies in all the city!<\/p>\n

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Evening<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pop into a bar for a quick drink before heading back to your hotel to get ready for the night.<\/p>\n

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Night Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

First things first \u2013 dinner! Again, there\u2019s so much choice on offer in the city so the city is your oyster really! We decided to head over to Guts and Glory<\/strong> for what turned out to be quite the culinary delight.<\/p>\n

I only wish there was more as the meals were amazing though a tad on the light side as I was starving.<\/p>\n

The menu is dedicated to a specific place\/theme and everything you get is inspired and influenced by that theme.<\/p>\n

You get no choice when it comes to what you eat \u2013 the chef decides for you based on that theme. All you do is sit back, relax and scoff whatever comes out of the kitchen – which, now that I think about it, is perfectly in keeping with the laziness theme of the weekend.<\/p>\n

*We had originally planned to go to a bedroom-themed restaurant (the ultimate in lazy dining) called Supperclub but as fate would have it, that afternoon, they ended up with some problems in their kitchen (malfunctioning devices or flooding or something\u2026 can\u2019t remember which) and so they had to shut their kitchen down for the evening.<\/p>\n

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The rest of the night?<\/p>\n

Dance your night away at many of the city\u2019s amazing clubs\u2026 or go to bed. The choice is entirely yours. The weekend is yours and you have no one to answer to but yourself! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

SUNDAY<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Morning<\/strong><\/p>\n

The same situation applies – have a lie-in but not so late that you miss breakfast.<\/p>\n

Head into town at your own leisure and slowly cycle through the city, stopping pretty much anything and everything that takes your fancy. You don\u2019t even have to bother taking your camera if you don\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n

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Later that morning, find a good place for brunch. It might seem a bit too early to eat after just having breakfast but this is brunch we\u2019re talking about \u2013 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll find a way to make sure you save some space in your tummy for it.<\/p>\n

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Afternoon<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve still got time after brunch before you need to head to the airport, try to make your way to the museum quarter.<\/p>\n

Amsterdam\u2019s museums are a nice and lazy way to finish off your trip, especially if you\u2019ve never been before (if you have \u2013 skip this, unless you really want to).<\/p>\n

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You can also head over to the Sunday market at Westergasfabriek (though it does alternate between two other sites – the IJburg harbour (Krijn Taconiskade) and Roest Caf\u00e9 (Jacob Bontiusplaats).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the perfect place to find little knick-knacks you neither want nor need and to while away your free time.<\/p>\n

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Late Afternoon\/Evening<\/strong><\/p>\n

Time to head home.<\/p>\n

Pick your stuff up from the Lloyd Hotel and head to the airport.<\/p>\n

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12 Very Best Things To Do In Amsterdam (Ultimate City Guide, With Google Maps Pins)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n