On our way back from Efteling (read about our trip here), I had 24 hours to spare in Amsterdam with a kid.

I lived in Amsterdam for a year, so I was SO excited to show my son the city, as I love it. Everyone thinks it’s a seedy location, and there are areas I’d recommend you skip if travelling with kids, but you can have a great day, or weekend away in Amsterdam as there are so many activities your kids will enjoy.

Getting around Amsterdam with a kid

We used Citymapper or google maps whenever we needed to use public transport to check timings and location, and bought E-Tickets through the 9292.nl app, which was so easy to use.

I hired a bike from Black’s Bikes in Amsterdam. It was quite a last minute decision so we just walked to the closest location, but if you’re looking for a child seat, or a cargo bike, I’d recommend booking in advance on their website. I rented a helmet for my son through them, but if you have space, next time I’d take my own. Also hire a phone holder so you can follow googlemaps easily – it was a lifesaver.

I used to live in Amsterdam, so I know my way around, I understand that the streets are mostly one-way, what to do at junctions and just have experience cycling around Amsterdam, but if you’re not so confident, it might be best to use public transport or walk! There are also some incredibly steep bridges to cycle over, so don’t let anyone fool you into thinking Amsterdam is flat!

We used the metro to get from Amsterdam to the airport, plus the trams are a really fun way to get around if you aren’t comfortable cycling.

Walking is also a great way to get around and the streets are fine to use a buggy or pushchair on.

We flew into and out of Amsterdam Schiphol with Easyjet, as the flights are around 40minutes, so you could do an Amsterdam trip in a day (depending on how bad EES and Visas make immigration queues!).

First Afternoon in Amsterdam

We had lunch on the train from Tilburg, and arrived into Amsterdam around 12:30pm.

We walked to our hotel to drop our bags off, and were greeted with a really warm welcome by the front desk staff.

We then walked to Black’s Bikes to pick up our bike, and hopped on ready for a cycle across Amsterdam.

We rode through Rijksmuseum, Zuiderkerkbuurt, and along Rokin to get to NEMO Science Museum – it was around a 15min cycle, with a few stops to take photos. If you don’t want to pay for entry, or do not have enough time, you can reach the rooftop for free. It gives great rooftop views over Amsterdam, and has a cafe so you can have drinks watching the sun set.

Next door to the NEMO Science Museum is the National Maritime Museum, which is also great for kids. We didn’t have time for it, but it is on our list for next time.

Our evening in Amsterdam

On the way back from NEMO, we popped into Albert Heijn, the Dutch supermarket to pick up picnic bits for dinner, as we had a sunset canal cruise booked with Lovers.nl. The canal cruises are best at nighttime as you have the lights sparkling, and it’s beautiful, whereas in the day there’s not a lot to see.

I booked it to give our legs a rest, but this could be something to skip if you don’t have time. My son was pretty bored, but luckily the snacks and a game or two of eye spy kept him occupied!

We headed back to the hotel around 7pm to relax as we’d had a long few days in Efteling and were getting pretty tired.

Which hotel to stay in Amsterdam?

We stayed in Banks Mansion in Amsterdam and it was amazing. We were upgraded to a suite, and there is a free minibar, free drinks downstairs and a free breakfast. It’s art deco and has views over the canals which was amazing waking up to.

We’ve stayed in Airbnb’s before, and in the Mariott (for work), but this time I really struggled to choose. We were only staying for a night, so wanted to be really central, I didn’t want to spend too much (but wanted a good spot), and I was travelling with a kid, so needed somewhere that wasn’t too ‘adult’ or too ‘seedy’!

We were also looking at the NH hotels , specifically the City Centre one, but managed to get a cheap last minute deal at Banks Mansion, through their website directly.

Our morning in Amsterdam

Being a very different trip to Amsterdam as just a mum and a son, compared to previous friend or partner trips, we woke up very bright and early after a super comfortable sleep at the Banks Mansion.

It was absolutely beautiful seeing the city wake up over the canal. We had breakfast number one at the hotel, then headed out to get to Amsterdam Zoo (ARTIS) as soon as it opened. We travelled via Albert Heijn for snacks and fruit, then parked the bike up at Amsterdam Zoo.

It is cheaper to pre-book tickets in advance for Artis, and the enclosures are fairly small, although they are much, much better than the last time I visited in 2014. They have elephants, zebra, giraffe, antelopes, lions and pumas too. They do a lot of conservation work, and we didn’t see any particularly stressed animals, so I’m glad it’s got better for the animals.

We then travelled to have our second breakfast at a Petit Lou in Amsterdam, as they serve dairy-free pancakes! This was fantastic news to both of us, plus they had oat milk for my son to drink, and overall it was a delicious option. It got quite full, so I’d recommend a reservation.

From there, we cycled around Amsterdam, via Melly’s Stroopwafels for some dairy free stroopwafels, and down to Spui to visit the Begijnhof, which is one of my favourite secret spots in Amsterdam.

From there, we dropped our bike back off with Black’s Bikes, headed back to Banks Mansion to pick our bag up, and then headed on the metro to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

Also, if you’re travelling to Amsterdam without children, my favourite cocktail bar is Door 74!