Credit: Jamie Frith
Listening to amazing stories of the land famous for its tulips, cheese and windmills has geared you up to plan a trip there! But where do you begin planning?
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Set a budget. And stick to it.
Start stalking all the airlines. Try to get a ticket during the promotion season. That will save you tons of money. You don’t have to get a direct flight, sometimes connection flights are cheaper, if you don’t mind the extra flight hour added.
Accommodation. If you have a big budget, you can opt for hotels. If your budget is a bit tight, try looking at hostel or backpackers lodge or Breakfast & Bed. Google is your best bet for this.
Change the currency. Not all money changers offer the same rate so look around, ask around. Sometimes places like malls offer better rates. Try to avoid changing money at the airport!
Transportation. When you get there, train and trams are great ways to get around.
#HHWT Tip: Get an I Amsterdam City Card to enjoy discounts and sometimes free rides and entry to museums and other places. You can buy it online and collect it as soon as you arrive Amsterdam.
Warning! Amsterdam locals love to ride bicycles so make sure to look left and right before crossing the road. You do not want to get run down by them!
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Things to do there
Amsterdam Canal Cruise
Boat tour in Amsterdam
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Hop on a boat and get the lay of the city from the water. The cruise is about an hour ride around the protected canal ring and you’ll be able to jot down interesting places to visit on foot later along the way. Check out cruise operators like Holland International, Canal, Blue Boat and Rederij Kooij.
#HHWT Tip: Buy the tickets online ahead of time for a discount price. There’s also a hop-on hop-off service offered if you prefer to do some sightseeing too 
Museum and Gallery tour
Rijksmuseum
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Amsterdam has more than 400 museums to visit. Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum are among the top 3 picks. Head over to the Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter and you’ll be able to dash in and out of museums after museums.
#HHWT Tip: If art is your thing, get the Amsterdam Holland Pass which offers you huge savings and fast track entry to museums and attractions in Amsterdam.
Getting there: Tram 2 and 5 from Amsterdam Central Station
Photo Hotspot – I Amsterdam letters
Credit: Miguel Angel Lorente
These huge letters can be spotted near the Rijksmuseum. You’ve always seen it in pictures, now you can be in the picture too! Say cheese! 
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Anne Frank House museum
Oh Anne..
Credit: Anne Frank House
Remember reading that famous Anne Frank diary from World War II? Well, now you get to visit the place where the late Anne Frank lived in hiding with her family for more than 2 years. Oh, and the original diary is on display! It’s an eye-opening experience but be prepared to wait a bit as the queue can get pretty long.
#HHWT Tip: Try visiting either early in the morning or towards the end of the day to avoid the long line.
Ticket prices:
Adults: euro 9,-
Age 10-17: euro 4,50
Age 0-9: free
European Youth Card: euro 4,50
Online ticket: + € 0,50
Opening hours: Open daily from 9 am to 10 pm from April-October, 9 am to 7 pm (until 9 pm n Saturdays) from November-March
Getting there: 20 minutes walk from Amsterdam Central Station or take Trams 13, 14 and 17 and buses 170, 172 and 174 stop nearby, at the ‘Westermarkt’ stop.
Website
Wax on Wax off – Madame Tussauds
Albert Einstein in the wax…get it?
Credit: Meder
Meet famous people all in one place at the amazing world of Madame Tussauds. Located on Dam Square in Amsterdam and quite close by to Anne Franks House. Go crazy snapping pictures with famous performers, royalty, film stars, artists…you name it! Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.
#HHWT Tip: Buy the tickets online and save a few euros. You also get into the fast-track queue.
Website
Getting there: A 10-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station or take Tram 1, 2, 5, 17 and 20 and stop at Magna Plaza/Dam stop or Tram 4, 9, 16, 20, 24, 25 and stop at Bijenkorf/Dam stop
Street Market – Albert Cuypstraat
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Spend a day with the locals at Amsterdam’s biggest street market, Albert Cuypstraat. You’ll see stalls selling stuff like leather goods, clothes, flowers, organic produce, waffles and fresh stroopwaffles!
#HHWT Tip: If you’re planning to buy souvenirs, this place has plenty and the price is cheaper than other places in the rest of the city.
Opening hours: Open daily except Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm.
Getting there: From Amsterdam Central Station, either take tram 16 or 24 and get off at Stadhouderskade or Albert Cuyp Straat. You can also walk from Dam Square down Rokin and Vijzelstraat, it’s a 20-minute walk.
Country sightseeing – Zaanse Schans
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Venture just a little bit out of Amsterdam to see the Dutch country side. A short 15 to 20 minutes’ train ride from Amsterdam Central Station will get you to Zaanse Schans. It’s like a little town with beautiful houses and canals. There’s also big old-school windmills, a traditional wooden shoe workshop and a cheese factory! Plus, the view there is spectacular if you ask me. You can also stir your own hot chocolate in a local chocolate shop there! Yummy!
Food Galore!
Bazar Amsterdam
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They say that this is one of the most popular Halal restaurants in the city. It’s at the Albert Cuypstraat and you can get there from Amsterdam Central Station. You can choose light meals like salads and sandwiches or if you feel hungry then go for the large lunches and main dishes.
Address: Albert Cuypstraat 182, 1073 BL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 675 054
Opening Hours: Open daily from 10 am to 12 pm
Website
The Halal Food Restaurant
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How obvious can you get right? It’s just 7 minutes walk from Amsterdam Central Station and they have the usual Turkish menu like falafel, kebab, fish and soup. And it’s right beside another halal restaurant called The Gandhi Restaurant. Go ahead…choose!
Address: Damrak 54 – 1012 LL Amsterdam Netherlands
Phone: +31 020 – 638 32 22 / 06 25 09 72 94
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday – 12 pm – 12am, Saturday and Sunday – 12pm – 3 am
Warung Spang Makandra
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This small but fast service restaurant serves delicious Javanese meals. What to try here? The deep fried banana with peanut sauce with their homemade ginger juice!
Getting there: From Amsterdam Central Station, either take tram 16 or 24 and get off at Stadhouderskade or Albert Cuyp Straat. From there, it’s a 2 minutes walk to the restaurant.
Address: Gerard Doustraat 39, 1072 VK Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 670 5081
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 11 pm – 10 pm, Sunday 1 pm – 10 pm
Wau Maleis Sate Restaurant
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It’s a bit pricey here but has delicious food and is big enough to fit a large family gathering. They serve Malaysian menu like fried rice and fried noodles. A walking distance from Amsterdam Central Station. Give it a try!
Address: Zeedijk 35, 1012 AR Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone: +31204212487
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12 -11pm, Monday and Sunday – Closed
Beautiful Amsterdam
Credit: Adam Smok
So there you go folks! A bit of information to get you around Amsterdam. There are tons of great places to go to in Amsterdam and this article wont be able to cover it all but at least you get an idea of places to go to. And you’ll also find interesting places to visit along the way so be flexible and enjoy the trip. Be as adventurous as you can.