1 Day in Amsterdam What To Do as a Couple
What to do if you only have 1 day in Amsterdam? With only one day to enjoy this beautiful and surprising city with so many possibilities, where do you begin? Amsterdam has so much to offer! Here you will marvel at the architecture and culture, bask in the amazing atmosphere and relish in all of the nightlife and activities available to you. I am Rocco, your guide to the city and I have created a comprehensive itinerary for you to dive into your one day in Amsterdam.
1 Day in Amsterdam let’s start
I love Amsterdam! I am a dancer and I have travelled all over the world with my profession and upon returning here, I was struck by the beauty and romance of the city. So much so, that I decided to share the unique and often unseen elements Amsterdam has to offer. I have created many one of a kind tours to delight visitors to this unparalleled place. I love to share my passion and experience that only a local can give. And as you only have 1 day in Amsterdam, I’m creating an itinerary so that you can easily walk or take a short tram to every location to squeeze every drop from this delightful city.
Start with Pancakes on your One day in Amsterdam
Pancakes in Amsterdam from the pancake bakery is always a good start
Waking in your hotel after a great night’s sleep, I recommend an early morning pancake breakfast as your first stop on the 1st day in Amsterdam itinerary. A Dutch perennial favourite, we eat them for breakfast and lunch and most often at dinnertime with all kinds of toppings hot and cold, fruit to meat and back again, the Dutch love pancakes. You can eat them in a traditional Dutch canalside warehouse Pancake Bakery to enjoy the quintessential Amsterdam breakfast.
Museums in Amsterdam
The most famous painting of the Netherlands. “The Nightwatch” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Photographer: Václav Pluhař
Our next stop on our 1 day in Amsterdam is the Rijksmuseum, an astonishing museum in a city with the most museums per square km. Full of works from the Dutch master painters, like Rembrandt Van Rijn including the famous ‘Nightwatch’, it is a delight to experience especially on a romantic morning together in Amsterdam.
Visiting the Van Gogh museum is a special and unique experience. Photographer: Jean Carlo Emer
And if you have some time before lunch, why not take a short walk across the road to the inspiring Van Gogh Museum? When you enter the museum you dive deeply into the life of this celebrated and tortured artist. You move through his time in France, his influences, his friendships and relationship with his brother, framed by his masterworks and personal letters. An exceptional museum and well worth a visit on your whistle-stop tour of 1 day in Amsterdam. I have written about Amsterdam’s other museums on my blog The Best Museums for Couples in Amsterdam.
Traditional Dutch food for Lunch
What is next on your Amsterdam in 1 day itinerary? Why not experience a traditional Dutch meal? One famous dish is Stamppot, a simple but delicious meal of mashed potato and vegetables and if you like accompanied by meatballs or sausage. This is served at a lovely and quaint restaurant Sonneveld, authentically Dutch and very yummy.
Flower Power in Amsterdam
The famous Flower Market in Amsterdam is a must-visit when you enjoy the city. Photographer: Carlotta Segna
After you have dined together for a lovely lunch and romantic time, you can take a walk to the Flower Market. Here there are flowers, tulips, Dutch ceramics and many dutch souvenirs there. It’s open every day and full of visitors and locals alike. It is undoubtedly an entertaining place to visit.
Buying marvellous tulips on your 1-day break to Amsterdam. Photographer: Alice Dietrich
If you are passionate about flowers and gardening, you can also visit the Tulip Museum shop, you can buy gorgeous tulip bulbs from ancient varieties and bring them home to plant as an everlasting memory of your 1 day in Amsterdam.
Afternoon Delights in Amsterdam
The Dutchess restaurant in Amsterdam it’s a must-visit place.
After most of the day walking through streets, museums and bustling city life, why not take a pause and savour the moment? Well look no further, a few minutes walk from the Flower Market is an outstandingly beautiful and luxurious restaurant The Duchess. It is renowned for serving afternoon tea that is just out of this world. With exquisite teas and an amazing variety of champagne with instagrammable cakes in a gorgeous location with the most comfortable chairs to relax your well walked feet. A delicious moment to enjoy in your 1 day in Amsterdam together.
Walk through Amsterdam
Amsterdam and its magical canals. Photographer: Vinícius Henrique
Afterwards how about lingering over bridges, hand in hand taking a stroll with your loved one on a summer’s afternoon? Or on a winter’s afternoon walking, wrapped up close, moving through the city streets appreciating the sights and sounds and discovering Amsterdam at its most intimate. All of this on the way to your next stop on our 1 day in Amsterdam itinerary?
No one day in Amsterdam would be complete without mentioning an afternoon stroll through the iconic Jordaan. As you leave the cafe, you can stroll by majestic old Dutch houses, charming streets, elegantly lit bridges and the glistening gentle canals as your backdrop. Picture yourself there, hand in hand, soaking in the remarkable romantic atmosphere.
Gently down the canals of Amsterdam on a boat
The boat is ready for a Romantic Canal Tour in Amsterdam
Or why not this? You are snuggling with your beloved in a beautiful little boat, water lapping over the sides producing a gentle soundscape along with the sounds of the birds when all of a sudden you realise the busy streets seem miles away. You open your eyes and the picturesque 17th-century buildings are your landscape or maybe you are travelling under the mysterious and atmospheric Seven Bridges for what must be Amsterdam’s ultimate romantic evening.
The true magic comes out in Amsterdam when the sun has set. Photographer: Jordi Moncasi
At Romantic Tour Amsterdam, I offer both group and private romantic tours and also our hugely popular marriage proposal tours. I offer these to guide you on a gentle adventure that includes love stories, bubbles and h’or d’oeuvres that add a little magic to your 1 day in Amsterdam. Click here to know more.
A marriage proposal on the romantic canal tour in Amsterdam
Romantic Restaurant in Amsterdam
We slowly enter the evening after a full day relishing the romantic city of Amsterdam and it’s time for dinner. My top recommendation for a meal in a romantic restaurant is the exotic flavours of Indonesia. Indonesia was in the past a colony of The Netherlands and is the second-best place in the world to experience this flavourful cuisine. Long Pura is a great example of Indonesian food and culture, right here in the heart of Amsterdam. When you are there why not enjoy a Rice Table, a platter of different dishes served with rice, perfect to share.
Date Night in Amsterdam
Going out with your friends and visit the famous Red Light District in Amsterdam. Photographer: Gio Mikava
After your delicious dinner and the adventure of this most alluring city calls you, why not spend the evening out together absorbing the nightlife of Amsterdam? First you can walk through the Red Light district, world-famous for the women working here. A unique place with its own unmistakable atmosphere, you can discover for yourselves why so many people visit this part of the city. You can simply walk through the streets, stopping at the window shows, or for the more adventurous amongst you, some of the women there are happy to work with couples. And if you are interested in knowing more about Amsterdam nightlife, you can read more about it here in my blog: What to do in Amsterdam at night.
See a Rooftop bar in Amsterdam
The most beautiful rooftop in Amsterdam: Skylounge bar. Photographer: Gio Mikava
And now our last stop in our one day in Amsterdam. Not to be missed, the Skylounge is a rooftop bar that has THE most amazing views across the city! See the lights from the magnificent four-time award-winning Hotel Bar. Enjoy a cocktail toasting your day together and from 9pm you can listen to DJ’s and mingle with international visitors and local inhabitants, dancing away your last hours away in this 1 day in Amsterdam to remember.
Already the end of your 1 day in Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s charm is never-ending. Photographer: Kian Lem
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, it was my pleasure to create an itinerary for you that filled the day with an abundance of highlights that Amsterdam has to offer. We have revealed in this blog, the best museums to visit when you only have one day, a snapshot of Dutch food culture with our meal offerings, invited you to dive into some of the city’s most romantic activities and tempted you with the eclectic nature of Amsterdam’s nightlife. Wow, what a day! It was my intention to send you home knowing you have gotten to know this energetic metropolis, even in one day.
And if you are interested in walking through the city with me as your guide, I offer a Romantic Walking Tour through the charming streets.
I look forward to meeting you when you come to the city
With love
Rocco
Creator of Romantic Tour Amsterdam