Explore the city
One of the most memorable ways to see the city is from the water. A canal cruise in the morning gives you a different perspective on Amsterdam’s leaning gabled houses, quiet bridges and reflections shifting in the early light.
Travel Seen tip: It’s usually best to go with the flow and book once you’re there so you can choose a clear, bright morning and make the most of the experience when the weather is on your side.
De Pjip
Where to shop
One standout is Rika Studios, a quietly stylish with the feel of a lived-in canal house. Founded by former stylist Ulrika Lundgren, it pairs a thoughtfully designed guest apartment with a boutique filled with elevated wardrobe staples, independent jewellery brands and unique fragrance labels.
Rika Studios
Tables worth booking
Start the afternoon at Little Bonfire for a relaxed aperitif then make your way to The Dylan. It feels less like a hotel and more like staying at your rich aunt and uncle’s impossibly chic canal house. Even if you’re not staying there, the bar is a destination in itself. Their house Riesling, made exclusively for the hotel, is crisp, fresh and dangerously easy to linger over.
Vondelpark
Little Bonfire
Culture fix
Travel Seen tip: head to the nearby Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium Hotel for lunch at Ottolenghi, where a delicious produce-led menu makes for an easy and elegant break from exploring.
The Travel Seen take
Amsterdam has a way of making you settle into the moment. Mornings stretch a little slower along the canals, afternoons disappear down quiet side streets and long lunches, and evenings often end with a glass of wine by the water. Relaxed yet effortlessly stylish, it’s the kind of city that feels easy to return to, even before you’ve left.
