How to Spend a Day in Amsterdam (From Ijmuiden Cruise Port)

Oh, Amsterdam. I love you so dutch!

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It's been 6 years since I was last in Amsterdam, so when we found it as a port of call on our recent European cruise, I was over the moon to be going back.

While some cruises dock right in Amsterdam by the Centraal Station, we weren't quite as lucky. We were docked in Ijmuiden (don't ask me how to pronounce that ha) , which is about a 45min-1hr bus ride from Amsterdam. The good news is it is quite easy to get into Amsterdam. The best way is to book a transfer through your cruise line. I know.. I know.. normally cruise lines rip you off with their excursion prices, but this one wasn't bad. The second option is to use the shuttle bus at the cruise terminal. As soon as you walk into the cruise terminal there is a sign for the bus and it's easy to find. It is $50 or 45 euro roundtrip (as of July 2025). Both will drop you off right by Amsterdam Centraal Station.

Once you get into Amsterdam there are so many options on what to see and do, that prioritizing is key. If you are big into museums, you can visit the Musuemplein to see the massive Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, or Moco Museum. If you're ready for a good time maybe you're interested in a walking tour of "coffee shops" and the Red Light District or the Heineken Experience.

Since we had previously done the museums and the hop on hop off canal cruise, we wanted to do something different this time. Here's how we decided to spend our port day in Amsterdam:

We started off strong by visiting the oldest bakery in Amsterdam, Hans Egstorf for a stroopwafel (17 min walk from Amsterdam Centraal)

A stroopwafel is a Dutch national treasure: two thin waffle like cookies stuffed with gooey warm caramel filling. Ahh my mouth is drooling just thinking about them. They were a bit pricey here, but they were huge and made fresh right there in front of you. Prepare to get sticky!

We enjoyed munching by the nearby canal and then took a stroll around De 9 Straatjes, which is a beautiful area full of shops and restaurants (3 min walk).

We made our way towards the Anne Frank House (10 min walk). If you're looking to go in the Anne Frank house, you'll definitely need to book tickets well in advance. Regardless, though it's an area worth checking out because we discovered a hidden gem and the highlight of our day in this area. PEDAL BOATS!

Yes, canal cruises are a classic Amsterdam thing to do, but actually getting in your own boat and peddling your way around the canals without a guide was so fun. The rental place was called "Amsterdam Stromma" city canal tours pedal boats. In person it is 35 euro to rent the boat (no matter how many passengers, max 4) online it was 20euro to rent the boat even the day of (July 2025 prices). They give you a QR code to scan that loads a map with simple set directions of where to go in the canals so you can't get lost. It is essentially one giant loop and takes about 1-1.5hr. I will say at first it was a little scary when a big canal boat came by, but you get used to it really quick. They have the right away, so just stay to the side until they pass you.

Following this, we headed to "Puccini Bomboni", which was recommended to us by a local for a piece of chocolate. (6 min walk) We each bought one piece as a sample and I can see why it was recommended. Scrumptious!

We continued what turned into our own food tour with a stop at Hoppe (10 min walk), which is one of Amsterdam's most famous brown cafes serving people since 1670. What's a brown cafe, you ask? A brown cafe is a pub with a cozy, dark wooden interior serving Dutch beers and snacks. The cherry on top was how friendly they were. Asking us about where we're from and our travels so far. We ordered an adult bevvy and split the classic Dutch bitterballen, which is basically gravy and meat deep fried in ball form. How can you go wrong with that?

We walked off our fried balls at Bloemenmarkt (7 min walk), which is a large floating flower market. If you're looking to purchase tulip bulbs or souveniers, this is the spot. I haven't tried to buy tulips here, but they do claim you can bring them back to the USA through customs with the paperwork. I really enjoyed the cheese shops in this area "Gouda's my favorite" (If you haven't seen the movie 'She's the Man', it's a must). They offer free samples to try the cheeses before you purchase. A lot of unique ones and all high quality.

One last stop before heading back to Amsterdam Centraal. I am a fry lover, so we had to visit the viral spot for parmesean cheese fries with truffle mayo, Fabel Friet Runstraat (10 min walk). Sometimes viral things are a hit or miss because it could be for an aesthetic instagram pic, or people say it's good just because they want to jump on the bandwagon, but I'm telling you these were hands down the best fries I've ever had! Don't let the long line deter you, it moves so fast. They have it down to a science and because they have to pump them out quick, they're hot and fresh. Make sure to respect the surrounding businesses by not lingering around with your fries and blocking their business. There is a nearby canal you can easily eat at (and get a view). My only regret was splitting one. My fat ass could have happily eaten the whole thing myself.

Following this we made the 20min walk back to Amsterdam Centraal, stopping along the way at a few shops, to catch our bus back to the ship!

Now get out there and have a (amster) dam good time!

**If you're not coming in on a cruise ship and reading just to find out how to spend a day in Amsterdam, I would recommend staying at the fabulous Banks Mansion, which you can read more about here