4 Days in Amsterdam: The Itinerary with a Day Trip

The programme at a glance

Prices checked in October 2026. Schedule the day trip on a weekday, Tuesday to Friday: the Edams Museum is closed on Mondays and Volendam is less crowded than at weekends. If you would like to see the organic market at Nieuwmarkt, which fills the whole square on Saturdays, make day three a Saturday.

What to book before you go

Only two visits require a timed ticket, but the first one has to be planned six weeks ahead.

• Anne Frank House: tickets are sold only on the museum's website, never at the door. Every Tuesday at 10am Amsterdam time, all time slots for a day six weeks later go on sale. Expect to pay €16.50 per adult, €7 for ages 10 to 17 and €1 up to age 9, including a €1 booking fee. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.
• Rijksmuseum: €25 per adult, free up to age 18. Everyone must book an entry time, including Museumkaart holders.
• Marken Express: the boat between Volendam and Marken can be booked online; you exchange the confirmation email for your ticket at the harbour ticket booth in Volendam or Marken. Bookings cannot be cancelled.

The rest of the programme, Westerpark, the Western Islands, Nieuwmarkt, the Hortus Botanicus and Edam, needs no booking.

Day 1: Anne Frank, the Western Islands and Westerpark

Morning: the Anne Frank House and the northern Jordaan

Take an early slot at the Anne Frank House, open daily from 9:00 to 22:00, entrance at Westermarkt 20. Allow about an hour in the Secret Annex. As you come out, the tower of the Westerkerk rises right next door. Then walk north along the Prinsengracht to the Brouwersgracht, often described as one of the prettiest canals in the city, with its old warehouses and houseboats. The heart of the Jordaan is covered in our three-day itinerary: this morning, simply cross it along its northern edge.

Afternoon: the Western Islands

From Haarlemmerplein, go under the railway via the Planciusstraat, then follow the Sloterdijkstraat to the wooden drawbridge of the Sloterdijkerbrug. You are now on the Western Islands, three man-made islands laid out in the early 17th century for shipyards and warehouses. Cross Prinseneiland along the Galgenstraat, follow the Bickersgracht, cross the Drieharingenbrug and finish at the Zandhoek, the row of 17th-century houses facing the Westerdok. Allow an hour on foot in this residential area: keep your voice down and keep your distance from the lived-in houseboats.

Late afternoon and evening: Westerpark

West of the islands begins Westerpark, a public park with free access. It surrounds the Westergasfabriek, the late 19th-century gasworks turned cultural park: the large round gasholder (Gashouder) hosts concerts and events, and the brick buildings house restaurants, bars, galleries and an immersive art centre, the Fabrique des Lumières. Walk along the ponds, then have dinner there before heading back.

Day 2: the Rijksmuseum and the canal ring

Morning: the Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, is open every day from 9am to 5pm, public holidays included. Book the 9am slot and head first to the Gallery of Honour, home to Rembrandt's The Night Watch and the Vermeers, before the groups arrive. Allow two to three hours. Our three-day itinerary pairs this museum with the Van Gogh Museum and the Vondelpark; here, we suggest spending the afternoon on the canals instead.

Afternoon and evening: the canal ring

From the museum, walk north along the Spiegelgracht and the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, the antique dealers' streets, to the Herengracht. Follow it east to the Gouden Bocht, the "Golden Bend", where the richest 17th-century merchants built mansions twice as wide as ordinary houses, then continue to the Amstel. The district of the three main canals, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our page on the canals of Amsterdam explains their history, the best viewpoints and the cruises; an evening cruise is a good way to end the day without more walking.

Day 3: Nieuwmarkt, the Waag and the Plantage

Morning: the Waag and the Zeedijk

Metro 51, 53 or 54 stops at Nieuwmarkt station, one stop from Centraal Station. In the middle of the square stands the Waag, a 15th-century city gate with pointed turrets that later became the public weigh house; today it houses a café-restaurant. A market is held on the square on weekdays, and on Saturdays an organic market takes over the whole square. Then walk up the Zeedijk, one of the oldest streets in the city, towards the small Chinatown and the old harbour. The Rembrandt House, on the Jodenbreestraat, is five minutes south of the square if you want to add a visit.

Afternoon: the Plantage

Cross the Waterlooplein and the Amstel to reach the Plantage, a spacious 19th-century district with tree-lined avenues. The Hortus Botanicus, Plantage Middenlaan 2A, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, is open daily from 10am to 5pm; admission is €14.75 per adult and can only be paid by card. Right next door, the Wertheimpark runs along the Nieuwe Herengracht, and Artis zoo fills the heart of the district. At the end of the day, carry on east to the De Gooyer windmill, on the Funenkade, at the edge of the Oost district.

Day 4: day trip to Edam, Volendam and Marken

This fourth day is done by public transport, with no car and no organised tour. The plan: bus out to Edam, bus from Edam to Volendam, boat from Volendam to Marken, then bus and metro back.

Morning: Edam

At Centraal Station, take MeerPlus bus 316 (EBS network) towards Edam. It runs via Broek in Waterland and Monnickendam, reaches central Volendam in about 25 minutes and Edam bus station in 35 to 40 minutes. There are several departures an hour, every 15 minutes on Sunday daytime. Start with Edam, quieter in the morning: canals, drawbridges, the Speeltoren and the Damplein. The Edams Museum, Damplein 8, occupies a 16th-century merchant's house and, opposite, the former town hall. From 1 April to 31 October it is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4.30pm; from 1 November to 31 March only the house at Damplein 8 opens, on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission €8, €5.50 for ages 13 to 17, €3.50 for ages 6 to 12, free with the Museumkaart, card payment only.

Midday and afternoon: Volendam and the crossing to Marken

Take bus 316 back the other way for a few stops to central Volendam. Have lunch on the harbour dyke, then board the Marken Express at Haven 39; it crosses the Markermeer in about 30 minutes. In October 2026, regular sailings run every 45 minutes, from 10.30am to 5.15pm from Volendam and from 11.15am to 6pm from Marken, with extra boats when it is busy. The crossing is free up to age 3 and a child fare applies from 4 to 11; the adult price is shown when you book. Our page on Volendam and Marken covers the museums, the lighthouse and the wooden houses of Marken.

Evening: back via Amsterdam-Noord

From Marken, bus 315 runs to Noord metro station via Monnickendam and Broek in Waterland. Metro 52 then takes you back to Centraal Station. You can also do the whole route in reverse if you prefer to end the day in Edam.

Before setting off, check the day's timetable and any diversions in the MeerPlus app or on its website.

Getting around over the four days

In Amsterdam, GVB trams, buses and metros accept contactless bank cards, which you tap on the reader when you board and when you get off. A 1-hour ticket costs €3.40, a 24-hour ticket €10, a 72-hour ticket €21.50 and a 96-hour ticket €27.50. For the day trip, the MeerPlus Dagkaart Zaanstreek-Waterland costs €13.50 per adult and is valid all day on every MeerPlus bus in the region, including lines 315 and 316; it is sold on the bus, at MeerPlus service desks or online, and you must check in and out on every ride. Children travel free with the Kinderdagkaart. Metro 52, run by GVB, is not included in this ticket.

Indicative budget for four days

Prices checked in October 2026. Westerpark, the Western Islands, the canal ring, the Waag, the Wertheimpark and walking around Volendam and Marken cost nothing.

Further reading

For the historic centre, the Van Gogh Museum, De Pijp and Amsterdam-Noord, follow our Amsterdam in 3 days itinerary. To secure your time slots at the right moment, read our guide to booking tickets in Amsterdam, and if you enjoy the countryside, our guide to the Waterland villages suggests more stops north of Amsterdam, including Broek in Waterland.