On our way to Kenya for our amazing safari experience, we chose a flight with long layover in Amsterdam. We figured it would be a nice way to break up from a long travel day from Houston to Nairobi, and give our whole family the opportunity to see a new city.
Our layover was about nine hours. In doing some research, I learned that since Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is centrally-located and has easy access to public transportation, that nine hours was enough time to see some of the city’s sights.
Here are the things we did with the kids during our long layover in Amsterdam. I hope it inspires you for your quick visit to Amsterdam too!
Getting out of the airport
We were able to leave our luggage in lockers at Schiphol, then take a bus into town. There is a big bus and train stop at the airport. You can learn more about public transportation to and from Schiphol here.
Based on our timing schedule, we decided to take a bus to town (getting off at the Museumplein stop), then a train from Amsterdam Centraal train station back to the airport later.
Museums
The two main things I wanted to do in Amsterdam were to visit the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. We were able to do both, but were not able to take photos inside, so don’t have much to show you visually.
To go to the Van Gogh Museum, we exited the bus at the Museumplein stop. We purchased our tickets online in advance, which I highly recommend. Not only do you not have to wait in the line for tickets, but it is also a big time savings if you have limited time to explore Amsterdam like we did.
The museum was well worth the visit. They have a huge collection of pieces, including some of Van Gogh’s most famous works, like Sunflowers, The Bedroom, The Potato Eaters, and more. They even had pieces by Monet, Gaugin, and Toulouse-Lautrec. It was unforgettable to be able to see these pieces in person.
I have always wanted to see the Anne Frank house, so a visit to the Anne Frank Museum and secret annex was a must. You should note that the lines for the museum are incredibly long (can be hours long). I highly recommend that you purchase your tickets online in advance, so you can have a specific entry time and avoid the line. Though you should also note that the online tickets sell out in advance, so I recommend purchasing at least a month in advance.
Visiting the house was a powerful and significant experience. Since our young kids (ages 4 and 6 at the time of the visit) hadn’t really heard about the holocaust much yet in their young lives, we tried to prepare them in advance by having conversations about it. We also read the Who Was Anne Frank children’s book (affiliate link) as a family before the trip. These books are great at educating children on people and subjects in a way that is easier for young kids to understand. We read the one about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. before our visit to the Lorraine Motel/National Civil Right Museum during our Southern US road trip this year.
Even having read the book, it was easy to become overwhelmed by the reality and reminders of the holocaust when at the Anne Frank Museum. It was an emotional visit, but one that was well worth it for both us and the boys.
Other activities
Canal tours were recommended to us as well, but since we were tired and travel-weary, we decided to spend the rest of our time walking and exploring the canals, and taking stops for rest. We would have easily had time for an hour-long canal tour given that we didn’t have to wait to get into either of the museums, but chose not to.
While walking the canals, you come across a lot of interesting things! For example, this cow museum and rubber duck store:
To keep our energy up, we stopped for coffee (and I do mean regular coffee, not one of the euphemistic “coffee shops” for which Amsterdam is famous). We had to try the famous Dutch stroopwafels. Yeah… I see what all the fuss is about. Letting one sit on top of your cup of coffee melts the caramel filling nicely! We ended up bringing some home, but were also pleased to discover that they sell them in the international foods section of our local HEB!
Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a great airport in itself. Even if you just stay there, there is a lot to do and see, and that includes nice ways to not do anything: the airport includes powernap stations, meditation zones, and a “park” (an indoor green space). There’s even a museum there, though it’s currently closed for renovations. Of course, there are lots of restaurants in every shape and size, too.
It was a very quick trip, but I was happy with how much we were able to see in our short time in the Netherlands. We will be back someday, and look forward to getting to spend more time in Amsterdam in the future.
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Papi Cruz says
Sounds like a fabulous trip to make even with just a layover. I imagine how greatly educational it would be for all ages.