Trip Review: An Amsterdam Getaway

August 27, 2019

The Brucker family of Plymouth Meeting near Philadelphia (2 adults and 1 son, age 18) traveled to Amsterdam this summer for 5 days to celebrate a high school graduation.  The quick getaway was too short to get to multiple destinations, but they found the long stay in Amsterdam an opportunity to explore every inch of the city.  The graduate really loves history, culture, food and art; so it was very easy for the entire family to enjoy a variety of experiences.  The trio took in the Dutch city with several guided tours and museum visits along with excellent dining.  They were lucky as well with perfect weather.  A guided canal boat as well as a bike tour gave them varying views of the city’s highlights.  The guide on their canal boat tour with Those Dam Boat Guys was both funny and knowledgeable.  This cheeky ride around the city’s canals is in a 10-seater electric boat.  Their Yellow Bike tour was really fun as well as an authentic Amsterdam experience.  This company is the first and original company in Amsterdam for such tours.  Food wise they enjoyed a wonderful Secret Food tour that included plenty of history along with Dutch tastes.  They also visited the Heineken Experience which proved to be touristy, but a well-done interactive journey about this local beer. Amsterdam also showcases amazing museums.  The family said that their guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum was super interesting and valuable while the Anne Frank House is not to be missed. The family also loved the Moco Museum which opened in 2016.  This boutique museum showcases modern art, contemporary art and street art.  The family was sorry they skipped the Rijksmuseum. Digging more into Amsterdam culture, the highlight tour for the family turned out to be a Red-Light District Tour.  They found it very interesting and informative as they learned about the history and culture of the district, the protections, the controversy…they were really glad they did this tour.   The family stayed at the NH Grand Krasnapolsky; centrally located right on Dam Square.  The location was ideal for seeing all that the city has to offer.  They said that the service and staff were very good.   Overall a successful trip for all before sending their first child off the college!