4 years ago I started taking my granny to Europe and this year we decided to hit Amsterdam. Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities, not just because of legal marijuana (though that’s a plus) but also because of the vibe. I absolutely love this city!
Obviously taking the granny there was quite a challenge as I couldn’t take her to the usual places I like to visit. The itinerary I created works best if you’re traveling with a parent.
- Walk around Dam Square and take the tram to VondelPark and the museum District
- Shopping on Nieuwezijds all the way down to Kalverstraat street.
- Visiting one of the museums – Van Gogh, Diamond Museum or Rijksmuseum
- Anne Frank’s house (quite a few stairs so not suitable for people who can’t climb)
- Bloemenmarkt – The flower market
- Red Light district in the evenings (if you feel your parents can handle it lol).
My Granny decided she wanted to visit the diamond museum and the Van Gogh museum. Though you can buy tickets at the door for the Diamond Museum; for Van Gogh I bought the tickets before we reached Amsterdam. We were given a designated time to enter the museum and we also got the option of borrowing a wheelchair so my granny didn’t have to walk.
Luckily for me, she usually gets tired and goes to bed early, leaving me to do the things I love. I got a chance to check out the Banksy exhibit at Moco Museum, Anne Frank’s house as well as all my favorite coffee shops.
Another good option is to take a day trip to Zaanse Schans to see the windmills and the handcrafts. Getting to Zaanse Schans is very easy, Just go across to Centraal station and buy a ticket for the 391 bus that leaves every hour from the back area of Centraal station.
Zaanse Schans is a nice area for lunch and a drink. We didn’t spend much time there but I think it was a good outing for the granny.
My favorite thing to do in Europe is to have a drink and sit at an outdoor bar and watch the world go by. The good thing about Amsterdam is that the shopping street is next to a lot of good bars, coffee shops and Shwarma places (a must try in Amsterdam!). So I could take mini breaks while the granny shopped.
See more pictures from my Amsterdam trip on my instagram handle www.instagram.com/ritnikanayan
