Canals:
There's nothing like seeing Amsterdam by boat: the houses look impossibly higgledy-piggledly, leaning, looming and jostling on both sides of the canal; bridges arch over the water, some of them opening for tall water traffic; and you get to spy on all those magnificent houseboats.
There are numerous tourist boats doing the rounds, and it's also possible to rent a pedal boat.

Jordaan:
The Jordaan was a working class district during the huge canal belt project in the early 17th century: it was where the canal-diggers, bridge-builders, carpenters and stonemasons lived. Now it's colonised by yuppies who are drawn to the good pubs, offbeat shops, enchanting restaurants and weird little art galleries.

Begijnhof:
The Begijnhof is an enclosed courtyard dating from the early 14th century. Hidden behind the busy Spui shopping strip, it's a surreal oasis of peace, with tiny houses grouped around a well-kept courtyard. The Begijnhof was formerly a convent inhabited by the Beguines, a Catholic order of unmarried or widowed women from wealthy families who cared for the elderly and lived a religious life without taking monastic vows. The Beguinage and its chapel are open every day from 9.00 - 17.00 via the gateway Gedempte Begijnensloot. After 17.00 you can reach the chapel via the gate at the Spui.

Shopping in The Nine Streets
The Nine Streets - the area between Raadhuistraat, Leidsestraat, Singel and Prinsengracht - is packed with boutiques, cafes and beautiful houses. You can buy anything you fancy, ranging from books and clothes, to food and secondhand bric-a-brac, and a lots more besides.

Museums:
- Anne Frank House (Prinsengracht 267): The hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her diary during World War Two. 
- The Rembrandt House Museum (Jodenbreestraat 4): The Rembrandt House Museum welcomes visitors who would like to feel his presence in it's recently restored seventeenth-century rooms.
- Netherlands Maritime Museum Amsterdam (Kattenburgerplein 1): The unique and superb collection tells the story of the maritime past of the Netherlands. The jetty outside the Museum provides a permanent berth for a replica of the Dutch East Indiaman Amsterdam.
- Rijksmuseum (Jan Luijkenstraat 1): The largest museum in The Netherlands, with works by famous masters as Rembrandt (The Nightwatch), Vermeer a.o.
- Van Gogh Museum (Paulus Potterstraat 7): The Van Gogh Museum is the museum with the world's largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh.