Amsterdam in the Fall

When my husband and I planned our vacation to Amsterdam; we were excited to learn more about this city. Though we didn’t see many tulips; we had the opportunity to see the beautiful Fall foliage and much more.

Amsterdam in the Fall

So, every year we plan two vacations a year. Sometimes, I plan my trips several months in advance, and other times; we decide to plan an impromptu vacation.

Indeed, going away for 2 vacations a year offers you the opportunity to see somewhere you haven’t been to, and at other times; you may return to the same destination.

However, I tend to go back to my favorite place, Aruba at least once a year. However, I also plan a vacation somewhere my husband and I haven’t been to. With that said, earlier in the year; we went to Aruba in April.

When I was on the plane to Aruba; I saw that Jet Blue now flies direct from Boston to Amsterdam. So, I turned to my husband and said we have to go there. Hence, I started looking into this upon my return from Aruba.

Our Stay in Amsterdam

Since I only stay in 5-star hotels; I spent a lot of time researching the best place for us to stay. After going back and forth between 2 different properties; we chose the Okura Hotel.

Okura Hotel

Dutch and Japanese merge in this hotel’s ambiance.

Though I read many reviews before our stay; I was hopeful that this place was going to satisfy us.

So, upon our arrival, the front desk accommodated us by letting us get to our room fairly quickly. Our room was clean, but it was rather average-looking.

One of the biggest problems we had during our stay was the curtains didn’t seem to open and close easily. Because my husband is handy; he had to get on the windowsill to fix this problem

In addition, our room was much too warm. Though we turned the thermostat to the lowest temperature level; we both felt the room was too stuffy. I decided to speak to the hotel directly about this. Luckily, they were able to locate a fan to help cool down the room.

In addition to the above, the turndown service was inconsistent. I had to phone several times during our stay and on the last night at the hotel; we had no turndown service.

Whenever I am visiting a new country or island; I always reach out to the Concierge for assistance with suggestions on things to see and the best restaurants. Therefore, most of my plans were all set before our arrival.

Amsterdam Itinerary

Because we were on a red-eye from Boston and there was a 6-hour time difference; I scheduled our first excursion a day after we arrived.

So, after getting acclimated to the time difference; I planned an excursion through Tours & Tickets for my husband and me to visit Bruges a.k.a Brussels. Because the buses don’t pick up guests at the hotel; we had to make our way over to Central Station to meet our bus.

Off we were for a day of fun in this city.

We had lunch and saw many of the world’s best chocolates and also took a canal tour. Of course, we bought a lot of chocolate!

Though we both loved Brussels; we didn’t enjoy the long bus ride. Hence, this tour left the station at 9:30 a.m. and didn’t leave Brussels until 5:30 p.m. We arrived back at our hotel around 9:30 p.m.

Indeed, it was a long day, to say the least!

Even though it is a long day; I highly recommend putting Brugee on your list to visit. However, I would recommend not using T&T and hiring a private driver.

Since it was a long day and we both weren’t fans of the long bus trip to Brussels; we canceled our tour to see the countryside.

With the help of one of the hotel’s concierge; he was able to book us a private driver to see the countryside, visit the windmills, and the clog factory.

Clog Factory

After we left the windmills and clog factory; our driver took us to one of the best cheese factories. We were escorted to a private room where one of the employees of the factory spoke to us about the process of making cheese. Of course, we bought lots of cheeses and had it shipped to our home.

The End of Our Amsterdam Vacation

Since we were in an area known for Michelin Star restaurants; we had the opportunity to dine at two of the restaurants.

One of the Concierges from the hotel recommended the restaurant, Zoldering.

This lively bistro was excellent. Not only was I impressed with the decor; but loved the food and service. Moreover, this was without a doubt my favorite restaurant in Amsterdam.

On our last full day in Amsterdam; we explored 9 Streets. This is an area in Amsterdam that is quite picturesque and connects the canals. We enjoyed walking around the area and visiting the Designer and Vintage boutiques.

At the same time, we were surprised to learn there were more bikes than people.in the city. Anywhere you go, you will notice that bikes are everywhere.

Later in the day; we had a private tour of the canal that left from our hotel dock. Our boat operator pointed out many different areas in the city.

Meanwhile, I was fascinated to see many houseboats lining the canal. There were hundreds of them throughout the canal.

On our last night; the Duchess restaurant was recommended to us. Though this restaurant was known for receiving a Michelin Star; we weren’t surprised to learn they lost its Michelin Star.

The service and food weren’t what we expected. However, we met with one of the restaurant managers who turned our negative experience into a more positive one.

Finally, for some tips on planning your next vacation; check out my Plan the Perfect Vacation post.

As always, I welcome your comments on Amsterdam. Have you been there?