If you’re lucky to find yourself in Amsterdam on a hot summer day, then most likely you’ve already thought about getting an ice cream or maybe even two.  Unexpectedly this cold delight can be exceptionally good in the Netherlands, you just have to know the right spots where to get it from. We’ll reveal our favorite ice cream stores in Amsterdam specially to you, but don’t have too much of the delicious gelato! You’ll be surprised with all the innovative flavors and yumminess of the Dutch IJs!

Monte Pelmo

This tiny ice cream place is a true hidden gem of the Jordaan, where you see a happy kids smile on the locals’ faces, including the men that you didn’t think were capable of smiling at all. Monte Pelmo amazing gelato has been one of the most loved ones in Amsterdam since 1957, and you can tell from a huge queue in front of it. How about a tiramisu ice cream, passion fruit sorbet or crazy blue Smurf taste? Try them all and enjoy while strolling the coziest neighborhood in the city.

2e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 17

Pisa IJs

The best real Italian-style gelato often served to you by Italians themselves can be found at this small stand next to the RAI convention center. It’s worth a bike trip from the hotel, as Pisa IJs has up to 60 flavors per season, and no other places can beat it in variety. Go for Bounty one or After Five (mint with pieces of chocolate). Recently they’ve also opened a new location in the center close to Albert Cuypmarkt.

Scheldeplein t.o. nr 10 and Eerste van der Helststraat 62-B 

Koel

Do you prefer frozen yogurt to regular ice cream? Then how about an innovative idea of a self-service shop in the heart of Chinatown in Amsterdam? All you need to do is to pick your size, fill it up with delicious frozen yoghurt, add some toppings and indulge yourself!

Zeedijk 127

De Ijsmakerij Amsterdam

Some ice creams are so good in Amsterdam that you need to put an effort to find them. The example is the creative flavors like 3 peppers or lemon-basil sorbet of de Ijsmakerij that can be tried at Noordermarkt  on Saturdays or at local cafes like MOES or BRET on any other days. Their cold desserts are made of organic milk from a closeby farm and fresh ingredients.

Metropolitan

This shop might be a bit too touristy and all their pastries and chocolates look better than they taste, but that could be a fine spot to grab an ice cream while sightseeing downtown in Amsterdam. It’s great that everything is homemade here, but the highlight is the beer sorbets made together with the local beer brewery. That can count as an unusual flavor, can’t it? Or would you rather taste their gin & tonic sorbets?

Warmoesstraat 135

Banketbakkerij van der Linde

This tiny ice cream shop will surprise you with having only one type of their signature delight, which is half ice cream and half whipped cream. The coolest part is that you can’t even tell a difference from the look at it (it seems to be a regular ice cream from a machine), and discover which side is which only after tasting it. Next time you shop in the heart of Amsterdam, don’t miss this thick, creamy and most importantly original ice cream.

Nieuwendijk 183

IJsmanschap

Are you done with all these typical ice cream places in Amsterdam and want to see something completely different? Then first in the city spot that sells gourmet handcrafted ice lollies is waiting for you. IJsmanschap introduces this idea of lollies made in sorbet and gelato flavors that go perfectly well with chocolate or nuts topping.

Van Spilbergenstraat 2 hs

The best things in life are free… And they can be found even in Amsterdam! What seems as an expensive city has so much to offer for every budget, taste and preference.  The summer time is the greatest time to enjoy it all and explore the city to its fullest with numerous free events and markets. So why not start now and look at the options!

Free outdoor concerts and festivals

Vondelpark Open Air Theatre will make your days with way more than just theater performances. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday there is something interesting and fun waiting for the spectators. Lots of live music (pop, hip-hop, jazz, orchestras and more), DJs playing their amazing danceable sets, workshops (often for kids too) and festivals that combine all of that are ready to surprise you in Vondelpark. This small stage can fit it all, while you’re enjoying yourself, trying nicely smelling food, dancing, singing and exploring. The best part is that lots of these events are for free, which means you can get an extra drink or mouth melting Belgium fries for the spare change.

Amsterdam Gay Pride can easily become the highlight of this summer in Amsterdam with its unstoppable street parties, rainbow and pink colors all over the city and ever joyful crowd proud to express themselves. Observe Amsterdam transforming into the most tolerant city in the world from 23 July to 7 August and don’t miss Canal Parade as one of its best parts! Lots of fun, freedom and love are guaranteed with many events for free.

Bijlmerbios is a free outdoor film festival at Amsterdam Zuidoost on 21-23 August, when you can see a cool movie at a unique location. Have you ever watched a film in the tunnel under the tracks? Well, now you have a chance to broaden your mind and join locals in the great pastime.

Uitmarkt is an ultimate event in Amsterdam that everybody’s looking forward to in the end of August (26-28 August to be precise), as it marks the beginning of the new cultural season in the city. This festival will blow your mind with about 2,000 artists and 450 performances at various venues in Amsterdam. Most of them will gather a huge crowd by both indoors and outdoors events at Museumplein and Leidseplein. And again, you don’t have to pay a cent for it because Uitmarkt became possible thankfully to numerous volunteers, including the artists you see.

The glory of markets

We can’t promise you free goods at the markets, but you can totally expect a free entrance, nice food, awesome vibe and sweet people. We’ve been mentioning Pure Markt quite a few times, but that’s for a good reason. This biological Sunday market is traveling around the country with its base in Amsterdam (Amstelpark, Amsterdamse Bos, Park Frankendael) and offers you the freshest and most natural food and products. In addition you can entertain yourself with workshops, small concerts, a solar powered merry-go-round and creative shopping (designer, gift and vintage goods).

Neighbourfood Market will become your favorite from the first time you attend it at the hype Westerpark. The location of Westergasfabriek hugely adds up to the special atmosphere at this food and flea market with locally produced items. If you care about small productions, home-made stuff, good music and hip people of Amsterdam, then this is the place to be at on 17 July and 21 August. Yes, it happens only once per month, but is so much worth waiting for.

And of course, it’s impossible not to mention IJ-Hallen market that will take place on 23-24 July and 13-14 August in the North of Amsterdam. Even though you have to pay a tiny entrance fee, it has to be in this list here, as there are so many bargains you can get at IJ-Hallen. It’s the largest fleamarket in Europe, so why not visit it for the extraordinary gifts to bring home from Holland.

Don’t limit yourself thinking that you have to spend a fortune in Amsterdam. There are lots of things available for free, you just need to find the right place and time for it. And we haven’t even mentioned free film festival Pluk de Nacht, or Canal Festival with free concerts, or the fabulous Amsterdam Public Library open for everybody, or free classical and jazz concerts at the Royal Concertgebouw and the Bimhuis, or numerous gardens and parks sharing their free beauty with you.

It’s not a secret that the best city for cycling is Amsterdam and the best way to explore Amsterdam is by bike. That’s exactly one of the reasons why our team keeps recommending you our free Alltournative bike tours around the city. But if you want to get an idea of why it’s called an alternative tour or to have a sneak peek at what’s waiting for  you, let us tell you more and explore the details together .

How it all starts

Same way as with trying all cool places around Amsterdam before recommending them to you, we have done Teleport Alternative Bike Tour, loved it and wanted to share it with you. The first best fact about the tour is that it’s free for all– all you need to do is just rent a bike with us! We have a tour waiting for you every day, so just let us know that you would like to join and have fun on a bike. And then the journey begins! Lovely enthusiastic guides  from AllTourNative, full of life and excitement about Amsterdam, will meet you 11 am in front of the hotel and take proper care of your tour. You get your special free map of the city, cool sticker, some not-boring-at-all cycling and road safety instructions and off you go!

Why so unique

What makes our alltournative tours different from any others in Amsterdam? It’s off-the-beaten-track, not touristy (but quite authentic and local), with the most relaxed young guides ready to crack a good joke and most importantly- customized to your needs and preferences. In the beginning of each tour nice peeps from AllTourNative ask you about what you would be interested in seeing and adjust their route depending on the crowd. In any case, expect some impressive street art, alternative galleries and contemporary exhibitions that you won’t find on your own.  Every tour is unique, so in case you love it, feel free to join the second time, as something new will be waiting for you! Forget about everlasting historical tours, when your guide is cycling in front of the group and telling you easy-to-forget facts in a monotone voice. Instead prepare for a very entertaining, amusing and interactive mix of history, art, unusual facts about Amsterdam and fun cycling in between.

What is street art?

Amsterdam is full of street art. There is so much more to see than meets the eye at first sight. Our guides will help you to find all those beautiful and interesting art pieces hidden on walls, inside alleys, under bridges  or even on a lantern pole. Street art is so much more than just graffiti; has it’s own unique culture and set of unwritten rules. The beauty of street art not only lies in its variety, creativity and in the messages that street artists are bringing to us but also in the fact that street art usually is very brief and can be gone forever before you know it.

What’s more

There is much more to see close to Teleport Hotel than you think, and brilliant guides (like cheerful Marnix)will make sure you experience it all. How about the stunning sight of a typical Dutch windmill on the way, or hip Westerpark with its exceptional Westergasfabriek always full of events, amazing coffee and good selection of beer? These small discoveries during the tour will make your stay in Amsterdam more exciting, as you will get to know what to do, where to eat, have a drink, enjoy some live music or party hard in the city. An advice given by a local who is passionate about his hometown is the best advice, so pay attention, learn Amsterdam secrets and create some new memories! And last but not least, taking your opportunity of a free tour at Teleport Hotel you highly increase your chances to make new friends to spend some time with in this amazing city.

Please ask for more details about our tours at the reception, sign up with our friendly Teleport Hotel team and enjoy the city and art exploration! Our bike rental prices are moderate: 24 hours with a great bike will cost you only 15€, but if you need it just for the tour, then 10€ would do. Ride your bike, discover Amsterdam and have fun with us!

For a short video impression click here!

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Every day we keep recommending you the best places in Amsterdam for having a coffee or drink, lunch or dinner, Dutch cheese or chocolates, good time and fun. We carefully select our favorite spots before sharing them with you. This time we went even further and explored Amsterdam and its finest with the whole team of Amsterdam Teleport Hotel. We hopped on the bikes and discovered the numerous food and beverage opportunities this marvelous city has to offer. Now we’re proud to share our impressions of the best day out in Amsterdam!

Westerpark and its heap of hip spots

It’s not a secret that the easiest way to get around the city is by bike, so don’t hesitate to rent one from us and follow our exciting bike route. We started with cycling through peaceful Westerpark with its more creative places like the Westergasfabriek with a great terrace and the Espressofabriek with freshly brewed coffee. In addition to drinks and snacks, there are lots of special events at the Westergasfabriek, like music and food festivals, local produce and flea markets, concerts, DJs and more.

Haarlemmerstraat and its choices

We couldn’t visit all the places that were worth it due to the time limit, but we will still mention them as they are deserve a special recommendation. In general, Haarlemmerstraat is full of cozy vibe coffee places, bars, coffeeshops and nice stores. Make sure to check out Two for Joy and Screaming Beans for a cup of good sustainable coffee, where baristas will tell you all about where their beans come from. Both of these places roast the beans themselves, which allows for extraordinary freshness of each cup you drink.

Stout!

Instead of stopping by for coffee, our team grabbed a drink at Stout! That’s a great café restaurant that serves delicious lunches and dinners with a beautiful food presentation. They also offer amazing plateaus with 10 different small dishes, ideal for trying by a larger group. Stout’s nice terrace is the best spot to hang out on a sunny day.

Cheese tasting

After the drinks Teleporters felt like having a bite, and what can be a better idea than having some cheese in such a case? Due to the central location of most of the places we recommend, it’s easier to visit them all in one day by bike or on foot. As we were cycling, we ran into our super talented artist Frankie, who created the hotel’s joyful chalkboard with all the must-dos! And when we finally reached one of the best cheese stores in town Reypenaer, the cheese food feast began. It’s not one of those typical touristy Dutch cheese stores, but it’s one and only that sells the finest cheeses with a long history of 110 years. They have mastered the craftsmanship here for you to be able to taste old traditional cheese like no others. Needless to say that it’s a heaven for your taste buds, and we enjoyed the variety and high quality of cheese there.

Sweet tooth’s paradise

After all the savory flavors it was time for something sweet, and we continued to our favorite chocolaterie and patisserie tearoom Pompadour. Each chocolate that you choose has an unforgettable deliciousness and mouth melting charm at this magical place. So we got a perfect selection of hand-made chocolates and were delighted with unique flavors.

The last good drink

Even though it was the best day out for our team, it had to finish at some point. So we celebrated this mini trip around Amsterdam with cheerful drinks at ‘t Loosje. It is a wonderful local bar that’s perfect for a beer with some international snacks, lunch or coffee on the terrace. A great place to mingle with true local Amsterdam people too.

If you wish to learn more about the finest places in town or follow our experience and visit them all in one day, don’t hesitate to ask any of our Teleport team members. We will be happy to help and make sure that you have the best time in Amsterdam!

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If you think this blog post is about the best coffee in Amsterdam, then you need to adjust your thinking to a local definition of a coffee shop. The Dutch coffee shops might serve you coffee, but usually you would come there to buy or smoke some weed. And you might mistakenly think that having a joint is legal in Amsterdam, but the truth is that it’s just tolerated by local authorities. Yes, you are allowed to buy and use soft drugs here and coffeeshops are fine to sell them to you, but technically it’s illegal for them to buy cannabis from the growers. Let’s dive into the mysterious world of coffee shops and learn more about the whole culture around it.

So what is allowed?

As a tourist aged 18 and above you are more than welcome in any of Amsterdam coffeeshops and you can buy up to 5 grams of cannabis per day. You can peacefully smoke it inside the place where you got it or anywhere outside, as long as it doesn’t disturb other people and is not close to schools or playgrounds. As you see, the main rule of the city is “Your freedom ends where my freedom begins.” So even when you’re stoned and can’t walk any more, be respectful and polite.

Don’t expect to combine a joint with a beer in a coffeeshop, as all of them have “no alcohol” policy. If you a tobacco smoker or don’t like your weed pure, then you will have to smoke in a separate smoking area due to the tobacco smoking ban in Holland. One way or another, there is no better place to enjoy soft drugs than Amsterdam, and the proof of this is 35% of all Amsterdam tourists who end up in a coffeeshop.

Which coffeeshop to choose

The constant law changes and attempts to criminalize cannabis in the Netherlands has hugely affected the amount of coffeeshops in Amsterdam. Hopefully 155 of still existing ones will be enough for your nice stay in the city. Which one to choose, when the variety of coffeeshops is so overwhelming? As you imagine, some of them have cooler vibe, others -higher quality weed, awesome interior or even great food for your munchies. So here is our subjective top 3 coffeeshops in Amsterdam:

Abraxas

Down a narrow alley, Abraxas attracts lots of tourists by its large weed menu, friendly staff and unique dream-like interior. The atmosphere is quite laid back and chilled there, while the product is of a fine quality.

Dampkring

There are 2 Dampkrings in Amsterdam, so make sure to choose the original one with its unforgettable visual experience, great marijuana selection and cozy vibe. This coffeeshop design is worth a visit by itself.

420 Café

This coffeeshop welcomes you with its dark wooden interior and super friendly and knowledgeable personnel. Loved by locals, 420 Café shows nature documentaries, offers free vaporizers and serves good weed.

Get high but be smart

Whether you have smoked cannabis before or not, you have to keep in mind that the stuff is strong in Amsterdam and it can hit you hard. So don’t hesitate to ask questions in a coffeeshop, especially when it comes to the effect and strength of the weed you’re buying. And please, do follow the instructions given, as very often tourists underestimate the quality of the local product and smoke too much of it. In case you feel adventurous or don’t like smoking, but want to get high, be very careful with space cakes. Although they look cool and promising, and you don’t feel it for a long time after eating, be patient and don’t eat more than written on a tiny manual that comes with it. We don’t want to preach, but we want you to have a good time in Amsterdam, that’s why we recommend taking it easy with soft drugs here. You didn’t come to this marvelous city to have a bad trip, so don’t buy stuff from the street, get your weed from good coffeeshops, smoke it there and know your limits.

There is a big difference between a coffeeshop and a smartshop, as the last one sells magic truffles to you (what used to be magic mushrooms before). They are hallucinogenic and have a stronger and longer effect on you. But that’s a completely different story, so don’t rush and start with a visit to a coffeeshop instead. And if you’re really into weed and all the culture, then don’t forget about the High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam in November! But no matter what, please don’t smoke in the hotel rooms!