Amsterdam's 'Big Three' Museums Are Must-Visits On Your Trip, According To Rick Steves

Travel expert Rick Steves says on his blog that "good travelers travel with all their senses, taking in a place's sights, sounds, and flavors to get the full experience." It's not hard to engage all of your senses in Amsterdam, capital city of the Netherlands, an open-minded haven and cultural hotspot. Start by renting a bike to feel the wind on your face and listen to the sounds of other bikes and their bells while smelling the watery canals and near-salty air. Then, make your taste buds come alive with traditional Dutch street food of patatjes met (fries with mayo) in paper bags or raw herring (Hollandse nieuwe) served with onion and pickles. Indulge your sweet tooth with poffertjes, bite-sized pancakes with powdered sugar, or a still-warm stroopwafel, made of thin waffle cookies sandwiched with caramel syrup.

Just wandering along Amsterdam's famously picturesque canals and through the cobblestoned streets will make your senses come alive, including your sense of sight. To enhance this visual experience, head to the Museumplein (Museum Square), home to some of the best museums to visit in Amsterdam. Amsterdam's "big three" museums — the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum — can all be found here. Then, discover a treat for your ears underneath the Rijksmuseum, as well as at the nearby Concertgebouw concert hall. 

Two of Amsterdam's "big three," the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, are some of the most visited art museums in the world — which the lines can certainly reflect. (Tip: Book tickets ahead of time!) The iconic Rijksmuseum gives an intriguing overview of the last 800 years of Dutch history and is home to dozens of works by world-renowned Dutch masters. Discover the artwork of Rembrandt and Vermeer, along with select masterpieces from around the world. The museum is also a wonder to see, with intricately designed rooms like the Cuypers Library, the world's most beautiful (or one of them, at least). 

See classic masterpieces always on display at the Van Gogh Museum, such as the famous "Sunflowers" or "Potato Eaters." The museum also features letters and sketches from Van Gogh, giving visitors more insight into the artist beyond his work. Some consider these artifacts as much of a masterpiece as the completed works. 

Although less popular than the other two, the Stedelijk Museum, which locals call "the bathtub," is worth a visit for its interesting architecture alone. If you want to bend your senses with a stop in a Dutch "coffeeshop" (that's marijuana for the uninitiated), Rick Steves says he "can't think of a better space than the Stedelijk in which to enjoy its effects." Either way, this museum is a feast for the eyes, with shocking contemporary art mixed among 20th-century modern favorites like Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso.

The museums are just part of why Amsterdam is one of the world's most cultural destinations. It's also world-class when it comes to classical music. And there's no place better for that than the grand, neo-classical Concertgebouw (concert building), which is famous both for its exceptional acoustics and for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Of course, tickets can be expensive, but we can always count on Rick Steves to determine whether the cost is worth it and, if not, to give us a more affordable option. He actually recommends the public atrium below the Rijksmuseum, which also has excellent acoustics and attracts street musicians who perform everything from opera to Mongolian throat singing.

If you're set on hearing music inside the Concertgebouw, you can attend a free "Lunchtime Concert" on Wednesdays throughout the year (except in July and August). The Concertgebouw also hosts cost-friendly concerts on Sundays, "The Sunday Morning Concert," with tickets starting at 21 EUR ($22 dollars at time of writing).