What's a good 3-day itinerary for Amsterdam?

Day 1 stays west of the Damrak. Start at Dam Square by 9am — the morning light catches the Royal Palace facade and the square is still mostly locals on bikes. Walk south five minutes to the Begijnhof through the unmarked door on Spui; look for the dark wooden entrance beside the Schuttersgalerij. The courtyard is so still you hear the fountain off the brickwork. Lunch at Café Luxembourg on Spui: their uitsmijter — fried eggs over ham and cheese on bread, about €14 — is the Dutch pub classic and the terrace faces the square. After lunch, follow Herengracht north. This stretch of canal smells like linden blossom by late May, and the water takes on that grey-green colour that photographs never quite capture. Keep walking into the Jordaan, where the streets narrow and the window boxes get wilder. Dinner at Moeders on Rozengracht — every wall is covered in framed photos of mothers, the stamppot is properly heavy, and you'll want to have walked enough during the day to earn it. Arrive by 6pm or book ahead; it fills fast.

Day 2 goes south. The Rijksmuseum opens at 9am — buy timed tickets online at least two days ahead. Head straight for the Gallery of Honour on the second floor; the Rembrandts and Vermeers are at the far end, and you want to reach them before the crowd makes it hard to stand close. Two hours is enough for a focused visit. Walk through Vondelpark afterward — ten minutes on foot — and find a bench near the rose garden. The grass smells different here, something about the peat soil underneath. Grab a broodje haring — raw herring sandwich with pickles and onions, around €5 — from a stand near the south edge if you're feeling brave. The texture takes getting used to. That said, it's the real Amsterdam street food. Cross into De Pijp by 2pm for the Albert Cuyp Market — warm stroopwafels from the griddle with liquid caramel centres, about €3.50, Surinamese roti, cheap socks, everything. Sarphatipark at the south end of De Pijp is the quieter sit-down spot if you need a rest. Dinner at Bazar Amsterdam on Albert Cuypstraat — a converted church with North African dishes and a main for about €18.

Day 3 starts with the free GVB ferry from Centraal Station to Buiksloterweg — the ride takes four minutes and the view of the IJ waterfront from the upper deck might be the best free thing in the city. A'DAM Lookout is right at the landing: the observation deck costs about €16 and gives you the full canal grid from above. The wind up there is stronger than you expect. Walk east along the NDSM waterfront — the old shipyard has turned into studios and event spaces, and Pllek, a bar built from shipping containers, has a sand floor and a harbour smell that makes it feel like a beach that wound up in the wrong postcode. Take the ferry back by 2pm and spend the afternoon in the Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes), a three-by-three grid between the main canals. These are the kind of shops — vintage eyewear, handmade soap, Dutch design — where you might find gifts that don't look like airport souvenirs. At 4pm, duck into Wynand Fockink on Pijlsteeg for a jenever tasting — lean down and sip without lifting the glass. Farewell dinner at Café 't Smalle on Egelantiersgracht.

A few things worth knowing. Amsterdam is flat and compact — most of this itinerary stays within a three-kilometre radius of Centraal Station. Get an OV-chipkaart or tap your contactless bank card on trams and the Metro; single rides cost about €3.20. The free ferry to Noord doesn't need a card at all. Mind you, tram 2 and tram 5 from Centraal cover most of Day 2's ground if your feet are done. Rain is likely at least once across three days, even in summer — a packable jacket beats an umbrella in the wind off the IJ. The canal-side cobblestones get slippery when wet, so skip the fashion shoes. One more thing: the Anne Frank House isn't on this itinerary because tickets release six weeks ahead and sell out in minutes. If you managed to book one, swap it into Day 1 morning — it's in the Jordaan, and the emotional weight sits better at the start of a day than the end.