Amsterdam With a Baby: Tiny Shoes, Big Adventures

Traveling with a baby might not sound like the most relaxing idea—but throw in canals, stroopwafels, and a hotel room with floral wallpaper that could charm the grumpiest baby, and suddenly it becomes an adventure worth writing home about. Or, in this case, blogging about.

Camille and I just got back from Amsterdam, and yes—baby in tow.

Getting Around Amsterdam with a Baby

Amsterdam is well-equipped for families with young children:

  • Stroller-friendly public transport: Trams and buses are easy to navigate with a stroller (or buggy). Most have designated stroller areas. Apple wallet is your best friend around Amsterdam and is so easy to get around on all the transportation systems.

  • Baby-changing facilities: Many museums, restaurants, and larger shops have clean changing tables. Although be prepared to pay for public restrooms with very little room to psuh a stroller. Museums are your best bet.

  • Plenty of green space: From Vondelpark to Westerpark, there are many open areas where your baby can have tummy time or a nap in the stroller while you enjoy a picnic.

Home Base: Hotel Estherea

First things first: if you're going to haul a stroller through cobblestone streets, you deserve a hotel that feels like a reward. We stayed at Hotel Estherea, right on the canal and full of quirky charm. Think chandeliers, velvet, and whimsical wallpaper that made it feel like a Wes Anderson movie set. Bonus: it was walkable to everything. Even better: they had a baby crib ready and waiting. Gold star.

Day Trip to Zaandam & Zaanse Schans: Windmills & Wooden Shoes

We took a day trip to Zaandam and Zaanse Schans, which is basically a postcard come to life. Traditional green houses, windmills turning lazily in the breeze, and more wooden shoes than one could possibly need in a lifetime.

The baby? Slept through most of it, naturally. But we got our fill of cheese samples, clogs, and even saw a man hand-painting Delftware. If you're ever tempted to pack light for a trip like this—don’t. Bring the stroller and thank yourself later.

  1. First Stop: Zaandam - Only 12 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal Station, Zaandam is an easy and relaxing first stop.

    • Getting there:

      • From Amsterdam Centraal, take a direct Sprinter train to Zaandam Station. Trains run frequently (every 10–15 minutes) and are stroller-friendly. You don’t need to book in advance—just tap in and out with a contactless card or OV-chipkaart.

In Zaandam, don’t miss the Inntel Hotel, which looks like a stack of colorful traditional Dutch houses. It’s a fun photo stop (and your baby might love the colors and shapes!). There are also shops, cafes, and places to grab a baby-friendly lunch or snack.

2. Next Stop: Zaanse Schans - From Zaandam, you’re just a short hop to Zaanse Schans, a stunning open-air museum that feels like stepping back into the 18th century.

  • Getting to Zaanse Schans from Zaandam:

    • You have two main options: By Train - Take the Sprinter train from Zaandam to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans Station (about 5 minutes). From the station, it’s a 10–15 minute walk to Zaanse Schans—mostly flat and stroller-friendly.By Bus

    • Take Bus 391 from Amsterdam Centraal directly to Zaanse Schans (about 40 minutes if skipping Zaandam). Buses are also stroller-friendly and run regularly.

 
 

Canal Cruising: Baby’s First Boat Ride

No trip to Amsterdam is complete without a canal cruise. I timed ours for just before nap time (pro tip: moving boat = rocking = sleepy baby magic). We glided past crooked houses, under arched bridges, and waved at other tourists doing the exact same thing. It was calm, quiet, and beautiful—and also, the baby drooled all over the safety card. A memory, nonetheless.

Final Thoughts: Is Amsterdam Baby-Friendly?

Surprisingly, yes! The city is walkable, stroller-accessible (mostly), and full of friendly faces. Sure, there were diaper changes in tiny café bathrooms and some creative nap schedules, but that’s all part of the story, right?

Would i travel soli with a baby again? Absolutely. Maybe next time with my husband to haul our suitcase and one more stroopwafel.


Places to Eat/Snack/Coffee

  • De Kas - Set in a restored greenhouse, De Kas is a farm-to table gem where most ingredients come straight from its own gardens. I discovered this restaurant while watching an episode of ‘Somebody Feed Phil’, and immediately made reservations to go here. It’s menu changes daily, so you’re bound to have local and fresh ingredients with a sustainable fine-dining experience

  • Pancake’s Amsterdam Negan Straatjes

  • Foodhallen - Food market star attraction with stalls serving everything from smash burgers, sushi, tapas, seafood, you name it! It’s an indoor food hall, with plenty of seats and lively setting

  • Fabel Friet Runstraat - Best french fries

  • Daalder - Michelin starred spot serves imaginative modern European tasting menus in a relaxed unpretentious setting. Chef Dennis Huwae’s offerings are known for bold flabovors and artistic presentation

  • BAK - located in a warehouse in Houthaven area, and serves refined seasonal fares that incorporate locally sourced meat and fish.


    Brunch, coffee, bakeries, sweets

  • Bakers & Roasters (De Pijp/Kadijksplein) – Brunch favorite; expect a wait.

  • Lourens – A famous bakery known for its buttery croisasant filled with cookie dough, topped with two cookies. Cookies and croissants, my two favorite things

  • Dignita Hoftuin (near Hermitage) – Pretty garden setting.

  • Staring at Jacob (Oud-West) – American-style brunch.

  • Back to Black, Toki, 4850 – Top coffee spots.

  • Gebroeders Niemeijer – Excellent French bakery.

  • Fort Negen – Cult sourdough and pastries.

  • Saint-Jean – Plant-based pastries.

  • Haku- Speciality coffee

  • Lanskroon – Stroopwafels; try the honey-rum variant.

  • Van Stapele – The famous chocolate cookie.

  • Grammes - Best pastries and croissants

Dutch food Must Try

  • Bitterballen - the dutch centerpiece staple. These golden extreririor, deep fried balls are rich and gooey roux flecked with meat. Its typically served with a sharp mustard to pair with and is pretty tastey in my opionon!

  • Dutch pancakes - pancakes are a staple here, and the dutch styles are often big and served as a single portion. Toppings like bacon and syrup are beloved.


Things to do

  • Anne Frank Museum - Book 6 weeks in advance. Visiting the Anne Frank Museum was sobering, powerful, and something i felt grateful to experience. A reminder of how important history is, even in the midst of a vacation with diapers and breastfeeding.

  • Canal Cruise - Lover’s Canal Boat Cruise is a great company with glass-roofed boats combined with comfort and convenience. I did not use this company, since I had a baby, I tried to book something 60 mins or shorter and my experience was just okay. Its overwhelming how many different canal cruises there are, but overall everyone recommended Blue Boat Company or Lovers. There’s also many private cruises with romantic dinners on board.

  • Vondelpark - Amsterdam’s answer to Central Park. The perfect place to let the baby kick back and watch the world go by. Locals on rollerblades, dogs chasing balls, and an occasional goose strutting around like it owned the place—it was all excellent entertainment. I had a coffee, the baby had a nap, everyone was happy.

  • Rijksmuseum - This Dutch giant is like a visual buffet of everything from Rembrandt to dollhouses. Recommend buying tickets ahead of time, and they open at 9am, which is great for baby!

  • Van Gogh Museum

  • Royal Palace Amsterdam

  • Red Light District

  • Tony’s Chocolonely - the perfect gifts from Amsterdam. I found out about this place from a friend who lives in Amsterdam and suggested bringing it home for my son. You can create your own chocolate bar by selecting up to three ingredients (ex. pretzel, popping candy, star anise, toffee), then personalize the wrapper and design and you come back in about 60-120 mins to pick it up. I got two personalized ones for both of my kids to save as souvenirs. It’s nestled in the iconic Beurs van Beriage - once the hear of cocoa trading in Amsterdam. Beware though, you do walk down stairs for the entrance here (not quite stroller friendly, I discovered)

  • Amsterdam’s Vintage Photobooths: Snapshots from Another Era -In the age of filters and front-facing cameras, there's something refreshing about squeezing into a tiny booth, pulling the curtain closed, and getting four surprise shots that somehow never turn out quite as expected—but always full of personality.

    • Fotomatic at Café Brecht - Nestled inside a cozy, retro Berlin-style bar, this photobooth is the real deal: grainy black and white film, a clunky old camera, and a countdown that will catch you mid-blink.

    • Fotobooth at the Lomography Store

    • Boothclub Amsterdam - this was where I went, and was less than a 5 minute walk from my hotel. There’s a wait for the black and white booth but turned out so cute! My baby wasn’t looking in the photos and it went quick but something I’ll always keep and cherish as our first solo trip together

    • Photoautomat Amsterdam - Inside the Hoxton Hotel, which is where all the tik-tokers and bloggers usually go to and tends to be more crowded

Places to Stay

  • Hotel Estherea

  • Pulitzer Hotel Centrum

  • W Hotel Centrum - This luxury chain is always a trustworthy but pricey hotel. In a great location