Amsterdam Museums DIY Walking Tour
> Amsterdam Museums DIY Walking Tour Route Map <
Distance: 4.2 km (less than 3 miles); Duration: 2-8 hours
Amsterdam Museums DIY Walking Tour
The Amsterdam Museums DIY Walking Tour covers a totally flat distance of 4.2km (less than 3 miles), and should take anywhere from 2 hours to a full day (and evening) – depending on where you stop, and for how long.
My advice would be to spend a whole day (and early evening) on this DIY Walking Tour of the main museums in Amsterdam: visiting the Heineken Experience, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Stedilijk Museum in the morning and early afternoon; spending mid-late afternoon strolling through the Vondelpark (maybe having a late lunch at Groot Melkhuis in the middle of the Vondelpark – there is an accessible toilet just behind it – or maybe even just having a leisurely picnic on the grass?). Then take an early evening Amsterdam canal cruise on the Blue Boat (THE wheelchair accessible canal cruise in Amsterdam). Many of Amsterdam’s canal bridges are lit up in the evening too. Magical.
There’s a lot to see and do on the Amsterdam Museums DIY Walking Tour.
And because it’s a DIY walk – it’s completely free (other than your entry tickets/evening canal cruise tickets). Plus, you can take it at your very own pace; stopping for a coffee/snack/drink where, when, and for as long as you like; and lingering at the attractions of central Amsterdam which interest you (and speeding past those that don’t).
Points of Interest: the Heineken Experience, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedilijk Museum, Vondelpark (including the finest open-air theatre in Amsterdam and a late Dutch lunch at Groot Melkhuis). And, finishing with an evening cruise along the canals of central Amsterdam.
Amsterdam Museums DIY Walking Tour - Directions:
[These are very thorough walking directions – you shouldn’t be getting lost in Amsterdam following this guide. However, I definitely recommend that you follow the Google Streetview route of the entire Amsterdam Museums DIY Walking Tour first, from the comfort of your own home before you head to Amsterdam, as this will allow you to better visualise the entire route before you arrive].
START - Vijzelgracht Metro Station:
We start from Vijzelgracht Metro (Metro Line 52) in the Weteringschans neighbourhood of central Amsterdam. Metro Line 52 (the light blue line on Amsterdam Metro maps), is the newest line on the Amsterdam Metro network, and runs through Amsterdam Centraal station (where it connects with mainline rail services, including the Eurostar train to London).
All of the M52 stations feature artwork. And in Vijzelgracht station, you can enjoy the Ramses Shaffy, Lifelines light installation, by Dutch artist Marjan Laaper.
However, depending on the location of your Amsterdam hotel, it may be easier for you to use the tram and go directly to the Heineken Experience instead (or if you plan to skip a visit to the Heineken Experience, then straight to the Rijksmuseum instead). This will save you some time too. There are numerous tram stops near the Rijksmuseum.
For the purposes of this guide though, we will start from Vijzelgracht Metro Station.
When arriving by wheelchair, the lift at Vijzelgracht Metro Station arrives directly in front of Café Mulder on the corner of Vijzelgracht and Weteringschans [MAP].
When you reach street level on the lift, you arrive facing the wrong direction for this walk. So turn right as you exit the lift, turn right again, and walk to the corner in front of Café Mulder [MAP];
Pedestrian Crossing [MAP]:
Crosses Weteringschans – in 3 stages.
All light-controlled; dropped kerbs.
After the final crossing, walk STRAIGHT AHEAD (slightly right) – and walk towards the “Heineken Brouwery“ – with the “De Carrousel Pannenkoeken Amsterdam” pancake house on your LEFT [MAP].
Just after the path that you are walking along crosses a canal (Singelgracht), you will see the huge “Heineken Brouwery” building in front of you. There is a light-controlled Pedestrian Crossing here, with dropped kerbs on both sides as it crosses the main road here (Stadhouderskade);
Pedestrian Crossing [MAP]:
After crossing the road towards the Heineken Brouwery building, turn LEFT to reach the entrance to the Heineken Experience.
Heineken Experience
[MAP]:
After your visit to the Heineken Experience, turn LEFT as you exit, and head towards the Pedestrian Crossing again (but don’t cross it). This time, you will be crossing the sidestreet here instead (Ferdinand Bolstraat). After crossing Ferdinand Bolstraat, continue STRAIGHT AHEAD along the main Stadhouderskade.
Keep walking straight ahead, crossing many side-streets, until you cross a side-canal on the Judith Leysterbrug (bridge);
Judith Leysterbrug [MAP];
You will now see the magnificent Rijksmuseum building ahead of you. Before you reach it though, you first have to cross the side-street coming from your left (Hobbemakade);
Pedestrian Crossing [MAP]:
Light-controlled with dropped kerbs. After crossing Hobbemakade here, walk STRAIGHT AHEAD, and then turn LEFT into the main entrance of the Rijksmuseum.
Rijksmuseum
[MAP]:
The actual entrance to the Rijksmuseum is accessed via the cycleway/pavement which passes through the entrance. And after your visit, you turn LEFT as you exit – onto Museumstraat [MAP].
Just to the right of the pond in front of you, you will see the Museum Shop;
Rijksmuseum Museum Shop [MAP]:
When you reach the Museum Shop, turn LEFT and start walking along Museumplein towards the Van Gogh Museum.
Van Gogh Museum
[MAP]:
The main entrance to the Van Gogh Museum is on the left of the building (between the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedilijk Museum).
Stedilijk Museum
[MAP]:
The Stedilijk Museum and the Van Gogh Museum are right beside each other. After leaving the Stedilijk Museum, turn RIGHT and walk along Van Baerlestraat until you reach the first pedestrian crossing on your LEFT (directly in front of the older Stedilijk Museum building) [MAP];
Pedestrian Crossing [MAP]:
Light-controlled crossing, with dropped kerbs.
After crossing Van Baerlestraat here, turn RIGHT and immediately come to another pedestrian crossing;
Pedestrian Crossing [MAP]:
Light-controlled crossing, with dropped kerbs.
After crossing the Willemsparkweg side-street here, continue STRAIGHT AHEAD along this LEFTHAND side of Van Baerlestraat for almost 200 metres, until you see the Vossiusstraat entrance to the Vondelpark.
Vondelpark (Vossiusstraat Entrance)
[MAP]:
Just after passing through this secondary entrance to the Vondelpark at Vossiusstraat, you will see a short downward slope. The main paths in the Vondelpark are paved, and these secondary paths are hard-packed fine gravel (completely OK for wheelchairs);
Groot Melkhuis [MAP]:
As you wander through the Vondelpark, eventually you will arrive at the Groot Melkhuis restaurant & bar. A visit is highly recommended (and for wheelchair users it is a MUST – as there is an accessible toilet at the rear of the building).
A quick word about the toilets here: it costs 50 cents to use them! And everyone has to pay. It stops non-patrons, who are strolling through the Vondelpark too, from seeing them as free public toilets. So just look at the 50 cents as part of the bill for eating & drinking at Groot Melkhuis. And as the food & drink at Groot Melkhuis is very reasonably priced for such an amazing place, the overall cost to you is well worth it. Indoor & outdoor seating areas;
Vondelpark – Main Entrance [MAP]:
You will actually exit through the main Vondelpark entrance at the eastern end of the park (a bit “back-to-front”).
Just as you leave the Vondelpark, you will see a pedestrian crossing slightly to the left of the main gates;
Pedestrian Crossing [MAP]:
The crossing is light-controlled, and there are dropped kerbs at all points on the way across Stadhouderskade. At the end of the crossing you have a choice;
Turn left for a toilet (accessible) [MAP]:
After just a few metres, you will see a square toilet on the RIGHT of the footpath. The toilet is automatic, and is open 24/24. Afterwards, return to the end of the crossing that you just crossed, and continue walking straight ahead (the canal will now be on your LEFT);
Or turn right [MAP]:
If an accessible toilet is not needed: when you reach the end of the crossing outside of the main entrance to the Vondelpark, turn RIGHT and continue with the canal on your LEFT. On the opposite side of the road that crosses the bridge, but still on this side of the canal, you will see the dock for Blue Boat (for an evening wheelchair accessible cruise on the canals of Amsterdam).
Blue Boat (accessible cruises)
[MAP]:
There are actually two Blue Boat docks (you passed the other earlier – opposite the Heineken Experience). But this Blue Boat dock, opposite the Amsterdam Hard Rock Cafe, is where the wheelchair accessible canal cruising boats depart from.
After your evening cruise on the canals of Amsterdam, head back in the direction of the pedestrian crossing you used before (outside of the Vondelpark). But do not cross the main road again when you reach it. Instead, continue in the same direction, with the canal on your RIGHT, passing the accessible toilet (again?). At the end of the path (Leidsebosje) turn RIGHT and cross the canal.
Continue STRAIGHT AHEAD (you will pass another, but temporarily closed, automatic accessible toilet on your LEFT), until you reach the pedestrian crossing at the end of the street;
Pedestrian Crossing [MAP]:
After crossing Leidseplein here, you will arrive at the tram stop, where an accessible Amsterdam tram will take you back to Amsterdam Centraal Station (or elsewhere as required).
YOUR AMSTERDAM MUSEUMS DIY WALKING TOUR NOW ENDS
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