The best way to discover Amsterdam is on foot. The first tour described here takes you to the essential cultural and architectural sights along the city's 17th-century Golden Age canals. Tours 2, 3, and 4 focus on the Old Center, the Jordaan, and the Jewish Quarter, respectively.
Our fifth tour is no leisurely stroll, but a taste of that quintessential Amsterdam experience: biking. Bicycles are a key part of the mechanism that makes Holland tick, and no trip to Amsterdam is complete without some time in the saddle. This tour pedals you out from the Center, along the Amstel River, to breathe fresh country air at the old riverside village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.
Part of Amsterdam's enchantment comes from making your own discoveries. On each of my proposed itineraries, you'll come across points of interest I haven't written up for lack of space. It could be an unusually shaped gable, an offbeat boutique, a gaily painted bike, a sunken canal boat, whatever. And here's something to keep your eyes open for: Before house numbers were introduced on canal houses during Napoleon's occupation, engraved gable stones indicating the resident's trade or profession served for identification purposes; you'll still see many of these today.
