Grachtengordel (Canal Ring)

Postcard Amsterdam with the famous canals and tilted houses. Beautiful but touristy with high prices. Watch for bikes on narrow sidewalks and keep GPS handy - easy to get lost in the canal maze.

This is postcard Amsterdam - the UNESCO canal ring with 17th-century merchants' houses that lean at impossible angles. You'll spend most of your time dodging cyclists while trying to get that perfect Instagram shot of the bridges and houseboats. The boutique shops along the main canals charge tourist prices, but the side streets have decent restaurants where locals actually eat. Canal-side dining looks romantic but you'll pay €8 for a beer that costs €3 elsewhere. The narrow sidewalks get completely clogged with tour groups, and the canal bridges create blind spots where bikes come flying through. Beautiful during the day but can feel isolated walking alone the smaller canals at night.