Amsterdam

Travel time
6 hours 30 minutes

How to get there
Travel to Dubai Airport as Emirates Airways flies to Amsterdam daily with Jul-Sep fares currently starting at Dhs3,885

Sleep

Budget
Citizen M: Say goodbye to shabby, stained B&Bs and say hello to trendy, sleek spaces. Yes the rooms are tiny, but the clever designs mean you have all you need, including an XL king-size bed, LCD TV, rain shower and free Wi-Fi. With one in the heart of the city and one by the airport, the location’s good too.
www.citizenmamsterdam-city.com. Jul-Sep rates start at €79 per night (approx Dhs354)

Blow it
InterContinental Amstel Hotel: This impossibly grand-looking hotel sits aside the Amstel River and has been watching boats chug by since 1867. Within strolling distance of the Royal Theatre Carre and the Hermitage Museum, this is a fantastic base for those wanting to see the more sophisticated side of the ’Dam.
www.amsterdam.intercontinental.com. Jul-Sep rates start at €380 per night (approx Dhs1,700)

Eat

Budget
Bazar: With tiled walls and huge, colourful lamps, this quirky, cosy and regularly jam-packed eatery serves up big plates of piping hot comfort food. It’s mainly Arabic fare, so it’s a great place to get a fix if you’ve been missing your local.
www.bazaramsterdam.com. Average price for two €26 (approx Dhs115)

Blow it
Ciel Bleu: This two-Michelin-star restaurant in Hotel Okura offers panoramic views from the 23rd floor. This may be nothing new to you Dubai types, but it’s a rarity in Amsterdam, so get booked in. Plus the European season-changing menu is excellent.
www.cielbleu.nl / www.okura.nl/en. Average price for two €350 (approx Dhs1,500)

Do

Budget
Tour a diamond factory: We may be from the land of bling, but Amsterdam is the City of Diamonds, and you can enjoy a free guided tour around Gassan Diamond’s cutting factory. Definitely one for the ladies to drag their men around – you can even have your own ring designed – that part isn’t so cheap, though.
www.gassandiamonds.nl/en/

Blow it
Rent a gondola: It may not be Venice, but Amsterdam is ripe with canals, so why not travel on the waters in the most romantic way possible? On your very own private gondola.
www.rentaboatamsterdam.com/gondola-gondel. €125 per hour (approx Dhs560). Max six persons