4 Things You Should Do in Amsterdam — and No, They Don't Involve Weed

Canal tours are definitely a great way to see the city in a big chunk, but a canal tour focused on architecture (price varies) is the tour you must take. There are several options, like renting a private boat tour to understand the city and its design. The tour focuses on what the group wants, and you learn all sorts of fun facts. For instance, anyone can have a boat on the canal harbor as long as they pay taxes for it, and in Amsterdam, buildings were originally taxed by how wide they were. The tour doesn't feel long at all, and it's a perfect way to spend a few hours in the morning.

Another sight you can see on the canal tour.

This contemporary art museum (around $13) has artwork that is 100 percent worth seeing. Currently, the exhibition houses Banksy and Andy Warhol pieces. It's a little small, which means you can spend about 20 to 40 minutes here — enough time before heading to the van Gogh museum or the Rijksmuseum, both of which are a five-minute walk away.

What a typical room in the red-light district can look like.