See the Best of London, Paris, and Amsterdam in Ten Days
By linking these magnificent capitals by Eurostar, it’s possible to get an excellent taste of all three in just 10 days with this useful itinerary. Each is worthy of more time on its own, but by visiting the places listed, you’ll come back with fantastic memories and the beginnings of a true understanding of this culturally rich part of the world.
Day 1
London
Throw yourself into royal London by walking from Big Ben through St. James’s Park to Buckingham Palace. Then make your way through the West End, grabbing a sandwich for lunch, to the British Museum for the afternoon. Have a pre-theater dinner at Noble Rot on Soho’s Greek Street before taking in a West End show.
Day 2
London
Start your day amid the bustling food stalls of Borough Market, carefully choosing a breakfast from the many delights. Wander back along the River Thames to the Tate Modern and experience the modern art. Then head over the Millennium Bridge into the City of London to St. Paul’s Cathedral, with one of the best views in town. Carry on farther east to multicultural Brick Lane for some of the best curries in town.
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From awe-inspiring monuments and museums to cozy pubs and cafés, get to know these iconic cities like a local with author Chris Newens.
Day 3
London
Head west toward Knightsbridge, visiting the shopping marvel of Harrods, then enjoy a light luxury lunch in its food hall. Afterward, continue in the same direction to explore the joys of the Natural History Museum. After a break at your hotel, head to Piccadilly for a Guinness, then dinner in London’s buzziest pub, The Devonshire (make sure you’ve reserved ahead).
Day 4
London to Paris
Make your way through Bloomsbury to St. Pancras Station, where the Eurostar to Paris awaits. Grab a parting drink at the station’s glamorous champagne bar. Arrive in Paris, and after checking into your hotel, explore the cobbled streets of Montmartre, eventually ascending the hillside steps in front of Sacré-Coeur to look out at the city. Have dinner at the nearby Brasserie Wepler, a hidden gem that’s little known by tourists, where dining feels like it must have 100 years ago.
Day 5
Paris
After the obligatory morning croissant, head to Île de la Cité to see Notre- Dame, then explore the fashionable medieval streets of Le Marais, grabbing a falafel from L’As du Fallafel for a tasty light lunch. Then go back south across the Seine toward the intellectual sophistication of the Left Bank. Pop into Shakespeare & Co. bookstore to recall a time when Paris was the haunt of Hemingway and his peers, then stroll up the Boulevard Saint-Michel to enjoy the relaxed elegance of the Jardin du Luxembourg. Grab dinner at L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre & Mer, a trendy update on the Paris bistro concept.
Day 6
Paris
Get ready to see some art. Head first to the Louvre, exploring its miles of galleries, saturating yourself in world culture before emerging into the classical landscaping of the Jardin des Tuileries, where a number of simple sandwich-selling cafés sell a light lunch. Continue to the end of the gardens at Place de la Concorde, where you’ll find the Musée de l’Orangerie, a smaller and more manageable museum dominated by Claude Monet’s waterlilies, plus a couple of galleries of impressionist art. Have dinner at Bouillon Republique, a vast new temple of classic Parisian dining.
Day 7
Paris
Go to the Eiffel Tower, the most iconic building in the world, and climb to its peak, where an astounding view of the French capital awaits. Once you’ve come back down to earth, have lunch around the corner at Le Café Le Cordon Bleu cookery school, where simple dishes get top treatment. Head north of the river to hit the shops of the Champs-Élysées before heading back to your hotel, then take advantage of the density of quality food in Paris for dinner in a local bistro. Look for a small menu handwritten in chalk to be sure of its authenticity.
Day 8
Paris to Amsterdam
After a farewell croissant, take the train from Gare du Nord. Arrive at Amsterdam Centraal in time for the soft afternoon light glinting on the canals. Stroll straight into the canal belt and wander toward the Jordaan, letting the narrow bridges and gabled houses introduce you to the city’s gentle rhythm. Check in to your hotel, then enjoy dinner at a neighborhood café where the lighting is low, the beer cold, and the food unfussy and comforting.
Day 9
Amsterdam
Begin with a slow breakfast, ideally involving appeltaart (apple pie) at Patisserie Kuyt, before heading to the Anne Frank House. Book ahead, arrive early, and give yourself time to absorb the atmosphere of this tiny, powerful place. Afterward, head south toward 9 Straatjes, a charming patchwork of boutiques, cafés, and quiet canal views, perfect for lunch. Then continue to the Rijksmuseum to enjoy the Dutch masters of the Golden Age. As evening comes, seek out a canal-side restaurant or grab Indonesian rijsttafel, a remnant of Dutch colonial history that has become one of Amsterdam’s defining culinary experiences.
Day 10
Amsterdam
Start in De Pijp with the Albert Cuypmarkt, with fresh stroopwafels and fragrant street foods. Head to the Van Gogh Museum for a rush of color and emotion. Spend the late afternoon relaxing in the picturesque Vondelpark, and when the sun starts to descend, take a predinner canal cruise. Seeing the bridges and houses glowing gold in the early evening is one of Europe’s great little joys. End your day with dinner in a classic brown bar, soaking up that mellow Amsterdam atmosphere before heading back to your hotel.
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