Amsterdam rewards slow exploration. The canal ring alone is worth a day on foot — duck into courtyards, cross footbridges, watch the light shift over water. The big museums are genuinely world-class: the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum could each fill a half-day without trying. Beyond Museumplein, the city has wonderful churches, a zoo, a botanical garden, and squares that serve as living rooms for the neighbourhoods around them.