Cruising the Canals: Hop aboard a glass-topped canal boat for a cruise through Amsterdam's beautiful canals, where you get the best possible view of all those gabled Golden Age merchants' houses--and ignore anyone who tells you it's a tourist trap.

Seeing the Old Masters: Stand in front of Rembrandt's The Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum, where 200-plus rooms display works by Dutch and other European masters.

Visiting with Vincent: Visit the Vincent van Gogh Museum, where you can trace the artistic and psychological development of this great, unfortunate painter. Then head next door to the always challenging Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art.

Remembering Anne Frank: Spend a reflective moment in the tragic world of Anne Frank, amid the surroundings of her family's World War II hideaway, now the Anne Frankhuis, where she wrote her famous diary.

Treating Your Ears: Take in a classical music concert at the Concertgebouw, one of the most acoustically perfect halls in the world (the musicians are quite good too).

Taking a Tiptoe Through the Tulips: Pick up a bunch of tulips at the floating Flower Market on the Singel, if only to brighten up your hotel room.

Hunting for Antiques: Four hundred years of Amsterdam history, including a piece of the city's Golden Age, is there for the taking in the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat antiques quarter. All you need is a (big) fistful of guilders.

Shopping for a Steal: Pick up bargains at the Waterlooplein Flea Market and the Albert Cuyp Markt.

Cycling the City: Rent a bicycle and join the flow of cyclists for one of the classic Amsterdam experiences--but go carefully.

Riding a Canal Bike: Amsterdammers scoff at this. Let them. Peddle yourself through the water for an hour or two on your own private boat and tour the canals in style (not much style, I admit).

Skating the Canals: Strap on long-bladed Noren skates and join Amsterdammers in their favorite winter outdoor activity.

Crossing Bridges: Cross over as many of the city's 1,200 canal-spanning bridges as you can: The views are great.

Going American: Join tout Amsterdam for coffee, tea, and gâteau in the stunning art nouveau ambience of the Café Américain in the American Hotel.

Beaching About Zandvoort: Come rain, hail, or shine, take the train for the short hop to Amsterdam's brassy seaside resort and let the bracing North Sea air blow you away.

Popping a Herring: Okay, raw herring is an acquired taste. But the only way to acquire the taste for it is to try, and the only way to eat it is whole, holding the fish by the tail with your face to the wide Dutch sky.

Eating a Rijsttafel (Rice Table): Anything from 15 to 30 little Indonesian dishes, some of them as fiery as a Space Shuttle launch.

Sinking a Jenever (Gin): Spend a leisurely evening in a brown cafe, the traditional Amsterdam watering hole. Your first sip of jenever must be a "look, no hands" effort, leaning over the bar.

Boosting Ajax: Shout yourself hoarse for Amsterdam's soccer hotshots, Ajax, at their high-tech new stadium in the suburbs.

Walking on the Wild Side: Stroll through the Red Light District to examine the quaint gabled architecture along its narrow 16th-century canals--oh, yes, and you might also notice certain ladies watching the world go by through their red-fringed windows.

Visiting a "Coffeeshop": Yes it's true--smoking marijuana is officially tolerated in Amsterdam's very special "smoking coffeeshops." These places aren't your neighborhood cafes, and they're not for everyone, but they're an established part of Amsterdam's alternative tradition. You'll be able to buy and smoke marijuana inside, and no law-enforcement agency is going to hassle you.