Fall is one of the most magical and beautiful times of year. Living in Southern California it’s hard to experience true fall climate + scenery. This year Clayton and I decided to take a little Euro trip to enjoy a bit of the Fall season. I must say that both Amsterdam and Copenhagen were beautiful places to visit at this time of year. Sure both were a little cold and sometimes rainy/overcast but that is part of the Fall season. And on another positive note because this is considered more of an ‘off season’ for these destinations it’s a bit cheaper to travel there during this time. We spent the 10 day trip exploring both cities, riding bikes, eatings lots of yummy food and celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Below I will outline a bit of what we did + ate in each city and what I wore! Enjoy!
P.s. I have both an “Amsterdam” and a “Copenhagen” highlight saved to my Instagram where you can also pull additional resources!
Amsterdam
To stay: We stayed at the Hoxton Hotel. This is an adorable cozy boutique style hotel that overlooks a canal and is in a great location. The rooms are modern but also rustic and the branding + ethos of the hotel is very progressive and fun. The lobby + restaurant area has tons of cozy seating and is very nice to hang out in. We actually didn’t know it at the time but we booked our trip during ADE (Amsterdam Dance Festival) which is a huge dance event so the hotel was a bit busier + noisier due to that but overall it was a great place to stay!
To do: Amsterdam is such a beautiful and charming city that is is honestly so enjoyable to just walk around and take it all in. Stopping at various bakeries + cafes, shopping, and exploring different neighborhoods. It’s basically a world running on bikes so beware of this when navigating on foot as you’ll be the minority. You can of course join in and ride bikes as well, however we chose not to in Amsterdam as it’s quite crowded and I’m personally anything but advanced when it comes to biking – LOL.
Other than exploring the city on foot or bike I would suggest definitely checking out the red light district. It’s a completely unique and interesting experience that you must see. When you think about going to an area full of drugs and prostitution it sounds scary and dangerous – but it’s not at all. The atmosphere was very laid back and casual. There are even families and children in the area to give you an idea of the vibe.
I would also suggest going to a couple of the museums while in Amsterdam. The Anne Frank museum is another must see. It books out months in advance so I would suggest getting your ticket online as far ahead of time as you can. If not you can try to get them day of (online) at 8am but the odds aren’t great for this option. We also loved the MOCO museum and the Rijksmuseum.
You should also stroll around Vondel park. It is a beautiful large park that is full of gardens, ponds, trails and immense beauty and peace. We took a boat tour of the city as well which was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. It’s really fun to be on the canals and see the city from a different perspective! There is also great vintage shopping in Amsterdam. Our favorites were Knopenwinkle, Zipper, and The Episode!
What to Eat: (p.s. I would suggest calling ahead for a reservation to almost all of these as they get pretty busy we learned and you can’t always walk in)
The Meatless District: This was our favorite meal/restaurant of the trip. It’s a vegan spot that is female owned and run. They serve amazing artisan dishes like homemade pumpkin tortellini and asparagus risotto. They also have a great ambience and charm to the restaurant.
Golden Temple: A super unique and yummy spot that can make almost everything on the menu vegan and or gluten free. It’s mostly a mix of asian and Mexican fusion. Our favorites were the nachos and the appetizer plater!
Vegabond: A little vegan bakery/deli style joint with easy quick bites. You can also get amazing vegan treats here like Dutch Apple Pie and Stroopwafel. Order fresh mint tea here (and everywhere) it’s so yummy!
Beter & Leuk: A cozy little vegan friendly cafe with very pure organic style food. It’s ‘home cooked’ vibes and it’s not all overdone and gimmicky like some trendy spots can be. The vegan egg salad and the buckwheat pancakes are amazing. So are their vegan pastries!
What I wore:
Sweater code delaneyxpp for 20% off!
Jacket code Delaneyxpp for 20% off wearing size 6 for oversized look
Glasses code Delaney for 15% off
Pants code Delaneyxpp for 20% off – I recommend sizing up one!
Jacket code Delaneyxpp for 20% off
Copenhagen
To stay: We stayed in a hotel called Axel Guldsmeden which is another super cute boutique style hotel. It’s located in the Vesterbro neighborhood which seemed to be a convenient location for walking and taking public transportation as it was right next to Copenhagen central station. Something I LOVED about this hotel was it was completely dedicated to being sustainable. They used eco friendly products throughout toiletries, towels, housekeeping, energy etc. The lobby is super cute and cozy as well. The rooms are nice with quite a bit of room also. They do have somewhat of an Asian/Island vibe which was interesting but really nice nonetheless!
To do: We were actually visiting some friends that live in Copenhagen so we hung out with them a lot. At some coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. We also decided that Copenhagen was a better place to ride bikes than Amsterdam since it’s a bit less crowded. However, I haven’t ridden a bike since I was a little girl so it was pretty challenging for me pick it back up in a city setting, but it was fun nonetheless and a really convenient + quick way to get around the city.
Clayton and I spent the day at Kronsborg Castle one of the days which is about a 45 minute train ride from Copenhagen. It’s a beautiful ride and very easy. The castle experience was one of our favorite things we’ve done on our travels. Seeing where and how royalty lived was such a unique and interesting experience and I would highly recommend it!
Nyhavn is a super cute and quaint part of the town that is lovely to walk/bike along or enjoy a meal. The canal is lined with stunning colorful old homes turned into restaurants and businesses. Aesthetically this was one of my favorite areas of the trip – it also has a great laid back atmosphere.
I also highly suggest going to Tivoli for a day. It’s the second oldest amusement park in the world. It’s got rich history and tons of fun rides. We went during a weekday and off seasons so we had virtually no lines which was a dream since we’re only used to places like Disneyland. They’ve got plenty of cute and calm rides, and a few very intense ones if you’re into that too!
To eat:
Souls: A great vegan option. We had some delicious Beyond Meat burgers and truffle fries. They also have pizza, salads, chili, etc. It’s a cute spot with good ambience as well.
MadenItaly: This was one of our FAVORITE restaurants on the trip. It is a full vegan menu as well. The food is traditional Italian but all plant based and it is so delicious. The pizza crust is probably the best I’ve ever had. The Potato Truffle pizza is a must, and I was also a huge fan of the Carrot soup. We didn’t get to try out their desserts but they had some amazing looking home made cakes. Even their seitan is made from scratch. I would highly recommend to anyone – vegan or not.
What I wore:
You can also watch my Amsterdam + Copenhagen vlog here! Enjoy
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