Amsterdam is a city that revels in cosmopolitan excess of every kind. It gives you food from around the world, music to fill every hour of day, enough museums to keep you walking for a very long time and lots of freedom to do things you never would otherwise. The figures put out by the Amsterdam Tourist Office corroborate that — at last count the city had 51 museums, 141 art galleries, 55 theatres and concert halls, 1,215 cafés and bars and 1,250 restaurants. Here’s how to make the best of a very short stay.

Get Your Bearings
The Centraal Station lies at the centre of a semi-circular ripple of 17th-century canals that define the heart of the city. The north-south spine of the city centre runs from Centraal Station at the northern point — continuing down Damrak to Dam Square and then further south down Rokin to Muntplein. It can take a little while to figure out directions, but you’ll never have to worry about getting lost — the city is small and very friendly.

Day One
12am: Check into one of the many lovely hotelsin Amsterdam. One hotel which literally caters to every budget is the 117-room Lloyd Hotel (95-450 euros; +31-20-5613605, www.lloydhotel.com). The rooms here range from no-frills to plush. The hotel has the added advantage of being located in the heart of Amsterdam’s trendy eastern dock area.

An unusual mid-budget option is Hotel de Filosoof (80-170 euros; 6833013, www.hotelfilosoof.nl), whose rooms are scattered across a series of townhouses on the street. The nearby Owl Hotel (80-185 euros; 6189484; www.owl-hotel.nl) is a good alternative. For canal views try the Wiechmann (85-260 euros; 6263321, www.hotelwiechmann.nl). And if you can afford to splurge, stay at the Dylan (295-1,700 euros; 5302010, www.dylanamsterdam.com), which occupies a grand 17th-century house.

2.30pm: Your first stop should be the main tourist office (9am-5pm; 5512525, www.amsterdamtourist.nl), opposite the Centraal Station’s main entrance. Pick up a map of Amsterdam and a very useful visitor pass called the ‘I amsterdam Card’. The card, which is valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours (38, 48 and 58 euros, respectively), offers unlimited use of public transport, free entrance to 24 museums, discounts at restaurants, free canal tours, etc. You can also buy the card online at www.iamsterdam.com.

3pm: The best way of getting a sense of Amsterdam is to take an hour-long cruise along its quaint and intricate network of canals. The tours are operated in glass-topped boats; your I amsterdam card gives you free tours on Holland International (6227788, www.hir.nl), whose boats start opposite Centraal Station, and Rederij Noord-Zuid (6791370, www.canal-cruises.nl), which uses a landing stage near the Rijksmuseum.

5pm: Next, head to the Heineken Experience (10am-6pm; 5239666, www.heinekenexperience.com), a large indoor theme park housed in a former brewery, where for 15 euros, you can see videos and demonstrations of how this incredibly popular beer is made. You also get to ‘experience’ three glasses of lager, and get a take-home glass.

8pm: In a city full of excellent food, Moeders (6267957, www.moeders.com) really does stand out. Moeders is Dutch for ‘Mothers’, and the restaurant’s walls are covered with photos of them. The Dutch dishes on offer include suddervlees — beef stewed for many hours; a salad of beets, goat’s cheese and apricots, and pancake with cherries.

11pm: The main nightlife hubs are Rembrandtplein, Leidseplein and the adjoining streets, where you’ll find a bewildering number of watering holes. Some of the best venues for live music are Paradiso (Weteringschans 6-8; 6264521, www.paradiso.nl) and Melkweg (5318181, www.melkweg.nl).

Day Two
9am: Start the morning with a hearty breakfast and some espresso at the Café de Jaren (Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20-22; 6255771, www.cafedejaren.nl — it has some of the best canal views in Amsterdam, and is possibly the best place to linger, recover from last night and take in the views.

10.30am: You must have noticed the sheer number of bicycles in the city. Amsterdam has 600,000 of them — that’s nearly one for every resident. Get yourself a bike for the day. It will set you back by about 12.5 euros. Try either Bike City (Bloemgracht 68-70; 6263721, www.bikecity.nl) or Rent A Bike (Damstraat 20-22; 6255029, www.bikes.nl). Start pedalling along the three main canals of central Amsterdam, and admire the curiously gabled 17th-century houses, some of which lean so dangerously that it looks like they might topple over. Some of the finest houses are located in the ‘Golden Bend’ of the Herengracht, which stretches east from the intersection of Nieuwe Spiegelstraat.

2pm: The heart of the city’s cultural life is the Rijksmuseum (9am-6pm; 6747047, www.rijksmuseum.nl). The museum is undergoing a major renovation, so the exhibition area is reduced to the Philips Wing, which is actually a very substantial space. In Room 12 hangs the huge canvas of Rembrandt’s famous The Night Watch. The Van Gogh Museum (10am-6pm; 5705200, www.vangoghmuseum.com) is a stone’s thrown away. This modern structure has the world’s largest collection of the artist’s creations — as well as works by his contemporaries. After you’re done, head to the Rijksmuseum Shop to pick up a lovely set of Van Gogh coasters.

7pm: Time to grab a meal. Van Puffelen (Prinsengracht 375; 6246270, www.restaurantvanpuffelen.com), which serves Dutch and French cuisine, is a grand but reasonably priced place (about 36 euros per person).

9.30pm: You can’t go to Amsterdam and not walk through the touristy red-light district where scantily clad women gyrate behind the iconic neon-lit windowpanes. Explore some of the side streets and then make your way to the Nieuwmarkt, which has many respectable pubs. Wash your drinks down with some traditional Dutch snacks — bitterballen (deep-fried meatballs) and kaasblokjes (blocks of cheese).

11pm: The city’s tourist board may not be promoting them, but Amsterdam’s coffee shops, with marijuana off a menu and staff which is happy to tell you about the subtle differences in the quality of intoxication, are quite a draw. Asian artwork, lanterns and large red cushions give De Rokerij (Lange Leidsedwars-straat; www.rokerij.net) the look of an Oriental opium den.

Day Three
8am: A picture-perfect way of rounding off your trip to Amsterdam is a visit to the Keukenhof Garden (open from March 18 to May 16; www.keukenhof.nl), about 45 minutes from the city. The Connexxion bus company (www.connexxion.nl) runs regular bus services to the garden from Museumplein. With over seven million flower bulbs, this is the largest flower garden in the world. Carpets of red, blue and yellow tulips stretch out in every direction. A restored traditional windmill, quaint coffee shops and many small ponds and winding pathways complete its Elysian charms; and a set of three tulip bulbs purchased from its souvenir shop will serve as the perfect reminder of this colourful city.