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With its chill vibe, funky decor, warehouse-like interior and spacious terrace, Pacific Parc is a rock ‘n’ roll bistro with an edge. Situated in a former treatment plant at Westergasfabriek, the café-nightclub on Amsterdam‘s west side clearly represents its mantra, “Do not beg for the right to live, take it.” Life is good over international favorites like satay with coconut-peanut sauce, Indian lentil curry, Black Angus burgers and Dutch pannenkoeken, all priced under €20 on lunch and dinner menus. For kids, chicken drumsticks, chips, cucumber and ice cream are on a children’s menu for €8. While little ones romp on the spiral staircase, you can dine at the bar or at wooden tables in the open-zoned dining area, under a whimsical chandelier hanging from the sunroof. If you’re attending a Westergasfabriek event, Pacific Parc is a great place to meet up with friends. But there’s more to this place than relaxed ambiance, good drinks, reasonably priced fare and a menu based on seasonal ingredients. Thursday through Saturday, DJs mix hip-hop with disco and swing tunes. By 23:00, dinner seats are pushed aside and anyone who sticks around may be in for a wild night. A special “Dinner and a Movie” deal entitles you to a flick at Ketelhuis, Westergasfabriek’s cinema, plus a starter and main course (excluding drinks) at Pacific Parc for €25. While the restaurant may lack for romance, it’s a fine place to get your weekend date off to a savory start.

In a city that prides itself on its reputation as Europe’s Sodom and Gomorrah, Koningsdag (King’s Day) is the one day of the year when everyone gets f*cked-up. It’s when Dutchies honor their monarch by parading down canals in festooned boats, dancing in streets and getting smashed to techno-tunes blasting from disco stages. With King Willem’s 2013 coronation, Koningsdag will be celebrated on April 26, 2014—a day earlier than future years because the new king’s birthday falls on a Sunday. Koningsnacht (King’s Night) will be celebrated on April 25, 2014. Join party-goers on Warmoesstraat, gyrating to pulsating street bands. Belly up to the bar at Stones and admire the barristers over pints of Heineken. Don’t get too f*cked up if you want to get a jump start at the next morning’s Vrijmarkt (free market), when all of Amsterdam turns into a giant garage sale. Would you part with €1 to guess a fat lady’s weight? Or let a child serenade you in Vondelpark? Or throw an egg in a stranger’s face? Have a go on Koningsdag, when entrepreneurs of all ages trade old treasures and new talents for cash. Jostle for a spot on Prinsengracht to watch buff gays in skimpy attire and beer-swilling locals on decorated boats. On Rokin, breathe in the aroma of grilled kebobs and marijuana smoke. Hold on to your hat as you spin on an aerial swing at the Dam Square carnival. However you spend Koningsdag, it’s easy to friends wandering the streets, and poking into bars and coffeeshops until dawn.

A four-kilometer seaside promenade is the perfect place for a stroll at Scheveningen, a beach resort in Den Haag’s wealthy northernmost district. In addition to a sandy beach, colorful esplanade, pier and the Scheveningen lighthouse, there’s a Sea Life aquarium, Pathé cinema, the Steigenberger Kurhaus music theater, Scheveningen Museum and a casino. Trendy clubs, restaurants, surf schools and other water sports options line the wide Noorderstrand (North Beach) boulevard. After a three-year metamorphoses completed in 2013, the beach-side stretch offers the best of sun, sand and surf on Holland’s western coastline. Giant sculptures by the sea add a whimsical touch, while numerous bars and eating establishments provide spots to grab a drink or a meal while watching the action in the harbor.

A sprawling one-stop shop for all things local—including the aloe and sea salt that were once drivers of the island’s economy—the Bonaire Arts and Crafts Cruise Market sits right by the cruise-ship piers, which means minimal schlepping. You’ll also find regional spices, clay sculptures and watercolors.

Rivaling the colors you’ll see below the sea on the coral reefs of Bonaire, the rainbow of Dutch-colonial buildings that line the streets of downtown Kralendijk—and especially Kaya Grandi, i.e., Main Street—will be worth your while, even if you don’t intend to shop at the neighborhood’s stores. But so much the better if you do: This is a serious retail mecca, with everything from duty-free outlets to local boutiques.

With just a few tables and a handful of barstools, this bar may be tiny, but it packs a lot of character into its diminutive space. Walls are decorated floor-to-ceiling with a mix of beer posters and racy street art; at the small wood bar, eight curving brass taps dispense top-notch Belgian-style draughts like La Chouffe and La Trappe. Around 50 specialty beers are also available by the bottle, many of them rare craft brews. During evenings, the bar even manages to squeeze in a DJ, who spins funky old-school jazz.

Amsterdam’s Royal Palace sits on Dam Square at the heart of the city. Though it remains a working palace—it’s where King Willem-Alexander was crowned in 2013—the Dutch royal family only uses it occasionally and the rest of the time it’s open to the public. Walk through the 350-year-old palace to explore its vast halls and priceless art collections. The truly passionate can get a deeper look by booking a guided tour from an art historian.

The precariously leaning, step-gabled houses that were joined to form this elegant dining room date back to 1614, and many of their original interiors remain intact, with beautiful delft-tiled walls, wood beams, and wide-plank floors. The restaurant’s name, which translates to “the Silver Mirror,” serves locally sourced ingredients, such as Zeeland mussels, North Sea shrimp, and Dutch beef, with a contemporary flair; the award-winning wine list includes some 225 bottles from around the world. Order à la carte or try one of the tasting menus, which run from four to seven courses and are priced from €49.95 to €79.95 (about $60 to $95) without wine.

As glassy high-rises sprout up on the site of a former gasworks complex on the Amstel River, this early-20th-century red-brick house, where the factory’s director once lived, has been preserved and turned into a smart café and art space. All rooms in the two-story home have been outfitted with mod, vintage furnishings and rotating artwork from area artists, and you’re free to grab a drink or coffee at the bar and enjoy them wherever you wish. The riverfront terrace is the perfect spot for a coffee and a bite; the menu includes sandwiches and goods baked on-site using locally sourced ingredients. Arrive early for a table for the busy Sunday brunch, which occasionally features live music.

Founded in 1838, Amsterdam’s zoo, just east of the Canal Ring, is one of the oldest in Europe, with a parklike setting that also houses an aquarium and planetarium (entrance to both is included in the price of admission). The grounds, while not large, are home to around 700 species, including giraffes, gorillas, penguins, pelicans, sloths, and reindeer. A highlight is Lemur Island, where the freely roaming long-tailed creatures scurry and hop all around you. The zoo also recently updated its Asian elephant and jaguar enclosures. The aquarium, which dates from 1882, was fully renovated in 1997 and counts tropical fish, sharks, and sea horses among its residents; it also boasts an underwater scene of a typical Amsterdam canal, complete with a sunken bicycle.

Hop on the free ferry from the city’s Central Station for the 15-minute ride to the NDSM wharf, an old shipyard that’s transformed into a hipster haven with restaurants, bars, and artists’ studios. The waterfront “beach bar” Pllek is a popular spot here; built out of old shipping containers, the soaring, dual-level space has an industrial vibe, with corrugated-metal walls warmed by bright artwork, an indoor fireplace, and huge windows looking out over the IJ River. But it’s the man-made beach that draws crowds in warm weather, with comfy beanbags and loungers where you can while away the afternoon. There’s a nice selection of beer and wine; the food is simple but surprisingly good, and it’s crafted with fresh, organic ingredients. Pllek also hosts live-music events, DJs, dance parties, films, and morning yoga classes.

This funky spot stands out among Amsterdam’s many urban “beach bars.” You can laze away a sunny afternoon at one of the picnic tables or chairs set up on a wide stretch of sand. Cocktails and beer slake your thirst, while decent pulled-pork tacos, burgers, and poke bowls keep hunger at bay. If the weather isn’t agreeable, the café—located inside a converted warehouse—strikes all the right hipster notes: Think distressed, graffitied concrete walls; leather sofas; vintage television sets; and groovy lighting. An adjacent warehouse hosts all sorts of events, from flea markets to film screenings to dance parties.

This collection of 5,000-plus bags, purses, and accessories—the largest in the world—spans more than 500 years, from a practical 16th-century goatskin money pouch to a whimsical shoe-shaped purse by contemporary Dutch footwear designer Jan Jansen. Displayed beautifully throughout a grand 17th-century canal house and arranged by time period, the collection includes rare French silk bridal bags from the 1800s, delicate art deco beaded purses, chic 1970s Lucite clutches, and contemporary handbags by luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Gucci, and Prada. Items owned by the rich and famous are here as well: a Versace evening bag Madonna carried at the Evita premiere; the cat-shaped “Socks” clutch that Judith Leiber designed for Hillary Clinton; and Margaret Thatcher’s iconic gray Asprey handbag, which she referred to as her “weapon.” Don’t miss the café’s renowned afternoon tea, with sweet and savory bites served in the museum’s period rooms.

One of the hippest neighborhoods in the city is Amsterdam-Noord, situated directly across the IJ River from the main train station. Here, an iconic 1970s office high-rise has been recently revamped and rebranded as A’DAM, an acronym for Amsterdam Dance and Music. Along with music-themed businesses, restaurants, and an underground nightclub, the tower boasts the rooftop Lookout, an open-air observation deck 20 stories up that offers panoramic views of the historic city center, the bustling port to the west, and the Dutch landscape beyond. Daredevils line up for Over the Edge, a huge metal contraption that lets you literally swing out over the edge of the building. Entrance to the Lookout is €12.50 (about $15) and a ride on the swing is €5 (about $6).

An instant Amsterdam hotspot when it opened on Rozengracht in spring 2015, Salmuera blends flavors from many Latin countries, fusing Mexican and South American favorites as its predecessor did with Asian fare. Set in the historic building that was the original Bols Distillery, most recently occupied by Chow, the lively bistro offers lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, all featuring grilled meats and seafood, ceviches, empanadas and other specialties of Mexico, Argentina and Peru. Named after the tangy brine that flavors and tenderizes meats in Argentina, Salmuera boasts a rustic charcoal asado grill, open kitchen, and upper and lower level dining areas. Whole suckling pigs roasting over an open charcoal fire, lots of dark wood, a bar with counter seating, and flickering candles add a gezellig vibe. When the weather cooperates, the restaurant’s vine-laced terrace is a great spot for al fresco dining and watching the passing scene on Rozengracht in the trendy Jordaan. Come for a romantic dinner or cocktails and “bites” like delectable Latin cheese fingers stuffed with melted Tres Leches cheese made with cow, goat and sheep’s milk; meat empanadas; Argentinean charcuterie and a street food platter featuring spicy chicken wings marinated in coffee and chipotle, Argentinean sausage roll, Peruvian potato tart, guacamole and an array of dipping sauces.