One of the main attractions of Amsterdam is its canals.  The initial difficulty in navigating the city is that the canals all look alike, especially at night.  The street names can be difficult as many of them are named after the canals, have similar names and, well, are all in Dutch.  The street names are on the corners of the buildings at intersections, so paying close attention to that is key.  If it seems too difficult, then the tram system is your best bet.  It is easy to use and at 7 Euros for a 24hr. pass, not that expensive.  Tram maps are very intuitive and can get easily you to where you are going.

If I had more time in Amsterdam I would have taken a canal cruise.  There are many to choose from and most of them leave from Centraal Station.  The one less known cruise is a much smaller boat that can go through many more of the canals and IT’S FREE!  You need to sign up at the bar Chicago Boom on Leidseplein 12.  They open at noon and its first come, first serve when signing up.  You need to be signed up before the cruise time.  It’s BYOB and approximately 1 ½ hrs. long.