I'm traveling to Amsterdam for work in Dec will only have 2 days non-work. What are the not miss things to do.

The coffee shops, and the window shopping

To see the daily market !!!

the cheese market
the flower market
a wooden shoe maker at work
canal street
Windmills

Is this a weekend?? If so I'd do Day 2 on a saturday instead but here goes my ideas..

Day one...
Rent a bike and ride down to the Van Gogh and Rijks museums. Both will take about 4hrs to get through (total). Then head over to the Anne Frank house and do the tour. When you're done walk down along the canal and take in the sites until you reach the Pancake Bakery (same side as anne frank house but about a block down). Eat a panekoeken...apple & bacon is my fav. Head over to the Herengracht and find Amnesia coffeeshop and chill out.

Day two...
grab your bike and check out the markets.
In the Jordaan there's the market at the Noord-kerk (mostly antiques and produce)
There's also Waterlooplein in the center of the city (giant thift store of sorts)
and the Albert Cuyp on Albert Cuypstraat...this one's great for cheap souveniers, clothing, and produce.
When done w/ markets ride up and through the Red Light district and find Zeedijk street....that's chinatown...eat at Mode for some great asian food.

Have fun!

Well, there are a lot of nice things to see in Amsterdam:
- het Leids plein
- The Anne Frank museum in the centre is a nice experience, but you'll see that it's just a house, and you need to picture the history behind it.
- See Amsterdam from the rivers. (You can rent litlle boats, 'watertrappelen' )
that's a lot of fun.
-Go see the red district. It a neighbourhood where there are alot of prostitutes, but don't worry, it's very nice and beautiful to see, a lot of tourist check this place out.
- the old church
-National Maritime Museum: but first of all you have to be interested in boats, and only if you are a boat freak, i wouldn't go there if i was only one day in amsterdam.
-The town hall
-For art lovers: Rembrandt House and Van Gogh museum (nice!)
- Vondelpark (nice!)
- You can rent a bike to see more streets and small paths.
-Munttoren en muntplein
-The moulin rouge of amsterdam. (but i think the one in paris is better)
- the house of madame toussauds in the centre
- If you want to go shopping, you must go to the kalverenstraat. Also the Damrak and the Nieuwendijk are good places to shop. Small shops can be found between Raadhuisstraat , Bloemenmarkt / Leidse Plein.
-de dam
-the ROYAL palace
-......

AND MUCH MORE TO SEE
Tip: Look in a travel guide, and drink something on the beautiful 'leidse plein'


ENJOY

Check out this site, lots of usefull information for a short stay in Amsterdam:

http://www.flyingpig.nl/whatson/museums-galleries/sexMuseum.shtml

Christmas shopping!exchange rate good,cloths and shoes very good value.Anne frank museum if you can get there with out the Que.
once you have walked the red light district once or twice,it suddenly appears not so funny but pathetic,cafes good and food,wrap up warm,very cold breeze off water!!!!!!!!!

Hey, you will figure it out,and pretty quick !! Been there .Most of the Netherlanders speak a bit English.So no worries!Enjoy your stay,cause those 2 days off are gone in a blink off an eye!

goto a smart shop and buy some magic mushrooms and then trip out in Vondel park(i've done it twice and it is amazing)
then goto coffee shops and smoke marijuana and hash all day