Top Netherlands Historical Tours

Amsterdam's World War II history is woven through the Jewish Quarter, but the sites give little away without someone to explain what happened there. This small-group walking tour traces that history on foot, stopping at the Jewish Historical Museum, the Portuguese Synagogue, and the Auschwitz Monument, and covers events including the February Strike and the Winter of Hunger. It ends outside the Anne Frank House (entrance not included).

Don’t settle for crowded museums that rush you through history, elbow-to-elbow with the masses. This intimate walking tour follows Anne Frank's journey through the streets of Amsterdam, each lesser-known site offering profound insights into this era—and proving the enduring need for empathy to this day. Your tour wraps up at the iconic Secret Annex, leaving you with a deeper understanding that standard tours simply can't provide.

Enjoy a wide-ranging introduction to Amsterdam’s highlights and history on this small-group walking tour. Pick between morning and afternoon start times, meet your guide right in the heart of the city, and set off on foot. You’ll see highlights like the Royal Palace and the Red Light District, will learn about the city’s origins and key moments in its history, will admire its UNESCO-listed center, and more.

Spend less time wandering and more time admiring the masterpieces of the Rijksmuseum on a small-group guided tour. Designed with time-pressed travelers in mind, this tour takes you straight to the highlights to admire paintings by European masters such as Rembrandt and Hals, and offers insight into European art history that you’re unlikely to find in the guidebooks. Plus, a small group means that you have plenty of opportunities to ask your guide questions.

Explore the highlights of Rotterdam on this small-group guided walking tour. See key architectural landmarks such as the Central Station, Groot Handelsgebouw, Luchtsingel, Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk, Market Hall, Cube Houses, the Old Harbor, and more, and learn more about the history and significance of the buildings from your guide.

See the best of Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ dynamic second city, on this private 2-hour walking tour. With your own personal guide, you’ll get a glimpse into the city’s past, present and future as you explore top sights and architectural highlights such as the Old Harbor, the cutting-edge Rotterdam Market Hall (Markthal) and Rotterdam Central Station. In addition to the services of a private guide, this tour includes admission to the city’s iconic cube houses.

Explore Zaanse Schans and the Dutch countryside this tour from Amsterdam. With an informative guide, admire the lush, canal-crossed Dutch landscape. Take a tour of pretty Zaanse Schans, famous for its wooden windmills and green-painted houses, and visit a cheese farm and clog-making workshop to learn about these traditional crafts. Lastly, visit a working windmill to learn about the role of windmills in the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age.

You’ve seen the canals—now it’s time to get on the water. During this 1-hour cruise, you pass all of the Dutch capital's waterfront highlights. As you listen to stories from your guide or an audio guide, you float past islands, beautiful bridges, Centraal Station, historic warehouses, churches, and more, leaving with a deeper appreciation of this historic city than you'd get if you tried sightseeing alone.

Enjoy a self-guided tour to Van Gogh Museum with personalised digital plan from your hotel to the museum, plus art exhibitions and local gallery recommendations nearby — a complete Amsterdam art experience in one day.

Immerse yourself in Dutch culture on this full-day tour through the countryside with round-trip transport from Amsterdam. In addition to navigating, your guide offers little-known facts and anecdotes about each stop on the itinerary, including a traditional clog shop, artisan cheese factory, rural windmills, and the village of Giethoorn. Don’t forget your camera: The day also features a boat ride through Giethoorn’s waterways with rare views of the area.

Learn more about the Dutch Golden Age on a private tour of the Rijksmuseum. Deepen your appreciation of the exhibits as your guide provides historical and cultural insights into masterpieces from artists such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh. Explore at your own pace and enjoy the undivided attention of your private guide.

This walking tour is the perfect way to enjoy an introduction to Amsterdam. Choose between a private or small group touring option, and head off on your route. Orient yourself to the city's center as you explore its complex history. Follow your guide through Old Town, the Red Light District, the Jordaan neighborhood and more on this jam-packed itinerary.

Get a fresh perspective on Amsterdam's Red Light District (De Wallen) on this small-group walking tour of the area. Delve into the city's history with the help of your guide and learn about what life is like for sex workers there, plus the laws surrounding the profession. As you explore, find out about local coffeeshops culture and other ways of life than make central Amsterdam unique.

Learn more about one of the darkest chapters of Amsterdam’s history than you would without a guide's help with this Jewish Quarter walking tour. Combining visits to some of Amsterdam’s most important memorials with an in-depth history lesson about Nazi occupation, WWII, Anne Frank, and the Holocaust, this small-group tour offers unique insight into the resilience of Amsterdam’s Jewish community.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam houses the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world, including famous masterpieces such as “Sunflowers” and “The Potato Eaters.” Tickets must be purchased in advance, so avoid disappointment by pre-booking your preferred timeslot and reserving a multimedia tour available in multiple languages. Upgrade to a guided tour for a deep dive into one of the Netherlands' most enigmatic artists.

Experience the Rijksmuseum's treasures on a semi-private tour led by a licensed guide. Delve into the Golden Age of Dutch Masters, including Rembrandt and Vermeer. Explore iconic artworks and immerse yourself in Dutch art history in just 90 minutes. Your tour includes a museum ticket with skip-the-line admission so you can avoid waiting in long lines. Note that this tour is not wheelchair accessible and has a moderate level of difficulty.

Understanding Amsterdam’s Red Light District (De Wallen) can be difficult without local context, but this private walking tour offers a clear, informed introduction with a guide leading the way. Travel along Zeedijk Street and through Chinatown, all while learning about how the area has evolved. As you walk past red-lit windows and adult entertainment venues, your guide separates fact from fiction and explains the social history of the district, including how prostitution was legalized in the Netherlands in 2000, and the culture surrounding coffee shops (licensed venues where cannabis is legally sold and consumed).

Learn more about Dutch history and traditional culture on a half-day trip from Zaandam city center to Zaanse Schans. Admire the windmills and historic homes, have a go making your own Dutch clogs, and see how local cheese is made. You’ll also visit a working industrial windmill to see how these iconic Dutch buildings operate today.

Get acquainted with the artistic masterworks inside Amsterdam's iconic Rijksmuseum on this small-group or private guided tour. Delve into the history of Holland’s artistic heritage with your expert guide and see collections by world-famous painters like Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Rembrandt during your enriching tour.

Cycle through the countryside without worrying about being left behind with this small-group bike tour from Amsterdam. Follow a guide at a leisurely pace for 18 miles (30 kilometers), and see farms, fishing villages, and many cows. Halfway through the tour, stop in Holysloot for an optional slice of apple pie to refuel for the rest of your journey.

Take advantage of the close proximity of European countries on a day trip to Bruges from Amsterdam. Ideal for travelers who want to see more of Europe in less time, this tour saves you the hassle of planning by taking care of transport. A guided walking tour of Bruges' UNESCO-listed Old Town will give you a good overview so you can later explore the city independently at your own pace.

See a side of the Netherlands that many visitors miss on an e-bike tour that promises an authentic Dutch experience. Swap the busy streets of Amsterdam for open fields, canals, windmills, and picture-perfect medieval villages as you follow a comfortable 25-mile (40-kilometer) route that's made easier with an electric bike. Upgrade to visit a family-run cheese and clog farm and see locals making Gouda cheese and wooden clogs by hand.

Knowing what to priortize when exploring the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam can be daunting. Beat choice paralysis with this small-group tour, and follow your art historian guide as they take you to the collection's highlights. Get a deeper understanding of the artist's life and his different artistic periods as you go, with plenty of opportunities to ask your guide questions along the way.