Absolutely Amsterdam - the Essential Introductory Walking Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Overview
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.
- Discover many of Amsterdam’s key sights, all in one tour
- Exploring on foot makes it easy to soak up the city’s ambiance
- Get up close and personal with the city’s UNESCO-listed center
- This budget-friendly option lets you tip as much as you’d like
What's Included
- SnacksOn the tour you will be treated to typical Dutch Cookie
- Our guides support their tours with pictures, paintings and maps that help bring history back to life!
- Super Local Guides who are are also happy to share share their (restaurant) recommendations with you
- A unique souvenir
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Freedam ToursBeursplein 5, 1012 GZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
We meet IN FRONT of the stock exchange on Beurplein 5. The guides will be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the start of the tour, holding a yellow umbrella. You can also find directions by looking for FreeDam Tours on Google Maps. !!ATTENTION!! It does NOT start on the nearby Dam square!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Beurs van Berlage
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Damrak
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Our Lord in the Attic Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Chinatown
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
The Waag
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
Oostindisch Huis
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Waterlooplein Market
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
The Amstel
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Oudemanhuispoort
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Royal Palace Amsterdam
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 3,731 reviews
ASHISH_J, Apr 2026
We had an excellent experience , oir guide Jaap was super interesting , knowledgeable and great sence of humor.
He made the activity worth the time amd memorable.
Highly recommend.
Lawrie, Apr 2026
Fernando was very engaging. Lots of fun and informative.
Many interesting facts and stories about Amsterdam.
Susan_K, Apr 2026
This was a really great way to launch my arrival in amsterdam. The tour guide fernando was excellent. I feel like I have a much greater understanding of how the city is laid out things.I would like to do I enjoyed all the aspects of the different areas of the city and the tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Now I know what I will do tomorrow, and the next day while i'm here.
Rita_H, Apr 2026
Alexander was a great tour guide! Informative and entertaining, he also allowed plenty of time for questions and made point to speak with everyone in the group one-on-one as we moved from stop to stop. One of the best experiences on my trip!
Highly recommend!
Lia_M, Apr 2026
Raymond is a fantastic, well informed guide. The tour was well paced and interesting. We saw so much and learned history and the Netherlands global impact
Amy_P, Mar 2026
A great introduction to the city. Sebastian did a great job. He gave us history in a fun way. Recommend doing this tour when you first get to the city.
Francesco_L, Mar 2026
I had the chance to explore Amsterdam with Sebastian, and it exceeded all expectations. He didn’t just give a standard tour, every explanation was engaging, detailed, and full of fascinating insights that made the city come alive.
What I appreciated most was how he blended history and culture with personal stories and practical tips about everyday life in Amsterdam. It made the whole experience feel authentic, not just informative.
You can really feel his passion for what he does, and it’s contagious. Thanks to him, I discovered hidden spots and interesting details I would have completely missed on my own.
If you’re visiting Amsterdam, do yourself a favor and book a tour with Sebastian, it’s absolutely worth it!
Simona_V, Mar 2026
We had an amazing walking tour in Amsterdam with Sebastian! From start to finish, he was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and full of great energy. He shared fascinating historical insights along with fun stories that really brought the city to life.
Sebastian struck the perfect balance between informative and entertaining, and he made sure everyone in the group felt included and comfortable. You can tell he’s truly passionate about what he does, and it made the whole experience even more enjoyable.
We discovered so many hidden gems and learned things we would have never found on our own. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Amsterdam, definitely a 5-star experience!
Valerie_D, Mar 2026
Fernando was an excellent guide giving us a lot of historical information. He was fun, witty, and kept the pace lively. We enjoyed this tour and learned a lot about Amsterdam. At the end he gave recommendations as well and that was greatly appreciated.
laurakath04, Mar 2026
Fantastic tour! Daan was a wonderful guide- smart, fun, and it was a great way to learn about Amsterdam
Robin_J, Mar 2026
Ramses provided a lot of interesting history and was very engaging (great sense of humor!). This tour was educational and fun. Highly recommended.
Neil_M, Mar 2026
Jaap was very enthusiastic, knowledgable and funny. Your lasted 3 hours and saw lots of Amsterdam attractions with some chocolate at the end. Would recommend.
Jennifer_T, Mar 2026
Dan knows deeply about the history of the Netherlands and city of Amsterdam with a good sense of humour. I certainly learned a lot from this tour.
Chris_W, Mar 2026
Easy to find the meeting point
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and was very empathetic towards my hubby poorly knee.
*didn't rush us
A real cultural experience.
Jeffrey_N, Mar 2026
Samuel is an engaging and highly knowledgeable guide who makes the experience both informative and enjoyable. I’d strongly recommend taking this tour on your first day—it gives you a great introduction to the country, along with helpful tips on where to eat and what to do. A great guide equals a great tour.
Brandy_B, Mar 2026
The tour was very informative and fun. Learned a lot about Amsterdam’s history and present.
Our tour guide Jaap was the best!
Francisca_A, Mar 2026
Jaap was very tall nice funny and helpful 😍! Definitely would recommend this experience for beginners
Brian_W, Mar 2026
Ramses was such a knowledgeable guide. Great sense of humor was a bonus. We would highly recommend this tour. Ramses knew so much about the buildings, history and the people in Amsterdam. "....neither the people nor the buildings in Holland are straight." Ramses education shows up.
We chuckled about the origin of the term Yankees. And we were shocked about facts from WWII.
Julie_V, Mar 2026
What a super tour. Samuel was a fountain of knowledge and a true expert at hosting our group. I’d highly recommend it. Please note this is a tip-based tour and it’s customary to tip accordingly. The guides rely on this.
Sue_Z, Mar 2026
It was a rainy day and pretty cool but Dani, our guide was fabulous keeping spirits up and moving with lots of interesting facts about the history of this interesting city and what lead to Amsterdam becoming the way it is today with so much tolerance and acceptance. Dani was great to talk with and answer all questions asked about anything, he kept it fun with humorous facts too. Thanks for an awesome tour!
Lindsey_S, Mar 2026
An overall odd tour experience, compared to others we've done, especially for a private tour.
Admittedly the weather did not cooperate, but for a private tour and based on prior experience, we expected an option to pivot at the beginning. Instead we walked for hours in the cold rain and there was a lack of warm/dry planned stops. This was especially surprising, given the normal weather patterns in Brussels. The first stop, long and weird, because it took forever to get waffles (maybe not his fault, he was also frustrated). The second stop, they were not yet serving the dish he tried to order (I think it was his first time there), eventually we were dropped at a restaurant where he ordered for us then left. Mostly it all felt unintentional and unplanned. Prior tours we've done, the stops were all very clearly planned and appropriately timed.
The strangest part, he ordered for us at the stops, including himself, then didn't pay for his own tab. I don't mind picking up a tab, but it felt awkward and confusing when asked to pay. We've never experienced this in the past.
He was knowledgeable about history and passionate about this amazing city, but overall the tour seemed disjointed and unorganized. I would hesitate to book again for sure, especially as a private tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Lindsey,
You left a review for the wrong company. You’re describing a food tour in Brussels. We don’t offer food tours, and we do not work in Belgium. We are a Dutch walking tour company operating in Amsterdam exclusively. Please remove your review, and post it to the correct company. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Alexander
Clare_B, Mar 2026
Really enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide gave loads of insight in to things that would have been easy to miss if only using a guide book
shimmies7, Mar 2026
Jaap gave a most entertaining, informative tour. It was such an enjoyable time. He also took us to some fabulous photo sites. Best walking tour ever!! Feel like we now have a much better understanding of Amsterdam’s history, including it’s quirks!
Brad_K, Mar 2026
This was one of our favorite walking tours! We learned so much about Amsterdam during the tour. And, it wasn’t too long or too much information.
Carl_W, Mar 2026
Alexander provided a fascinating tour with insights into the history of Amsterdam, also bringing the city’s story right up to date. I recommend Alex.
Ben_W, Mar 2026
Raymond was an amazing guide, very knowledgeable and tons of fun facts. He was very receptive to questions. Will suggest to others!
bono_c, Mar 2026
The tour guides are super knowledgable & friendly. Our guide Daan is a history graduate. So was able to give added perspectives on a lot of the buildings. Liked that he spoke about both positive & negative sides of the Netherlands’s role in history and advise us against the ‘scam’ strooperies and fries shops.
Raven_L, Feb 2026
I enjoyed this walking tour and your guide discussed a lot the history of the city. I’m glad I booked this tour.
Chris_B, Feb 2026
Ben was extremely knowledgeable, informative and entertaining with some great tips and device, highly recommended!!
Jane_C, Feb 2026
It’s relaxed and informative with the right amount of history and modernity. Did not expect to learn why carrots are orange but now I know :-) Raymond was kind, fun and patient, encouraging questions and making sure we weren’t run over by bicycles 🚴🚴🏻♀️
From $5.83
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Absolutely Amsterdam - the Essential Introductory Walking Tour
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