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
Why travelers loved this
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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 4,026 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Laura_H, Jul 2026
My tour guide was Jaap & he was fantastic! Friendly, funny, very engaging & exceptionally knowledgable. He also ensured we were safe at all times from the crazy cyclists. He made the tour thoroughly enjoyable, the time flew past & before we knew it the tour was over. Would highly recommend both the tour & Jaap
Michelle_H, Jul 2026
Johnny did a fantastic job showing us around Amsterdam. He brought a good mix of humor and history to the tour. Highly recommend!
Pamela_M, Jul 2026
Good tour and a nice orientation for our first day in the city. There was no opportunity for a bathroom break during the 2 1/2 hour tour so I would recommend that you take care of business beforehand.
Gerry_H, Jul 2026
Francine was an amazing guide and ambassador for the city, culture and history. We appreciated the discussions about the good, bad and ugly periods which shaped the city and nation v
Millicent_M, Jul 2026
It was excellent---good sights viewed and great history--it was an easy walking tour and lots of interesting facts learned
Shannon_W, Jul 2026
Jaap was our tour guide and he was fantastic! Explains so much about the history of The Netherlands and Amsterdam, took us by famous sites (Ted Lasso Amsterdam locations!) and the famous inspiration spot for Monet’s The Sea at Amsterdam. Highly recommend this tour as a first tour upon arrival to Amsterdam.
Clarisse_Z, Jul 2026
This is my second visit to Amsterdam. This tour taught me so much about the culture and history. Janos was so knowledgeable and made the tour so captivating.
RoyRonald_P, Jul 2026
Dan was actually informative and knowledgeable. The only negative thing is that there were some things in the itinerary that was not discussed like about Rembrant.
Angela_E, Jul 2026
Great tour with Daan. He really knows history and his home of Amsterdam. Lots of interesting information and no questions are off limits. Different from the standard tours - highly recommend.
Vinit_s, Jul 2026
Ramses was great! He was knowledgeable friendly and patient with our questions. Thanks for the postcard and chocolates! We learnt about many things, like why the buildings are tilted and it was great for the price!
Daniel_P, Jul 2026
Very interesting and informative tour with a guide Janush (probably spelled Janos), who teaches history in local university. 2.5 hours of very interesting stories about local history, architecture, economics and psychology.
Andrew_M, Jul 2026
The tour is very informative, I did the tour as soon as I arrived to Amsterdam. Very knowledgeable guide Dani gave a good explanation about the city and history.
Lucy_M, Jul 2026
Jaap was very helpful. He recommended the spliffs but we loved lug. He was right about the spliffs we'll give him credit for that as Tyson's lug ruined our itinerary.
Lucy and Maria
Raymond_N, Jul 2026
Here’s a polished version of your review:
Our tour guide (I’m so sorry I forgot her name—she was a British lady whose name started with “N”) was such a fun and cheerful guide! She shared so many interesting details and fun facts about Amsterdam and was incredibly knowledgeable. We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Thank you for making it such a memorable experience!
Tracey_M, Jul 2026
Sebastian was a great tour guide. He knew all of the important facts and history of the neighborhoods. He shared personal experiences and also fun facts.
Audrey_S, Jul 2026
We had Samuel for our tour guide. He was so easy going and informative, also good with the occasional joke. Would highly recommend him
William_M, Jul 2026
Sergio, our guide, was awesome, knew a lot about the city, kept us in the shade as temperature was close to 90. We learned a lot and saw parts of Amsterdam we likely wouldn’t on our own.
Jen_E, Jul 2026
A fantastic experience!! Our guide Jaap was exceptional, super entertaining and funny. His expertise in history was impressive! We learned so much. I highly recommend doing this walking tour to get a more intimate understanding of the city, and hear of all the interesting things that you wont find in travel books.
Rey_B, Jun 2026
Good look at many aspects of Amsterdam and the history that makes it what it is today. Fernando did an excellent job of highlighting many facets of contemporary Amsterdam by explaining what we saw. He supplemented his tour with photos to illustrate his points. Very glad we took this tour
Jeffry_S, Jun 2026
Our guide took us to a broad range of locations within Amsterdam. He shared stories that enabled us to understand what we were seeing.
fmosquer, Jun 2026
Great history about the city. Daan was excellent showing us around the city and providing us good tips.
LISA_F, Jun 2026
A good and interesting chat about the History of Amsterdam, and includes topics from today. The guide was always concerned with our safety, and answering questions.
Janeen_R, Jun 2026
I’m visiting with my daughter and 14 year old grandson. We loved it. Fernando was an excellent tour guide. We enjoyed hearing the history of Amsterdam and seeing the sights.
Doug_r, Jun 2026
Our tour guide Daan was outstanding. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. He gave us an excellent overview of the history of Amsterdam
Nancy_B, Jun 2026
This was the perfect way to see Amsterdam. Hearing about the history of the area and the buildings gave so much more depth to our visit to this beautiful city. Sebastian was a great guide. He was fun, engaging and interesting. I highly recommend this tour, especially if you get Sebastian as your guide!
Hayley_C, Jun 2026
It was such a great way to explore and learn about this city. Our guide was a university professor with a great personality and a wealth of knowledge! Highly recommend!
BADER_A, Jun 2026
Jaan was very knowledgeable about the history and location and very informative and excellent tour guide of the area
PrabBal, Jun 2026
So much history and nuances within the architecture of the city. Our guide, Jaap, was amazing relaying us the information and stories in extremely whimsical manner. History, architecture, and current events were all shared to give the group a well rounded knowledge of Amsterdam.
Benedict_E, Jun 2026
Look for the Yellow Umbrellas. My guide was knowledgeable and friendly, also able to answer recommendations for things to see outside of the tour.
A 2-2.5hr walking tour, tailored in part to the group interests. Typically avoids the RLD but you get insight into historical and architectural factors related to Dutch history instead.
Useful to do for background as a solo traveller, as it allows me to wander around town with a slightly different perspective, for my city break.
Comfortable, sturdy shoes and ability to avoid bicycles recommended.
Leslie_K, Jun 2026
Friendly and knowledgeable guide- Janos was amazing! In addition to seeing the notable sites mentioned in the tour description, Janos introduced us to viewing Amsterdam “in the details”. This perspective was fresh and added more depth and knowledge. Would definitely recommend the tour and most especially, Janos.
From $6.43
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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