MUST DO: Rotterdam highlights & history with a local guide

Recommended by 94% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Popular pick

Booked 5+ times last week!

2 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6

· Leslie_G ·

Mar 2026

Our guide Edwin was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable of the city and the country and had many great stories to share with us . He was kind enough to meet us at the dock and took us on a two hour walk of the city, including a stroll through the market and the cube apartments. I would highly recommend this tour.

· Tracy_F ·

Mar 2026

Great tour and a really nice way to see Rotterdam! Our guide was friendly and shared a lot of interesting stories about the city’s history and architecture. We walked through several different areas and learned things we would never have noticed on our own. I'd definitely recommend this tour if you want to get a better feel for Rotterdam, especially if it’s your first time visiting

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Overview

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.

2-hour private walking tour of Rotterdam
See the city's highlights including Rotterdam Market Hall (Martkhal), SS 'Rotterdam' and more
Head inside Rotterdam's iconic, yellow cube houses (Kubuswoningen)
Learn about Rotterdam's history and culture while admiring the city's ultra-modern skyline
Receive the undivided attention of a private guide

What's Included

Local guide
Private tour
Professional guide

Food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Rotterdam Central Station
3013 AJ Rotterdam, Netherlands
The meeting point is inside the Rotterdam Central station under the `meeting cloud´. This is right in front of the Tourist information center.

End point

Market Hall
Markthal, Verlengde Nieuwstraat, 3011 GX Rotterdam, Netherlands
This tour ends at the Markthal area located at Ds. Jan Scharpstraat 298 3011 GZ Rotterdam.

Itinerary

Meet your guide at your Rotterdam hotel or the prearranged central meeting point, and then set off to begin your private tour of the city's top architectural and cultural sights.

Learn about Rotterdam’s past and present as you take in some of the city’s landmark buildings, including Rotterdam Centraal Station; the Old Harbor, or Oude Haven, which dates back to 1350; and the SS Rotterdam, a former ocean liner and cruise ship that’s been converted into a hotel.

Roughly halfway through your tour, you’ll stop for refreshments (own expense) in Rotterdam Market Hall (Markthal), the jewel in the city’s architectural crown. Then, continue to the eye-catching cube houses (Kubuswoningen) and make use of your included admission to the complex’s kijk-kubus (show-cube), a house museum designed to give you a feel of what life is like in a cube house.

After three hours, your private tour concludes in central Rotterdam.

Please note: A minimum of two people per booking is required.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.6

based on 62 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

The best way to see Rotterdam

Dan_M, Apr 2026

A great way to see Rotterdam’s different neighborhoods and learn about the history of the city. Susan was a great guide.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed seeing Rotterdam and learning about the city with Susan.

Susan, my guide, made the...

Leone_T, Apr 2026

Susan, my guide, made the city of Rotterdam and the country of Netherlands come alive for me. Her ability to convey the historical context of what I was seeing, from the architectural wonders to the background of how each building and structure contributed, in the past and going forward today, their very own unique niche to the community. I truly enjoyed myself immeasurably and would recommend this trip to everyone who wants a concise, immersive and enchanting snapshot of the true life of Rotterdam.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Really appreciate your kind words! Happy to hear Susan made it such a great experience for you.

Rotterdam walking tour

Leslie_G, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you! Glad Edwin could give you a fun and informative walk around Rotterdam.

Great tour and a really...

Tracy_F, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for the lovely review! Happy you enjoyed exploring the city with us.

Cruise port to Rotterdam

Girdhar_B, Feb 2026

Take umbrella with you ,if you not sure about weather. Also buying cheese be careful of fake proceess cheese at market hall. Overall we really enjoyed the walking tour and the cube house was amazing.Our guide Susan was the ⭐.She was very informative and had great history knowledge. Only down side it was raining very heavy throughout our tour . She even took us back to tram station and guided us back to cruise port .She is a very good guide and a friend. Thanks 🙏 Very much.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the tour and that Susan made such a great impression—she’ll be delighted to hear your praise. We appreciate the tips about the weather and cheese market, and we hope your next visit brings sunshine too!

Great way to discover...

Robert_M, Jan 2026

Great way to discover Rotterdam, which in my opinion is the most exciting city of The Netherlands. The guide shared a lot of interesting stories about the city's history and modern architecture. Really a fantastic way of getting to know and enjoy the vibe of the city.

An excellent tour of...

Jason_L, Oct 2025

An excellent tour of Rotterdam, its history and distinctive neighborhoods. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone seeing Rotterdam for the first time.

Tour of Rotterdam

David_M, Jul 2025

Susan was a very knowledgeable guide who while showing us the main architectural sights of Rotterdam, gave us an insight into the culture and history of the city.

Susan was not only very...

Blanche_C, Jun 2025

Susan was not only very knowledgeable about her country she was enjoyable to listen and to talk with

Rotterdam is an amazing...

Tristan_G, Jun 2025

Rotterdam is an amazing city to visit unlike any other in the Netherlands. The guide showed all sorts of interesting spots and told incredible stories about the city and its past. Would highly recommend!

Walkabout

Anonymous, May 2025

This was a wonderful one on one private tour. Our guide Susan was as pleasant as could be. Very interesting and knowledgeable. We got a great in depth view of Rotterdam and its beautiful architecture.

Private Walking Tour does NOT include SS Rotterdam

Pamela_H, May 2025

We purchased this tour on May 1, 2025: Private Rotterdam Walking Tour- Overview as follows: 2 hour Private Walking Tour See the city’s highlights including Rotterdam Market Hall, SS “Rotterdam” and more. We arrived at the meeting place approximately 10 minutes prior to 5:00. We made our introductions and met the guide, Susan. We had been to Rotterdam before and told her we were very interested in both the entry to the Cube Houses and the SS Rotterdam. She told us the tour did not allow enough time to go to the SS Rotterdam, we advised her it was in the tour description, but she said it wasn’t included. Then she told us we didn’t have time to go to the cube houses, they closed at 5:30. The only way we could go to the cube houses before they close, would be to take the tram and we would purchase the tram ticket and pay extra for it. After we paid and entered the tram, she told us we were on the wrong tram, and we had to get off and get on another one. After the second tram arrived at its destination, we walked to the cube houses, they did not close until 6:00. The guide should know what is included in the tour and the hours of the museums, attractions, etc. that are included. We should have gone to the SS Rotterdam, as described, that was something we truly wanted to do on this walking tour. We ended up walking around Rotterdam and seeing sites we had already seen when were previously in Rotterdam.

Such an intriguing city...

Cathy_M, Apr 2025

Such an intriguing city unlike any other in The Netherlands! Very happy that I went here and did this tour. Learned and saw many interesting things and had a great time doing so!

Group Private tour

Colin_T, Apr 2025

The guides intention was good but needed a speaker as could hear her and content could be a lot better .

Excellent walking tour!

Mike_S, Sep 2024

Susan is an excellent tour guide and we enjoyed the walking tour very much. She covers the history and culture of the city with in-dept explanations and personal stories. We highly recommend this walking tour.

Great tour of Rotterdam

Carol_C, Sep 2024

Learned a lot about Rotterdam form a wonderful local. The city has fascinating architecture and a great vibe. Our guide was knowledgeable in history and current culture, economics and direction of the city and nation.

Great Private Tour of Rotterdam

Larry_R, Sep 2024

Our tour guide, Edwin, was an extremely knowledgeable and an expert in the history of Rotterdam. He took time to explain everything and ensured that all our questions were answered. Would recommend this tour and Edwin as the guide.

2 hour walking Rotterdam tour with Susan- a big hit

Michael_R, Aug 2024

Susan was an extremely knowledgeable, engaging tour guide who offered personal, comprehensive insights into the history and sights of Rotterdam. She was keen to point out commemorative memorials to the pre WWII population including gardens and bronze disks. With a visit to a cube house and the central market, it made for quite an enjoyable 2 hours.

Amazing!

Will_C, Jul 2024

Mr. Edwin was an outstanding tour guide! You could tell he truly knows the information and was happy to explain and spend as much time as needed on each topic. I really appreciated all the details he provided. I informed him at the beginning that I am mainly interested in the city’s art and architecture, and he made sure to highlight all those details. I highly recommend him!

Excellent

Eleonora_Z, Jul 2024

Edwin was a great guide! I saw everything I had on my list of must-see places. He was very knowledgeable of the historical background of the city and country. He was not concerned about sticking to the schedule and time but rather to impart and show as many important highlights of the city❤️

Great highlights of Rotterdam

David_G, Jul 2024

Learned a lot about the culture and history of Rotterdam. Memorable parts were: stumbling stones, cube houses, and street art.

Good tour.

Lisa_K, Jul 2024

Susan did a great job with the tour of central Rotterdam. She was insightful and interesting. The only recommendation is that she point more at sights, sometimes she was talking about something and I did not know what she was referring to. Other than that, enjoyed it a lot

Excellent

Daniel_A, May 2024

Susan was a fantastic guide. She explained the themes of Rotterdam architecture clearly and well, and kept us (51 year old father and 14 year old son) absolutely fascinated.

Learned a lot!

Bobbie_H, May 2024

Susan had great information about present day Rotterdam as well as the history of the city and country. We learned a lot! Thank you, Susan!

Great Fun

Alan_B, May 2024

Susan was a great guide! Her knowledge and passion for Rotterdam and the Netherlands was evident. We enjoyed seeing the sights as well as hearing about Dutch customs.

A quick, fun orientation to Rotterdam

Ruthine_R, Apr 2024

We enjoyed learning a little bit about the history of Rotterdam and its architecture from John. It was a nice walk from the train station to the cube houses with interesting stories along the way.

Wonderful

Martha_S, Apr 2024

Susan was a wonderful guide! Friendly and flexible. She knows so many interesting things about a city she loves! We would have never accomplished so much on our own.

Fantastic

Sara_P, Mar 2024

Fantastic tour, the architecture was amazing to see and the guide told me all about the buildings, structures and history of the city

Educational and Informative

Kevin_W, Dec 2023

This was an excellent and educational tour. Our guide, Susan, was wonderful! We couldn't have asked for a better person to guide us. She was engaging and informative. At the end of our tour, we tipped her and found our she donate tips to impoverished children she worked with when she wasn't being a tour guide. It made our tour feel extra special. Thank you Viator and Susan.

Rotterdam is a must visit!

Stevie_R, Nov 2023

Wow! Rotterdam has such unique architecture, it is by far the most beautiful city in The Netherlands and I am glad that i've been able to learn so much about this city and its culture!