I booked this well in advance (6 - 8 weeks). You pay a nominal booking fee (maybe a Euro or two…read moreper person) to book, the tour is free, and you are expected to tip a decent amount at the end (at least 10 Euros). I figured it would be a good orientation and we'd have some flexibility if our plans changed late. We ended up sleeping later than planned on our first full day in Amsterdam (thanks, jet-lag). We did, however, manage to arrive at the rendezvous point (the monument in Dam Plaza) at least 5 minutes before tour time (10:30 a.m.). There were about 3 tour groups assembling at the same time. The company divided us up among appropriate guides and the tours began. Our guide was Paul Bierman. He was a lifelong resident of Amsterdam and had the associated level of knowledge about things. The tours are somewhat free form, and can focus on whatever the group likes - architecture, history, etc. Our group wasn't super decisive so we got a broad overview (which was fine). Paul walked us around the city center pointing out old churches, the first stock exchange, whimsical local canal lore, canal-side houseboats (one of which was a dedicated cat sanctuary), etc. It was a bit of a potpourri of local facts and trivia but everyone enjoyed it. We ended up back near the starting point close to 2 hours later. Overall, I thought this was a good introduction to the central city. It is a good option for a first-time visitor's first day in Amsterdam.

I've visited Amsterdam four times, but I just discovered the free tours by Free Walking Tours. On…read morethe day before my departure, I was thrilled to find one available in the afternoon. With a big group, It was split into two groups and I was assigned to Sebastiaan. His passion for history and sense of humor made the tour truly enjoyable. His familiarity with New York also helped me draw interesting connections between the two cities. This experience made my trip memorable, and I highly recommend him. I plan to return for more tours in the future. Thank you Free Walking Tours!

Maybe it was all tour guide, but at the end of trip, our group (8 of us) didn't feel it was a good…read moreuse of our time and kind of wish we had just gone exploring on our own. I guess it really depend on the guide, as I've been on these type of "free" tours where we learned a lot about the city and greatly enhanced the rest of our stay with local tips about restaurants etc. For this tour, it started out fine, the guide talked to us about the unique architecture of the houses and how they can become tilted. Unfortunately afterwards it was mostly just a lot of walking, and as it was a big group (the company had split the participants into several groups already, but it was still a good-sized group that formed a long line on the narrow streets), the few closer to the tour guide may have gotten a lot more out of the experience as they chat with the guide along the way, but the rest of us felt excluded. The little info we got was mostly history with a dry presentation. Early in the trip, I have asked the guide about something, and she said she'd explained more about that later. Towards the end of the trip, I mentioned to another traveler that I never did find out more about that something, and the lady said, oh, the guide did talk about it. I was a bit bummed to have missed it, and also felt that a more attentive guide would have sought to include me in that part of the talk. As said I've enjoyed many of this type of tours, so when we visited Amsterdam we did a bit of research and signed up for this one due to its good rating. Unfortunately the experience didn't live up to our expectation.

Gotta give it up to Shanna for an awesome tour! The weather was cold, grey and drizzly but she…read morestill brought positive energy and a good attitude. There were also moments where random interlopers interrupted her or the group got separated by traffic and she handled it all professionally. What I enjoyed the most was her depth of knowledge about the different social groups living in the city. Our group got into some detailed discussion around the history of the slave trade and sex industry in the city and at all points she gave a balanced perspective. I liked the combination of fun history with socially aware commentary on what it means today. I would totally recommend the tour, and Shanna to anyone visiting Amsterdam.

So there we were, in Amsterdam chatting with other folks from the hotel. They spoke about food tour…read moreand we've done them before as well so we decide to delve in. After a bunch of research we decide on hungry birds, and it was a good decision. Our guide for the tour was Anne, as you proved to be a little ball of positive energy that was totally appreciated. She handled controversial issues well, and introduced us to many of the tastes of the market. We tasted everything from fresh Herring to smoke deal to sought after, cookies and we seem to have a back door, no line access to everything. If you'd like to stop reading now is a good point but know that we are big fans of Angry Birds We met at the designated location, introduced ourselves to the other people on the tour and then Anne showed up. She arrived bearing cookies, and my wife and I had actively sought out these cookies just the day before as we had seen them on Instagram. We waited for 15 minutes in line to buy our Van Stapele cookies and here she was showing up with a fresh batch to share with us to get the party started. It was a great start. We then moved onto multiple quality tastes. My wife, ever the brave soul, volunteered to taste the whole fresh Herring that was offered to her, served in the traditional fashion of the seasonal run of the fresh Herring. So it arrived on a plate with onions and pickles, and Leah was taught how to hold the Herring by picking it up from its tail, adding the onions and the pickles and then taking a bite. Mind you the fish had been deboned and cleaned, but it looked every bit of a fish without the head. I volunteered to try a couple of bites as well and enjoyed it. This was at the Volendammer Vishandel, and there was no doubt about the fish being fresh as the place was very busy I don't want to go on and on and ruin your trip to the food tour and so I'll stop here but the combination of the energetic tour guide and the unique stories told made it a very quick four hour tour that I would encourage my friends to take.

We loved this tour. It was so informative and so much fun. Anne was so wonderful and so much fun…read more You wont be disappointed.

When I travel, I sometimes go on a tour of the city I am visiting as I like to learn about the…read morehistory of the area. I prefer to go on tours at the beginning of my trip as it helps with figuring out how to get around the city as well as discover attractions and sites I may not have been aware of. When I went to Europe in 2015, my friend recommended Sandeman's New Europe tours. The tour is free, but you're expected to tip the guide at the end of the tour, which is a win-win for everyone -- you don't need to pay more than you can afford, and the guide ends up making a decent amount. And because their wage depends on what people will pay them, the tour guides make an effort at being knowledgeable, entertaining, and personable. Sandeman's also offers paid tours to certain attractions. I've previously been on free Sandeman's tours in Berlin and Prague (as well as some paid tours), and the tour guides have been excellent, so I signed up for a free tour on our first full day in Amsterdam. Unfortunately it was raining at the beginning of the tour, but despite the weather, I had a good time and learned a lot about Amsterdam's history. The tour was two hours and started in Dam Square. The name of our tour guide was Pau, and she was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. If you like learning about the history of the cities you visit and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, I highly recommend Sandeman's New Europe tours. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cheap Thrills]

Took the 10:30 tour today with Danny the tour guide…read more Thanks for all the stories, a few opportunities to sit down, and answering all our questions

There are so many walking tours in Amsterdam so it's always a highlight when you get the chance to…read moreattend a different one. Last Wednesday it was time again. Together with a group I joined the Amsterdam Underground City Walks, organized by stichting De Regenboog, an organization that takes care of Amsterdam's unprivileged like people with social problems or drug addicts and homeless. The tour start is in front of Dwaze Zaken. The concept is that every group gets a guide who used to live in the streets of Amsterdam and tells his/her individual story and shows the according sites. Our guide Glenn, originally from Suriname, used to work as a drug dealer for 33 years. Nowadays he's employed at one of the 8 homes of De Regenboog where he cooks for 30 to 40 people 5 days per week. Taking the tour with Glenn was fun, he's a bouncy, streetwise guy who ends every sentence with "you know?". You can tell he's proud that he could get along for 33 years, has even been rich, always knowing where to make business without robbing people. This however doesn't include tricking customers by selling heroine mixed with stones. But he needed the money at that point because he was ill. After a while Glenn suddenly stopped and asked whether all participants were still there. They were. "Because last time I lost a guy, you know? Haha. But he went to one of the cabines in the red light, you know?". Sure. During the tour we learned a lot of interesting facts. About chinese house owners in Zeedijk who rented out spots to drug dealers in the 70ies to hide their drugs, for 500 gulden per day. That blue lights in the red light district signal that the respective woman was born as a boy. How homeless get into private houses to sleep for some hours in the staircases and escape before the residents would wake up. About the former police station in Warmoesstraat where the drug dealers placed a chain of watchdog to warn each other in times before mobile phones existed. Taking this tour you'll get to know Amsterdam from a very different aspect and moreover you support a good cause. The tour is €10 (I guess that goes to the organizators) and in the end you can tip the guide if you like.

This was a good tour that started rather inauspiciously as our small group was blocked twice from…read moreentering the Red Light District due to a heavy police presence and an on-site uniformed forensics team collecting physical evidence. It turned out that a working prostitute was stabbed to death by a customer while inside her window space just a matter of minutes before our group arrived. On a third try geographically farther down we successfully entered Amsterdam's main Red Light District. Different than Hamburg, where women are not allowed inside the city's designated Red Light District, here men and women are permitted to congregate together, and bars and restaurants abound in addition to sex shops, live shows, and working girls standing in windows along narrow alleyways off main streets. The women showing themselves to potential customers were by and large tall and quite attractive. Except for the presence of the human window displays, a passerby might think he or she was just in any other fun area of a major metropolitan city. Tour guide Kimberly provided interesting facts and historical commentary about the district as Diane, I, and the rest of our group walked several blocks as sightseers. The atmosphere on the streets was convivial, as several loud bar goers could be seen and heard imbibing beer and other alcoholic beverages just inside the front of several taverns dotting a main street. Both tourists and locals were in abundance in the early evening when our 90-minute tour unfolded. It ended with an included drink at a local bar/restaurant just outside the Red Light District. From what we were told, this type of tour inside the district may soon be legislated out of existence by local lawmakers, and strong political interests are seeking to push the prostitutes out of this special zone altogether. The recent murder of a professional prostitute here in plain daylight will likely provide additional fodder for the critics who argue that prostitution is inherently dangerous, and should not be legally protected or allowed in a special authorized geographical zone. So, if such a tour as this is of interest, it should be booked very soon.

This was a great tour. It was hilarious and informative…read more It was best way to be a tourist incognito. And the best way to see the city at night with a local as your guide. Kim (the fantastic tour guide) takes you all around the city and shows you where to find the good coffeeshops, smartshops, bars, sex shops, live sex shows, hookers and anything else you'd like to spend your money on. Kim was friendly, funny and answered ANY questions we had. The tour lasted about an hour and a half and was €12.50. We went on the 10pm tour on a Saturday night and really had a good time. So thank you Kim, I'm an Amsterdam hooker specialist now thanks to you.

A DAMN GOOD TIME WITH A DAMN GOOD GUIDE!! That Damn Guide,…read moreMark, is an independent tour guide in Amsterdam and provided our family with an excellent, private walking tour experience. He's very knowledgeable, very funny, and offers a unique perspective on Amsterdam with interesting insights into the rich culture and history of this city. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and he comes highly recommended!

We took this tour in early March 2020. We've taken a lot of walking tours in many European cities…read moreand this one with Mark is by far the absolute best. The small size is so much more intimate and comfortable. He spent a little time at the start getting to know us better and finding out what our interests are so he could tailor the tour for us. Then he showed us a map pointing out where we were going and sites he wanted to show us. His walking tours are usually between 2 to 8 people which is what initially attracted us to this tour. We thoroughly enjoyed it because Mark opened up Amsterdam to us in a way we never could have done on our own. That's the gift that Mark has, to be able to show us this multi-faceted city through his eyes, and his experiences, and with a balanced view. You would think that 3 hours is a long time to walk around a city but the time just flew by! Mark touched on the social, economic and political faces of Amsterdam. He sprinkled it with history and humor too. And it's all so much more interesting the way he presents it than just walking around reading from a guide book. Amsterdam is a beautiful city with a complex history and Mark shares it all during the walk. He's easy to listen to and his narrative is insightful and informative. Mark set a comfortable walking pace for us and he was ever mindful that my husband wore hearing aids. We really appreciated that. We loved the cafe that he took us to for a short break. It was open and airy and had a good vibe. The gallery and shop downstairs showcasing Dutch design was fascinating. I'd love to return. Mark also introduced us to a couple of smaller museums that we plan to see again. You can support this Amsterdam local business by booking directly on the That Dam Guide website instead of any 3rd party booking site, all of which charges him commissions. It's truly the best way to get to know Amsterdam.

Myself, my husband and his parents did a tour. It was very good and Jennifer made sure that my in…read morelaws (who can be slow to walk) were not left out. Would abslutely recommend.

From the owner: Visit the beautiful medieval city of Alkmaar and its traditional Cheese Market with a top-rated…read moresmall group tour. The tours are fun, informative and give an insightful look into the Dutch culture and way of life. Discover Alkmaar's most important attractions and wander off the beaten track and experience the 'real' Alkmaar. Tour sizes are kept small ensuring a personalised experience for everyone! Alkmaar Tours offers Cheese Market Tours, City Walking Tours as well as Private Tours.

Thijs took us on a wonderful tour filled with great food and a fantastic history lesson of…read moreAmsterdam. He was engaging and knowledgeable. We tried a variety of food and drinks. Would recommend 100%!

From the owner: We love good food and we suspect you do too. We have lived in Amsterdam for many years and in…read moreaddition to being seasoned, local guides we are also chefs, artists or teachers in this city that we love so deeply and know so well. Each one of us has our own specific stories that we are longing to share with you and we aim to turn each and every tour into a unique experience, together with you, our guest.

We had Captain Andy for our evening canal tour - awesome experience!! Super funny and good size…read moregroup. Definitely ask your tour guide questions, it makes the ride funnier and more interesting.

Andy was a fantastic captain for our afternoon canal cruise! We did the "Strangers are gross"…read moreprivate tour and it was the perfect blend of historic info and natural banter and conversation. It felt more like a friend taking us out than a tour. Would 100% recommend to anyone.