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.

A golden experience of the Dutch Golden Age…read more.. My husband and I had the good luck to find Murk's tours. Definitely recommended for hardcore history fans who appreciate a personal touch. We chose the Golden Age focus for our tour. But it seems folks who care about any given topic will find their curiosity satisfied here. Before we met - Murk replied promptly to emails. He pro-actively clarified our details. On the tour - Murk's mix of stories, his artwork binder, and of course the details of the city itself created a vivid image of the 17th century. I could have sworn that if I strained my eyes a little more, I would have spotted the deep-hulled trading Ships on the horizon, and heard the bustle of goods coming into port. Murk had spirited answers to our questions... When, Why, What's it mean? And how do you pronounce that in Dutch again? On the path, Murk gently dispelled some of the more romantic notions we held about the Golden Age. Yet in the same stories, he also pointed out the grandeur of items we'd assumed were ho-hum. As great teachers do. We must add that the tour price felt like quite a deal. One gets the sense that Murk does this for fun as much as for money; and wouldn't you like to tour with someone who really enjoys what they do?

Our guide, Edgar, was knowledgeable, charming, and his enthusiasm for Dutch history ad architecture…read morewas contagious. The time flew by. Highly recommend.

Oh. My. Goodness! I waited years before I bothered with a walking tour in Amsterdam. It was WELL…read moreworth the wait! I started with the historical Jewish area tour, and couldn't stop. That tour alone was impressive and inspiring. Delighting and quite moving. Tijs was so good that I went on to take more neighborhood tours with him and two with Edgar. These guys know there stuff. No question. Full stop. Great information and cool stories to keep you engaged and remembering! I wouldn't take a historical tour in this town with any other company. I've had the best, and I will return!

Last night we booked a "peaceful, romantic, CO-neutral evening canal cruise" in Amsterdam. What we…read moregot instead was part sightseeing tour, part improv comedy, and part low-speed nautical thriller. Honestly, I am still laughing. Our captain, Stefanie, opened the evening with what I can only describe as a legally binding statement "I will tell you everything about Amsterdam... and I will not lie." Bold. Confident. Inspirational. I trusted her immediately. To be clear, Stefanie was fantastic. Funny, personable, and working hard the entire time to keep things upbeat. The canals at night are stunning. The setting is absolutely top-tier. Now let's talk about the experience. The boat was described as "intimate," and credit where it's due, it actually was. Plenty of room, very comfortable. But the crowd was so international it felt like the United Nations had decided to take a field trip. I am pretty sure we solved at least two global issues before we left the dock. Then the journey began. Reverse gear? Optional. Possibly theoretical. The Red Light District? Hyped like the grand finale. "You have to see it at night." Did we see it? No. The canal was closed. Somewhere, dessert was served without us. At one point, we entered what I can only describe as a delicate negotiation with either another boat or a bridge. It was not a crash. It was more like two vehicles gently disagreeing about personal space. And through all of this, Stefanie remained calm, smiling, and narrating like everything was exactly as planned. Which brings me to my favorite moment of the night. During the chaos, she says "Please, take anything you want, I am so sorry!" Now remember, this is the same woman who PROMISED not to lie. So naturally, when we returned to the dock, I grabbed a bottle of wine. Not greedily. Respectfully. Like a man honoring a verbal contract. Immediately, a deckhand appears out of nowhere "You can't take that." I respond, calmly and with conviction "Stefanie said we could." Stefanie, without even blinking "I meant candies." Candies. At that exact moment, I realized I had just witnessed a masterclass in precision language. She did not lie. Not technically. She simply... left room for interpretation. Did she promise too much at the beginning of the tour? Possibly. Did I misunderstand the scope of "anything"? Also possible. Was I emotionally prepared to trade wine for candy? Absolutely not. All jokes aside, it was a hilarious, memorable, and genuinely fun evening. Not the flawless, whisper-quiet romantic cruise you might expect, but something far better. A boat full of great people, a captain who handled mild chaos like a pro, and a story that gets funnier every time I tell it. Would I do it again? Yes. Would I ask for a written list of what "anything you want" includes? Also yes.

Alfred the guide was awesome. He was able to answer all our questions. He was knowledgeable and…read moreexplained the history in a way we could understand. Great job!! Judy

As I walking I past this location I stopped in because I wanted to do the tour bus hop on, hop off;…read morehowever, I was warned that it was not worth it and the cruise would be a better option. I spoke with the guy in the store and he informed me the night time light cruise was coming to an end for the season-- I decided that would be best to see Amsterdam, at night. The employee here was very helpful and friendly. The tour was good and quite informative. While they do give you directions of how to get there, it's relatively confusing. Luckily they have several locations across the route and I had to pop in to two other locations for further instructions.

This comment is to report the driver of bus number 161 (who refused to identify himself when we…read moreasked his name). He wouldn't let us board, claiming he had to wait for his passengers, even though we had purchased tickets. No bus number was assigned, only the time. His attitude was extremely rude, and the bus was at least 50% full. We wasted over 30 minutes looking for another bus despite having purchased tickets. Your seat depends on the drivers and their arrogant attitude.

Aside from staying in one (rentals are available on various online platforms like Airbnb or VRBO),…read morewhere else than a working houseboat to better get a feel for these canal-side living arrangements so popular in Amsterdam? On a dreary fall morning I dropped by around 11am and the museum was empty aside for a couple staff. I showed my "i amsterdam" prepaid pass, they scanned it quickly and passed me the headset for a free self-guided audio tour, which lasts about 30 minutes. The tour starts at the front, where's there's an example of an older set-up, then leads to the back of the boat where a more modern layout is shown. Numbers next to signs tell you what to listen to on the audio guide. Some interesting tidbits I learned are that orange is practically a national color in the Netherlands, hence why the wall paper and decorations are all orange. New boats must be constructed according to strict regulations, and only a set number of spaces along the canals are allocated to houseboats so there's a limited supply. More interestingly, when the Netherlands football (soccer to us Americans) team won the European Championship in 1988, parties got so out of hand that some houseboats sank because too many people were climbing on them! I thought this was a calm, fun way to start my morning, and staff were friendly and helpful. This museum you can easily go thru in about 30 minutes, regular ticket prices are: Adults: €9.5 per person for Full Day entrance 10am-5pm Adults: €8 per person for Morning entrance 10am-12noon Children up to 12 years: €5 per person For more info: houseboatmuseum.nl

Super tiny museum because it's literally a houseboat. It is self-guided tour (you're given an audio…read moreclicker) that takes 30-45 minutes if you're listening intently to every section, or a speedy 15-30 minutes if you just want to listen and read about the main exhibits. Definitely not wheelchair/disability-friendly. The inside can be cramped in some areas, so be mindful of any bulky backpacks/bags you're carrying around. The information was pretty interesting - they definitely tried to cram a lot into a small space. I wouldn't recommend large groups here unless you break it up into groups of 4 people max. One and done type of museum.

My daughter and I recently took a trip to Amsterdam for our birthday celebrations. I cannot say…read moreenough about Tom's Travel Tours. Our guide, Joyce, took us to the Keukenhof where she filled our tulip tour with much interesting and fun information. She took us to an organic farm, several roadside tulip fields, and lunch in Bergen. Excellent guide. Our guide, Jacky, was so accommodating and fun taking us on our walking tour and food tour. She kept us moving but at a comfortable speed. We had a private canal cruise with Wim, who, also, was so knowledgeable and shared so much information along the way. It is so worth it to book a tour company and I highly, highly recommend Tom's Travel Tours. Thank you for the most enjoyable visit to Amsterdam!

We booked three tours from Amsterdam: 3 hour walking tour Jordaan/Amsterdam, Guided visit to the…read moreVan Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum, Royal tour Delft and Hague; one tour from Gent: Elegant Ghent Tour; and one tour from Bruges: Charming Bruges. All were excellent. In particular, our Amsterdam guide, Joyce, had excellent in-depth knowledge that was particularly useful in the museums we visited with her: the Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Mauritshuis; and in the Royal Delft museum in the Royal Delft factory. She was able to go beyond what was written on the displays and give further context and meaning, as well as identifying optimum ways of navigating throught these sometimes crowded museums. Mieke in Gent was obviously well-known there: people kept on stopping and talking with her. And Hendrickx was very useful in Bruges.

This is the best organized Segway company I have found in Europe. They use ear pieces allowing you…read moreto hear the guide through out the tour. Reducing all the stops normally made to explain things. They also email you pictures and videos after the trip all included.

Exceeded my expectations! Our group of five had done Segway tours in the past and we agreed this…read moreone in Amsterdam was the best. Actually, the owner of this tour company took us out himself and explained the city's history while being genuinely entertaining and pleasant to be around. Truly a sharp-witted and nice guy. Highly recommend this company. The tour started on schedule and felt very private and welcoming, as it was just our group of five being taken on the tour, not some huge group of strangers. You do travel through some busy areas, but people watch out for you because you're on these crazy looking Segway machines which are nimble and work perfectly for city tours. Again, great experience with this company and highly recommend doing this tour if you're in Amsterdam and want to see a lot "by foot" (not in a car) in a couple hour's time.

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.