When I travel, I sometimes go on a tour of the city I am visiting as I like to learn about the history 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] read more

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

I have taken Sandeman's tours all over Europe and have never been disappointed. I love that they give the guides free reign to add in their own flair and interests. We took the tour with our 6 month old baby and had a blast! Bram was witty and clever. He gave us so much energy even though our tour group didn't give him much back. He was knowledgable about past and current events, even adding in some of his own stories of growing up in Holland which we loved. He even stopped along the tour to treat us to stroopwafel which was a delight! read more

Sandemans New Europe - Bike tours Near Me

Was recently visiting Amsterdam and was recommended to do a walking tour of the city. I am so glad I did! This was a great way to see a lot of the city at once and also take note of places/areas I would like to spend more time. Our tour guide was Bram Smith. He admitted that he was newer to giving tours but we could not tell. He was friendly, funny and knowledgable about Amsterdam. If he didn't know something, he was honest in saying so. He kept our attention the entire time and hit a lot of the popular Amsterdam hot spots. read more

Our worst experience ever! Please avoid any service from them. We book a country side bike tour online and pay the fees. We reach the spot 15 mins before the scheduled time. All good so far. Then just seconds before the start, our tour guide tells us that he cannot take us as the minimum people required are 4 for the tour. We were only 2. Bummer! They say they'll refund us the amount. I ask how. To that they avoid answering. I request to be spoken to the manager. After several attempts, I am connected to their supervisor. I request the supervisor to send me an acknowledgement email about my refund. She refuses multiple times and tells me that 'we are a big company, trust us that you'll get your refund'. I still demand an email. After multiple attempts, she sends me an email. I am also being told that I'll receive another email from customer service when they start processing the refund. Its been several days, and I have not received any email from customer service. I have tried to get in touch with the supervisor via call/text/email, but she choose to ignore me. So now, we lost our money, did not get any tour from these people. And the worst part, we lost a day on our trip to Amsterdam!!! Please never book any service from this company! read more

Sandemans New Europe - Response from the manager - Bike tours Near Me

If you only have a short period of time in Amsterdam and want a quick 101, definitely book (or show up) to one or more of these tours. I arrived in the city last night. Originally my plan was to vedge out in a bar. But then I went into one and felt super out of place, so I googled, "Red Light District night tours" and this company popped up first. And a tour was set to leave within 30 minutes down the street. Perfect. Sam was my guide, and he was excellent and thorough. I learned so much about the district, its past and future (Project 1012), and the current happenings. If you're uber conservative and close minded, you may be put off by the tour topics. But also keep in mind it talks about a place where window brothels, peep rooms, and live sex theatres exist. This tour was eye opening and gave me a new perspective on legalized prostitution/tolerance in the grand scheme of human rights. Keep in mind it's a fairly long tour at night. Our tour took place in the cold with a near constant rainfall. By the time I made my way to a nearby brewery, my hands and feet were completely frozen. Dress appropriately. Since last night's (paid) tour was such a success, I decided to join the free overview tour this morning. It included a hostel pickup. The girl who did the pick up wasn't the friendliest. She overheard my conversation with another solo traveler. The other person was talking about the change in temp compared to where she just was (on an island) and I replied about how I've been cold for a month straight. The pickup person then told us not to complain because it was so much colder yesterday. Like yeah, but perspective? Whatever, she wasn't our guide. Dominique was. She was also really thorough. This tour was less personal since there were SO many people on it. Even so, she took us to many important landmarks throughout the city and shared plenty of insider knowledge. I'd say the lack of a price tag (beyond tip!) was a steal. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this tour company. If I was staying in The Netherlands longer I'd book more with them. Perhaps we'll meet again one day! read more

Sandemans New Europe - Bike tours Near Me

Boom! FTR and well deserved five stars. Sandemans New Europe has affiliations in many major European cities. I've really enjoyed their tours in Edinburgh and Prague, I have no idea why I haven't found time to do the London one yet. Here's what makes this tour different. On other tours, you pay at the start. So if you don't like it, tough luck. Sandemans is done differently. There's no payment up front for their free tours. In fact, no payment at all. The tour guides work completely based on your tips. If you don't like the tour, at any time you just... wander off. If you do like it, you tip the tour guide at the end. I handed the lovely Lee €10 today because she really loves Amsterdam and she knows it. Three hours walking through the city today pointing out the major sites and the interesting points here and there. I was really pleased with her effort and enthusiasm. Thanks, so much Lee! Sandeman's does other tours that aren't free. A "red light district" tour and others. Check the website for details. read more

Sandemans New Europe - Lee at the end of the tour - Bike tours Near Me

Sandeman's New Amsterdam offers a variety of tours, both free and paid. Tips and highlights: + All tours start at the National Monument, Dam Square. Look for the guides, some have red Sandeman's umbrellas + If you really want to take a tour at a specific time, I would seriously consider making reservations, especially during high season. + Tours operate in all weather. It happened to rain during part of one of the tours I took. So dress and plan accordingly. + Free Tour - This is a pay what you want/how you feel the guide did. The routes are up to the guide, and they generally hit the same spots; however, they will alternate their route to avoid other groups and crowding, especially on the more narrower and touristy parts. The material shared is also specific to the guide, and seems to also be geared towards the group. It is a toss up as to the mixture of history and personal stories. While the tour is anywhere from 2.5- 3+ hours, we did stop at a restaurant that seemed to have an agreement with Sandeman's. During the break they offered a place to rest, restrooms (downstairs), drinks (for a fee, which included adult options as well), and a pull for the other tours that Sandeman's offered as well as other touristy sites that you could buy tickets to during the break. + Red Light District Tour (Paid) - In many cases, you will need to purchase your ticket online prior to the tour, which currently will cost you € 14. This tour is ~2 hours and is offered only at 7PM. The guides are extremely knowledge about the subject matter including the history, current happenings regarding the rules/restrictions of the area, as well as share stories and puts a real human face to the girls. I would recommend this tour if you are wanting to explore the area, but yet don't feel comfortable to go out on your own. You go early enough to see things in the daylight and experience the narrow walkway of the Elite street and some of the active window, and you avoid the more crowded and non-sober time. I would definitely recommend looking at Sandeman's websites for additional tours. They even offer biking tours! read more

The way Sandeman's free tours works is that they have freelance guides lead free tours and then at the end of the tour, tips are given based on how much people liked the tours. Each guide has his/her unique style and script of what s/he wants to talk about. This was our first experience with Sandeman's tours. We signed up for a free tour but we were late about 10 mins and the guide said the group was full and wouldnt take us, so we waited for the next available session. This time, we showed up early with our new online reservation and boom, we got into a group! This isn't even the best part yet.. We met our tourguide..whose name was Geert- a very Dutch sounding name...but when he spoke, he sounded like he came from North America but it turns out he grew up in Portugal ! He was personable, fun, knowledgeable, and passionate with the tour he provided. This wasn't my first time in Amsterdam but I learned so much more this time around. Geert really made our tour experience amazing and made us really love the Sandeman's experience...We loved it so much that we ended up signing up for tours in the other cities we visiges. So, I would say our guide was the best part of our tour experience and I would recommend a tour by Geert to everyone! And , let's hope that I didn't butcher the spelling of his name!!! read more

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We went on the Redlight Tour with Charlie as our guide. He was informative with the right mix of humor and seriousness. We learned so much and his approach made it less intimidating. Highly recommend Charlie for this tour. We got the tour as part of our Amsterdam Card. We were unsure if we would get to go as with the card you are unable to secure a spot ahead of time. Luckily we got there 10 min early and there was only 1 couple ahead of us. Something to remembet, guides can only take 20 people in a group. read more

I love Sandeman's tours. They never fail me. I took a free walking tour with Spencer, and he is awesome. He is so energetic and so knowledgable, it's amazing. We walked through a lot of Amsterdam in the three hours (including a half-hour break for lunch), and it was fun. I got to learn and understand how Amsterdam came to be, and I would highly suggest taking these walking tours whoever Sandeman's does them! I also took a (paid) Red Light District Tour with Tim, and it was equally good and interesting. I didn't want to wander round the red light district by myself at night, so I decided to go on the tour. It was interesting and I learned a lot, and Tim was really knowledgable and energetic the entire time too. This was the first tour I've taken with Sandeman's that was paid, but I had no hesitation nor doubt that it would be a good tour. It definitely lived up to my expectations of Sandeman's, expectations and admiration that I developed over attending three or four of their walking tours in other European cities in the past. I love Sandeman's tours. They are always from energetic, very knowledgable people, and I always learn so much. Highly, highly, highly recommend! read more

Free City Tour: Whenever I travel, I typically do a walking tour at the beginning of my trip so I can get a feel of the city. I especially like Sandeman's free walking tour. By free, I mean pay what you think the tour is worth to you. We each ended up tipping our guide 10 euro so about $13. Trust me, thats way cheaper than the paid tours offered in the area. Our guide Kendra made the 2.5 hr walking tour so interesting and interactive that we promptly went and bought tickets to the paid red light district tour offered by the same company. Red Light District Tour: The 2hr walking tour started at 7pm; before the red light gets too busy with patrons and other tourist. We got to know the nitty gritty of all things red light from its history, the sex shops, recommended sex shows, to how to commission the ladies. read more

For some background on what the philosophy of this tour is, here's a copy/paste from my review of the Berlin Tour: it's a "free" tour, where you pay at the end whatever you felt it was worth; this acts as incentive for the freelance tour guides to provide the best possible service. They don't get paid by SANDEMAN's, so what you "tip" them is what they make (minus a cut for the company). That said, the SANDEMAN's New Amsterdam tour is good to do if you haven't already explored the city yourself beforehand. Sure, the guides provide a lot of insight, but it's a tiny city and you'll end up going circling back to places you've already seen. The tour group was also a bit too big and unwieldy for the tiny streets (look both ways for bikes also), so that was a bit distracting. It was advertised as a 3 hour tour, which is entirely too long. We spent a considerable amount of time in the Red Light District. My friends and I left halfway through during the break. Our guide wasn't very happy about that but we paid him, and he was all smiles, and gave us some tips on where to go afterwards. read more

Our tour guide, Axel, was great! Witty and quite knowledgeable; he is passionate about his work. I felt that he filled the time well; learned a lot about the history and culture. He also offered practical tips on getting around and staying safe. Happy to give him a generous tip for his services, read more

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Absolutely loved my walking tour with Paul. Hilarious and knowledgeable guide; I was laughing the whole three hours. Great way to explore Amsterdam and familiarize yourself with the city. Plus, it's free! Would recommend. read more

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The best way to explore a new place is by taking a walk in a local's shoes, and that is exactly what happened. Our tour guide, Kor, was excellent with keeping our group entertained and he kept our attention the whole time. We learned a lot about the history of Amsterdam and about the society it is today. This is a must for anyone in Amsterdam, and I would definitely attend another tour in other cities through Sandemans free tours. read more

We has a great experience today with one of the English tours! Karl was our guide, and he had a great sense of humor and was extremely knowledgeable. He answered all of our questions and gave great advice about the city. read more

Sandemans Tours are recommended by everyone for good reason! I went on my first Free Walking Tour in Amsterdam Tour with Mars as my guide. He is extremely knowledgeable and great at explaining the history of the city. I've been on a couple different tours and he's been the best so far! Be sure to check in with someone under an umbrella before the tour begins. You will be given a slip of paper with a number. This lets them know you're there and organize people into groups for different guides to lead. Have fun! read more

tour guide bro was really knowledgeable about the city and showed us the highlights. He made the history come alive with his storytelling. tour was a little long but we stopped for a break in the middle. would definitely recommend if you are new to the city and want to know where the main spots are. read more

We have done the Sandemans walking tours in Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - these are the best ways to see the city and understand the history and culture. We loved all the tours and would highly recommend everyone to use them. You get so much insight about the place and it helps you appreciate the city. Kendra was our guide and she was amazing!! read more

Sam was an excellent guide, very prepared, knowledgeable and interactive. Had we not gone on such a tour I thinking we would have left the city with seeing some beautiful sights, but not truly understanding the city. Sam did a good job also not just giving us information, but explaining the history as to how it came to be. It was an excellent learning experience for us. We would highly recommend Sam and the walking tours. read more

Our guide, Lisa, was fantastic! She was very knowledgeable and kept us interested and engaged even though we had a terribly cold and windy day. Loved her sense of humour and personal stories. She gave great, honest advice about other attractions and tours and we would definitely recommend Lisa and Sandemans to anyone looking for an interesting tour with a guide who actually cares. We have done the tour in Barcelona as well and will continue to use Sandemans on our travels! Thank you! read more

After I made the tour with New Europe Tours for the first time in Paris, I checked if there was one in Amsterdam too and felt happy it was so. my summary: + meeting point easy to find + uncomplicated start (its for free!), you get your group and just start + We had SUCH a COOL and CRAZY guide (his name was Kor)! He was from Amsterdam, gave us a lot of local info and was abolutely entertaining ;) + are you thinking about if the 3 hours are too long? No they were not! :) you get a lot of backgound info beside the basics - local info, stories from the guide, how is living in the netherlands and insider info where to go etc. + went to have a drink with the guide and some guys from the tour - I dont think that would have happened after a standard city tour - I came on a Monday and there were already so many people we had to split in groups (with about 25-30 people). That was absolutely okay but I recommend: Dont do it on the weekend if you can. There will be bigger groups for sure. Actually I found out that those guys have their reviews on TripAdvisor. There you can find more about the guides.;) read more

i have been on sandeman's tours in 8 different cities and they are always great. its a get what you pay for type situation so expect up sells and promotions. either way its a great thing to do as the guides are typically very hip and know whats good. remember to tip them as they do not get paid any other way. read more

Took the free walking Amsterdam tour last month (January) and was blown away by how comprehensive & entertaining it was. Geert was our tour guide & he was energetic, funny, & extremely knowledgable. It was clear he loves Amsterdam and has a vast knowledge about its history and things to see & do there during your visit. It's a three hour tour with a short break at a pub to allow you to buy tickets for addition tours and 'avoid the line' tickets for museums & attractions. It's not a hard sell, and honestly if the paid tours are as good as the free one, they're worth every euro. Also, while the tours are 'free', the guides customarily receive tips as their pay. Geert's tour was much better than others I've taken that cost 20 euros or more, so tip accordingly if you can! read more

Sandemans New Europe - Tour guide Geert in front of the East India Trading Co building. - Bike tours Near Me

Sandeman's was a great way to take a unique and interesting tour of the city to learn about Amsterdam's historical side. Our tour guide was Mars who was very knowledgeable, funny and welcoming! Would 10/10 recommend. read more

We started off our first morning in Amsterdam with a free-walking tour through Sandeman's. We had used Sandeman's twice in Dublin and had been very pleased and we found the same high quality tour in Amsterdam. Our fabulous tour guide was Rimousky. She was full of information, stories and humor and kept us entertained and interested throughout the tour. She brought the history of Amsterdam alive and relevant, and the information she provided was helpful in the sites we visited through the rest of our time in the city. She was also helpful in helping us figure out how to prioritize our time. Sandeman's continues to impress us with their free tours and excellent tour guides - we highly recommend this tour and Rimousky. Would have been interested in doing another of her tours had we had the time. read more

We just got back from our trip abroad, did two tours abroad, and the Sandeman's New Amsterdam tour was awesome! Mike was an excellent guide. He really went into depth with the history of the city, both informative and with a great sense of humor. Do this tour on one of your first days so you can go back and explore the areas! Highly recommend them read more