Step into the world of Rembrandt and explore the streets, studios, and stories that shaped his life and art. Visit iconic locations like Zuiderkerk, Rembrandtplein, and the Rembrandt House Museum as your local guide brings the Dutch Golden Age to life. This private walking tour offers an inspiring journey through Amsterdam’s most artistic corners, filled with history, creativity, and personal tales.
Destination
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Hindi, Deutsch, Nederlands
Included
Private guide
1 Local snack or drink
All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral
Excluded
Entrance to attractions
6 reasons to book this tour
Can be 100% customized to your wishes
Get to truly embrace the culture of the city
Learn about Rembrandt in Amsterdam
Connect with a knowledgeable local
Hear fascinating stories and insights
Discover cultural highlights & their local relevance
What you can expect
Amsterdam is a city of stories, and on this private tour, your local host will guide you through the life and legacy of one of its greatest artists: Rembrandt van Rijn.
Through your host’s engaging storytelling and carefully chosen stops, you’ll step into the world of 17th-century Amsterdam and discover the painter’s triumphs, tragedies, and creative genius. Learn how Rembrandt’s art and personal journey reflect the spirit of the Dutch Golden Age and helped shape the city’s cultural identity. After all, what better way to understand Amsterdam than through the eyes of its most famous artist?
As you explore the city’s artistic roots, traditions, and historical atmosphere, you’ll see Amsterdam from a new and inspiring perspective. Your local host will take you to the iconic Zuiderkerk, where Rembrandt’s children were buried and his neighborhood took shape; to the Rembrandt House Museum, the place he lived and painted during his most successful years; and to Rembrandtplein, where his presence still lives on in sculpture and legacy. At every stop, you’ll witness how the cultural heritage of Amsterdam seamlessly blends with daily life.
Your host is a natural storyteller with a passion for history, art, or local life, ready to share personal insights and fascinating anecdotes. Want to tailor the experience to your artistic interests or take a detour? No problem—your host will happily customize the route to make their Amsterdam, your Amsterdam.
Choose your local
Get to know these 2 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
Arunabha
The Inspiring Writer
4.8238 reviews
English・Hindi
Marten
Historian & Storyteller
4.9344 reviews
English・Deutsch・Nederlands
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
Meeting point
Meet at By the Rembrandt Monument on Rembrandtplein - Amsterdam to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
Culture of the City
On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Amsterdam through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!
Rembrandt in Amsterdam
Your tour will focus on Rembrandt, a very important person in Amsterdam. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how Rembrandt made an impact in Amsterdam, making you experience the city from a different perspective.
Cultural Highlights
As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit Zuiderkerk, Rembrandt House Museum, Rembrandtplein, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!
Storytelling Journey
As you discover the cultural side of Amsterdam, you’ll be able to embrace it thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are reliving history in the present time.
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Tiffany
(About local )
29 June 2025
Our guide did a wonderful job providing us with a unique visitor this beautiful city. He included historical information relevant to the wonderful food we were tasting and the areas we were walking through. Wonderful Experience!
Nic🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
27 June 2025
I’d highly recommend a walking tour with Marten. You can expect to not just learn about the city but to learn something about the Dutch mentality, the values, what the local customs are like. There is no better way to begin your trip to Amsterdam.Amsterdam walking tour
Marcy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 June 2025
Marten immediately made my granddaughter and I feel comfortable. He was warm and engaging to both of us . His knowledge, expertise and experience makes him a top notch tour guide. His skill at making history and art so interesting to not only me, but also my 16 year old granddaughter, was so appreciated. We were lucky enough to have booked two separate tours with him . The first one was the Jewish history tour, which was very moving, and so worthwhile before we went to the Anne Frank House . It gave us a better understanding of Jewish life in Amsterdam before and after the holocaust.
The other tour we took with Marten was of the Van Gogh Museum and Van Gogh himself. His story telling skills made learning about Van Gogh so very intriguing. His ability to draw attention to relevant things that one could easily overlook was so appreciated. Walking and talking while interweaving philosophical viewpoints made it even more thought provoking. It was very special to learn from this wonderful guide.
We actually bumped into Marten the day after our tour and we were all so excited to see each other. Amazing tour guide
Booker🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
10 June 2025
Marten K. is an exceptional storyteller. At the Van Gogh Museum, he wove an intricate and captivating story of Vincent Van Gogh’s life as a mentally unstable, yet brilliant artist, highlighting the numerous artistic innovations he pioneered. He connected Van Gogh’s artistic accomplishments through his early days in Holland, then in Paris and finally in other French locations, including his one-year stay at a mental asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He detailed Van Gogh’s many relationships with Gaugin and other Impressionists. Throughout his telling of Van Gogh’s life story, he highlighted Vincent’s relationship with his younger brother, Theo, who loved and supported him throughout his life. Marten gave my wife and me many fresh insights that I had not heard in my art studies in college or learned in visits to other museums and exhibits with Van Gogh paintings. Our Van Gogh tour with Marten was so enlightening and memorable that we’d, without hesitation, use him for other tours he offers.Marten K. is the best guide you’ll find!
Don🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
9 June 2025
We wanted some help on our visit to the Rijksmuseum. Arun had a great depth of knowledge about the principal works and artists that really enhanced our understanding. Our 9-year-old grandson still became bored, but the adults were captivated. Great way to visit the Rijksmuseum
Andrea
(About local )
9 June 2025
Martin expertly guided us through the Van Gogh and Rijks Museums. He has a deep knowledge of the artists and the art including artistic influences, time periods, and life circumstances. Martin also gave us background on the buildings including origins and newer editions and modifications. We especially appreciated his guidance through the Rijks Museum which is massive and crowded. Highly Recommend
Andrea🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 June 2025
We enjoyed walking through the old part of Amsterdam with focus on the pre-war Jewish neighborhoods. Martin has a strong command of history both local and global. He was able to contextualize a lot of what we were learning. We asked to end the tour at a particular time at or near the Anne Frank House. Martin accommodated us nicely with this.Informative
Christian
(About local )
7 June 2025
Unsere Tour mit Marten war sowohl informativ als auch unterhaltsam. Er hat uns mit viel Engagement und Fachwissen begleitet und spannende Hintergrundinformationen vermittelt, die den Rundgang besonders interessant gemacht haben. Absolut empfehlenswert!Dank Marten wurde die Tour zum Highlight
Robert🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 June 2025
I enjoyed our time together. The story telling and local knowledge are interesting and fun. We walked and talked of the houses, the occupants, the changing norms and all manner of subjects. History, art, culture, architecture…
Peter🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
6 June 2025
We have been fortunate to participate in many, many tours. There is a huge difference between a generic tour guide and a host. In addition to possessing a passion for history, a deep sense of Dutch pride and an easy manner, Marten is an enthusiastic and personable host. We challenged him by asking to alter the tour plan at the last minute to accommodate avoiding things that we had already seen. He graciously and seamlessly adapted to our request and we spent an easy three hours walking and talking. We would recommend Marten highly to anyone seeking insight into the fascinating history and contemporary life of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is Awesome
Kevin🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 June 2025
Marteen was on time, very knowledgeable about the area as well as the history. My husband and I had a great time and we enjoyed the food, especially the stroopwafels!!!Great in a history lesson of the area
mcooperman
(About local )
5 June 2025
Marten is great! He walked us through many different city areas and highlights. His enthusiasm for Amsterdam as a historian was clear through the storytelling he wove throughout our tour. This made the tour informative and engaging. Highly recommendedAmsterdam Storytelling
Michele🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 June 2025
We had a great time with Marten on the food tour! He was very informative and also a lot of fun. He shared great stories about living in Amsterdam and the history as we tried several different foods along the way. My mom is elderly and he was very accommodating to our slower pace. Great time with Marten
Alex🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 June 2025
Marten was a wonderful host with a lot of really interesting stories! We loved hearing about some history of Amsterdam and specifically about the area we were walking through. We had a great time walking around the Albert Cuyp Market sampling different food. My favorite was the warm, fresh stroopwafel, but everything we tried was delicious! In hindsight, my family would have appreciated at least one stop where we could have sat down for a bit to eat (we were with my in-laws), but that didn’t detract from the great experience we had. Thank you Marten!! A wonderful experience in Amsterdam!
Silke
(About local )
1 June 2025
Wir hatten eine Foodtour in Amsterdam gebucht und einen ganz tollen unterhaltsamen Nachmittag mit Marten. Wir haben nicht nur ein wunderschönes Viertel von Amsterdam und einen beeindruckenden Foodmarket kennengelernt, sondern durch Martens sehr unterhaltsame und lustige Art auch Hintergrundinformationen zur Geschichte von Amsterdam, Land und Leuten bekommen. Wir hatten sehr viel Spaß und können Marten nur weiterempfehlen! Jederzeit sehr gerne wieder😃Tolle Entertainment Foodtour
Ward
(About local )
26 May 2025
Marten is een uitstekende gids met uitgebreide kennis van historiek en maatschappelijke achtergrond.
Hij voelt heel goed het niveau van de groep aan en past zich aan. Hoog niveau van kennis en sociale vaardigheid. een plezier om hem (en zijn mede-gids en partner Pillou) heel de dag te mogen meemaken. Voor herhaling vatbaar!
Ik kan hem aan iedereen aanbevelen!
Zeer leuke ervaring,
Proficiat!
Ward
Uitstekende gids. Absolute aanrader!
Melanie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 May 2025
Arum was nice and knowledgeable about the history of local foods. It was mostly a stroll through a local street market, tasting an eclectic mix of Dutch and ethnic-inspired Dutch foods, though we ended early due to exhaustion on the part of some of our group. We tried delicious “Pom” sandwiches, Gouda cheeses, Dutch pancakes, and unexpected pairing of Dutch apple pie and draft beer, fried fish (we declined the herring), and ended with bitterballen. I don’t think this was a foodie’s “best of Amsterdam” tour, but rather an introduction to different foods found here that you may not encounter elsewhere. Arun spoke quickly and softly so it was difficult at times for some in our 6-person group to hear what he was saying. Having said that, we didn’t all do an especially good job sticking close by, though we did have to ask him to repeat himself a few times for those who couldn’t catch his words. If we had been a bit more energetic I think it might have been more fun, unfortunately we had had a long day and ran out of steam before we got through all the stops. The thing most important to know is that this is rather eclectic in terms of the order of tasting things - from cheese to butter soaked sugar cakes to beer, so prepare your stomach accordingly. And be sure to bring water to wash it all down. Good intro to Amsterdam Int’l Food Scene
Marion🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
20 May 2025
Vorweg möchte ich erwähnen, dass Marten ein netter, sympathischer Tourguide ist und viel Wissen weiter vermittelt.
Die Foodtour führte kurz durch ein Stadtviertel und fand vorwegs auf einem Markt statt. Die Auswahl an Verkostungen war jedoch recht mager - von Fisch zu Süßem und dann wieder Fisch, Süßes und zum Abschluss Käse - und wenig abwechslungsreich. Was auf jeden Fall fehlte waren Getränke während dieser 2stüngigen Tour! Mussten wir uns selbst besorgen.
Als Resumee: für diesen Preis hätte ich mir mehr Auswahl und Getränke erwartet. Toller Guide!
Julian🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
19 May 2025
Marten war nicht nur unglaublich freundlich und witzig, sondern hatte auch ein tiefes Wissen über die Geschichte, Kultur und versteckten Ecken Amsterdams.
Unvergessliche Stadtführung in Amsterdam!
Sylvia🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 May 2025
We spent a lovely couple of hours eating our way through a local food market filled with delicious local cuisine with Marten. We also walked around the neighborhood learning about Dutch customs and history. Marten was knowledgeable, great fun, and a perfect guide. We highly recommend him. Food Market Fun!
Josh🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 May 2025
Marten was a very knowledgeable tour guide who gave us a very good tour of the Rijksmuseum. The tour was perhaps slightly heavier on history than on art, but was nonetheless very enjoyable. Recommended.Very Good Tour
Unknown
(About local )
14 May 2025
Marten provided my parents and I with a wonderful tour of the Van Gogh museum. He was patient while we put our items in lockers and used the restroom, and then took us on an insightful tour of Van Gogh's work through the years, and how the evolution of his painting reflected what was happening in his personal life and his view of the world. Marten provided a lot of excellent historical and artistic information. I would absolutley tour with him again the next time we're back in Amsterdam. Van Gogh Tour
Ailsa
(About local )
12 May 2025
Marten was a brilliant guide for the Highlights and Hidden Gems tour. 3 hours of a fascinating, engaging and informative insights into Amsterdam’s history and its people. Highly recommended. We will definitely seek out Marten for another of his tours on our next visit to the city.Highlights and Hidden Gems of Amsterdam
Christy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
9 May 2025
Unknown
(About local )
5 May 2025
Excellent guide, féru d'histoire et d'anecdotes, sympathique et cordial.
Il connait très bien la ville et l'histoire du pays.
Il est intéressé et intéressant eu égard aux religions, à la sociologie et à la politique.
Il sait s'adapter rapidement aux besoins de ses clients.
Belle visite.Excellent guide !
Lisa
(About local )
5 May 2025
Marten met us on time and was gracious with one of us having a physical issue that slowed things down a bit(me). Asking what he enjoyed teaching about the art in this wonderful museum, Marten explained the Netherlands history through art and the people’s evolution as a freedom loving people. This helped me to understand more about this beautiful and interesting country.Learning about the Netherlands Golden Age
Lynn🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 May 2025
Marten was the perfect companion for our historical tour of Amsterdam. We saw and heard a wealth of fascinating information—so much so that I would have continued the tour for several hours! We asked for an “insider’s” tour and Marten did not disappoint with his many stories and historical insight. He was flexible in terms of starting and ending points, which was a bonus, considering I have some mobility issues. We highly recommend Marten!Engaging and knowledgable tour guide
Judson
(About local )
2 May 2025
Marten was very knowledgeable, and flexible. We booked a tour well beyond what we needed. We booked a 5-hour walking tour with Marten. He realizing this created a tour that he met our needs. He is obviously passionate about Amsterdam and its people.
He was very accommodating and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour, because there are many things that you see that you don't know what it is.
Marten explains things that otherwise you would know nothing about. My recommendation is 3 hours would be more than sufficient.
Martin Will taylor the tour to your wantsFlexible, knowledgeable, passionate
Mary
(About local )
1 May 2025
Arun picked us up at our hotel for our 3 hour walking tour. He taylored the tour to our interests, needs, and walking speeds. He is very knowledgeable about the different areas of the city and he pointed out good places to eat and other actvities and places to visit on our own along the way. We felt this was a great introduction to the city center! Wonderful walking tour of Amsterdam!
Laura🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
1 May 2025
We had a wonderful tour with Marten on our tour. We were a group of 4 and we all enjoyed it. Marten is super knowledgeable and is an excellent communicator. This made for a great tour. Marten was willing to customize our tour a bit and was very accommodating! Thanks Marten!!Anne Frank & Jewish Culture Tour
Arvin🇵🇭 Philippines
(About local )
30 April 2025
Marten was very accomodating from the very beginning. He introduced himself at first glance and was very prompt. He made the tour very light. We didn't even feel that we were having a tour at all. Thanks again Marten!BEST TOUR GUIDE IN AMSTERDAM
Melinda
(About local )
20 April 2025
We did two tours with Marten while in Amsterdam. The first was a city tour where he gave us a lot of background on the history of Amsterdam. He showed us a lovely neighborhood not far from the city center but much less busy and chaotic which we returned to after the tour because we liked it so much. We also did a tour at the Rijksmuseum with Marten which was really enjoyable. The museum is very large and may feel overwhelming so I really appreciated Marten's approach to showing the history of Amsterdam and the Netherlands through art. Overall, would highly recommend Marten. He was fun person to chat with and super knowledgeable. Thank you Marten!! Great time in Amsterdam with Marten!
Amanda🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
20 April 2025
We really enjoyed our guided tour with Arun - lots of history and facts - thank you so much.Excellent history of Amsterdam
Pam🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 April 2025
Arun was a great guide and knowledgeable about the history of the neighborhood. Our feedback would be to add a few more stops and some more food? It started at 7:30 and by 10pm (the end) we had really only had food at one of the stops. We were hungry and had to find a place for dinner at a late hour. Great idea- but maybe add more food?
Pam🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 April 2025
Arun gave us a wonderful walking tour of Amsterdam. We scheduled it for our first day in the city- to get acclimated and to keep mov on g before the jet lag took us down! It was just the right length and Arun was extremely knowledgeable about the city and its history. Highly recommend!
Michael🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 April 2025
Four of us spent three hours with Marrten learning about what WWII was like here in the city. Super informative and very sobering. But we also had lots of laughs. Highly recommend A great and informaaive day in Mastersam
Alain🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
19 April 2025
We spent 2 hours with Arunabha in the Rijksmuseum where we learnt a lot abour Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer and other painters of this time. Arunabha has a great knowledge of the painters and their life - we discovered some hidden connections between these different artists. We also went to see the dolls houses, which are very special, and the wondeful museum library. We very much recommend this tour.A lovely introduction to the Rijksmuseum
Klaus🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
16 April 2025
Tolles Tour, mit interessanten Stopps und vielen Hintergründen, interessant erzählt von Arunabha.
Gute Auswahl der Kostproben - vorher unbedingt NIX essen!!
Sehr netter NachmittagTolle Tour - als ‚privat‘ etwas teuer
Allison🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
13 April 2025
Martin brought Van Gogh’s life alive during our tour of the museum. His many stories/history were the best part. We like how he pointed out the most important paintings along the way. We had plenty time to go back and look at all the paintings once our tour was complete. We absolutely enjoyed Martin and the Van Gogh Museum.Amazing Tour
Allison🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
13 April 2025
My husband and I had a terrific tour with Arunabha in Amsterdam. Her was a wealth of information and presented it in a kind and genuine manner. Loved the history, amazing buildings and all.Great Tour
Lina🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
12 April 2025
Marten was an outstanding guide for our sweet food tour in Amsterdam. As a group from Canada and Denmark, we truly appreciated how he made the experience both personal and engaging. He shared fascinating insights about the city and Dutch history, was easy to talk to, and created a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We felt a great connection with him throughout the tour, and he tailored the experience to our interests. It was a memorable and delicious journey – highly recommended!What a sweet food tour it was
Sarah
(About local )
8 April 2025
We had a great time with Arunabha- he was knowledgeable, friendly and good with the kids. My only constructive feedback is this tour would have been more accurately named "Basic tour of Amsterdam" or "Highlights of Amsterdam." There weren't really any hidden gems. We got pretty much the exact same tour on the canal cruise we took. As a guide, he was great and we were not disappointed. If you are looking for something different than a basic tour I am sure he can accommodate if you send him a message beforehand. So to sum it up we really has a great time and liked him a lot, just wanted some more "hidden gems", meaning more locally known spots we wouldn't necessarily see or know about.
Great basic tour of Amsterdam
Allen🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
6 April 2025
Der Tour hat uns viele Facetten von Amsterdam gezeigt. Vielen Dank, Arunabha, für deine gemütliche Begleitung. Mir war es nicht bekannt dass das Sexgeschäft in dieser Stadt gut geregelt ist. Ich finde, jeder Erstbesucher soll diesen Tour machen.Amsterdams Rotlichtviertel kennenlernen
Carolyn
(About local )
6 April 2025
Marten was full of stories, interesting facts and funny anecdotes as we walked around parts of Amsterdam that I doubt we would have gotten to on our own.
Marten was prompt, and our time with him seemed to fly past - an indication of how absorbed we were, as we reimagined an Amsterdam of old or projected into the future of where the city is going. A totally enjoyable afternoon spent in his company.
We would recommend both Marten and this tour for a fuller understanding of both Amsterdam and the Dutch people.Funny and educational
Christa🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
4 April 2025
Marten hat uns Amsterdam sehr nahe gebracht. Er hat es wunderbar getroffen, was wir uns von dieser Führung erwartet haben. Toll! Absolut sehr empfehlenswert.Sehr gut
Trish🇮🇪 Ireland
(About local )
3 April 2025
"Our two-hour tour of the Van Gogh Museum with Marten was exceptional. His deep knowledge of Van Gogh's life and art history, combined with his engaging communication style, transformed our visit. We gained invaluable insights that we simply wouldn't have discovered on our own. Marten's passion truly brought Van Gogh's story to life." - Thank you MartenVan Gogh Brought to Life by Marten
Stephanie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 April 2025
Meeting up with Marten to tour the local food market and learning about Amsterdam felt like we were meeting up with a friend. My husband and I learned all about Dutch culture and traditional foods, but we also enjoyed chatting with Marten. He was extremely knowledgeable, relatable, and caring throughout the tour. We enjoyed new dishes we would’ve never thought to try on our own and they were all surprisingly delicious. We walked the neighborhood and learned about Dutch culture and their mentality which sparked great conversation. Highly recommend scheduling a tour with Marten and don’t schedule another tour that same day so you aren’t rushed. It’s worth the time to spend with Marten. Learning from a Local Friend
John
(About local )
2 April 2025
With only two days in Amsterdam, we wanted to see a lot and learn about the city in just a few hours. Marten was friendly and extremely knowledgeable and gave us what we needed. We are both happy to have toured with him and would recommend him to anyone. Time well spent
Chris🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
2 April 2025
Brilliant insight thank youGreat
Clarissa 🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
30 March 2025
Marten ist ein sehr guter Stadtführer, wir haben in drei Stunden viel gesehen und gelernt. Jederzeit wieder gerne! Viel spannende Geschichte gelernt!
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