Amsterdam’s Melting Pot: Discover De Pijp with a Local Twist
2.5 hours
City Highlight Tours
Amsterdam
Choose one of 2 locals available
Experience hosted by Marten & Estella
Private Tour
Carbon Neutral
Discover the vibrant heart of Amsterdam in De Pijp, where multicultural flavors, street art, and local stories come alive. Stroll through buzzing markets, hidden alleys, and colorful corners with a passionate local host who knows the neighborhood inside out. This is not just a walk—it's your personal gateway to the real Amsterdam.
Destination
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Nederlands, Deutsch
Included
Private guide
1 Local snack or drink
All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral
Excluded
Entrance to attractions
6 reasons to book this tour
Explore the best of De Pijp
Spot classics like Gerard Doustraat & Little Middle East
Discover hidden gems away from the tourist paths
Experience the city from a local’s perspective
Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
Privately guided by a local expert
What you can expect
Welcome to De Pijp, one of Amsterdam’s most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods! With your favorite local host by your side, you’re about to discover this cultural hotspot through a truly authentic lens—filled with stories, flavors, and the spirit of real Amsterdam life.
Get ready to dive deep into the neighborhood’s fascinating evolution—from its working-class roots to a colorful melting pot of cultures. Stroll along iconic streets like Gerard Doustraat, explore the flavors of the Little Middle East, and uncover unexpected urban art along Ruysdaelkade. And the best part? Each host brings their own perspective, passions, and personal history to the journey. No two tours are alike!
Need a break? Your host knows just the spot. Whether it’s a cozy café, a Surinamese snack stand, or a hidden terrace, they’ll guide you to a local favorite—often overlooked by visitors. It’s the perfect moment to try something delicious and ask your host for insider tips on how to experience Amsterdam like a true local.
Every corner of De Pijp has a story, and your host is ready to share theirs. Whether they’re passionate about history, street art, food, or community life, your host will make this tour feel like a walk through their own backyard. Have a particular interest or want to linger longer in a spot you love? Just say the word—your host can easily tailor the route to your pace and preferences.
This isn’t just a tour. It’s your chance to experience their Amsterdam, from street stories to secret bites. Let’s make De Pijp your favorite part of the city!
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.
Marten
Historian & Storyteller
4.9348 reviews
English・Deutsch・Nederlands
Estella
The All Round Amsterdammer
4.956 reviews
English・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 Monument Dr. Samuel Sarphati, located in the Sarphati Park - 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.
De Pijp Highlights
See from Gerard Doustraat, Little Middle East, Ruysdaelkade Street Art, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in De Pijp so you can get the perfect overview of what makes De Pijp so unique
Hidden Gems
Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience
Magical Storytelling
Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!
Special Treat
Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions
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
Katharina🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
28 July 2025
We had great time with Marten. He told us many background things about this city.
Thank you for a wonderful start here in Amsterdam Great view of Amsterdam
Rebecca
(About local )
24 July 2025
Marten was a fun and easygoing host - we really enjoyed his insights into Dutch culture and the delicious food.Fun afternoon
Dawn
(About local )
24 July 2025
Our Amsterdam tour with Marten was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, engaging, and brought the city’s rich history to life with fascinating stories. The mix of historical landmarks and hidden gems gave us a well-rounded view of Amsterdam. Marten's passion for the city was clear, and his friendly, professional approach made the experience even better. The tour was well-paced and informative. Highly recommend this tour—and especially Marten—for anyone wanting to truly appreciate Amsterdam.A great way to see Amsterdam!!
Janice🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
4 July 2025
Marten is very knowledgable, and has an easy way about him. We learned about the history and culture in a fun informative tour. We thoroughly enjoyed the time spent together. Meeting Marten
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
Joanie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
18 June 2025
Estella knew a lot about the city and the history.Great 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!
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!
Tracy
(About local )
25 May 2025
Estella shared the history of Amsterdam .. creating visuals of bygone times .. with wonderful glimpses into the life of those who walked these streets over the centuries.
Explaining and discussing the relevance of history to the present culture of people and place which we see today as Amsterdam.
Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge and your insights with us. Just a wonderful day. The Tale of Amsterdam - Walk through Time
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
Helen
(About local )
12 May 2025
Is Stella gave us a great, leisurely, personalized five hour tour of Amsterdam. It was everything we hoped for.Great intro to Amsterdam
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
Robert🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
11 May 2025
We book this intro to Amsterdam on our first morning with Estella. She was delightful and helped to orient us to the history and beauty of this amazing city.
5 stars!!! Book any chance you get with Estella .. you won’t be disappointed 👍🏻 Wonderful guide and so knowlegeable
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
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
David🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
29 April 2025
We had an amazing 3-hour tour of Amsterdam with Estella. As a true Amsterdammer, she brought the city to life with stories and local insights we wouldn't have come across otherwise.
She customized the tour to match our interests and gave us excellent restaurant recommendations, which was so helpful with so many options in the city. The pace was relaxed, and the whole experience felt fun and personal—like exploring with a local friend.
We’d definitely recommend a tour with Estella to anyone wanting a fun, laid-back way to get to know Amsterdam. Thanks again Estella!
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!
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
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
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
David
(About local )
10 April 2025
Absolutely fantastic experience on this tour. Estella felt more like meeting a friend than a stranger. She was not only knowledgeable but made the whole experience fun. She brought in her own experiences but was also interested in us. We got on perfectly as she listened to what we wanted as well as showing us hidden gems we would have otherwise walked passed. Cannot recommend highly enough. Rock n Stroll
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!
Jeannine🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
25 March 2025
Thank you Marten for an amazing tour! While the food was delicious, we all really enjoyed the conversation we had together. We appreciated how you were able to tailor the tour to our interests.
Per
(About local )
11 March 2025
Martin is a great guide, during our tour at the Van Gogh museum we learnt a lot and had a great time!Van Gogh museum
Lena
(About local )
9 March 2025
Wir waren eine deutsch-niederländische Gruppe im Alter von 12 bis 60 Jahren und alle hatten viel Spaß. Marten hat es geschafft, anhand der Ausstellungsstücke die Geschichte und Kunstgeschichte der Niederlande und Europas sehr schön zu veranschaulichen, mit interessanten Analogien zur Gegenwart. Vielen Dank!!Sehr interessant!
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