• Private Tour
• Carbon Neutral

Head back in time and make a historical journey through WWII. Together with your local insider you'll discover the most important sights, hear captivating stories and see memorials throughout the city of Amsterdam.

Destination

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Ελληνικά

Included

• Private guide

Excluded

• Museum visits
• Museum tickets

What you can expect

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 Laura Maria.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Plantage Kerklaan 61a - Amsterdam to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. 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.

3. Verzetmuseum

   Meeting point: Starting point of the tour.

4. Hollandse schouwburg

   Nationaal Holocaust Museum a former theater build in 1892 used as deportation center during the WW II

5. Auschwitz monument

   The Dutch Auschwitz Monument is a memorial commemorating those who perished in the concentration camp Auschwitz

6. De Dokwerker

   War monument next to the Portuguese synagogue, a tribute to the Amsterdammers who participated in the mash strike in February 1941 against the Nazis brutality

7. Dam square

   Visit the National Monument, the Netherlands’ most important memorial to World War II, learn everything about the Dam square shooting just 2 days after after the German capitulation

8. Anne Frank house

   The Jewish diarist hidden place during the Nazis occupation

9. 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.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

Marc

13 September 2024

I would highly recommend this tour. Laura is very knowledgeable and did a great job describing what life was like here during the war. And if you are new to Amsterdam, I can't imagine a better introduction to the city. Excellent Tour

Andrew🇬🇧 United Kingdom

3 September 2024

Loved time with Laura Maria. A wonderful Sunday morning. Incredibly insightful, the time went so quickly with facts, stories, pictures and lots of really helpful examples and threads of history to explain what happened. A really great tour which bring many different perspectives with a wonderful host. The time went so fast.

Kim🇺🇸 United States

16 July 2024

We had a wonderful WWII tour with Laura Maria. She was very informative about the history that took place in Amsterdam during WWII. A lot of details we did not know and she was very knowledgeable about what happened during this time. Laura Maria was very friendly and kind and I would highly recommend her for this tour. She gave us a great recommendation for a restaurant for lunch after the tour!Great WWII Tour in Amsterdam

staci🇺🇸 United States

26 June 2024

I travel often and have experienced many tours. Laura Maria makes a person want to move to Amsterdam. She is knowledgeable, patient, warm, flexible, and loves guiding. My daughter and I booked her WW11 tour which was informative and interesting. If I did it again, I would hire her for as many days as you want to tour. She can guide you in all things/ food/ culture/ history/ current events/ politics/ and places around the country. She also can suggest a car and driver to accompany a tour. She is lovely. I HIGHLY recommend Laura Maria. Laura Maria is a Higlight of Amsterdam!

Susan🇺🇸 United States

6 November 2022

I am a history buff and have a particular interest in WWII and the Holocaust. I did both the Jewish Culture tour with Anna and the WWII with Laura Maria. Despite seeing somethings more than once, the information was different from each guide so did not feel repetitive. Laura Maria was very knowledgeable about these subjects and I was able to add to my knowledge base with good company. Terrific exposure to WWII

DEBORA🇺🇸 United States

17 May 2022

The three hours went so fast 😒 We had a perfect afternoon with Laura, as we strolled the streets of Amsterdamn we learned how the city was affected by WWll , how the Dutch fought back ,the plight of the Jews and the history of Amsterdam in general. Laura was so knowledgeable and we felt like we were with a old friend we hated to end our time with her . Laura also had great suggestions for resteraunts places to visit and to stay for our next trip to the Netherlands. Laura also spoke perfect English so we were never left guessing what she was saying . We started at the Dutch resistance museum, where Laura happily met us there and ended the tour at the Ann Frank House . The Perfect day with amazing tour guide. We are very thankful and blessed to have found Laura Maria ❤ Interested in World War ll or the plight of the Jewish people this is the tour for you

Kathryn🇨🇦 Canada

8 October 2019

Laura gave us a fascinating tour of important sites associated with WWII around Amsterdam. Her narrative is punctuated with personal stories of the war, the famine and liberation from her Grandmother. We enjoyed our three hours with her and would recommend her. Her English is excellent.WW11 by Laura Maria

Heather 🇨🇦 Canada

28 August 2019

We would so recommend this guided walking tour with Laura Maria. Laura Maria was so knowledgeable, conscientious and really gave us an understanding of the World War 2 events, background, feelings as we toured the historical sites in Amsterdam. An amazing experience.Amazing expereince

Monika🇱🇹 Lithuania

14 January 2019

Private Amsterdam World War II Tour

Anna🇦🇺 Australia

29 December 2018

My partner and our friend from Denmark joined Laura for the ww2 of Amsterdam the other day. It was really worthwhile. She is informative and takes you through some of the. Ity’s darkest days during the occupation. At times it was confronting but incredibly interesting and Laura tells more general history of the city too. Highly recommended. Excellent tour

Neil🇨🇦 Canada

16 September 2018

I purposely selected Withlocals for our Second World War tour in able to capture the essence of this period in world history. As a Canadian I was well aware of the part our troops played in the liberation of The Netherlands. Having had a cousin who was part of this historical event I wanted to experience the city from a personal perspective. I have to say that "Laura" was a pleasant surprise and incredibly knowledgeable. She was very accommodating and patient responding to our questions. I had some understanding of this period from my own research and historical readings. Laura enlightened me with respect to the Jewish perspective and their deportation to what became extermination camps throughout Europe. Our time spent with Laura was incredibly well spent time and we would highly recommend her to anyone contemplating a visit t Amsterdam!! Amazing Amsterdam!,

Ken

8 September 2018

Laura Maria is very knowledgeable about all of the historical aspects of the sites that we visited, but intimately aware of the societal issues that resulted in the horrific situation that developed into what the NAZIs referred to as the "Final Solution". She was able to make us understand, on a very personal level, how members of an occupied nation could become ruthless collaborators, or dedicated members of the resistance. She made us even more painfully aware of the devastation that occurred in families when members chose to fight on the opposite sides of the battle. I thought that I was fairly knowledgeable about this part of history, but Laura Maria taught me things of which I was completely unaware. She managed to do it in such a way that makes me reflect on whether or not this kind of horrific system of inhumane treatment of our brothers and sisters could happen within our society today. I would strongly suggest that you should take this tour either individually or in very small groups. Laura Maria is very good at pacing the tour to individual needs or limits. Unlike taking tours with large groups, Laura Maria will take the time to ensure that each person gets the most out of the tour.The Jewish Experience in NAZI occupied Ams

Jill🇺🇸 United States

6 September 2018

What we loved about Laura was her level of historical knowledge, her flexibility and her bubbly personality! Our three hours with her were exceptional. We felt we had just made a new international friend!!! Sisters from California and Oregon Pam, Jill and AmyThe real deal!!

LInda🇺🇸 United States

8 July 2018

Laura was fantastic. we walked at a pace that was good for all of us, asked tons of questions and she was so knowledgeable. I highly recommend her.WWII history in Amsterdam

Autumn🇺🇸 United States

21 June 2018

My husband and I had a great afternoon walking through Amsterdam with Laura Maria learning about WWII in the Netherlands. Every time we do a tour like this, we leave with a new perspective. We learned so much from Laura Maria as we walked and will always remember this tour.Incredible afternoon of learning about WWI

Colin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

17 June 2018

We enjoyed our journey through Amsterdam WW2 story with Laura. We have a Visually Impaired daughter but, Laura was able to provide a verbal description to keep her interested and happy as well as visual and descriptive aids to keep the rest of the family interested. Thank your Laura and we would recommend this tour. WW2 History with Laura

Caroline🇺🇸 United States

11 June 2018

We thoroughly enjoyed our WW2 tour with Laura Maria and would recommend it highly. She was knowledgeable, friendly and willing to adjust as needed to fit our schedule. Touring with a local for just our family of 4 allowed us to ask questions freely and talk about whatever interesting things we might see that weren't actually part of WW2. I definitely recommend!Great time learning about how World War II

Deborah🇨🇦 Canada

24 May 2018

Despite the rain, we loved the tour. thanks!World War 11 tour

Elizabeth🇸🇪 Sweden

3 November 2017

My teen daughter and I were guided through the streets of Amsterdam by a passionate guide who gave us some background into the Dutch resistance and details of the Liberation of Amsterdam. If that’s the what you are looking for, then Laura is the person! We took less busy streets, which can be a challenge in AMS, and she showed us a side of the city I had not seen even though I’ve been here a few times.Second World War tour

Joanna🇬🇧 United Kingdom

29 October 2017

Laura Maria was very charming, helpful and knowledgable - keeping a good balance with the somber subject but also other general background history in Amsterdam. Jewish history tour

Thomas🇺🇸 United States

25 October 2017

My son and I enjoyed a very moving and informative tour of Amsterdam sites associated with events in Amsterdam during the Second World War. Laura was an excellent guide and enriched the tour with details from her own family history. Amongst the areas touched upon during the 2.5 hour tour were the resistance, the Jewish deportations, everyday life during the occupation, the Jewish history of Amsterdam, and the Liberation in 1945. Laura is knowledgable, informative, and quite happy to answer questions. A very pleasant person to spend time with whilst learning about recent Amsterdam history. As someone with a special interest in WWII I highly recommend this tour. Moving tour of WWII sites in Amsterdam

Kimberly🇺🇸 United States

9 October 2017

Laura Maria knows her stuff when it comes to WW II history in Amsterdam. Our walking tour was fabulous and full of great information and facts. She was so pleasant to spend our morning with and I would recommend this tour to anyone. It was a great day.... Amazing Tour!!!

Andy🇬🇧 United Kingdom

16 August 2017

Laura Maria is a wonderful sultry Greek lady with a passion for the local history and culture of Amsterdam. She was just what I expected. Warm and attentive to our group. Very engaging and with fascinating facts and locations. We followed a tour of Jewish persecution and history and the war that was fascinating and sensitive. Then a lighter tour of Amsterdam and hidden corners. Would thoroughly recommend and hope we meet again. Fantastic Amsterdam

Susan🇺🇸 United States

14 August 2017

We had a great tour WWII tour with Laura Maria. She was extremely knowledgeable and informative providing in-depth background of how Amsterdam was affected in WWII. Laura Maria as terrific and highly recommend taking this tour with her!Great tour!

Stuart🇺🇸 United States

5 August 2017

Great walk. Two teenagers really enjoyed itWW 11

Mary🇺🇸 United States

20 July 2017

Laura Marie was a great tour guide. She really knows her history and the city. She was very personable and when she made you feel like you have known her forever. We highly recommend any yours with Laura Marie. She went above and beyond for our Anne Frank Huis tickets and that was the highlight of the tour besides her knowledge. Hats off to Laura! Thank you, your Michigan friends. 😍Wonderful!

Julia🇨🇳 China

19 July 2017

Excellent and super interesting WE2 walk t

Lawrence🇺🇸 United States

8 July 2017

Laura Maria was very knowledgeable, friendly, and a great tour guide. Private World War II Tour

Deborah🇺🇸 United States

28 May 2017

Are you heading to Amsterdam? Would you like a private tour of the city with a trained local resident as your guide? If you answered yes to these questions, you need to book a tour with Laura Maria of Withlocals! My husband, my daughter and I were recently in Amsterdam for the first time. I had searched online for tours of the city before we began our trip and happened across "Withlocals". Laura Maria was listed as a guide who does WW II tours as well as highlight tours of the city. I contacted her and requested a personalized tour that would include both highlights of the city and some WW II history. She was very accommodating and set up a 3-hour tour for us the day after we arrived. Laura Maria was very informed and informative. She incorporated several interesting aspects of Amsterdam, as well as moving WW II history of the region. We liked her very much and totally enjoyed our tour of Amsterdam with her!!! And if you're thinking that a private tour of Amsterdam would be out of your price range, give Laura Maria a chance to quote you a price - it was very reasonable for the 3 of us. Thank you, Laura Maria, for the excellent Amsterdam experience we had with you - we will never forget it :)Awesome experience

Charles🇺🇸 United States

24 May 2017

I 'm a WWI buff and both of our fathers were in the war. Though Amsterdam was not a part of any battle if was occupied by the Nazis and was a center for Dutch resistance. Laura was very passionate about her material and eager to answer any questions. She has a good command of the English language. My main recommendation is that the tour should end at the Resistance Museum, which then brings the whole tour together. WORLD WAR II AMSTERDAM TOUR

Michael🇺🇸 United States

14 May 2017

We had an excellent tour with Laura in Amsterdam. This tour focused on the Dutch home front during the German occupation. Laura provided us both history and touching human stories as we worked our way through Amsterdam from the initial invasion through liberation. The pictures from that time that she shared with us at the locations really connected us to the events. This was the best tour of WWII home front histor that we have taken in europe. Laura was a great host. Friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We highly recommend.WWII Amsterdam Tour

BARBARA🇬🇧 United Kingdom

1 May 2017

Laura Maria was lovely and very knowledgeable. She took us all over Amsterdam and explained lots to us and showed us the main landmarks regarding world war 11 in Amsterdam. I was a little disappointed that the tour did not include going into any of the museums. We met outside the Resistance museum but did not go in. We went to see the monument to the Jews awaiting deportation but did not stay in the museum. The tour was actually exactly as stated I think I would have rather paid more to have had access to the various museums. All we saw of Anne Frank's house was a very long queue. I completely understand how it works as tickets have to bought online often but when we did a tour of Rome we were given the opportunity to say we would like to see places that required payment and the tour guide arranged the tickets for us. All in all very very informative and a very pleasant couple of hours.Very informative

Yelena 🇺🇸 United States

19 April 2017

The tour was very nice. We enjoy time spent with Laura Maria. It was very informative. thank you.Private World War II Tour

Tina🇬🇧 United Kingdom

11 April 2017

Laura is an amazing host! We thoroughly enjoyed our 2 hour WW2 tour with her yesterday. She is SO knowledgeable and the places she showed us highlighted the information she gave us perfectly. I feel so much more informed of the part The Netherlands and Amsterdam played in the war, those who formed the Resistance, the dock workers and I will never, ever forget the persecution of the Jews, ever. The walking pace was relaxed, we sat on occasions as she imparted more information and she was able to advise us on a great place for lunch before we independently visited Anne Frank's house. I would recommend Laura 100%. Thank you Laura, you were fabulous! xPrivate World War II Tour

Jeffrey🇺🇸 United States

2 January 2017

I'll start with the positive, Laura seems like a really sweet person. We booked her for a world war 2 tour of Amsterdam, our expectation was a visit of the sites of importance during the Nazi occupation along with historical insights and interesting facts. We met Laura at the resistance museum, she told us it was a really interesting museum and deserved a visit. Then we walked to the deportation museum, she told us it was a really interesting museum and deserved a visit but it was closed (it wasn't). Then she took us to the Auschwitz memorial where we read the description. She showed us the statue commemorating the rail strike but had no insights to offer. At several sites she had nothing prepared, she would read the Dutch and try to translate for us, her English isn't great and she often searched for descriptive words. She normally has photos to show us but her ipad was broken so we squinted at hastily shown photos on her phone, often she wasn't sure exactly what they were. The tour eventually became her telling us about her favorite shops and restaurants in Amsterdam. After she dropped us off at the Anne Frank museum we doubled back to visit the museums on our own. It was a waste of time and money but at least we learned about a good place to get pancakes.Nearly a complete waste of time and money

Jeffrey🇺🇸 United States

24 December 2016

Laura was an informative, pleasant host. We learned a great deal about the history of Dutch resistance and got the best fries in Amsterdam. Thank you for a great morning. Lisa, Jeff, Marissa, Jake and Gaby K.Private World War II Tour

Allan🇺🇸 United States

2 April 2023

I’ve been to Amsterdam several times and was looking to experience Amsterdam in a new way. Laura Marie showed me parts of Amsterdam that I had never seen and would almost certainly never have experienced. Laura Marie was a delight and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her. Amsterdam in a new way

Jill🇬🇧 United Kingdom

23 March 2023

Very interesting and enjoyable walking tour with Laura Maria. Walking tour of Amsterdam

Phyllis🇺🇸 United States

15 September 2022

We had 2 wonderful tours. Laura Maria was an excellent guide - knowledgeable, warm, flexible. She provided an excellent history of Amsterdam and its development over the years. We saw so much of the city and thoroughly enjoyed our tour and our time with her.Great tour with Laura Maria

Lauren🇺🇸 United States

24 July 2022

My husband and I spent six hours with Laura over two days. She was chuck full of knowledge, great spirit, an easiness to her. It was evident her love of Amsterdam, it’s history and culture. Laura made a too short of a time in Amsterdam come alive. We would recommend Laura (already have in fact) to anyone traveling to the area!Wonderful time with Laura

Rivka🇮🇱 Israel

13 April 2022

We really enjoyed our Jewish history tour of Amsterdam. Laura was very fun to be with and she really knew her stuff. She was able to answer all questions we had.

Brittni🇫🇷 France

30 December 2019

We had such a lovely time with Laura Maria. She is wonderful to spend your time with and is full of knowledge on Amsterdam. I’d book time again next time I’m in town! :) Lovely Walk through Amsterdam

talea🇺🇸 United States

5 December 2019

Ugh, Laura was the best. I had a few tours cancel last-minute so I decided to try booking through this and it turned out better than I'd hoped. She had plenty of historic knowledge and had some more recent, anecdotal knowledge after staying in the area so long. After the tour, I was happy that I had a good understanding of the area and it's rich history and a few recommendations for places to try. Laura really takes the time to understand what you're looking for in your travels and was happy to accommodate. Book with Laura

Henedine🇺🇸 United States

3 October 2019

Laura Marie exceeded our expectation. She met us on time, then proceeded to orient us to where we were in Amsterdam. During our time with her, she gave us a running commentary about the colonial, sociopolitical and religious history of the Netherlands as we walked through the city, across canals and over what turned out to be the only river that ran through old Amsterdam. She also gave us the back stories explaining the forward leaning homes and the sewage problems (all in the past) that made rats a problem and cats the solution...she talked about boat houses, bikes and good places to grab a bite. Her stories were anything but boring and in the end, she gave us additional pointers--places to visit and prioritize and where to eat, given our short time in the city. I highly recommend her! Punctual, Precise, Professional, Personal

Iain🇬🇧 United Kingdom

11 September 2019

Perfect tour of the red light district gaining an insight into the history and areas covered. Laura was a delight to be with....thank you!Excellent!

Ros🇦🇺 Australia

6 September 2019

Laura was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable, warm and interesting. I had two mornings with Laura and would recommend her private tour.Beautiful Amsterdam

Jessica🇺🇸 United States

17 August 2019

Laura was amazing!! So sweet and informative. We did a custom 5 hour tour that included highlights of the city and some food stops! Laura made sure we did everything we wanted to do! I had my older mom and aunt with me and they had to go at a slower pace. Laura was very accommodating and kept making sure they had enough time to rest between stops. I couldn’t recommend Laura enough! It was such a great day! thanks Laura! Amazing!! A must do!

Tania🇦🇹 Austria

16 August 2019

Excellent guide, very professional and very pleasant. Laura gave us many information about the history of Amsterdam and she showed us various hidden spots we wouldn't have discovered without her. By the end of the tour she gave us many different recommendations for restaurants and bakeries!!! It was a wonderful afternoon despite the heavy rain. Strongly recommended 😀Visiting Amsterdam ♥️

Ida🇳🇴 Norway

18 June 2019

Laura was an amazing local guide. She took me and my husband around in Amsterdam and we had a wonderful tour. She knew the history and the important things about the city. A great 3 hours with a great guideWonderful trip.

Joe🇺🇸 United States

20 April 2019

A perfect day in Ansterdam!