• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
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When you are in love with Dutch art of the golden age, you can't miss this tour. I tell & show you all the hidden gems of Dutch art's golden age (1600-1700). Of course, with a special focus on all the Rembrandt and Vermeer works there are in the Rijksmuseum.

Destination

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Category

Art Culture Tours

Duration

2 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Nederlands

Included

• Entrance tickets
• Private guide

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 Rolf.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Amsterdam - 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. Meeting Point

   Inside museum at the round info desk

4. Quick Intro

   Hear the story behind the Rijksmuseum building and get ready to go in

5. Treasure Rooms

   See the why the Dutch became so rich

6. Begin Golden Age

   See what the bases of Dutch art are

7. Young Rembrandt

   I'll show young Rembrandt and his development

8. Great Hall

   How to give visitors roots with an outstanding picture programm on walls, stain glass and floor

9. Gallery of Honor

   See all the best Dutch art between 1600-1700

10. Vermeer

    Three Vermeers are dicussed and his sources as well

11. Rembrandt

    Master, rebel and genius. I'll tell you why.

12. 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

Henricus (Peter)

21 May 2025

We had a tour (5 people) and Rolf guides of through some of the many highlights in the Rijksmuseum. We all enjoyed it a lot and Rolf Thanks Rolf !Great guide and enjoyable tour !

Christie

23 April 2025

My father and I did the Rembrandt & Vermeer tour. Rolf was incredible informative and knowledgable. He was able to answer all our questions and provide profound insight. Would take this tour again. Rolf was absolutely amazing. We provide the history of the paintings, people and about the times of the paintings. Absolutely Amazing!!

Pam🇺🇸 United States

20 April 2025

Rolf was a great guide! He really gave us a full history of Rembrandt and Vermeer and having him made our experience at the Rijksmuseum perfect. It was exactly what we were looking for!Fantastic tour!

Lucy

23 March 2025

Rolf gave my 21-year-old son Felix an unforgettable tour of the Rembrandts and Vermeers at the Rijksmuseum. Felix called me right afterwards, absolutely buzzing with excitement about the experience and Rolf’s incredible depth of knowledge. Having studied the Northern Renaissance and Dutch Golden Age in high school, Felix was thrilled to see these masterpieces in person. Apparently Rolf is not only an expert art historian, but also a genuinely kind and personable guide. The experience is something he'll never forget. Thank you so much, Rolf!Awesome tour of the Rijksmuseum with Rolf

rogier🇳🇱 Netherlands

18 January 2023

Rolf was great and very patient with my deaf friends. A big recommandation!!great tour

Christophe🇬🇧 United Kingdom

20 October 2022

Rolf is a very good storyteller, he'll not only provide all the information you expect from a guide but do it in a way that will make you remember it, considering the passion he has for the topic. Thank you very much Rolf! Rolf is an amazing guide

Susan🇺🇸 United States

2 September 2022

Rolf met us on time, going out of his way to come to our hotel. At the museum he took such care with my handicapped husband and me. The tour itself was so very special...educational, light, and enjoyable. I learned so much. Rolf is an outstanding asset to your program. I am very glad I found your ad and close Rolf. Wow!Fabulous day with Rolf

Carolin🇩🇪 Germany

3 April 2022

Rolf was a lovely guide. We visited the Rijksmuseum with him. He knew every single piece and corner of the museum, had interesting background information on the paintings and asked for our personal wishes. Can highly recommend his tour.Great guide with extensive knowledge

Charlotta🇸🇪 Sweden

11 November 2021

Rolf guided our family of four (two teens) on two consecutive days, first to the Rembrandt and Vermeer paintings at the Rijksmuseum and then to the Van Gogh museum. We all appreciated Rolf’s knowledgeability, his well-balanced attention to artistic detail and historical context, and not least his pleasant and easy-going nature! We had a lovely and rewarding time with Rolf as our guide. Highly recommended!Wonderful tours of Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum

William🇺🇸 United States

19 October 2021

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour experience with Rolf, who is both personable and knowledgeable. It was a fascinating as well as efficient way to see everything we were interested in—our time with Rolf flew by! He shared a wealth of knowledge in a logical, chronological progression and tied it to what was going on historically in the Netherlands during the lifetimes of Rembrandt and Vermeer. There were many incredible facts presented that gave us a new perspective and appreciation for the works of these great men—so glad we took this tour!! (Oh and by the way he gives virtual tours via Zoom!)Outstanding!

Robert🇨🇦 Canada

11 September 2021

It was a delightful in depth tour of the Rijksmuseum and its history and its famous paintings . As we only had a few hours , it was all so precise and perfect! All our questions got answered in an easy understandable way. Rolf is knowledgable , patient and just the perfect guide . We highly recommend Rolf .Rijksmuseum tour with Rolf

Sharon🇺🇸 United States

12 December 2019

Rolf was excellent. He has a deep knowledge of art history. He understands how to convey what is important about the composition, color, and light. With his educational background, and having grown up around artists he is extremely knowledgable. Rolf shared with us interesting information about the museum building and its historical evolution. He had a gentel sense of humor. We would highly recomend Rolf for a tour of this museum. It enhanced our time at such a historic museum. Excellent!

Bill🇺🇸 United States

2 November 2019

Rolf is first class. One of the best guides we’ve ever had, his knowledge of the life and times really enhanced his presentation. Rolf also comes from a family with artist roots. Highly recommended. Bill and SarahRembrandt and Vermeer

Robert🇺🇸 United States

1 October 2019

As a New Yorker, exposed to numerous museums and Art, my wife and I had a fantastic experience with Rolf. Knowledgeable and passionate. The time flew by as he explained the history of art in the museum. Highly recommended.New York to Amsterdam

Angela🇺🇸 United States

7 May 2019

Rolf made our visit to the Rijksmuseum one of the highlights of our trip to Amsterdam. As you might expect, the All the Rembrandts exhibit is incredibly popular and therefore very crowded. With Rolf's expert guidance, we were able to zero in on the etchings & paintings that were the best examples of Rembrandt's genius. Rolf wove all the information and examples into an interesting and compelling narrative. In addition, he took care of the ticketing, so we just had to check our coats and continue on to the exhibit. Highly recommended! The Only Way to See All the Rembrandts

Margaret🇺🇸 United States

3 May 2019

Wow! He knows his art history stuff and great stories of Rembrandt’s personal life. I am a retired high school art teacher specializing in photography as an art form. I also paint watercolors. Rolf has family members who are working artists, and he has a degree in art history with advanced studies leading toward another degree. So my experience at the Rijk’s Museum began with entering one of the Rembrandt gallery rooms and being led to a small drawing or etching and hearing how and why Rembrandt made this image...what it was leading to, then examining it up close with a very nifty magnifying glass. I was led from gallery to gallery, lesson to lesson, image to image, insight to insight. The experience culminated in a cathedral-like gallery and the masterpiece,”Night Watch.” I really saw it like I had never seen it before. What fun!Rembrandt with Rolf

Liqun🇺🇸 United States

26 March 2019

A very knowledgeable and nice guide! Highly recommend.Rembrandt

Mayde🇺🇸 United States

19 September 2018

WOW! Rolf's art tour is an absolute must if you visit Amsterdam! He is energetic and passionate and makes your visit to the museum so much more meaningful as he points out so many details that can be missed. HIs communication with me prior to our tour was excellent, he was so responsive to my requests and even confirms the day before you meet! He gets tickets in advance and skips the lines! The Van Gogh museum is must do while in Amsterdam but not without Rolf as your guide! Rolf is an absolute pleasure to tour with and worth the splurge for his invaluable lessons! Van Gogh museum with a Dutch art historian

Dickson🇺🇸 United States

17 July 2018

This tour with Rolf made the most of the limited time we had at the Rilksmuseum. Rolf took what we knew about Dutch history and art and showed us details and richness we had never seen. Very conversational, never too deep or intimidating, we had a rich experience and a much better understanding of the museum's treasures. It was an amazing aesthetic experience. This is the way to see the Rijksmuseum!

Mabelle🇺🇸 United States

22 June 2018

Taking the art tour with Rolf was one of the best decisions we made on our Amsterdam trip. My mom and I are very interested in art and have spent hours reading painting descriptions in other museums. But we learned so much more in our short time with Rolf than we would have just walking through the Rijks or Van Gogh museum. He was incredibly knowledgeable and knew far more stories than the museum plaques shared. We not only learned about the history of the artists and many of the paintings, but Rolf also took us through the techniques of the artists and the way they evolved over time. He told us about the stories behind the people in the paintings and what happened to them long after the time they were painted. Mostly, this tour was absolutely worth it because you could spend hours in the Rijksmuseum wandering aimlessly and still not see every painting because there is just too much to see. Rolf narrowed down the pieces based on our interests and we were able to learn so much. We can’t recommend Rolf and this tour enough!Amazing tour!

Aaron🇺🇸 United States

3 June 2018

We thoroughly enjoyed our guided visit to the Rijksmuseum with Rolf. He gave us a wonderful introduction to the paintings of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and their contemporaries. As relative amateurs to the world of the Dutch masters, we were seeking some historical context and a basic understanding of compositional techniques. Rolf drew upon his deep knowledge and genuine enthusiasm to deliver that and much more. There is simply no substitute for a one-on-one encounter with priceless works of art complemented by true expertise. Best Way to See the Rijksmuseum !!!

Lynn🇺🇸 United States

10 April 2018

Rolf was very knowledgeable and instructional. He shared a lot of insight into the art as well as the artists and he made the museum tour especially entertaining and educational. My husband and I both highly recommend this tour with Rolf!Fantastic Guide

Marilyn🇺🇸 United States

10 April 2018

Thank you, Rolf! We so enjoyed the tour you gave us of the Rijksmuseum. The details you provided were so interesting and gave us a whole new appreciation for the amazing artworks which we saw. Great Museum Tour

TERESA🇺🇸 United States

2 April 2018

Rolf gave my wife and I a stimulating tour through the Rijksmuseum which emphasized these old masters, telling us of the artists lives and how their careers developed as well as who infuenced who. A wealth of knowledge as well as a very nice chap all around. I encourage him agai to see the Barnes Museum when he comes to the States.Private Rembrandt & Vermeer Tour with Rolf

Tina🇺🇸 United States

22 February 2018

We booked two tours with Rolf during our Amsterdam vacation (Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum), and we enjoyed both immensely! Rolf was knowledgeable and personable. He found out what we were interested in and made it a point to make the visits relevant to us. I definitely recommend Rolf if you're in Amsterdam :-)Great Experience!

Joselyn🇺🇸 United States

30 December 2017

Rolf gave us an excellent tour of the Rijksmuseum teaching us about about Rembrandt and Vermeer. We learned many new things about the history and art of the Netherlands. Many thanks for a great tour!Excellent art guide

Laurianne 🇨🇦 Canada

16 October 2017

We booked with Rolf on Friday, Oct 6/17 for the Rembrandt & Vermeer tour at the Reiks. Rolf was prompt, attentive, informative & has a great sense of humour. He shared stories of these Dutch masters & their contemporaries, along with enriching our knowledge of Dutch maritime history & ingenuity. Rolf even helped us with catching the tram back to Centraal Station. He went above & beyond! He definitely is passionate about art history & we had an amazing experience. When we are back in Amsterdam, I would do another tour with Rolf & highly recommend him for your tour guide.Afternoon well spent at the Reiksmuseum

Carroll and David🇺🇸 United States

25 May 2025

Walking through the Van Gogh museum with Rolf as our guide was a fabulous afternoon immersed in all things Van Gogh. Rolf’s knowledge of Van Goghs life, the artist peers who influenced him and the various locales from which he painted brought his art to life. Rolf’s use of his iPad deepened our understanding of many of the paintings that we visited. We finished our time at the Kiefer exhibit which tied our whole afternoon together. It was extraordinary to start by understanding who influenced Van Gogh and finishing up by seeing how Van Gogh influenced Kiefer. Thank you Rolf for a wonderful afternoon !!Immersive Visit to the Van Gogh Museum

Jim & Linda🇺🇸 United States

22 May 2025

Rolf was a very interesting and engaging guide who was eager to share his knowledge about the Van Gogh museum. The tour was more like a discussion with him about Van Gogh and his life as we walked around the museum looking at the exhibits. He was very personable and we had fun interacting with him. He is very knowledgeable and was able to go beyond just the basic facts to help us understand the context of Van Gogh's life in that period of art history. We highly recommend him. Engaging and Interesting

Russ🇺🇸 United States

19 May 2025

Our family of five took the Rijksmuseum tour with Rolf last week. Great guide and great person to spend a few hours with. Would definitely book with Rolf for another tour the next time we are in Amsterdam.highly recommend

kashif🇬🇧 United Kingdom

15 May 2025

Hands down the best Art museum tour I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of. I did a small private tour at the Van Gogh museum last year but the experience I had with Rolf was something else. This felt much more intimate and Rolf has an exceptionally calm mannerism, mixed with his subtle humour he made the tour an experience I will always remember. I was with my teenage daughters and Rolf kept them engaged throughout the 2hrs. I love his knowledge, humour and charisma. Thank you Rolf for an amazing experience. Amazing Rolf

Stacey🇺🇸 United States

14 May 2025

Rolf makes your visit to the Van Gogh museum a very personal experience. He made learning the story behind each painting so interesting. By the end I was so moved that I felt such joy and emotion when learning about several paintings that I was almost brought to tears. It was like touring with a friend and at the end he asked if he could give me a hug. I said absolutely❤️Rolf is such a wonderful guide❤️

Terry🇺🇸 United States

8 May 2025

It was great to finally meet Rolf in person after having met him virtually on a Van Gogh tour during the pandemic! Rolf was responsive to questions from the start and helped us select the focus of our Rijksmuseum tour. We learned so much about the Dutch Masters and the museum itself, plus all sorts of other tidbits, including a lovely surprise for us librarians. Rolf is just as warm and kind in person as he was on screen—I love his laugh (and you will, too)! Thanks so much for a fun day at the Rijks!Fun and informative tour with Rolf!

Irene and Larry🇨🇦 Canada

4 May 2025

Exceptional historian and well versed on the history of the various artists. Rijksmuseum with Rolf

Carin🇸🇪 Sweden

30 April 2025

Rolf is an amazing art historian guide with incredible knowledge of Rijksmuseet and all its treasures. Rolf took us around to all the highlights, gave us a lot of background to and details of all the art whether they were paintings, statues, glass ware, silver ware or doll houses. I think I will never look at a painting the same way again, now I know what to look for! Rolf is very enthusiastic and passionate about art and we all had an amazing time. We completely forgot about time as it was so enchanting walking around listening to him. Thank you Rolf - you made my parents very happy and our visit very special. Private tour with expert art historian.

laura🇺🇸 United States

19 April 2025

Our family had a great time with Rolf at the Rijksmuseum. He tailored the tour to our interests. We were there Easter Week, so it was very crowded, but he helpfully steered us to the important works and was generous with his time and knowledge. Highly recommend.Engaging and informative

April🇺🇸 United States

10 April 2025

Rolf is AWESOME!!! He was passionate, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and so wonderfully welcoming! We toured as a family with him, with our 18 & 17 year old sons....Rolf really kept them engaged, interested, took their questions seriously. What I truly appreciated, and I know made such an impact on my boys, is Rolf related the world of Van Gogh and art to my kids everyday interests. My one son is a big football player and Rolf kept showing how this related to that... helping guide and think through what these artists must have been going through.....much like X in football. My boys are still talking about it and seemed to really really have so much more knowledge and appreciation for Van Gogh then ever before. Thank you Rolf for such a great experience and giving so much of yourself to the arts and history!Absolutely yes!

Unknown

6 April 2025

Had an amazing time to the Van Gogh Museum with Rolf. He was excellent, very knowledgeable and well informed. We felt as though he nearly knew Van Gogh personally! Highly recommend this to any avid (or even casual) art fans as you really got to understand the meaning behind some of the most famous paintings in the world.Excellent visit

Catherine

28 March 2025

Rolf was excellent at showing through this highlight of Amsterdam. Super interesting to see not only the famous Dutch masters hall but to learn where the inspirations came from and how art evolved through the centuries. Highly recommend. Morning with Rembrandt

Peter

18 March 2025

Great Dutch masters tour of the Rijksmuseum with Rolf, who is extremely knowledgeable, interesting and was able to really bring the artworks to life. Highly recommended. Great Rijksmuseum tour with Rolf

Sjoerd🇳🇱 Netherlands

20 February 2025

Rolf is an enthousiastic and very knowledgable guide who could easily keep everyone’s attention. We enjoy the tour very much. Enjoyed the tour!

Darren

14 January 2025

Rolf was accessible and responsive leading up to the tour and assisted us in both obtaining the museum admissions we needed and arranging a mutually convenient time and place to meet. He was knowledgeable, entertaining and friendly. He brought with him his wide breadth of knowledge and in addition has a collection of materials on his tablet which provided even more depth and information as we toured the museum. I would recommend him highly!Rolf was Amazing!

Louis

28 December 2024

Very friendly. Very informative. Very knowledgeable.Rolf was great

Victor🇺🇸 United States

18 December 2024

Rolf was extremely knowledgeable and engaging in our Rijksmuseum tour. He kept us fascinated. Very pleasant and warm personal manners. Art tour with Rolf was amazing!

Payton🇺🇸 United States

9 December 2024

Rolf was a wonderful guide and we would happily use him again. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating!Great Guide, Great Tour

James🇺🇸 United States

1 November 2024

We engaged Rolf for a guided tour of Rijksmuseum on October 23rd. It was an excellent decision. All went as arranged- we met on time and he was very accommodating of my wife, who needed to use a wheelchair for the tour. He is extremely knowledgable and personable. It was time and money well-spent. We learned a lot, and had very pleasant time with Rolf. Highly recommended.Recommended guide

Simone

19 October 2024

My husband and I wanted a private tour of the Rijksmuseum while in Amsterdam. The number of tour guide choices were many but we definitely chose the best with Rolf. Rolf is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the art but more than that you could feel his joy in sharing this knowledge with us. He was able to point out minute but important details in the work or in the artist's mind that we would never have known otherwise. In addition Rolf made us feel very comfortable and welcome -- he was truly interested in us and our experience. We would recommend Rolf for anyone visiting the great museums of Amsterdam. Wonderful Experience at the Rijksmuseum

Markus🇩🇪 Germany

17 October 2024

Rolf has an immense knowledge about the arts. We enjoyed a wonderful 2 hour tour through the Rijksmuseum, learning a lot about the old masters. Highly recommended.For art lovers

Zachary🇺🇸 United States

17 October 2024

Two hours wasn’t enough time! Rolf was as personable as he was knowledgeable. The tour went quickly but was jam packed with so much pertinent information you wouldn’t know unless you were with someone who really knew their stuff. From history to painting technique, Rolf could answer whatever I throw his way. I did a tour at the Rijks, but through the connections he was drawing between Rembrandt and Vermeer to Van Gogh, I want to come back and do the Van Gogh museum with him. Highly recommend!Excellent guide!

Jana Ms🇳🇱 Netherlands

8 October 2024

I have been to the Rijs museum several times. But when Rolf was our guide [2nd time now] you learn so much and understand the artist and what is actually in the paintings. This time, my friends were the type to take 100's of pictures...... Rolf was so patient. Rolf is so extrememly knowledgable about the artist and artifacts of the museum. He has a sense of humor and a way of story telling that is very relaxing. The 2 hours flew by. I highly recommend him and the next batch of friends that come to visit I will definately be booking him. What a wonderful person he is.Rijks tour with Rolf