• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Curious to know more about Amsterdam’s history? Join a local history expert on an insightful tour that will show you a side of the city that can’t be found in any book. This experience will open your eyes to the past and origins of Amsterdam from a local perspective as you learn about Anne Frank & Jewish Culture.

Destination

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Deutsch, Nederlands, Español, Hindi, Suomi

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• This tour does not include the visit of the Anne Frank House

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 4 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

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.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at In front of the Tuschinski theatre entrance, Reguliersbreestraat 26-34, 1017 CN 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. Anne Frank & Jewish Culture

   Your history tour in Amsterdam will focus on Anne Frank & Jewish Culture. Learn the impacts, insights and hear stories related to this historic event from your knowledgeable host. Discover the city as you retrace history and go in-depth on the effects this part of history has on Amsterdam

4. Historical Highlights

   Check out main landmarks related to the theme of your history tour and connect their relevance through fantastic stories and facts from your expert local host

5. Hidden Treasures

   During your tour, you’ll also uncover hidden gems that will show you a different perspective of history as you know it, something you can’t easily find in a history book!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the historical side of Amsterdam, you’ll be able to go back in time thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time

7. 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

kasweetman

(About local Arunabha)

17 February 2025

Arunabha provided a vast amount of information on the history of Amsterdam, Netherlands, vis a vis the invasion by Nazis and many perspectives on the resistance. He was knowledgeable about the role of the Dutch Empire and its impact on Indonesia and other former “colonies”. Thanks for a great tour.Informative tour, amazing.

Lauren🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

30 December 2024

We were so impressed with our tour with Marten. He was very knowledgeable about the Jewish district and history. He gave us a lot to think about. He also managed to work in lighter moments and share personal stories. He was very engaging. We give him 10 stars! Couldn’t find a better guide!

Donna🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tommi)

16 October 2024

My tour with Tommi was amazing. I was traveling solo so had a one-to-one tour of the city. Tommi's historical knowledge and attention to detail was invaluable. He was such a pleasure to spend time with roaming around the city and discovering things that were off the beaten path. I loved it. Thank you, Tommi!History of Amsterdam tour

Kathryn🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

6 May 2024

Marten is an expert - without a doubt. He truly cares about history and about the magnitude of the holocaust. Quite by accident, along the way, we had an incredible encounter with an Auschwitz survivor’s family; it was so moving, so emotional. Marten knows his stuff and is kind, friendly, and very engaging. I thank him for a very special afternoon. Incredibly moving tour …

caroline 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Marten)

5 May 2024

Marten was such a knowledgeable person, he was engaging and friendly as soon as we met him. He told us and showed us so much in the relatively short time we spent with him. The tour was very moving, something I will never forget! I would definitely recommend a walking tour with Marten Great experience

Lauren

(About local Carolina)

8 March 2024

Carolina had a lot of knowledge about the city and it's history. She was early for the tour and provided great historical and cultural context.Carolina was excellent

Julie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carolina)

30 October 2023

Thank you Carolina for giving us such an insightful and moving tour of the Jewish quarter and history of the Jewish people in your city. Your knowledge is unparalleled and your compassion for the atrocities that took place in Amsterdam was moving. As a Jewish person, I was truly grateful for this entire experience. If anyone wants a great understanding of the history of the Jews here, do not hesitate to take this tour with Carolina. Thanks you again. Absolutely Wonderful

Alexandria

(About local Marten)

16 October 2023

Marten was truly a wonderful tour guide. He told the story of Amsterdam’s golden age and the impact WWII had on the Jewish community who lived as well as the current impacts of COVID. It was an enlightening and emotional tour. We discussed a range of things from architecture, art, and economics. Marten was very kind and open to all our questions and curiosities, it felt like getting to take a walk with my history professor. You should absolutely take his tour, I know I will when I visit again. Thank you Marten! Wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide

Colin🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Marten)

6 May 2023

Marten was extremely well informed. Our tour was about the Jewish history of Amsterdam and his knowledge and enthusiasm was outstanding. I would highly recommend Marten. Simply brilliant

Michael🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Estella)

21 April 2023

Following our own arranged tour to the Anne Frank Huis we met Estella at the beautiful Tuschinski cinema where she told us her grandfather had worked as a projectionist. Explaining the various areas and explaining the typical lives of the Jews in the area we visited the Memorial installation followed by the two major synagogues and Jewish Museum. Off track she also included a trip the the Red Light district and ate some delicious pickled herring! She spent well over the allotted three hours with us and was delightful throughout answering our many questions with aplomb. Would definitely recommend her to your other clients.Jewish Amsterdam expert Estella

Susan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

6 November 2022

Anna was an excellent guide. She was so knowledgeable that I was able to learn more information about a subject that I have read a lot about. It was fascinating to see the locations where things occurred and then the significant monuments the city has built to commemorate them. I would highly recommend her.

Michael🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Marten)

6 July 2022

Maarten als Tourguide im jüdischen Viertel hat uns unheimlich gut gefallen. Drei Stunden schienen uns anfangs viel, jedoch hätten wie auch ohne weiteres am Ende der Tour verlängern können. Maarten kennt sich sehr gut in seiner Stadt aus, er hat ein umfassendes Hintergrundwissen und kennt die lokalen als auch die globalen Zusammenhänge, weiss diese geschichtlich einzuordnen und ist ein erstklassiger Erzähler. Was mir persönlich gut gefallen hat: Maarten wertet nicht, sein Wissen teilt er offen und ohne jegliche Ressentiments.Super informativ, ein Tausendsassa!

Unknown

(About local Marten)

29 June 2022

Marten is a very enthusiastic guide who studied history. He knows a lot about Amsterdam and really wants to share this with you. We took a tour through the Jewish neighborhood and saw a beautiful new monument. Breathtaking! He is also flexible during the tour. So if you want a drink or coffee, no problem. Thank you Marten for a wonderful afternoon!Fantastisch

Danielle🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Carolina)

16 June 2022

Randi🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carolina)

8 June 2022

Carolina provided us with a fantastic experience on our tour of the Jewish Quarter. She provided a wealth of information and stories about our topic as well as other points of interest along the way. She was outgoing, very friendly, and flexible in molding the tour to fit our needs. Great job!Friendly, informative, interesting

Heather🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Anna)

3 June 2022

Anna was perfectly nice but lacked enthusiasm and knowledge regarding the sites she took us to. Adequate

Christine🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Carolina)

26 May 2022

Just a quick response to your email. We both thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Carolina and much appreciated her knowledge about the Jewish community and especially Anne Frank. We know a lot more about the horrors of the 2nd World War and the deprivations suffered by all the population. Many thanks Carolina and we will recommend you and your organisation to everyone visiting .Amsterdam. Walking Tour

Susan

(About local Carolina)

9 May 2022

Carolina was so informative and answered lots of questions that we had in addition to her regular tour. We scheduled the tour for the morning and had tickets for the Anne Frank house for the afternoon. It was a very moving experience and I would highly recommend taking her tour. Great tour!

Sandi🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Marten)

26 March 2022

we had a wonderful tour with Marten who told us about the history of Jewish Amsterdam. we enjoyed learning from him. I would recommend this tourwonderful, informative tour

Ruth🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Marten)

13 March 2022

Matren knows a lot about history and is amazing and friendly, I recomend it 100% Amazing guide

Michele🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

30 July 2021

Marten was an amazing guide , so knowledgeable & enjoyable to tour with. We learned a great deal & had a fun morning. Definitely Recommend following this with a tour of Ann Frank’s house ,& then a canal tour located across the street. Thanks again, Marten!! Great tour!

Esther🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Marten)

8 May 2021

Wat een bijzondere ervaring om met Marten door onze ‘eigen’ stad te lopen. Al wandelend en pratend stopte Marten een geschiedenis in ons hoofd. Waarbij geen zijspoor onbenut werd gelaten. Ook voor onze tieners, die een en al oor waren, en waardevolle middag. Ook de krant lezen is niet meer hetzelfde, die staat vol met Martens wetenswaardigheden. Een bijzondere ervaring, wat een verrijking! Dikke aanrader.Wandelen met Marten is een ware verrijking

Agneta

(About local Marten)

30 June 2020

Last week we, my daughter of 13 and me, had a great afternoon in the center of Amsterdam with Marten. We booked the tour about Anne Frank and the Jews in WW II. Marten is a very relaxed guide who knows a lot about the history of Amsterdam and he tells it all in a very enthusiastic way! My daughter also liked the tour very much, we really had a great afternoon and can only highly recommend Marten! He also does bicycle tours in Amsterdam and the surrounding areas and you can even hire him for a tour through The Netherlands! Great afternoon with Marten

Vivian🇳🇴 Norway

(About local Marten)

10 March 2020

Not just a good guide, but an incredible inspirational guy! Funny too! I really recommend Marten!! If your looking for s guide- go for Martin

Walter🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ente)

9 December 2019

We enjoyed our walking tour of the Jewish Quarter. Our guide Ente was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We covered a lot of area and got the overview that helped us when we returned to the sites for more in depth visits. We learned a lot on our tour

Adam

(About local Carolina)

30 November 2019

Carolina was a great guide. She went over the top for us. She was very informative, personable, knowledgeable, and funny, she even did the tour backwards for us. 10 out of 10 AdamAnne Frank and jewish quarter tour

Kevin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ente)

21 November 2019

We started off with us going to the wrong pick up point. Ente's directions told us the pick up point which we went to, but then I looked at the Viator booking and it listed a different pick up point, so we half ran to the Viator pick up point and got a call from Ente. Yes, he was at the first pick up point. However, within minutes Ente came to us and off we went. Ente was very knowledgeable and friendly. He answered any question and walked at a pace that was comfortable. He gave us information on other things to do and see and general advice on how to use the Trams, etc. In all, it was a very good tour and helped get us acclimated to the city and prepare us for our adventures on our own.Very knowledgeable and friendly

Lizzie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Peter)

26 October 2019

Peter is an excellent host, very warm and informative. A ‘real historian’ who answered all of our many questions and added on his own lots of facts and stories to enhance our experience. Easy to be with, friendly and well-travelled, we highly recommend him!Excellent

Courtenay🇺🇸 United States

(About local Peter)

22 October 2019

Peter is so incredibly knowledgeable and kind. This tour was the perfect way to see Amsterdam and set us up for the tour of the Anne Frank house. I highly recommend this tour!!!Incredible experience.

Carole🇺🇸 United States

(About local Steyn)

14 September 2019

He is a wonderful tour guide and very interesting. Our walk around the Jewish quarter was great. We were glad for the time we had with him. Thanks Steyn, Carole and Rachel Fantastic

martin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carolina)

3 September 2019

Carolina was terrific. She knows her stuff and was able to share her love of Amsterdam with us in clear English. If there was another tour and Carolina was leading,,,we would sign up. All four of us agree. Thank you Carolina Delightful and knowledgable young lady

Peri🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Steyn)

27 August 2019

Great walking tour of Amsterdam with a special insight into its Jewish past. Thank you Steyn for a really good day and such wonderful fun chats!Amsterdam with an excellent local guide

paul🇺🇸 United States

(About local Steyn)

21 August 2019

Easy to book. Steyn was a great guide. Very knowledgeable about Jewish history in Amsterdam and also Amsterdam history in general. Easy to talk with. Highly recommend Steyn as your guide. great experience

Alex🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Steyn)

19 August 2019

Excellent your

Brannan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Steyn)

25 July 2019

I booked a tour with Steyn for our family - my husband and myself with our two children (ages 11 & 12)- and I can't recommend this enough. Steyn was incredibly knowledgable, knowing the answers to many difficult questions that we asked him and did a fantastic job of making the tour interesting for adults and children. The tour was of the Jewish Quarter and Steyn did a wonderful job of customizing our tour to hit all of the areas, while focusing on the aspects that were most interesting to us. Don't miss an opportunity to make the most of your visit to Amsterdam!Book a Tour with Steyn from Withlocals

Sunny🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Steyn)

18 July 2019

Thank you Steyn for the great tour. Very informative and interesting. Great Walking tour!

Jamie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Steyn)

16 June 2019

What an amazing experience to have one on one with someone who is an expert in the field. Steyn gave us such an informative and thoughtful experience during the walking tour. He highlighted things that had a lot of historical context that he tied into the early history of Amsterdam, making it so special. You could tell he went out of his way to make it an informative and thoughtful experience. He highlighted things that had a lot of historical context that he tied into the early history of Amsterdam, giving us the whole picture. Steyn is an academic and that really shined throughout the tour. Highly recommend taking this with him!Best tour experience hands down

Henry

(About local Ente)

29 April 2019

Without a doubt Ente is one best tour guide we have encountered. His knowledge of the cultural history of Amsterdam and the history of what happened to the Dutch Jewish population was incredible. Review of Ente

Carol🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ente)

27 April 2019

Enter was a fantastic guide! Knowledgeable, kind, professional, and interesting—that describes him perfectly. He answered all our questions easily and offered lots of interesting facts and history about the old Jewish area. This was definitely a highlight of our 4 days in Amsterdam and we would highly recommend taking this (or any other) with locals tour. Extremely worthwhile!!Best Tour Ever!

Loreen

(About local Ente)

27 April 2019

We had a private tour of the Jewish area of Amsterdam with Ente. He was incredibly knowledgeable and professional in every way. First of all, the 3 of us had difficulty finding the meeting place and we were about 15 minutes late. He waited for us and wasn’t at all upset by our tardiness. His English was impeccable and he was more than willing to adjust our itinerary when he learned that we’d already visited the Anne Frank house that morning. So, instead of ending our tour there like he had planned, we walked through Chinatown area and ended near our hotel. He had an incredible amount of information to share with us and did so in a way that brought history to life. We’d highly recommend Ente and Withlocals.Outstanding Ente, Our Guide

Jeff🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ente)

24 April 2019

We had a group of 7 for the Anne Frank and Jewish Quarter Walking Tour in Amsterdam with Ente in late March 2019 and it covers a lot of ground. Ente met us on time at 10:00am at the designated meeting place – The Tuschinski Theater. We walked from our hotel in the Centrum, and just a general word of caution about Amsterdam, it is not the easiest city to navigate even when using phone apps. The theater is extraordinary, dating from 1921 and we were lucky enough to also go inside. It currently shows first-run movies like the Avengers End Game, but it is easy to imagine how grand and special a night out at that theater was back in the day. Ente gave us the Jewish history of the theater and its founder. We then stopped in Rembrandt Square to see the monument and Night Watch figures. While I suspect this stop was because we were simply passing by, Rembrandt did live in the Jewish Quarter much of his life and was close with that community. On the walking tour we also passed a youth hostel still in operation that successfully hid Jews during the War, and the home that housed the headquarters of the Jewish Council during the War. All the while, Ente gave us an overview of the Jewish history of Amsterdam from the 15th century to the present including insight into both the Spanish Jews and the European Jews, who settled in the city. The weather happened to be on the colder and windy side that day so we stopped into a local pub to take a break and get some hot drinks. We then walked through the Jewish quarter, which isn’t really there anymore and past the Jewish Historical Museum. We then visited the Portuguese Synagogue, which dates from 1675. We told Ente we wanted to go inside and he was up for it. It costs additional, but worth it. Ente was free as a tour guide. There is also a small museum (called the treasure room) with torah ornaments, candelabra, a movie, etc. and a gift shop in adjacent buildings. We walked down a canal where most of the inhabitants of the pre-WWII homes were Jewish and deported to concentration camps. Across the canal there are memorial plaques for each address commemorating the people who lived there. We also saw “stumbling stones,” embedded into the street in front of houses, whose Jewish residents were deported by the Nazis. These have names and dates of birth, deportation and often death. There are now around 70,000 of these throughout Europe. Next up, we went to the Hollandsche Schouwburg Theater, which was originally a Dutch theater dating from 1892, but then became a deportation center under the Nazis. It is now a Holocaust memorial and museum. Ente then took us on a tram ride towards the Anne Frank House and museum (it’s not close by), for our final stop at the Westerkerk (church) whose bell/clock tower are mentioned in Anne Frank’s diary. A memorial statue of Anne Frank is also located outside the church at Westermarkt. After saying goodbye to Ente, we had lunch on our own nearby. We had arranged separately for tickets to the Anne Frank House and Museum that afternoon as they are not included in this tour. Please note you must purchase these tickets in advance. 80% of the tickets go on sale online 2 months in advance. There were many people standing outside wanting (and trying) to get in, but only 20% of tickets are reserved for “day of.” We happened to have a few extra tickets and gave them out. Ente was very nice, accommodating and was well versed in the Jewish history of the city. The only criticism I might have is that he was a little too soft spoken, at least for our particular group. But then again, some of the subject matter doesn’t necessarily lend itself to high energy. Overall, it was a great tour, covers a lot, and I highly recommend it. This tour, lunch and then the Anne Frank House was a perfect combination. The Anne Frank House only takes and hour to an hour and a half, so there was plenty of time afterwards for more sightseeing that day. Great Tour with Ente

Jill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ente)

12 April 2019

Very knowledgeable and informative guide. Had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend to others!Excellent

Sean

(About local Ente)

24 March 2019

We picked Ente because of his background. My wife and I along with our two girls ages 10 and 13 spent the afternoon with Ente learning and exploring the Jewish history in Amsterdam. We did some good walking but never was concerned as we were all learning so much from Ente everywhere we went. He was extremely knowledgeable and personable and would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a private tour in AmsterdamEnte was fantastic

Glenn

(About local Carolina)

19 January 2019

We couldn't have asked for a better tour guide. Carolina was prompt, informative and knowledgeable. She was more than accommodating to every request. She friendly and engaging at all times, and was wonderfully patient with our kids. We couldn't recommend her more highly. Thank you Carolina for a wonderful morning.Carolina's Walking Tour of the Jewish Quar

Gary🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Carolina)

1 December 2018

We had a wonderful private guided tour with Carolina through the Jewish quarter and learnt about Anne Frank. Carolina is very personable and was super flexible for our group of 4. We all learnt so much wouldn't have seen as much without Carolina. Thank you for for giving us a great tour!Lovely personable guide

alex

(About local Carolina)

9 October 2018

Anne Frank & Jewish Culture: Walking Tour

john🇺🇸 United States

(About local Carolina)

23 September 2018

Carolina was wonderful. Lots of great interesting information and she made the tour lovely and entertaining. Her passion for the subject exuded with every word! Thanks for a fantastic tour!Powerful!

Ente🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Peter)

6 September 2018

Having done research into the subject himself and having studied original material Peter is a highly qualified host to introduce you to the complicated and also tragic history of the Jewish communities in Amsterdam. If you want to know about Jewish history in the city by one of the experts on the subject i would definitely recommend Peter. Anne Frank & Jewish Culture: Walking Tour

Amy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Peter)

25 August 2018

We were very, very lucky to have Peter as our guide; as a bona fide historian and archivist for the Red Cross, he is eminently qualified and it was a privilege to spend 3 hours with him in Amsterdam. I honestly cannot imagine a more enriching private tour. He spoke so knowledgeably about the ultimately tragic history of the Jews of Amsterdam, and with such genuine compassion and respect. He made their story come alive for me and my daughter and the time with him just flew by.Request this guide!

Patrick🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Peter)

18 August 2018

Peter is a great guide. He is very well informed about the jewish history not only in a greater perspective but also in personal stories. He is able to make connections with the world history and he is a great storyteller. I highly recommend him for this tour! very informative tour