• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Discover Amsterdam through the lens of architecture and design on this inspiring city walk. From the medieval weight of De Waag to the quiet elegance of Begijnhof and the historic charm of Nieuwmarkt, you'll uncover the stories etched into the city’s buildings and streets. Led by a passionate local, this tour reveals how Amsterdam’s design legacy continues to shape its modern identity.

Destination

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Русский, Deutsch, Nederlands

Included

• Private guide
• 1 Local snack or drink
• All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

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 Café De Zon - 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. Culture of the City

   On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Amsterdam through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!

4. Design & Architecture in Amsterdam

   Your tour will focus on design & architecture, a very important cultural subject in Amsterdam. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how made an impact in Amsterdam, making you experience the city from a different perspective.

5. Cultural Highlights

   As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit Begijnhof, De Waag, Nieuwmarkt, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!

6. Storytelling Journey

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

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

Katharina🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Marten)

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

Geraldine🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Sebastian)

26 July 2025

Sebastian was a great guide and took much time for us. We had 3 hours biking, showing me the hihlights, explaining Amsterdam's history, having a bubble tea, Sebastian showing where to go swimming tomorrow, where to have a great Suriname dinner. Really a great moment!Perfect afternoon!

Mike🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

26 July 2025

Sebastian has a genuine love of Amsterdam and for telling stories about his amazing city. Our walk - which exceeded the time we expected - flew by with stories about The Netherlands history, water and land usage, contemporary life, and useful recommendations for our time here. He took us to places we'd never go (or find) as well as listened to us about the things we wanted to try - as such, for instance, we had both Suriname cuisine and fresh herring. Highly recommend Sebastian, which was more like taking a walk with a very knowledgeable friend through Amsterdam than merely hiring a guideFantastic experience

Rebecca

(About local Marten)

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 Marten)

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!!

Jim and Yolanda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

19 July 2025

Anna expertly guided my wife and I through the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. She was able to intuitively perceive what was important to us and custom guide us through the works of the museum to illustrate the golden age of the Netherlands, it’s history, culture, and it’s people. We were fortunate that Ana had the time and she was willing to extend our two hour tour… and after 3 1/2 hours we were still fascinated by all that she showed us. Anna is an extremely knowledgeable guide and we highly recommend her for any of her many tours in Amsterdam.Anna was an amazing guide!

Kerri🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Sebastian)

15 July 2025

Sebastian was fabulous. He was prompt, professional and very down to earth. We felt like true locals as it rained during our bike tour, but we continued on and just rode around anyway! It was a truly memorable experience. He pointed out all the things we were interested in and spent an extra half an hour with us. He was really engaged in the tour and we would recommend him to all!Best bike tour

Paige🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

14 July 2025

Sebastian was a really fantastic guide— the route he chose was perfect and it showed us parts of the city we never would have seen otherwise along with the city centre. he’s also a history expert who explains things in a very interesting way — we learned quite a bit and it was fascinating. He is very safe cyclist who never rushes the experience. Highly recommend taking his tour!! Perfect way to see Amsterdam

Rob🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

11 July 2025

Sabastion did a great job…. He showed us many details that we never would have found on our own…. Very well worth the time when you first arrive as then you know when and where to go to get the most out of your holiday.Sabastion was Great!

Fiona🇧🇲 Bermuda

(About local Anna)

4 July 2025

Anna was incredibly knowledgeable about what she was describing to us on our tour, answered the many questions and best of all she was fun! Rijksmuseum Tour

Janice🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Marten)

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

Megan🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Anna)

29 June 2025

We fully recommend this tour, and Anna to guide you. As an adult family of 3 - Anna listened well to our "bespoke preferences" and delivered a varied, informative and brilliant cycling experience traversing history, ecology, design and random fun insights. We loved our half day cycle experience. Anna is THE BUSINESS. 😇Fab tour, Funky Guide.

Irene🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

28 June 2025

Sebastian was an amazing guide for our walking tour through Amsterdam. He had great knowledge and shared so much interesting and helpful information. And he was a very very nice guy....highly recommend. Thank you Sebastian!

Beth

(About local Anna)

28 June 2025

I’ve returned from my travels and I’m reflecting on the time I spent with Anna …four hours of walking learning and exploring the beautiful city of Amsterdam…. I had a layover of six hours before I had to continue with my travels. I have never been to Amsterdam… The one thought I had in preparing for my time with Anna is “I don’t want to be with all the other visitors”…. and that’s what came true…. we talked about architecture history,art and life in Amsterdam. I saw many many different examples of architecture learned about the people and the city both historically and today… Anna was very kind calm and extremely knowledgeable. I did not pay attention to the blocks of meandering we completed…, however, in reflecting how far we went, it must’ve been miles and miles of walking.., I am an interior designer for 40 years and studied architecture, art history, etc….many words, I learned back then and forgot… cartouche or arabesque…Anna used in her conversation. I applaud her on her knowledge…. I highly recommend spending time with her… as she grew up in the Netherlands and lives in Amsterdam… she is truly a teacher of beautiful Amsterdam 🙏🩷 Four incredible hours with Anna

Anne🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

27 June 2025

We chose Anna D because of her background in social sciences but she is also a student of art history. We did a walking tour with her and her in-depth knowledge of Danish history and culture is astounding. We than picked up bikes and went on an exciting ride to the park and the Rijksmuseum. Anna could easily be a guide at the museum! If you’re interested In art and art history, you will be impressed! I highly recommend Anna if you want a great exposure to all things Danish. Very smart and well informed tour guide

Nic🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

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

jayne🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

25 June 2025

Anna's private tour of Amsterdam was awesome! She was punctual, knowledgeable, dynamic, and interesting. We had a great time on the tour and we highly recommend Anna. Fabulous Tour Guide!

Alex🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

22 June 2025

My husband and I took this walking tour through Amsterdam last weekend, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. Anna was super knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the city’s rich history and culture. We loved how the route balanced iconic landmarks with hidden gems we would’ve never found on our own. It was the perfect pace, with plenty of time to soak in the sights and enjoy the atmosphere. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a deeper connection with this beautiful city!A Wonderful Way to Explore Amsterdam!

Cindy

(About local Anna)

20 June 2025

We very much enjoyed our personal art history lesson with Anna. We learned alot! I gained an appreciation for the work and genius of Rembrandt that I wouldn’t have gotten on a self guided tour. Anna answered our many questions and spent time sharing her fountain of knowledge about the artist’s style and how he broke the mold and advanced his profession.A new appreciation for Rembrandt

Zofia🇵🇱 Poland

(About local Sebastian)

18 June 2025

Sebastian was a great guide! While on tour, we felt as though we were taking a walk with an old friend (and a very knowledgable one). He told us about the history of the city as well as the lives of Amsterdam's citizens now. He adapted his way of explaining stuff to our mixed level of English (used simpler terms — so don't worry about not understanding something) and he showed us the best local places (the snack was amazing!). We also really appreciated little fun facts about various subjects connected to the city and his tips on best gifts from Amsterdam. We feel fully prepared for getting around on our own in the next days of our trip and for understanding stuff in museums and places all around town better. Sebastian is a great choice no matter the group — we went as mother and daughter (50 and 19) and both had a wonderful time. Amazing experience, we highly recommend! A wonderful experience :))

Melissa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

18 June 2025

So nice to have a deep dive into the history of the artwork at the Rijks. She is detailed and very well prepared for any question. Really brought the history to life!Lovely Experience wirh Anna

kp7dn89vwv

(About local Anna)

15 June 2025

It was okay, but we didn't feel like we really connected with her.

Daye

(About local Sebastian)

13 June 2025

We really enjoyed having Sebastian as our tour guide for Amsterdam. He was on time, showed us many interesting sights and was very knowledgeable about his home town. We loved his great stories! Don’t hesitate to book this tour as it is a great way to get to know the city. He even treated us to a special treat at the end. Book a tour with Sebastian. You won’t regret it!Great tour and guide

Marcy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

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

tbkelso🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

11 June 2025

Several hours after our flight landed in Amsterdam we met Anna who took us on an amazing introductory tour of her city. She guided us through the maze of streets and canals explaining Amsterdam’s history and unique architecture. She was entertaining and very informative. We had such a good experience we hired her to guide us through the Rijksmuseum several days later. She earned our highest recommendation. Wonderful experience

Booker🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

10 June 2025

Anna D. did an excellent job of differentiating Rembrandt from other painters of the Dutch Golden Age (1588 to 1672). She pointed out the subtle features of The Night Watch and other famous Rembrandt paintings. Anna is knowledgeable guide on Rembrandt

Booker🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

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 Marten)

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

Magaly🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

8 June 2025

Ana made exploring Amsterdam such a fun and safe experience for me and my daughter. She took us to beautiful spots and shared cool facts about the city that kept us both interested the whole time. My daughter had a great time — and so did I! Thank you, Ana, for making our day in Amsterdam so special and fun! Fun Bike tour of Amsterdam with Ana!

Andrea🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

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

Andrea🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

7 June 2025

In spite of the wet day, we had a great day touring by bike with Sebastian. He gave us some tips on biking in Amsterdam before we headed out. Sebastian took us on a large loop where we saw a variety of neighborhoods and architecture. He was able to weave historical context into much of what we were seeing. He also showed us a few quirky tidbits along the way. Very Enjoyable

Christian

(About local Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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

Jodi🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

29 May 2025

Anna was terrific from beginning to end! She advised me to change the tour we requested, met us ontime in the lobby, and adapted the tour to our requests. She was great about answering all of our questions and proactively providing interesting facts as we toured. A great day overall and perfect start to our vacation. Knowledgable and adaptable!

Ward

(About local Marten)

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!

Jim & Linda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Anna)

22 May 2025

Not only is Anna very smart and well prepared, but she does a great job of engaging with you and making sure you are on the same page for what you want see and not just going through a checklist of items. We visited the Rijksmuseum, which is a huge facility with thousands of possible things to see, and the first thing she did was pause and help us think through what types of exhibits we were interested in. Once we decided that, it took the pressure off trying to "see everything" which was impossible in a 2 hour tour. We moved directly to the areas we wanted and never felt rushed. The resulting conversation about the exhibits was easy and free flowing allowing her to tailor the tour to our specific areas of interest and answer all of our questions. She is a real pro! We highly recommend! Simply the Best!

Marion🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

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 Marten)

14 May 2025

Marten provided my parents and I with a wonderful tour of the Van Gogh museum. He was patient while we put our items in lockers and used the restroom, and then took us on an insightful tour of Van Gogh's work through the years, and how the evolution of his painting reflected what was happening in his personal life and his view of the world. Marten provided a lot of excellent historical and artistic information. I would absolutley tour with him again the next time we're back in Amsterdam. Van Gogh Tour

Ailsa

(About local Marten)

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

George

(About local Sebastian)

10 May 2025

Sebastian is awesome! From the beginning, it felt like we were hanging out with an old friend and not some robotic tour guide we just met. He was very warm and friendly and insightful about his city. He knows many locals who were very excited to see him (especially Nils and Inge at the tiny house tea shop - so cute!). He told us about many hidden gems both for visiting and for eating. This was absolutely worth it and recommended! Thank you so much, Sebastian!Perfect way to see the city

Unknown

(About local Marten)

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 !