• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

You’ve probably heard that Amsterdam is well-known for its Coffeeshops and Red Light District, but do you know the stories and origin behind it? Or how much influence it has on the locals daily life? On this private city tour, you are in for a cultural treat!

Destination

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Français, Nederlands, Hindi

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 2 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

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 Cafe De Drie Graefjes American Bakery, behind the New church / Nieuwe Kerk - 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. Coffeeshops and Red Light District in Amsterdam

   Your tour will focus on Coffeeshops and Red Light District, a very important cultural subject in Amsterdam. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how Coffeeshops and Red Light District 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 Zeedijk, unique coffeeshops, Red Light District, 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 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

Kim🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Arunabha)

26 February 2025

Wow, what an incredibly knowledgeable guide Arunabha is. There are no facets about the red light district that he does not know. We spent a very enjoyable and informative few hours walking the area where we learnt all about it's rich history as well as what life is like there today and what the future may hold. Arunabha is easy to talk to and answered all our questions. Very Knowledgeable Guide

Armand🇫🇷 France

(About local Arunabha)

3 February 2025

Arunabha is a great guide. We had a good experience with our Withlocals guide. The tour was authentic, personalized, and truly enriching, allowing us to discover the city from a good perspective. Our guide was full of interesting stories. Thank you for this great experience and insightful conversations.Nice round of Amsterdam

Lauren🇺🇸 United States

(About local Arunabha)

30 December 2024

Such an interesting side of Amsterdam to learn about. Arun was very professional and handled the topics of red light District and ”coffeeshops” with grace and practicality. We would probably not have gone through this area on our own but truly appreciated the opportunity to hear about the history and see how things are operating today. Well done Arun! Wonderful tour

Nick🇺🇸 United States

(About local Arunabha)

30 November 2024

We appreciated the customizing of the tour to things that we responded to. He went through a lot of details on history that were fascinating - he knows his stuff. I definitely learned a great deal more about Amsterdam than had I not been on this tour. So luch cool info

Haritha🇮🇳 India

(About local Arunabha)

25 November 2024

This walking tour was one of the best decisions I took when I visited Amsterdam. Arun is not just a super knowledgeable tour guide, he is a great and kind human being too. He explained the history, and the present of every area we covered in a way that made us feel like we know his city so well too, a solid base for the rest of the days we spent there. I would recommend you to take this tour on the day of landing in Amsterdam, that would really be an amazing kickstart to your vacation. It really felt like we got a friend for life, in a new city, after spending few hours with him. In a nutshell, I would say, we had gem of a guide and fabulous experience. Must Do When You Are in Amsterdam.

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

18 November 2024

My 25 year old daughter and I were in Amsterdam for a few days and we were lucky enough to spend one of those days with Marten walking around the city learning about its history, sampling local foods and hearing about the red light district. Marten was a perfect host and a wealth of knowledge but even more important he was so friendly and fun that our five hour tour felt like we were spending time with an old friend. If we come back to Amsterdam we will be looking for more time with Marten to keep learning more about this wonderful city.Amazing time with Marten in Amsterdam

Sam🇺🇸 United States

(About local Arunabha)

13 October 2024

This was a perfect tour, he was so knowledgeable about the area and kept me interested the entire time. 10/10! Extremely knowledgeable of the area

Jane🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Helena)

11 October 2024

We had a great walking tour with Helena. She created a bespoke itinerary for our group as we’d already visited the city before and wanted to see a different side. She took us to places we would never have found on our own and we really felt like we got an insiders view. She was super relaxed, knowledgeable and friendly and made it a fun and informative afternoon. Highly recommend! Thanks Helena!Great Bespoke Tour

Rachel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

20 July 2024

Our tour with Marten was myself and my husband. It was pouring rain and we still had an amazing time. Marten is so knowledgeable and had a great spirit despite the bad weather. We learned so much about Amsterdam and got to see so much beauty. 10/10 recommend Marten to experience Amsterdam!Incredible Walk!

Susan🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Marten)

29 June 2024

We learned a lot on our tour with Marten - who was very knowledgeable about the history of Amsterdam and local culture - all while taking in the sights he was talking about. The 2 hours went by so quickly and we were sad to part ways. Marten is passionate about his city and shares his experiences so easily, that he felt like an old friend rather than someone we just met. He pointed out several place of interest that we ended up doubling back to on our own time to explore more, which was perfect. An excellent guide who obviously loves what he does! 10/10 would absolutely recommend and book with him again the next time we are in Amsterdam. Informative Tour

Laura🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

8 May 2024

Marten was extremely knowledgeable, personable, funny, and easy to talk to. We truly enjoyed the tour and his insights not only regarding the red light district but also Dutch culture in general. Red Light Delight

John🇺🇸 United States

(About local Arunabha)

5 May 2024

Arunabha did an awesome job showing our group of 4 around the red light district despite the rainy weather and one of the members in our group being in a wheelchair. His knowledge of the history of the area definitely made this a very educational tour. This is a great way to really understand the cultural significance of the area. We are glad we did this instead of just walking through this area ourselves without a guide. Unique and worthwhile

Ellen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Helena)

24 April 2024

Our time with Helena was the highlight of our trip! She is so knowledgeable, loved learning the history, culture and hidden gems from a local. We stopped for lunch at a great deli. Will tour with her again when coming back as there is so much more to see and do!! Best Day in Amsterdam!!

Jerry🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

10 April 2024

Martin was engaging, informative and interesting. He had a relaxed way that made the tour fun. We would definitely recommend him Excellent tour guide

Kristina🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

18 January 2024

Martin was both entertaining and knowledgeable about the ins and outs of Amsterdam’s winding cobblestone streets. We learned both the history and secrets of Amsterdam and its world renowned red light district as we wound our way through listening to how Amsterdam has changed over the years and what events have shaped it into what it is today. Adventure mixed with enlightening history

Jörn🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Marten)

9 December 2023

We enjoyed the 2 hour trip through the red heart of Amsterdam. Marten is a real local insider: cool, funny and with deep historical knowledge. Very recommended!!! Coco and Joern from HamburgVery interesting Redlight-Tour with Marten

Tatjana🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Arunabha)

8 November 2023

Arunabha was a great guide. He is very kind & easy to talk to. He has a lot of knowledge and insider information. The tour (red light district & coffeeshops) was very interesting. Overall a great experience. We can highly recommend him. Great Tour

Gary 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

14 October 2023

Marten’s knowledge of Amsterdam was impressive. We found his tour enlightening and helpful. He as also a very nice guy. Great Knowledge of the City

Claudia🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Helena)

11 October 2023

Helena our guide was absolutely terrific guiding us through the history and highlights of Amsterdam and the Red Light District. Her passion and knowledge was astoundin and contagious , as was her humour and sense of fun. Helena made us feel so welcome and a 2 hour tour turned into 3 . She was always mindful of our wishes, checking if we had particular things we wanted to see or do. She also emailed us extra places to see and do whilst in Amsterdam. Would highly recommend Helena and this tour! The highlight of our trip to Amsterdam

Claudia🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Marten)

23 September 2023

Marten is a great story teller! We really did enjoy the insights in life of people and in the history of in this pretty Amsterdam. The time passed by so fast while we were walking and listening! This walk was a very nice experience for us,. Don't miss this!Geschichtenerzähler

Ronald 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Arunabha)

21 September 2023

Arun was our guide for the walking tour of the Amsterdam Red Light District and he was an excellent guide. He has a diverse fund of knowledge of the history of Amsterdam and the Red Light District. He shows you things that you would not pick up on your own. He knows exactly which streets and alleyways to take to show you the best highlights of the Red Light District. The walking pace is comfortable with stops along the way to explain and point out things. He is a superb guide and I highly recommend him.Red Light District tour

John

(About local Arunabha)

5 September 2023

Arjun was a superb guide. Knowledgeable, responsive, informative. We adjusted the pace for us and guided us to our dinner spot. He shared history, facts, insight. A great experience.we alluded highly recommend Arjun's red light district tour.A terrific tour

Millie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Helena)

30 August 2023

I had the privilege of exploring Amsterdam's Treasures with the wonderful guide, Helena. Her vibrant personality, friendly nature, and extensive knowledge of the city and its history made this tour an absolute delight. Helena's passion for Amsterdam was contagious, and her enthusiasm for the Coffeeshops and Red Light District was evident in every step of the journey. She effortlessly blended fun anecdotes with historical facts, creating an engaging and informative experience. Not only was Helena incredibly knowledgeable, but she also had a knack for making everyone feel comfortable and at ease. Her warm and friendly demeanor allowed us to ask questions freely and engage in meaningful conversations. It truly felt like exploring the city with a close friend who happened to be an expert on Amsterdam. The Coffeeshops and Red Light District Tour was an eye-opening and fascinating experience, thanks to Helena's guidance. She took us to hidden gems and provided valuable insights into the city's culture and traditions. Her storytelling skills truly brought the history and significance of these places to life. Overall, I cannot recommend Helena enough as a tour guide in Amsterdam. Her combination of fun, friendliness, and knowledge made the Treasures of Amsterdam tour an unforgettable experience. If you're looking to explore the Coffeeshops and Red Light District with an expert who truly cares about sharing Amsterdam's unique treasures, Helena is the perfect guide for you. Thank you, Helena, for an incredible journey through the heart of Amsterdam!Amsterdam’s Coffeeshops Red Light District

Scott🇺🇸 United States

(About local Arunabha)

18 August 2023

Arun is a very intelligent and articulate historian! He was an ideal host for this experience. We learned so much about the whole city and saw some interesting aspects of the Red Light District. We would highly recommend Arun for this tour!Green Lights for Arun’s Red Light tour!

Bridget🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Marten)

30 April 2023

Such a great tour with Marten. Walking around the city, he knew so many fun facts. We felt as though we were talking with friends during the tour, Marten is great. Really enjoyed our tour and learned a lot about the culture and history in Amsterdam! Would recommend for anyone to book with Marten, you will have a great time! We traveled from Chicago, USA. Great tour!!!!!

Unknown🇮🇳 India

(About local Marten)

21 April 2023

We had an excellent tour with Marten. He was extremely knowledgeable about Dutch history, culture and a very warm personality. We wish him all the best

Linda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

16 April 2023

Marten was great. He was able to infuse history, humor, and current day culture into the tour. Highly recommend him as tour guide!Educational and fun

Boris🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Marten)

13 April 2023

Wij hadden last minute een tour geboekt met Marten. Aangezien mijn vrouw zwanger is had ik enkele vragen, waar hij binnen het uur op reageerde. Helemaal gerustgesteld begonnen wij aan onze tour. Netjes op tijd stond hij ons op te wachten. Laat ons zeggen dat de 2 uur zijn omgevlogen. Marten weet ontzettend veel over de stad, en weet dat zeer leuk te brengen. Het voelt alsof een goede vriend je de stad laat zien. Ik en mijn vrouw hebben genoten. Wil je een toffe tour in Amsterdam, in gewone mensentaal, zonder veel jaartallen ... niet twijfelen ... Marten boeken!Superleuke namiddag met Marten

Rebecca🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Helena)

24 March 2023

Helena, Was absolutely a gem. She showed us around everywhere. Explained so many interesting things along the way. The 2 hours passed in no time!!! She also sent us tidbits of information for later in the trip!! Price was well worth the experience. Wonderfu, Friendly and Knowledgeable

Crystal🇺🇸 United States

(About local Arunabha)

19 March 2023

We had an amazing experience with our guide, Arunabha. Not only did we see some of the most beautiful streets of Amsterdam, but now we know the history, and the story of how they came to be. Our guide was flexible when we needed to make a slight time change, easy to communicate with, and had a wealth of knowledge on the history of Amsterdam. We would highly recommend them for any tour you would like to be a part of. Thank you so much for your time. Also the dinner recommendation was amazing. If you book with Arunabha you won’t be disappointed!

Michelle🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Arunabha)

5 November 2022

Thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Arunabha. Full of knowledge and enjoyed the different perspective he gave us of the Red Light District. Warm and genuine, I would happily book another tour with Arunabha on my return to Amsterdam. A Great Tour Guide

Douglas🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Arunabha)

26 August 2022

The RLD tour with Arun was incredibly informative and fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone regardless of age or belief system. He provided insights into the formation of the RLD, how it operates, and how it fits into the social fabric of Amsterdam. And he made sure to take me through some of the less traversed alleys of the RLD which were fascinating in their own right.Arun is Wonderful

Frederick🇺🇸 United States

(About local Olga)

19 August 2022

Olga’s tour is full of good information and she is also very friendly. She took time to explain the story behind places where a lot of tourists would have missed. Highly recommended Knowledgabel and Friendly

Paula🇺🇸 United States

(About local Marten)

28 June 2022

Great tour, very informative, and Marten was outstanding!!

Corina🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Marten)

18 March 2022

Marten war ein toller Reiseführer, der - wenn auch sehr schnellen Fußes - einen unterhaltsamen Einblick in das Nachtleben Amsterdams ermöglicht hat. Schade war,dass er mit seinen Erzählungen begonnen hat,obwohl ein Teil der Gruppe so schnell nicht folgen konnte. Dies als kleine Anmerkung! Uns hat die Tour gut gefallen und wir würden diese auch empfehlen!Tour durch das Rotlichtviertel

Florian🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Marten)

1 March 2022

Marten gave us an amazing tour and pointed out so many details that would normally go under the radar. We had a good time and can absolutely recommend Marten as a tour guide for anyone coming to Amsterdam.Fantastic Guide and fantastic tour

Unknown

(About local Otto)

7 November 2021

Amazing personalized knowledgeable. Well worth it!Amazing personalized knowledgeable

James🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Otto)

14 October 2021

The tour with Otto was awesome. He engaged with me right at the start to tailor the tour to my preferences. During it, he was full of knowledge of the local area, having lived there, and could answer all sorts of questions. The whole thing was very relaxed and felt more like catching up with a friend rather than being on a tour. If you're in Amsterdam, I cannot recommend this tour highly enough!Super chill

Gabriele

(About local Otto)

15 August 2021

Otto was a great and uncomplicated local guy. Ist felt like being with an old friend. Thank you Otto! The idea of different private tours with Locals is fantastic - please carry on und keep on being creative. Nice local guy

Benjamin🇫🇷 France

(About local Otto)

31 July 2021

We had an amazing tour with Otto who is very friendly, knowledgeable, answered all our questions and showed us the best spots in red light district and gave us interesting local insight inside the Coffeeshop culture in Amsterdam. Amazing tour guide

Tom🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Otto)

16 October 2020

Heerlijke wandeling door de kleinste staatjes van Amsterdam met heel veel wetenswaardigheden. Ook voor oudere tieners heel leuk om te doen. Top

Stephanie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Paul )

12 January 2020

It was fun to learn about two parts of the city that we hear so much about. Paul was very excited to share his knowledge and answered all our questions! Nice introduction to the weed scene and the red light district!Fun tour

Marco🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Otto)

11 December 2019

Otto was nice and very friendly. I wished the tour lasted longer, 1.5hours pass very fastCoffeshop tour

Anna🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Otto)

8 December 2019

Otto forgot about our tour, we were waiting for him for 30min, then started calling. I didn’t want to cancel, because tour was already planned, so we found another time slot and made sure he will come this time. Otto is nice and quite knowledgeable. But I wouldn’t say, it costs price you pay. At the end he didn’t have “Dutch snacks” for 2, so left just one. I don’t think that it makes sense to book this experience, if you don’t need him as a smoking buddy Well...

Teal 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Otto)

12 November 2019

We had a great time with Otto on our coffeeshop tour. We had been in town already for a few days, so he took that into consideration and tailored the tour for us to include more off the beaten path areas. Cheers Otto!Fun tour!

Bonnie🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Otto)

18 October 2019

Our tour with Otto was fascinating and entertaining! Otto showed us a less "touristy" part of Amsterdam which is what we really wanted. We shared laughter al8ng the way. We would highly recommend a tour with Otto!! Thank you for great time Otto :) You are the best Otto of 2019..will probably win 2020 as well! 😁Best Otto of the year award!!

Guillermo🇦🇷 Argentina

(About local Otto)

13 October 2019

To get to know the B side of Amsterdam, contact OTTO !!! He is a great person, fun, smart, and knows (and shares) the secret side of Amsterdam. We went around walking, talking, learning, seeing, tasting, drinking, smelling and getting to know interesting details about the life in the city. Great time, I will do it again !!Master experience !!

Wendy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Paul )

28 September 2019

Paul was amazing! He explained so many things I never knew about Amsterdam! He was engaging, super funny, and extremely entertaining. I loved the areas he took us to around the city. Saw more in the 90 minutes we were with Paul than the 7 hours I walked around the city myself. It was the best time!My Amsterdam one nighter!

Melissa🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Otto)

20 September 2019

Otto was fantastic - answering all our questions & imparting his local knowledge with a great mix of his dry sense of humour. He listened to our preferences and gave thoughtful recommendations. His Otto’s survival guide to Amsterdam has been invaluable to us! Thanks Otto ! Great tour

Iain🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Otto)

9 September 2019

We all enjoyed our tour with Otto. Great to get some inside knowledge of Amsterdam. Definately recommend this tour.......thank you Otto!Excellent!