The 12 Best Historical Tours in Amsterdam

1.Amsterdam Food and Cultural Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,442 reviews · from $91Our pick

Join Roman of Ollantay Food Tour for 3.5 hours of Dutch food and Amsterdam history. Taste specialties such as Tom Pouce, fries, herring, and cheese while visiting the Bloemenmarkt, Begijnhof, Torensluis, Anne Frank House area, and Jordaan. Groups are limited to 15.

“This tour was so much fun!! With so much great energy. Our guide was so knowledgeable and very funny!!! The food was amazing and the people were awesome!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Haunted History and Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 488 reviews · 2 hours · from $30

Walk through Amsterdam with a live English-speaking guide and hear eerie tales tied to Nieuwe Kerk, Spinhuis, Begijnhof, Blood Street, and the Waag. Guides such as Sunil, Duncan, and Jan mix ghost stories with city history, architecture, Dutch culture, and practical tips.

“Our guide has been a delightfully friendly guy with a good sense of humour. We were a small group so the guide had time to tell us a little something extra every now and then and it was both informative and entertaining.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Amsterdam High-End Dutch Food & History Tour – Up to 8 guests

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 482 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $157

Spend four hours tasting Dutch and Indonesian specialties at cafés, markets, delis, butcher shops, and fish counters. Guides such as Rudolph, Catharina, Jan, and David add local history and food context. The route varies by day, with up to eight people and indoor alternatives in bad weather.

“This was a fabulous experience! I loved it so much I want to do it again! Each place we stopped was wonderful and our guide was terrific.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Historic City Sightseeing Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 444 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $18Best value

Cruise Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal Ring from the Anne Frank House, passing Westerkerk, Centraal Station, the IJ, Amstel, and Stopera. Expect an English tour, mobile ticket, and a mix of live and recorded commentary, depending on the departure.

“It is the perfect way to experience the beautiful city of Amsterdam. The captain and staff were professional and welcoming.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Anne Frank and the Jewish History of Amsterdam Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 307 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $95

Walk about 2 kilometers from the Portuguese Synagogue through Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter, Plantage, and wartime memorials. Guides such as Chris, Kaleigh, Guido, Inbal, and Martina add context and answer questions. Finish at Anne Frank House, with entry subject to availability or a virtual reality alternative.

“Kayleigh was an amazing tour guide! She is so knowledgeable about the history of Amsterdam and the Jewish Quarter and able to answer any questions you may have about the city. She is also super cute and personable. This is the second time I’ve taken this tour (first with friends and a year later with my husband) and I still learned new information the second time around. The way the tour is structured leaves you at the Anne Frank to tour on your own. Very sobering but definitely a must see while in Amsterdam. Highly, highly recommend Kayleigh and this tour!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.3-Course Meal in Historic 1st Class Waiting Rooms

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 292 reviews · from $61

Enjoy a three-course lunch or dinner in Amsterdam Central Station’s former first-class waiting rooms, designed by Pierre Cuypers in 1885. Choose from classic starters, beef, duck, salmon, or vegetarian curry, then finish with tiramisu or Dame blanche. The meal lasts about 2.5 hours.

“We never would have known of this restaurant other than through Get Your Guide. Nice ambience and we enjoyed our experience The food quality was uneven. All of my courses were very good but my wife thought her meal tasted like mediocre quality of an American diner restaurant. By pre-purchasing the meal, it was cheaper than ordering the courses separately at the restaurant. Our waitress seemed harried and never brought the wine that I ordered.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Highlights & History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 266 reviews · 2 hours · from $32

Spend two hours walking Amsterdam’s Old Town with a guide in a group of up to eight. See the Old Church, Chinatown, crooked houses, Dam Square, Royal Palace, Begijnhof, Anne Frank House area, canals, and Flower Market while hearing local stories in English, German, or Spanish.

“Robin was an incredible tour guide and made Amsterdam truly come alive. He is extremely knowledgeable, upbeat, and genuinely enthusiastic, which made every stop feel engaging and meaningful. He shared fascinating history and stories while keeping the tour fun and lively the entire time. One of my favorite parts was visiting places I never would have found on my own, especially the hidden churches, which were such a memorable and special experience. If you want to really understand and feel the city, Robin is the person to tour with.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Anne Frank and Amsterdam Jewish History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 259 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $29

Follow a licensed English-speaking guide through Amsterdam’s wartime Jewish history, from Dam Square and a wartime hiding place to Willem Arondeus’s memorial stone. The two-hour walk ends outside the Anne Frank House. Expect a small group of up to 15 people, but no entry to the house itself.

“Iris is a very knowledgeable, immersive, and excited tour guide. She really cares for the information and story telling for the group. There was enough walking around site to site for the entire group to have time to ask their own questions. The information was all really cool to learn about and Iris brought the Frank family's story to life.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Jewish Quarter and History Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 210 reviews · 2 hours · from $23

Walk from the Amstel through Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide. See the Portuguese Synagogue, Jewish Historical Museum, Dokwerker, Auschwitz Monument, and Anne Frank House while learning how occupation changed daily life. Private and small-group options are available.

“The tour was excellent. Marsha, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and dealt with the topic sensitivity. It was nice being in a small group - plenty of time for questions and without being too loud. The tour started and finished on time.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Ghost Walking Tour and Dark History

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 118 reviews · 2 hours · from $29

Follow an English-speaking guide such as Maria, Marie, or Pilar from Nieuwe Kerk through Dam Square, Begijnhof, Bloedstraat, Spooksteeg, and other atmospheric corners. Expect ghost stories mixed with Amsterdam history, unsolved crimes, and tales of sailors who vanished.

“Very interesting, and a beautiful tour around the city with some interesting stories and a lovely tourguide!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Amsterdam Haunted History and Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · from $72

Follow a local guide through Amsterdam’s darker past on a two-hour evening walk. Hear about witch trials, prison sorrow, a condemned nun, murders on Blood Street, and the Waag’s grim past. Guides such as Sunil, Alexios, Lola, and Stefan are praised for clear storytelling and humor.

“Great tour had a great time 😎 learned some interesting things about Amsterdam. Tour guide kept us entertained.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Private Pedicab Historical Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · 2 hours

Ride through Amsterdam’s historic center in a private pedicab for two hours with local guide Bram de Haan. You’ll see Dam Square, Zeedijk, Chinatown, the Jewish quarter, the Skinny Bridge, the canal ring, and Museumplein, with hotel pickup, photo stops, and blankets in cold weather.

“The tour itself was excellent. Our guide was also excellent. He had a lot of visual aids that he used to describe places that we were. My only two comments would be that because it was so cold, it would’ve been nice to have a blanket to put on our laps. It also would’ve been nice when we stopped in certain places to let us hop out take a picture and hop back in (jet lag made us quiet or we would have asked.) Aside from that tour was excellent. He gave us a lot of personal insight into the areas we were seeing. Overall, I would recommend this wholeheartedly…”

Check availability →Read our full review