AMSTERDAM FREE WALKING TOUR (TIP-BASED)*
Sightseeing, History & Cultural Heritage Tour
“The only free walking tour in Amsterdam offering the quality of a small, high-end boutique tour”
Discover the fascinating history of the most liberal city in the world with FreeDam Tours – The Nr.1 best rated walking tour in Amsterdam!
We combine beautiful sightseeing with exciting storytelling and cover everything you need to know about Amsterdam in one tour. With the perfect mix of information and entertainment, covering history, modern life, and unique personal stories you won’t hear anywhere else to help you understand the essence of Amsterdam and Dutch culture.
Every day at 11AM and 2PM, in front of the Old Church, in the heart of the Red Light District. Click here for directions.
* After the tour you can tip your guide how much the tour was worth to you. This motivates us to give you the best possible experience – always!
More Information:Highlights / Meeting Point / Pictures
THE BEST RATED FREE WALKING TOUR IN AMSTERDAM
Not all free city tours of Amsterdam are made equal. Out of over 700 tours on offer in the city, Freedam Tours is super proud to be the Nr1 best rated walking tour in Amsterdam on Tripadvisor!
See how some of our guests experienced the tour >>>
Januari 2020
“HIGLIGHT OF OUR TRIP – MUST DO!!”
This is an ideal activity to do on your first day in the city- learn all about the culture, history and what makes Amsterdam so special. I went with 4 other friends and we couldn’t stop talking about the tour for the rest of our trip”.
evasM8079TR on Tripadvisor
So why walk with us?
Compelling stories
Fascinating historic events, inspiring stories, and funny personal anecdotes. Supported by pictures, maps and paintings that bring history back to life.
Passionate local guides
Our guides are the best thing that will happen to you in Amsterdam! They are very passionate, truly local, and happy to share their knowledge with you.
Personal attention
Maximum 20 people per group so you can hear your guide clearly, engage with them personally, and get an answer to all your questions – all for a truly high quality experience.
Best value
We offer you a tour for free and if you liked it you can tip your guide how much the tour was worth to you. This motivates us to give you the best possible experience – always!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions:
Starting from January 2020 ALL tours and activities in Amsterdam are subject to a new and compulsory Municipal ‘Entertainment Tax’ of €1,50 (plus €0.30 transaction fees) per person. This applies to ALL providers of tours and activities, including free tours like ours and that of our fellow free-walking tour companies. Click HERE to read more about this tax.
Why this tax?
> To counter overcrowding and strive for a ‘better balance between the costs and benefits of tourism’ – see the Municipal report City in Balance <
> To help restore our crumbling canals walls (read more about that here) <
So, while we had preferred not to have to charge you this compulsory tax, on the bright side,
with this small contribution you literally help keep our city beautiful AND sustainable – thank you! 👍
Winter schedule: November – March: 2 daily tours: 11:00 (11AM) and 14:00 (2pM)
Summer schedule: April – October: 4 daily tours: 10:00 (10AM) 11:00 (11AM), 13:00 (1PM) and 14:00 (2PM)
No Tours on:
1 January
27 April (kings day)
It depends a little on the guide and weather, but on average the tour is 2,5 hours long. Distance covered: 2,5 km / 1.5 mi.
The tour ends in front of the Royal Palace on Dam Square.
No, unfortunately all our daily tours are in English. It is possible to book a private tour in Dutch or German. Click here for more information on our private tours.
It’s not mandatory, but we strongly suggest making a reservation (especially on days like Friday and Saturday!) since the maximum number group of people allowed on a tour is limited to 20 people. Reserving is fast an easy. If you are not able to make a reservation that means the tour is fully booked. But even in that case there is hope: there are always some people that don’t show up for the reservation, so if you come early (15 minutes before the start) we can put you on the stand-by list and you can take the spot of someone who does not show up for their reservation .
This is totally up to you, according to your possibilities and how much you enjoyed the tour. On average people tip somewhere between €10-15-20 per person.
Your tour guide will be at the meeting point (in front of the Old church in the Red Light District) 15 minutes before the start of the tour wearing a yellow key-cord with their name holding a big yellow umbrella.
No. As long as there are at least 5 people, tours always run. Just come prepared for Dutch weather 🙂 In case of a truly heavy storm we may have to cancel a tour. If this happens will notify you the day before by email or text message.
In our opinion, yes. The tour starts in- and deals with the Red Light District, but all the content (historical and present day) on our tour is family friendly. This being a walking of Amsterdam, of course, we also, but definitely not only discuss prostitution and drug policies, on the contrary. However, every parent (and child) is different, so at the end of the day, it’s up to you.
No, unfortunately not. The maximum number of people allowed on a free (tips only) tour is 5 people. Bigger groups are required to book a private tour. Click here for more information on Private Tours. Alternatively, depending on availability, groups between 6 and 10 people can join the tour for a fixed fee of €12 per person, as described in our terms and conditions. We reserve the right to turn away multiple reservations resulting in groups bigger than 5 people. This includes different members of the same group attempting to join the tour by making several individual bookings.
Meet our guides
Sergio
Owner & Guide
“Very funny, sassy, enthusiastic and full of knowledge. He made the tour super fun even though it was raining.“
Floor
Guide
“Do you want to have fun, learn and enjoy beautiful Amsterdam all in one? Floor can do that for you!“
Nick
Guide
“If my history teacher was as good as our guide Nick, it probably would have been my favorite subject in school!!!“
Zaida
Guide
“Zaida gave a great tour, keeping us laughing while sharing fascinating history and information that I couldn’t wait to tell my family and friends.“
Sebastian
Guide
“The experience was not at all like usual tour guides, it is fun, lively, and informative.“
Marcella
Guide
“She showed us Amsterdam through a lens of wit and culture – offering funny anecdotes and interesting facts throughout the tour.“
Gianni
Guide
“Not only did he share his profound knowledge about Amsterdam, but he did it in such pleasant a manner that we enjoyed immensely.“
Fara
Guide
“Fara is a charming guide with a lot of knowledge who introduced us to Amsterdam in a very interesting way.“
Ricardo
Guide
“Ricardo was our most excellent guide. Knowledgeable, animated, honest and funny.“
Joy
Guide
“Joy puts so much energy and enthusiasms into the tour, it is very contagious. “
JORAN
Guide
“Our tour guide Joran was lovely and his enthusiasm for the history of Amsterdam made the tour come to life.“
Tobi
Guide
”Tobi connects every area with its historical context and does a fantastic job at keeping the tour entertaining and fun!“
Sam
Guide
“To say that Sam brought Amsterdam to life would be an understatement. He is an actor, raconteur, singer and entertainer as well as a fount of information.”
Natalie
Guide
“Natalie did a great tour for our group. She included history, culture, and humor all with the theme of tolerance within the society of Amsterdam”
Mike
Guide
“Mike was brilliant and very knowledgeable, combining interesting facts with fun and laughter.“
Willem
Guide
“Willem has such a powerful and vast knowledge, and he seems to love the city so much. The curiosities he shared were extremely important to the full understanding of the story’.“
About Us
FreeDam Tours was founded in 2016 with the mission not to be the biggest, but the best walking tour company in Amsterdam. We are a collective of experienced guides with fresh new ideas who are (almost literally) in love with what we do. So much so we created the ideal formula for the best free walking tour in Amsterdam: one containing the perfect mix of historical depth to make you knowledgeable, compelling facts to make you think again, and personal anecdotes that will make you smile. A tour that speaks to the free spirit of Amsterdam – FreeDam Tours.
Contact Us
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.