Best of · AMSTERDAM HISTORY TOURS

Where to Start: the 15 Best Amsterdam History Tours

44 tours  ·  from $4 a head

The 15 best amsterdam history tours you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and how much of it is on foot. Number one is top for a reason; start there.

Amsterdam: Life of Anne Frank and World War II Walking Tour - Starting at the Portuguese Synagogue
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Amsterdam: Life of Anne Frank and World War II Walking Tour

1.Amsterdam: Life of Anne Frank and World War II Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 10,467 reviews · from $37Our pick

Walk Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter with guides such as Jonas, Martina, Yoshi, and Manuel, tracing Anne Frank’s family story, Dutch Resistance sites, and WWII memory. You’ll see the Portuguese Synagogue, Jewish Historical Museum, Auschwitz Monument, and Anne Frank House façade in two focused hours.

“Manuel was the most knowledgeable guide. He was enthusiastic in his delivery and wish to impart as much informationabout the history of Anne Frank's family and the Amsterdam Jewish community during WW11. He made it relevant and interactive for the teenagers and adults alike. I would thoroughly recommend him to all who have the privilege to hear him.”

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Amsterdam: Dutch WWII Resistance Museum Entry Ticket - Follow the personal stories through documents and film
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Amsterdam: Dutch WWII Resistance Museum Entry Ticket

2.Amsterdam: Dutch WWII Resistance Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 951 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Visit Amsterdam’s Dutch Resistance Museum with a self-guided audio tour in seven languages. Follow the occupation through forged papers, hiding places, strikes, underground newspapers, armed resistance, collaboration, and Dutch East Indies stories. Plan on two to three hours, though the ticket is valid all day.

“Very interesting, thank informative and sometimes moving accounts of the invasion of Nazi troopships into the Netherlands. A thoroughly absorbing visit concluded in a lovely restaurant attached. A not to miss excursion.”

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Amsterdam: Historic City Centre Canal Cruise - Boarding by the Anne Frank House
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Amsterdam: Historic City Centre Canal Cruise

3.Amsterdam: Historic City Centre Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 659 reviews · 1 hour - 75 minutes · from $16

Cruise Amsterdam’s historic center for about an hour with a local skipper, live commentary, and optional audio in seven languages. Board near the Anne Frank House or Central Station, enjoy a heated cabin and toilet, then step onto the open rear deck for photos. Guides such as Jim, Derek, and Bianca have earned special praise.

“Fantastic tour and the captain showed us the highlights as we were cruising the canals … the Pulitzer, the Waldorf, van Loon House , Opera , Magere Brug .. all within reach including the old Amsterdam defense towers and the film institute like an oyster shell .. please don’t leave Amsterdam without doing this tour!”

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Amsterdam: Haunted History and Ghost Walking Tour - The Spinhuis tells a sorrowful story of punishment
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Amsterdam: Haunted History and Ghost Walking Tour

4.Amsterdam: Haunted History and Ghost Walking Tour

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

Join an English-speaking guide such as Sunil, Duncan, or Jan for a two-hour walk from Dam Square through Amsterdam’s darker past. Hear tales of the Spinhuis, a condemned nun, Blood Street, and the Waag, with plenty of city history alongside the ghost stories.

“Duncan was so knowledgeable and we had a fantastic time. He took us to places that we hadn’t even clocked while doing our walks around the city. The stories were great and we were still talking about the quiet place and wafer hours after the tour as it blew our minds. The bonus added extra was having Rosie with us too… made it extra special. We would recommend this tour to anyone who is planning on going to the dam as it’s worth every penny to see the history you just don’t know about”

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Amsterdam High-End Dutch Food & History Tour - Up to 8 guests - Sunday and Monday offer a broader prepared menu
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Amsterdam High-End Dutch Food & History Tour – Up to 8 guests

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

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

Spend four hours walking Amsterdam’s old streets with a guide such as Rudolph, Catharina, Jan, or David, stopping for apple pie, cheese, herring, Indonesian satay, Dutch wine, and bitterballen. The route changes by day, with a maximum of eight people and several seated tastings.

“My friend and I had a wonderful time on this tour and our guide Mark was knowledgeable, friendly and interesting. Dutch food is another story, but it’s really not about the food, it’s more about the context in which the local foods came about (which is why one of the stops is an Indonesian place). So while the food wasn’t mind-blowing (although certain items were fab such as the apple pie), I still thought the tour was worth it. The first stop was probably the best and most unique, although all of the places are local and family owned, which is nice. However, please keep in mind that if you…”

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Amsterdam: Historic City Sightseeing Canal Cruise - Starting near the Anne Frank House and Westerkerk
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Amsterdam: Historic City Sightseeing Canal Cruise

6.Amsterdam: Historic City Sightseeing Canal Cruise

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

Cruise Amsterdam’s canal ring from the Anne Frank House meeting point, passing Westerkerk, Brouwersgracht, Centraal Station, the IJ, and the Amstel. Expect a mobile ticket, English service, and either live commentary or multilingual audio, depending on the boat and crew.

“Pleasant relaxing hour touring the canals. Shame about the rain. Commentary could do with being clearer but overall a positive experience”

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Amsterdam: National Holocaust Museum Entry Ticket - Inside the former Hervormde Kweekschool
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Amsterdam: National Holocaust Museum Entry Ticket

7.Amsterdam: National Holocaust Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 413 reviews · 7 days · from $24

Spend time at Amsterdam’s National Holocaust Museum, housed in the former Hervormde Kweekschool, then visit the Hollandsche Schouwburg memorial. Use the audio guide, personal accounts, artifacts, and interactive holograms to understand Jewish life before the war, Nazi persecution, deportation, and Dutch remembrance.

“A very emotional experience and well worth the money, a must do whilst in Amsterdam.”

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Anne Frank and the Jewish History of Amsterdam Private Tour - The Jewish Historical Museum and four former synagogues
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Anne Frank and the Jewish History of Amsterdam Private Tour

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

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

Spend about three hours walking from the Portuguese Synagogue through Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter, Plantage, Holocaust memorials, Dam Square, and Westerkerk. Guides such as Kaleigh, Chris, Guido, and Inbal add clear wartime context. Anne Frank House entry depends on availability, with virtual reality as the backup.

“Kayleigh was our guide. She is an excellent teacher, knowledgeable and personable. She is a wealth of knowledge and happy to answer questions. We really enjoyed our tour! If we could give her more than 5 stars, we would!”

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Amsterdam: Luxury Canal Cruise with Historic VR Experience - The wealthy neighborhoods and Amsterdam’s social divide
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Amsterdam: Luxury Canal Cruise with Historic VR Experience

9.Amsterdam: Luxury Canal Cruise with Historic VR Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 305 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $51

Start near Leidseplein for a 75-minute luxury canal cruise with Dutch or English audio and seven VR animations lasting about 15 minutes. You’ll switch between present-day Amsterdam and scenes from the 1600s, with a drink included and staff on hand to help with the headset.

“What a unique and super cool experience! This must be one of the nicest boats in Amsterdam in the first place, but the VR experience made it extra interesting. When you put on the VR goggle, you really think you're on a little wooden boat, rowing through Amsterdam in the 1600's. I would recommend taking this boat tour”

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Amsterdam: 3-Course Meal in Historic 1st Class Waiting Rooms - Why Pierre Cuypers’ design makes the meal special
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Amsterdam: 3-Course Meal in Historic 1st Class Waiting Rooms

10.Amsterdam: 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 dishes such as carpaccio, beef tenderloin, duck, salmon, vegetarian curry, and tiramisu while taking in the restored interior and views toward Damrak.

“Excellent service and wonderful meal in a great setting.”

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Amsterdam History Walking Tour - Oude Nieuwstraat and Amsterdam’s less obvious red-light history
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Amsterdam History Walking Tour

11.Amsterdam History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 281 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $6

Walk central Amsterdam with a guide such as Samuel, tracing the city from its founding to the Dutch Golden Age. See Dam Square, Anne Frank House, Spui, Bloemenmarkt, and the crooked Dancing Houses, with local culture, freedom, crime, and tulip fever woven into the story.

“Really nice tour, I would recommend it a hundred times! I did it with my girlfriend and we enjoyed it a lot. Such a cool guide!”

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Amsterdam: Highlights & History Walking Tour - Starting near Amsterdam Centraal
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Amsterdam: Highlights & History Walking Tour

12.Amsterdam: Highlights & History Walking Tour

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

Spend two hours with a local guide exploring Amsterdam’s Old Town, crooked houses, China Town, Dam Square, Begijnhof, canals, the Royal Palace area, and the Flower Market. Guides such as James, Aaron, Robin, and Andrea are praised for lively stories, humor, and strong local insight.

“Aaron was very knowledgeable about the history of Amsterdam. He took the time to explain and allowed time for questions. There were only 6 people in our group.”

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Anne Frank and Amsterdam Jewish History Walking Tour - Kattengat and De Silveren Spiegel: history inside an ordinary bar
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Anne Frank and Amsterdam Jewish History Walking Tour

13.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 hidden wartime refuge to Willem Arondeus’s memorial stone. Guides such as Iris, Stein, Tristan, and Gee bring strong storytelling and context. The two-hour walk ends outside Anne Frank House.

“Great walking tour guide brilliant and passionate really enjoyed this experience withy mates got to learn more about Anne Frank's family”

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Amsterdam: Jewish Quarter and History Guided Tour - Starting by the Amstel River
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Amsterdam: Jewish Quarter and History Guided Tour

14.Amsterdam: Jewish Quarter and History Guided Tour

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

Walk from the Amstel River 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 area while learning about Jewish life under Nazi occupation. Private and small-group options are available.

“James did an excellent job of giving us a lot of information about Jewish Amsterdam. He was very knowledgeable about all of the areas and the history of the Jews and non Jews in Amsterdam. He filled in a lot of information and stories that we would’ve never known about things that happened in different buildings in the city. Without James, the buildings would’ve been a blank façade. He was very receptive to our personal histories about the Holocaust and used our stories to connect to his tour.”

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Amsterdam 3 hrs Bike Tour – live guide En/Fr/De/Nl/Sp - Starting near the IJ River
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Amsterdam 3 hrs Bike Tour – live guide En/Fr/De/Nl/Sp

15.Amsterdam 3 hrs Bike Tour – live guide En/Fr/De/Nl/Sp

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 138 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $35

Ride a Dutch city bike for about 15 kilometers through Amsterdam’s canals, Jordaan, De Pijp, Museum Quarter, and Vondelpark. English, German, and Dutch guides lead the way, with audio support in French and Spanish. Expect frequent stops, city traffic, and an optional e-bike upgrade.

“Outstanding guide, very friendly and exhaustive! Three hours so much interesting and amusing. Strongly to recommend”

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