Top 11 History Walking Tours in the Netherlands

1.Amsterdam: Haunted History and Ghost Walking Tour

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

Join an English-speaking guide such as Sunil, Duncan, or Jan for a two-hour walk through Amsterdam’s darker past. Hear stories of the Spinhuis prison, a restless nun at Begijnhof, violence on Blood Street, and the Waag’s grim medical past. Expect strong city history, lively storytelling, and a lighter touch of ghost lore.

“Sunil was extremely knowledgeable of the dark ages of Amsterdam. We learnt so much from our tour and showing us certain landmarks/street names and what they all meant. He was super fun and explained everything thoroughly. My partner and I would highly recommend Sunil and recommend anyone interested in learning more about dark ages and ghosts that still haunt Amsterdam.”

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2.Amsterdam: Historical Highlights Walking Tour with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 381 reviews · 2 hours · from $34

Start at Dam Square for a two-hour walk through Amsterdam’s old center with a guide in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese. You’ll pass the Royal Palace, Begijnhof, Flower Market, Mint Tower, canals, and Amstel River, then finish with a Dutch food tasting. Ask ahead about the tasting details.

“Edwin was wonderful. He even made sure we knew how to get back to the city center. He was very knowledgeable and told us very interesting things about the history of of Amsterdam.”

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3.Amsterdam History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 281 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) Top rated

Walk through central Amsterdam with guide Samuel or a fellow SideWalks guide, from Kattengat and the old Red Light District to Dam Square, Spui, Bloemenmarkt, and the Dancing Houses. Expect local history, Dutch culture, tulip fever, prison stories, and plenty of time for questions in a small group of up to 10.

“Samuel is a very good tour guide, open to questions, dynamic, interesting and open to any topic. Recommendable walking tour.”

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4.Amsterdam: Highlights & History Walking Tour

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

Walk Amsterdam’s old center with a live English, German, or Spanish guide. See the Old Church, Chinatown, crooked houses, Dam Square, Royal Palace, Begijnhof, canals, Anne Frank House area, and Flower Market. Groups are capped at eight, and guides such as Robin, Aaron, James, and Aarre add history, humor, and local stories.

“Worth the money . The guide gave a lot of info about Amsterdam”

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5.Anne Frank and Amsterdam Jewish History Walking Tour

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

This two-hour walk links Dam Square, a wartime hiding place, Willem Arondeus’s former street, and the Anne Frank House. An English-speaking local guide such as Iris, Stein, Tristan, or Gee leads the route for up to 15 people. Admission to the Anne Frank House is not included.

“The tour guide, Gee, was outstanding. He brought a lot of passion to the tour and shared very good info.”

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6.Amsterdam: Ghost Walking Tour and Dark History

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

Meet your English-speaking guide, often Maria or Pilar, at Nieuwe Kerk in Dam Square for a two-hour walk through Amsterdam’s darker side. You’ll hear ghost stories and real accounts of crimes, disappearances, executions, and sailors who never returned, while visiting Begijnhof, Bloedstraat, Spooksteeg, and the Weeping Tower.

“Excellent tour, good information and great guide, Maria was awesome. I recommend this tour to have a different view of the city.”

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7.Amsterdam: Iconic Canals & Historic Sights Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 90 reviews · 2 hours

Start at Dam Square with an English- or Spanish-speaking local guide, then walk to the Royal Palace, Oude Kerk, Amsterdam’s canals, the Jewish Quarter, and Begijnhof. You’ll hear about Golden Age power, wartime courage, secret churches, leaning houses, bike culture, and local places to eat and drink. Craig and Adrián are among the guides.

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8.Amsterdam: Anna Frank and World War II History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 86 reviews · from $28Best value

Join an Italian-speaking guide, including highly praised guide Ginevra, for a two-hour walk from H’ART Museum through Amsterdam’s former Jewish district to the Anne Frank House. You’ll learn about the Jewish community, Nazi occupation, and Anne Frank’s family. The house entry ticket is not included.

“Molto interessante, coinvolgente, ho scoperto cose che non conoscevo”

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9.Amsterdam Private Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $156

Walk from Dam Square through Amsterdam’s historic center with a private English-speaking guide. You’ll see the Royal Palace, New Church, Begijnhof, Munttoren, Nieuwmarkt, Bloemenmarkt, and Spui, with time for local history, cheese tasting, fair-trade stories, and food tips near the Jordaan.

“Our private tour with Henk was fabulous! Henk is super knowledgeable about Amsterdam’s history and took us to historical sites/important landmarks that we definitely would have missed on our own. The walking tour also helped us get familiar with the layout of Amsterdam which helped us navigate the city a bit easier thereafter. Overall, it was a wonderful tour and I highly recommend it!”

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10.Amsterdam: Walking Tour of Historic Center

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 24 reviews · 2 hours · from $31

You’ll walk from Nieuwebrugsteeg through Dam Square, Chinatown, the Red Light District, Nieuwmarkt, and past St. Nicholas Church with a live guide. English, French, Spanish, and Italian are offered. Guides such as Adam, Maribel, and Christophe tailor the pace and route to your questions, with private groups available.

“Abbiamo avuto come guida Maribel, è stata una guida gentile , disponibile e preparata . Bel tour della città”

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11.Amsterdam Walking Tour:Anne Frank, History & Liberal Culture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 3 hours · from $40

Join Antonis for a relaxed three-hour walk from Kattengat to the Waag, covering water management, leaning houses, Jewish Amsterdam, WWII, and modern Dutch culture. The small-group tour ends with coffee, a stroopwafel or chocolate, a Polaroid, postcard, and optional Anne Frank Secret Annex VR experience.

“My husband and I had a phenomenal tour with Antonis. I highly recommend it. Antonis is warm, friendly, knowledgeable and we learned so much and had a great time. You can tell how much he cares about the city and what he does.”

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