Amsterdam Private Tours
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Amsterdam Private Tours
Our private-guided Amsterdam tours are perfect for travelers who want to discover the best of the city. You get all the factual and historical details you’d like to know, as well as insider information from your tours with locals. Everything is possible, from a 2-hour private walking tour to several days filled with different types of tours.
In Amsterdam, most of our private tours are walking tours, but if you are an expert or very a confident cyclist, then we are happy to tour the city center by bike. Next to walking and cycling, taking a private canal cruise is a great way to explore the sights without exerting too much energy.
Get inspired by the suggestions below and we will take care of the rest!
“I have to say that our tour with Tom completely exceeded our expectations, and our expectations were high. It was a fabulous, unique, fun, unforgettable experience that will be embedded in our minds and hearts forever.”
Not sure whether to choose a private walking tour of Amsterdam city center, or a private cycling tour?
All of our private walking tours with locals are 3 hours long, except for the Red Light District private walking tour which is approximately 2 hours long. We cover a few kilometers (or miles) in each of the walking tours, but we do so at a relaxing pace. If you have some mobility challenges, these walking tours may not be for you. Let us know when booking so we can advise you what is best! In place of walking, we can arrange private transfers to central locations, like the museums, and back to your hotel.
A private bike tour is great for seeing a lot of the city at a quicker pace. If you are an experienced cyclist, you can always combine a cycling tour on one day with a private walking tour on another day. In the 3 hours of cycling, you will cover more than in the 3-hour walking tour. Cycling in Amsterdam is thrilling and you get to feel like a local for a bit!
Have more questions about our walking tours with locals or bike tours with our excellent local guides? Get in touch and we can answer them right away.
Amsterdam Highlights Walking Tour
Amsterdam Highlights Walking Tour
The Perfect Introduction Tour! Amsterdam Highlights and the Jordaan
If it’s your first time visiting Amsterdam and you want to learn how to navigate the city and see its most famous locations with a local insider, this is the private tour for you! During this short private walking tour, you will get to know a lot about the history and culture of Amsterdam, and what makes our city so special.
We will take you to all of the must-see places like the Royal Palace. But we will also show you some other spectacular, hidden locations that most rushed tourists don’t get to see!
We visit the picturesque grachtengordel, or canal ring – a UNESCO World Heritage site – before taking a walk in the Jordaan neighborhood, famous for its beautiful old houses, tiny bridges, and hidden courtyards. You will be taken back in time on this walk. Your private guide will explain how the city was built and how the Amsterdammers live in it nowadays.
The suggested time for this perfect introduction private walking tour is 3 hours.
“We did 3 Tours! Tom and his team did a tremendous job for us in showing all the parts of Amsterdam that you need to see. We did 3 days of tours including seeing the country on the last day. Tom was professional and passionate - giving us free amazing pictures as well! Great job!”
Private Amsterdam Canal Cruises
Private Amsterdam Canal Cruises
Cruise the Amsterdam canals by private boat
For the first or last day or evening of your stay in Amsterdam, we highly recommend taking a private canal cruise so you can soak in the lights and sights while sitting back and relaxing (after all of that walking or cycling!).
We can offer you a cruise on a private boat with your own captain and bubbles (optional). This is the most romantic way to cruise through the UNESCO World Heritage site – Amsterdam’s ‘grachten’. A basic cruise takes 1.5 hours.
And if you’d like to make it even more of a special evening, we can organize a 3-hour luxury dinner cruise or just with pizzas – perfect for families and small groups.
Boat cruises along the canals are also perfect for company outings. We can offer larger private boats to accommodate your group of up to 40 people.
Looking for something else special on your Amsterdam canal cruise, just ask!
“Based on reviews, I booked three separate private tours with Toms a few months before our arrival. Tom was patient with all of my emailed questions and helped me book the right tours for our family. We did a canal cruise, a walking tour of the city, and a countryside tour of Marken and Edam. Our evening canal cruise on the night of our arrival was a nice way to see the city from the water. ”
And if you’d like to explore the city of Amsterdam even further, why not consider one of our other Amsterdam tours, bike tours, or museum tours?
Tom's Favorite Itinerary Walking Tour
Tom's Favorite Itinerary Walking Tour
Tom’s Favorite Itinerary - A Taste of Old and New Amsterdam
We like to take our guests to places where the locals go…
During this private tour, you visit the Jordaan neighborhood, famous for its beautiful old houses, charming canals, and hidden courtyard (called ‘hofjes’), which take you back in time. You will then sneak away from the touristy area and visit Amsterdam’s #1 hidden gems – Bickerseiland (Bicker’s Island) and Prinseneiland (Prince’s Island), an old wharf area. Nowadays, it’s a stunningly restored residential area that is extremely peaceful, despite its central location.
From here we will take the ferry to the NDSM, an old shipping wharf in Amsterdam North (Noord) full of funky street art projects, bars, restaurants, and more.
At the end, you can enjoy a well-deserved drink from this northern part of Amsterdam with great views over the city from here!
Recommended time for this favorite private walking tour is approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.
“We could not have been happier with all he [Tom] did to make our time in Amsterdam the very best. We booked 4 tours, “Amsterdam Walking Tour Highlights”, “Favorite Itinerary Tour”, “Red Light District Walking Tour” and the “Dutch Countryside Tour”. These tours were all incredible and our guides were so very friendly and we learned so much about Amsterdam, the sights, history, the people, the bicycles. WOW. What an incredible 3 days we had, and our guides, Rein, Stan, Tricia & Ingrid were amazing. We had the very best time for the short time we had. I am so very happy we contacted this company and I would highly refer them should you have the opportunity to visit and want to learn and explore this city of canals. Our group is still talking about the wonderful time we had and all we saw. ”
Red Light District Walking Tour
Red Light District Walking Tour
Private Tour of the Red Light District and Old Amsterdam
Amsterdam for the Curious
The Red Light District is perhaps the most notorious tourist destination in Amsterdam, offering visitors the opportunity to indulge in as much or as little of the city’s infamous nightlife as they like. The first things that spring to mind when one thinks of this area are, of course, the red-lit windows and soft drugs.
Indeed, the first records of prostitution in the area date back to the 15th century, when many sailors would come into port and look for “entertainment” near the harbor.
But the red light district is so much more than just a collection of bars and coffeeshops. It’s a unique area with a rich history, offering visitors the opportunity to explore its labyrinthine streets.
During our 2-hour private walking tour* of the red light district, we will give you a lot of insight into the history, culture, and the best-kept secrets of this dynamic area while admiring beautiful monumental buildings such as the Old Church (Oude Kerk) and the Weigh House (De Waag) on the Nieuwmarkt.
*Note: This tour is preferably in the evenings and not suitable for kids/families. It is for max 4 people at a time.
“When I first contacted this company to inquire about tours over several days, Tom responded very quickly and put together an itinerary for our group of 3 couples. We could not have been happier with all he did to make our time in Amsterdam the very best. We booked 4 tours, "Amsterdam Walking Tour Highlights", "Amsterdam Favorite Tour Itinerary", "Red Light District Walking Tour" and the "Dutch Countryside Tour". What an incredible 3 days we had and our guides, Rein, Stan, Tricia & Ingrid were amazing.” - RGuth - US
“We could not have been happier with all he did to make our time in Amsterdam the very best. We booked 4 tours, “Amsterdam Walking Tour Highlights”, “Amsterdam Favorite Tour Itinerary”, “Red Light District Walking Tour” and the “Dutch Countryside Tour”. These tours were all incredible and our guides were so very friendly and we learned so much about Amsterdam, the sights, history, the people, the “bicycles” WOW. What an incredible 3 days we had and our guides, Rein, Stan, Tricia & Ingrid were amazing.”
This private tour can be easily combined with our other Amsterdam city walking or cycling tours. Have a look!
Jewish Quarter Walking Tour
Jewish Quarter Walking Tour
Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour
Amsterdam is the city that has the largest diversity in the world when it comes to communities, ethnic groups, and religions! Immigrants from all over built this successful and liberal city. Jews have been part of this process since the early days. Around 1650 a group of prominent Sephardic Jews started building a synagogue at the Daniel Meijerplein near the former Jewish quarter of Amsterdam; at the time it was the largest synagogue in the world. Opposite this stunning temple sits a complex of three synagogues built by Ashkenazi Jews. It now houses the Amsterdam Jewish Historical Museum.
During our Jewish history private walking tour, you will go through the Jewish old town with a local insider, get to know about the people that inhabited this place and how they played an important role in the history of Amsterdam.
“Toms Travel Tours provided a guided walking tour of Amsterdam and then a 90-minute private canal tour with drinks and lunch. Both were fantastic. The walking tour guide, Ingrid, was flexible with the tour because we had done some exploring on our own the previous day so Ingrid took us all around the Jewish section of old town and provided some great historical commentary. She answered all of our questions and pointed out some great things in the city that we never would have seen on our own.”
Did you know some of these Jewish Amsterdam history facts?
Amsterdam is also known as Mokum, the yiddish word for town
Six of Amsterdam’s city mayors have been Jewish, the most recent being Job Cohen (2001-2010)
The beautiful Tuschinski theater combining Art Nouveau, Art Deco and other modern architectural design was commissioned by Polish-Jewish-Dutch businessman, Abraham Icek Tuschinski
Today’s Jewish community in the city is around 20,000 people.
And if you’d like to explore the city of Amsterdam even further, why not consider one of our other private Amsterdam tours, bike tours, or museum tours?
Private Museum Tours
Private Museum Tours
A Taste of Dutch Culture Tour OR the Strictly Art Tour
Amsterdam has museums with outstanding collections that you should discover! That is why Toms Travel Tours offers private museum tours you don’t want to miss.
In the Taste of Dutch Culture Tour, you will walk through the oldest part of town, including the Dam square with its beautiful Koninklijk Paleis (‘Royal Palace’) and De Nieuwe Kerk (‘New Church’). Once you’ve admired these striking old buildings, we will visit the Begijnhof, the most beautiful and oldest hidden courtyard in Amsterdam. We will also walk along the ‘grachtengordel’, or canal ring, and have a look at the important residential houses of the Golden Age. Finally, we will head to the Museumplein (‘Museum Square’), where the most famous museums (Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and Rijksmuseum) are located. If time allows, we will enjoy a stroll in one of the city’s most beautiful parks, the Vondelpark. If you would like, you can add on an optional visit to the Rijksmuseum. This private walking cultural tour is 3 hours without the museum visit, and 4.5 with the museum visit.
The Strictly Art Tour is for true art enthusiasts. There is no better way to spend 3 hours in Amsterdam – or anywhere else – than in an art museum. Guided by an experienced museum specialist, you will first visit the Van Gogh Museum where you will get close to his paintings and learn everything about the materials, techniques, and inspiration that made him the greatest Dutch artist. You will then walk with your museum guide to the grand Rijksmuseum just next door. In this impressive museum, you can admire the work of the most famous Golden Age painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, and more. If the tour is in the afternoon, we will first visit the Rijksmuseum and then the Van Gogh Museum. You can also choose to visit just one of the two museums for 1 or 2 hours.
Of course, if you wish to visit one of the other 400+ museums in the Netherlands, just let us know and we will accommodate you!
“Trisha gave us an unforgettable tour of the special Rembrandt exhibit at the Rijksmuseum, and also the Van Gogh Museum. We have traveled all over the world, and these were among the finest tours we have ever had. We had never been to the Netherlands before, and feel that we really connected with the country in short amount of time, and surely want to return.”
There are more than 400 museums dispersed throughout the Netherlands, with over 90 of them in Amsterdam alone. Here is a list of the most important museums, canal houses, churches and art galleries in Amsterdam! Let us know if you would like to add one of these or another to your private tour.
Art
History & culture
With kids
Jewish Historical Museum for kids
Churches/temples
Houses
Others
Tip: If you are thinking of visiting 4 or more museums in The Netherlands, you should consider purchasing a Museumjaarkaart.
Amsterdam Private Bike Tours
Amsterdam Private Bike Tours
Active Amsterdam Tours - See the sights by bike
Did you know that Amsterdam has more bikes than people and that only inside the city there are 400 kilometers of separate cycling paths? Amsterdam is the city of bikes! And by cruising the city on two wheels, you will feel like a real local.
Amsterdam can also be very busy and messy, and that's why our private guides want to take care of you. We will navigate the city and show you how to cycle through Amsterdam like a pro.
We offer 2 main bike tours in and around Amsterdam, as described below.
Tom is charismatic and a wealth of knowledge on his home town and it was an absolute bonus that he is a professional photographer and not only able to show us Amsterdam’s hidden secrets but to also give us a photo memento of our cycle tour was just above and beyond.
— Greg - Canada - Tripadvisor
Private bike tour of Amsterdam highlights
The first popular cycling tour covers the highlights of the bustling Amsterdam city center, taking approximately 3 hours.
You will stop by the Dam Palace and Vondelpark, Museum Square, visit the Jordaan and De Pijp neighborhoods, cycle along the winding canals, see the centuries-old churches and a historic windmill, and more.
We will also take you a little off the beaten track. If you don't have much time in our city and want to know all about it or if you like the adrenaline rush, this is a tour for you!
Don’t miss our 9 tips for cycling in Amsterdam too.
I've traveled around the world and taken a number of tours but Tom is the only tour guide who has driven me to return for another tour.
Roberta - United States - Tripadvisor
Amsterdam bike tour away from the crowds
The second cycling tour takes us away from the city and to the small, picturesque fishing village of Durgerdam. We first make a stop in the trendy NDSM area of Amsterdam before heading to the city’s green and watery outskirts. We will cycle about 20km (~12 miles) on this tour, so get ready to sweat a little!
This tour takes about 4 hours from start to finish.
“We cannot recommend Toms Travel Tours enough. From booking with Tom and having a detailed chat with him about what we’d like to do with our limited time in Amsterdam, to the tour itself. Our guide, Tricia, was absolutely wonderful. We were a little nervous about cycling around the city with our two children aged 10 and 7, but with Tricia we needn’t have worried. She was so great with our children and we covered a vast chunk of the city. Tricia, an experienced guide got the level just right - she stopped and told us about wonderful places as well as cracking on at a pace so we could get to the very south of the city to see the windmill. Tricia took us to places away from the tourist drag and gave a true insight into Amsterdam. Our children really enjoyed the tour - in fact it was the highlight of our trip to Amsterdam. Thank you so much Tricia and Tom.”
