Best Tours in Amsterdam
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Top sights in Amsterdam
All self-guided activities
ARTIS-Park, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands, invites you to discover its wonders. Experience a fascinating variety of species living harmoniously in the Monkey and Bird House. Wander through the historic city park adorned with monuments and ancient trees. Learn about the secrets of Californian sea lions from an ARTIS zookeeper. Take on the challenge of a rocky path to marvel at the jaguars up close. Journey through space in the Planetarium and meet the lions in the newly opened Lion Enclosure. Enhance your visit with a trip to ARTIS-Micropia, the world's only microbe museum. Discover the invisible creatures that illustrate the interconnectedness of all things and offer surprising insights into our world.
Explore ARTIS-Park, the Netherlands' oldest zoo, for an unforgettable family adventure! There, you can see a variety of animals in the Ape and Bird House, from giraffes to zebras. Walk through the beautiful historical park with its monuments and old trees. Join a zookeeper for a chat about California sea lions, and take a thrilling climb for a close view of jaguars. Experience a cosmic journey in the Planetarium and visit the newly opened lion den for a majestic encounter.
Visit A'DAM Lookout, located atop the A'DAM Tower in Amsterdam-Noord, to see the city from above. Observe the city's historic center, busy harbor, and the Dutch polder landscape. Look at the UNESCO-listed canals. Enjoy the modern interactive exhibit and an audio tour of Amsterdam's history and culture. For a unique thrill, ride the 'Over the Edge' swing that extends over the tower’s edge. Experience the Amsterdam VR ride, a virtual reality roller coaster through the city. Finish your visit with a delicious lunch or dinner at Madam - Restaurant & Sky Bar. Your ticket includes a €20 deposit, which will be deducted from your final bill.
Dive into the world of colors with this ticket to the Van Gogh Museum! Home to the world’s most extensive collection of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam transports visitors on a fascinating journey through the artist's life. Get up close with over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and more than 750 letters from Van Gogh. Access a wide range of permanent and temporary exhibitions and see why artists still look up to Van Gogh nowadays. Get to know the person behind the museum's masterpieces and be inspired by the way he looked at the world around himself.
Your tour begins at the Heineken Experience, where the story opens with industry and ambition in a former brewery that became internationally famous. Please note that your ticket is available within the app and includes a live guide in the brewery and a self-guided audio tour through Amsterdam. After you finish exploring the Heineken Brewery with your guide, simply unpause this tour and continue your journey. The route leads through the Museumplein area to the Rijksmuseum, then on toward Leidseplein, Melkweg, the 9 Streets, and the quiet courtyard of Begijnhof. From there, you continue into the heart of the old city at Dam Square to see the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, then pass through Oudemanhuispoort and the Rembrandt House Museum before reaching the Amstel and canal belt. Along the wider city story, key central highlights include Oude Kerk Amsterdam, the Red Light District, and Rembrandtplein. This walk ends near Foam on the Keizersgracht. Along the way, traveler will experience grand canal houses, lively squares, medieval lanes, book passages, major cultural landmarks, and the striking contrast between calm courtyards and Amsterdam’s bold nightlife districts.
Dive into the world of colors with this in-app audio tour of the Van Gogh Museum! Home to the world’s most extensive collection of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam transports visitors on a fascinating journey through the artist's life. Learn the complete story of Vincent Van Gogh: the context of his paintings, his dreams and ambitions, his emotions, and the myths surrounding him. Listen to fascinating stories and discover the context behind world-famous masterpieces. Get up close with over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and more than 750 letters from Van Gogh. Access a wide range of permanent and temporary exhibitions and see why artists still look up to Van Gogh nowadays. Get to know the person behind the museum's masterpieces and be inspired by the way he looked at the world around himself. Note! This tour is not affiliated with the Van Gogh Museum but is provided by an independent creator. Ticket is provided for customer's convenience at no charge.
The ticket to Rembrandt House Museum is included in this self-guided audio walking tour of historic Amsterdam. Please note that this bundle includes a ticket and a self-guided audio city walk only. An audio tour inside Rembrandt House Museum is available at the museum as a separate app. After you finish exploring the museum, unpause this tour and continue through the old Jewish quarter to the grand Portuguese Synagogue, then along the Amstel to H'ART Museum, the National Opera & Ballet, Willet-Holthuysen House, the Dancing Houses, and De Kleine Komedie. The second half turns back into the medieval core, passing the Amsterdam University Library, Oudemanhuispoort, the Agnietenkapel, the Walloon Church, the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum, Chinatown, and the Oost-Indisch Huis, before ending at Zuiderkerk. Along the way, you’ll experience canal houses leaning over the water, hidden courtyards, one of continental Europe’s oldest Chinatowns, and monuments tied to trade, faith, and learning. Expect memorable contrasts between quiet historic passages and lively streets, plus some of the most atmospheric views in the center.
Get ready to step back to a time when Rembrandt roamed the streets of Amsterdam. Using an immersive video installation you’ll be able to visit a reconstruction of his studio on the Rozengracht canal where he worked to create some of his most iconic works of art. During the 25-minute experience, you’ll learn the life story of Rembrandt and meet Rembrandt, his children, and his mistress. Shows play in Dutch, English, German and French.
This self-guided audio tour explores Amsterdam through curious local stories, historic buildings, and everyday places that reveal the city’s character. It will appeal to first-time visitors who enjoy history, architecture, canals, and small details that often go unnoticed. The route begins at Lie for Pampus in the old harbor area and leads south and west through the historic center. Along the way, you pass In ’t Aepjen, the remarkable Our Lord in the Attic Museum, lively shopping streets, canal bridges, and the elegant lanes of The 9 Streets. The walk continues past theater culture, old houses, traces of Amsterdam’s fight with water, and monuments tied to dramatic episodes from the city’s past. The tour ends near Leidseplein at The Pantry, after reaching the area around the former Palace for Volksvlijt. By the end, traveler will have experienced Amsterdam as more than postcard canals: hidden churches in attics, crooked wooden houses, storied bridges, sweet stroopwafels, and the constant presence of water shaping the city at every turn.
This self-guided audio walk explores Amsterdam’s southern neighborhoods through local streets, food culture, music, and modern art. It is a great fit for first-time visitors who want to go beyond the canals and discover how everyday city life blends with major cultural landmarks. The route starts at Amsterdam RAI and moves north through Rivierenbuurt into lively De Pijp. Along the way, you pass the green calm of Sarphatipark, local spots such as Brouwerij Troost and ARIE, and the busy stretch around Ceintuurbaan. The walk then leads into the famous Albert Cuyp Markt, one of the city’s best-known street markets, before continuing past lesser-known corners of the district. From De Pijp, the route shifts toward Amsterdam’s grand cultural heart. You visit the Old Catholic Church, arrive at the celebrated Concertgebouw, and finish at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in the Museum Quarter. Memorable moments include the contrast between quiet residential streets and bustling market life, the scent of fresh food and beer, elegant 19th-century architecture, and the feeling of ending among some of the city’s finest music and art venues.
Cities in Netherlands
About Amsterdam
The best walking tours to do in Amsterdam are:
- Amsterdam: Fabrique des Lumières "From Vermeer to Van Gogh" Ticket & City Audio Walk
- Amsterdam: Madame Tussauds Ticket and an Audio City Walk
- Amsterdam: Moco Museum Ticket and City Discovery Audio Tour
- Amsterdam: BODY WORLDS Ticket and Audio Walk Through the City
- Amsterdam: Heineken Experience Entry & Guided Tour with an Audio City Walk
The best indoor tours in Amsterdam for rainy days are:
The must-see attractions in Amsterdam for a first visit are:
Insider tips for visiting Amsterdam
Rolf Laimbock is a local guide who has been publishing tours since 2020 for your discovery of hidden gems and local specialities of Amsterdam on their personal guide page (view profile). Explore their expert tips planning trip to Amsterdam.
When I visit Amsterdam for shopping, I usually skip the obvious chains and head for De 9 Straatjes first. Between the canals, I browse independent fashion, vintage, and design stores tucked into old merchant houses. For sharper local style, I recommend the Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk area in Amsterdam; locals know it for small concept shops, excellent delis, and bookstores. If you visit Amsterdam and like contemporary labels with a more polished feel, Oud-Zuid around Beethovenstraat is a smart choice. In my travel guide Amsterdam, these are the areas I mention most because they combine browsing with some of the best things to do in Amsterdam: walking, people-watching, and café stops.
When I’m in Amsterdam on my own, I always start with a slow walk through the Jordaan early in the morning, before the cafés fill and the canals turn busy. For solo visitors, it’s one of the most rewarding things to do in Amsterdam because you can move at your own pace, browse small galleries, and sit unnoticed with coffee on the Noordermarkt. I often continue to the Begijnhof or the canal belt, which belong high on any list of what to see in Amsterdam. Unlike many tours in Amsterdam, this feels personal. These quieter corners are also among the most memorable attractions in Amsterdam for people traveling alone.
In my travel guide Amsterdam, I usually recommend three full days in Amsterdam as the sweet spot. That gives you time to settle into the rhythm of the city: an unhurried canal walk at dusk, a museum morning, and a neighborhood like De Pijp or the Jordaan where Amsterdam feels lived-in rather than staged. When I visit Amsterdam myself, I find two days can work if you stay central and choose carefully, but four lets you add ferries to Noord or a slow afternoon in the Plantage. For me, the best things to do in Amsterdam reveal themselves when you leave space between plans.
When I want a break from the center of Amsterdam, I head just beyond it to places that still feel connected to the city’s history. The ferry to NDSM is one of my favorite short escapes; in Amsterdam, it gives you a rawer, creative side with street art and old shipyard buildings. I also recommend taking the train to Haarlem for an afternoon, especially for quiet hofjes and excellent small museums. If you’re comparing attractions in Amsterdam with what to see in Amsterdam nearby, these are the places I mention first. Unlike many tours in Amsterdam, they let you feel how the city opens outward into very different neighborhoods and towns.
If you plan to visit Amsterdam around a major event, I’d time it for King’s Day in April or the Grachtenfestival in summer. King’s Day shows Amsterdam at its most exuberant, but I prefer the smaller pockets: families selling old treasures on the streets of the Jordaan and canal-side music drifting through quieter blocks. In my travel guide Amsterdam, I also highlight Open Monumentendag in September, when historic buildings in Amsterdam open doors usually closed to the public. For me, these are among the most memorable things to do in Amsterdam because they reveal the city’s character, not just its postcard image.
When families ask me where to go in Amsterdam, I often suggest the maritime area around Het Scheepvaartmuseum. For me, it’s one of the smartest things to do in Amsterdam with children because the old harbor setting already feels like an adventure, and the full-scale VOC ship draws them in immediately. From there, I like walking toward the Oosterdok, where Amsterdam opens up with wide views and room to move, which parents appreciate. Among the classic attractions in Amsterdam, this area feels less cramped than the canal core. It also works well if you’re deciding what to see in Amsterdam without relying on standard tours in Amsterdam.
In my travel guide Amsterdam, I always say the city makes most sense on foot, with trams for longer stretches. When I visit Amsterdam, I walk the canal belt and Jordaan because distances are shorter than they look, and you notice the details that make Amsterdam special: crooked gables, hidden courtyards, flower boxes leaning over bridges. For neighborhoods like Amsterdam Noord or the eastern docks, I use the free ferry or tram rather than a bike; locals know cycling here can feel hectic if you do not know the rhythm. For me, combining walking with public transport is one of the most practical things to do in Amsterdam.