Share this tour
Offered languages
- English
- English
Want to see Amsterdam's highlights, spot secret statues, and learn about the city's past? This self-guided audio tour, created by a PhD historian and popular history creator, is for you. Beginning at Amsterdam Central, you'll decode the station's facade before heading into the Red Light District and Chinatown, where you'll spot a hidden church from 1663, a tulip warning against reckless spending, and a statue honouring sex workers worldwide. Continuing to Dam Square, you'll step into the birthplace of capitalism, past the mansions of arms dealers, the courtyard of the Dutch East India Company, and a merchant home referencing the slave trade. Here you'll also uncover the story of the Nazi occupation and discover why the Royal Palace isn't really a palace at all. Along the way you'll find a Space Invader mosaic by a world-famous French street artist, and see Amsterdam's narrowest house. You'll never walk through Amsterdam the same way again.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
This tour starts at Amsterdam Central. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
Tour ends at Amsterdam’s Royal Palace.
Itinerary
-
Central Station (Pass by)
Marvel at Amsterdam Centraal's grand 19th-century facade, deciphering the symbols that reveal the city's identity — from the wind-direction clock tower to the shield bearing Amsterdam's iconic three crosses. Discover how this neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance building was deliberately designed to announce Amsterdam's ambitions to every arriving visitor.
Admission ticket free -
Our Lord in the Attic Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (Pass by)
Explore the entrance to Our Lord in the Attic, a clandestine Catholic church built into the upper floors of a canal house in 1663, when public Catholic worship was banned in Amsterdam. Discover how this hidden sanctuary reveals the complex, often contradictory roots of the city's celebrated tolerance.
Admission ticket free -
Oude Kerk (Pass by)
Walk around the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam's oldest building and the city's original parish church, whose foundations date back to the early 14th century. Discover how this sacred space sits at the heart of the Red Light District, surrounded by the bronze statues and hidden symbols that tell the story of the neighbourhood's layered identity.
Admission ticket free -
Fo Guang Shan He Hua Temple (Pass by)
Pass the Fo Guang Shan He Hua Temple, one of the largest Buddhist temples in Europe, its ornate facade a striking contrast to the surrounding Dutch canal architecture. Explore how its presence reflects the long history of Chinese settlement in Amsterdam, rooted in the merchant trade that shaped the city from the 17th century onwards.
Admission ticket free -
The Waag (Pass by)
Stroll past the Waag, Amsterdam's imposing 15th-century city gate turned weigh house, which once marked the boundary of the medieval city. Discover how Rembrandt painted his famous anatomy lesson here, where the dissection of a condemned criminal became one of the defining images of the Dutch Golden Age.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Marvel at Het Trippenhuis, the grand 17th-century mansion built for the Trip brothers, two of Amsterdam's most powerful arms dealers, whose wealth was emblematic of the city's mercantile ruthlessness. Discover how its facade hides cannon-shaped chimneys — a subtle nod to the trade that funded one of the Golden Age's most opulent private residences.
Admission ticket free -
Bushuis - Oost-Indisch Huis (Pass by)
Pass through the secluded courtyard of the Bushuis and Oost-Indisch Huis, the Amsterdam headquarters of the Dutch East India Company — the world's first multinational corporation. Discover how this quiet complex was the nerve centre of a global trading empire that reshaped world history and laid the foundations of modern capitalism.
Admission ticket free -
Theewinkel Het Kleinste Huis Amsterdam (Pass by)
Walk past Het Kleinste Huis, Amsterdam's narrowest house, its slender facade barely wider than its own front door. Learn how Amsterdam's historic property taxes, levied on street-frontage width, gave rise to some of the most distinctive — and impractical — architecture in Europe.
Admission ticket free -
National Monument (Pass by)
Stroll to the National Monument on Dam Square, the 22-metre white obelisk erected in 1956 to commemorate Dutch victims of the Second World War. Discover how this solemn landmark stands at the site where Amsterdam confronted the Nazi occupation — and how Dam Square continues to serve as the emotional and political heart of the Netherlands.
Admission ticket free -
Royal Palace Amsterdam (Pass by)
Explore the Royal Palace Amsterdam, the architectural centrepiece of Dam Square, built in the 17th century not as a palace at all but as Amsterdam's city hall — a statement of civic pride at the height of the Dutch Golden Age. Marvel at how this monumental building, resting on a foundation of eleven million wooden piles, has served as the backdrop to centuries of Dutch royal history, from Napoleon's brother to the current king.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Your guide to the flawless travel experience
Popular Countries
Get our app
