The Best Tours of Amsterdam to Take in 2025 and Why

1, Amsterdam Local Food Tour in the Albert Cuyp Market

The late Anthony Bourdain once said, ‘Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.’ It should come as no surprise that I often put food tours at the top of these lists.

I don’t think there is a better way to understand a city than a food tour. You get to learn so much. I’m not saying don’t go to the major monuments and museums; I’m saying do both.

With this tour, you’ll explore the historic Albert Cuyp Market as you join a food-obsessed local guide for an afternoon of seafood, cheese, street food snacks, and delicious local beer. From pickled herring to exciting Asian fusions, this is a deep dive into the Dutch food scene and undoubtedly one of the best tours of Amsterdam.

2. Rijksmuseum Art Connoisseur Guided Tour

There are 8,000 works of art in the Rijksmuseum. If you were to spend sixty seconds in front of each, it would take 133 hours or five and a half days without sleep or rest to see the entire collection.

The point I’m trying to make is there is a lot to see. You don’t have time to see everything, so what should you see? You can pour through guidebooks and free guides like ours or let a local art expert guide you through the key pieces with insights, history, and more. I know which one I would choose.

With this tour, your expert guide leads you through the key highlights of the Rijksmuseum and learn about the Golden Age of Dutch art.

Highlights include:

• Rembrandt’s portraits
• Jan Steen’s family interiors
• Vermeer’s ‘The Milkmaid’
• Ferdinand Bol’s self-portrait
• ‘The Night Watch’
• 7th-century delftware
• 17th-century dolls house
• Entry to The Pierre Cuypers Library

3, Amsterdam Bike and Boat Combo Tour

Would you rather explore Amsterdam by bike or from the water? It’s your vacation, so why choose? Do both with this fabulous combo tour.

Jump on your fully equipped bike to cycle around some of the city’s most essential and beautiful sites. You’ll see the historic Dam Square, Vondelpark, the Rijksmuseum, and more.

After working up an appetite on the bike, you can jump aboard your ninety-minute luxury canal cruise with drinks and food on board. It’s the perfect tour for anybody wanting a good city orientation.

There is a reason Amsterdam is called the Venice of the North: canals, lots of them. One hundred sixty-five of them, in fact, stretching over seventy-five KM.

You’ll cruise past Amsterdam’s most important neighborhoods like Jordaan, Prinsengracht, Herengracht, and the Golden Bend. Add on top of that an open bar, allowing you to enjoy some delicious local Dutch Lager.

You’ll have a skipper and host to ensure you don’t miss anything, a fun and informative way to see the city and one of the best tours of Amsterdam.

5. Historical Anne Frank World War II Walking Tour

This tour is a must for those wanting a deeper understanding of life in Amsterdam during WWII. History should occasionally make us feel uncomfortable. Reflecting on past horrors is often the best way to ensure we don’t commit those same horrors again.

You’ll start outside the Jewish Museum and meet up with your guide steps away from the Dokwerker, a monument dedicated to the first Jewish lawyer in the Netherlands, Jonas Daniel Meijer, before heading into the Jewish Quarter.

Your expert guide will talk about the Nazi presence in Amsterdam, its effect on the Jewish community, and how young Anne Frank hid in a Dutch household.

Then, onto the Hollandsche Schouwburg Museum and the Portuguese Synagogue before finishing outside the Anne Frank House Museum, where you will be free to explore if you choose to do so.

Highlights include:

• Guided tour through the Jewish Quarter
• Detailed stories about World War II
• Historical World War II sites
• Stops at the Hollandsche Schouwburg Musem
• See the outside of the Portuguese Synagogue
• Views of The Anne Frank House museum
• Local English-speaking guide

6. Amsterdam in a Half Day by Bike

Cycling is an integral part of Amsterdam’s culture. There are few cities in the world so bicycle friendly. In fact, there are 515km (320 miles) of dedicated cycle lanes.

So, while in many cities, my favorite way to get around is on foot, in Amsterdam, I love nothing more than getting on two wheels to explore as much as possible.

With this tour, you’ll join our fun storytelling guides to discover the top sights in Amsterdam in the most authentic fashion. Ride through the city’s coolest neighborhoods, cross over the canals, and sample local beer on the best bike tour of Amsterdam.

Not ready to book a tour? Check out Where to Stay in Amsterdam

7. Jordaan Local Food Tour in Amsterdam

Indulge in traditional Dutch cuisine and discover culinary influences with your friendly local guide.

On this hand-crafted food tour in Jordaan, a neighborhood renowned for its enchanting canals and world-renowned culinary scene.

You’ll get to sample Dutch classics like traditional jenever, bitterballen, and herring. You will learn about the influence of Indonesian and Suriname dishes, and your expert guide will share insights into the neighborhood’s history and culture. You’ll finish the tour well-educated and satiated.

Highlights include:

• Try Café Papeneiland’s famous apple pie
• Sample bitterballen
• Indonesian-inspired cuisine
• Suriname-influenced cuisine
• Herring the “Amsterdam way”
• Stroll along Brouwergracht Canal
• Sip jenever

8. Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum Private Tour

Explore not one but two world-class art museums in a day with an expert licensed guide. Not seeing the works of the Dutch Masters while in Amsterdam should be considered a crime. At the Rijksmuseum, you will see pieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer, amongst many others.

Then your tour departs from the norm, and your local expert guide will lead you to the recently opened Van Gogh museum. You’ll learn all the details about the often controversial artist’s life, about his drive and prolific production.

A tour full of curiosities and stories about the life and work of the genius of Van Gogh and the Dutch Masters.

Highlights include:

• Rembrandt’s Night Watch
• Vermeer’s The Milkmaid
• Van Gogh’s Self Portraits
• Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
• The Life and Art of Vincent Van Gogh
• Top Works from the Dutch Masters