🥇🏆 Absolutely Amsterdam The Nr.1 Best Rated Tour in Amsterdam

Join us on an exciting journey along the beautiful canals of Amsterdam and find out what makes Amsterdam so Absolutely Amsterdam!

Together with your super-local guide, you will discover how freedom and tolerance shaped the city and its people throughout the ages and understand how these values continue to influence it today.
 
We don’t rely on a standard script. This means that every guide brings their own specific expertise and point of view, making each tour a unique experience. We also encourage you to ask questions so we can adapt the tour to your specific interests. Route, sights and topics may therefore vary slightly depending on the weather / guide / group.

Our goal is to combine beautiful sightseeing with exciting storytelling and cover everything you need to know about Amsterdam in one tour: 

🏛️HISTORY

• Why is the Church surrounded by sex-workers?
• The ‘Golden Age’: how Amsterdam was able to become the richest city on the planet in the 17th Century.
• How and why modern capitalism started here. 
• Why did Catholics worship in secret, hidden Churches?
• WWII and Nazi occupation: from safe haven to the city where the most Jewish people were deported and killed in Europe.
• How the Dutch made the surprising transition from a Republic to a Monarchy.
• Why Amsterdam has canals and why are the famous canal houses houses so…skinny?

🌆MODERN LIFE

• Why Amsterdam’s brothels are going out of business and the uncertain future of the Red Light District.
• Coffee Shops & Dutch (soft)drug policies explained: how it originated in Chinatown and why Marijuana is not as legal as you may think…
• How the hippies 'saved' Amsterdam from demolition.
• The latest gossip around the Royal Family at the Royal Palace.
• Unique personal stories for an insider’s perspective on life in Amsterdam.

🎭CULTURE

• What lies beneath the famous ‘Dutch tolerance’?
• Dutch attitudes towards moral issues and what you can learn from it.
• Where Rembrandt painted his first masterpiece.
• The legacy of the Golden Age: the good, the bad & the ugly. 
• Food culture: from cheese to stroopwafels and why (according to the Dutch) you absolutely must visit an Indonesian restaurants to taste great Dutch food.
• Dutch way of life: from our bike culture to why we keep our curtains open – at all times!

...And much more!

Be prepared to challenge all your pre-conceived ideas about this city because after this tour you will never look and think of Amsterdam the same way! 

WHERE & WHEN

Where we start: In front of the main entrance of the Stock Exchange (Beursplein 5), by the statue of the bull. You can also find us by looking for freedamtours on Googe Maps.

ATTENTION: we DON'T start on Dam square, that's where the tour usually ends.

When: every day at 10:30am and 2pm
(+ during 20-31 December also an extra tour at 9:30am!)

Duration: 2.5 hours

Highliths on our itinerary:

STOCK EXCHANGE •  OLD HARBOR • CENTRAL STATION • A HIDDEN CHURCH • PROSTITUTION & THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT • CHINATOWN • NIEUWMARKT SQUARE • COFFEESHOPS AND DUTCH DRUG LAWS EXPLAINED • REMBRANDT • THE DUTCH EAST INDIA HEADQUARTERS • THE JEWISH QUARTER or ANN FRANKS HOUSE • QUAINT CANALS & GLORIOUS CANAL HOUSES • UNIVERSITY DISTRICT • DUTCH BIKE CULTURE • DAM SQUARE & THE ROYAL PALACE • AMSTERDAM LIFESTYLE • UNIQUE PERSONAL STORIES

WHY CHOOSE US

• All our guides are lifelong locals with a relevant University degree and/or also work in renowned institutions like the Rijkmuseum. This means we really know what we are talking about and are able to offer you genuine, personal perspectives and educated insights that make each tour unique. Plus we can answer all your most difficult / obscure questions!
• After the tour we will provide you with an extensive list (and map) of all our favourite bars, restaurants, clubs and other fun things to do in the city.  Plus discount codes for a small boat canal tour with 'Those Dam Boat Guys', museums, and more.
• Free Snack & Souvenir: on the tour, you will be treated to a typical Dutch snack and you will also receive a nice souvenir at the end.  

Please note: the tour is always and only in English, NOT Spanish. We reserve the right to turn away guests with a limited understanding of English.