From January 1st, the Amsterdam municipality has imposed a €1.50 “entertainment tax” per tour and activity participant. This tax includes participants on Free Tours. Please read the 'Additional Information' section to find out more about this tax
This 3-hour Amsterdam free walking tour will show you all the top attractions in the city. Local experts will take you to must-see spots such as the iconic canals, Dutch East India Company, Anne Frank House and much more. Expert guides take you where buses simply can’t go, while they breathe life into the history of Amsterdam and give you an authentic introduction to one of Europe's favourite cities.
Your Amsterdam Free Tour starts at the National Monument and usually ends by Anne Frank House. Navigating this busy city of canals and bicycles can be daunting, even for the most experienced traveler, which is why SANDEMANs NEW Amsterdam is here to help!
From expert traders to Nazi occupation
Your expert local guide will make Amsterdam's fascinating history come alive, taking you past iconic and picture-ready sites like leaning buildings, the smallest house and the many locks, canals and bridges. You'll learn about Amsterdam's rich and impressive history as shipping and trading experts, before learning about the dark days of Nazi occupation by seeing the Jewish Quarter, the Anne Frank House and more.
A modern city loved by visitors and locals
Of course, with its worldwide reputation of liberal laws and an open-minded society, people come from all over to experience the Amsterdam of today. On the free walking tour, your expert local guide will cover modern-day Amsterdam as well, but if you want to delve even deeper, check out our daily Alternative Amsterdam and Red Light District tours.
Free Tour concept
The tips-based model of the Free Tour allows guests to support and reward only the highest quality tours, and to ensure that the tour fits within their expectations, and within their budget.
From January, the Amsterdam municipality has imposed a €1.50 “entertainment tax” per tour and activity participant. We at SANDEMANs believe this tax discriminates against budget travelers, and together with hundreds of guides, are challenging it legally. For now though, we have to pay this tax for all participants. We founded the Free Tour on a simple idea: trust travelers to decide for themselves how much they want to pay for a tour. So, although we have to pay the tax, and it’s not kept by us or the guides performing tips-based Free Tours, we’re committed to not forcing this tax upon guests. If you are able to cover the cost of your €1.50 tax (or even more to help make up for those unable to pay), we’ll gratefully accept your payment, either at the meeting point of the Free Tour or during the tour break. However, in the spirit of the Free Tour, we’ll leave it up to you. Thanks for your understanding and support!
Our business is connecting great guides and smart travelers, and we're proud that so many local guides employ us to welcome travelers like you on their journey through some of the world's best cities. No two tours are alike, and the sites, stories, and length of the tour will vary depending on what your freelance guide decides is best. That's why the tours we promote never get stale or feel scripted, and why both independent guides and savvy travelers prefer SANDEMANs
Wheelchair accessible
MAP
The Free Tour starts in front of the National Monument in Dam SquareOpen in Google Maps
Anne Frank House
Dutch East India Company
Multatuli Statue
Amsterdam canals and bridges
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Customer reviews
I've taken this tour twice now and have been impressed both times... but I must say, I had an especially positive experience on this most recent trip to Amsterdam. It was my brother's first time in the city, so I wanted to begin with a solid overview. As it turns out, this was the perfect start. Sam was our guide, and he was absolutely phenomenal. The tour was not only informative, but also relevant and engaging. He was deeply passionate about the city and even took time after the tour to give us some recommendations for the remainder of our trip... we seriously lucked out with him! Cannot recommend this tour enough!
I never write reviews but felt this one was worth it. Sam was an awesome guide and opened our eyes to the real Amsterdam. We were told by the guide that we can decide the value of this tour and the guide really delivered and made the tour far better than ones we paid in advance for. Thanks Sam.
I stumbled across the free walking tour online and convinced my friend to do it on our first afternoon in Amsterdam. I am so glad that I did because it was just wonderful. Our guide was Paul and he was so nice and he did an excellent job with the history of Amsterdam and making it exciting and enjoyable for everyone. I highly recommend this company.
I did the free city tour with Raquel, the tour was incredible! Also, Raquel is amazing, passionated and helpfull with everything that we needed to know about the city. Totally recommended!
We had a great tour of Amsterdam with Jacob last week. I was initially skeptical about what a "free" tour would be like but no more. Despite the rain, Jacob kept the tour moving and fascinating with loads of information. Would not hesitate to recommend this tour with Jacob to anyone.
After travelling for quite some time in both Europe and America, I can 100% say that no one had provided me with such a touring experience as Sam! Not only did help us spark a passion for Amsterdam but he also helped turn what could have been another walking tour into a real journey, which was just a delight. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to Amsterdam and joining another tour guided by him!
The Free Tour is the best introduction to Amsterdam! A general overview tour including many of the highlights of the city, the Free Tour usually lasts around 3 hours and is provided by a local freelance guide in partnership with SANDEMANs NEW Europe, so tour content can vary depending on your guide’s particular area of interest and expertise.
The Free Tour is a walking tour with no need for public transport and is designed for independent travellers, not groups. You can book your spot in advance online or simply show up at the start point on the day. There is no payment necessary at the start of the tour but you are welcome to tip your guide at the end!
We believe in supporting local communities and are committed to giving a voice to some of Amsterdam's best local freelance tour guides, who passionately share the city's history and culture with their own unique and always-entertaining style. They'll never pressure you to tip; we believe that, if money is given, it should be voluntary and in direct proportion to the quality of the tour and the budget of the traveler.
Why join the SANDEMANs Free Tour?
The route covers many of Amsterdam's major landmarks
The meeting point is centrally located in Dam Square
The Free Tour is guaranteed to fit within your budget
The guides performing tips-based Free Tours are incentivized to perform every time
The SANDEMANs Free Tour runs every day, all year round
Explore Amsterdam's most controversial neighbourhood with a private guided tour
Info & Booking € 130
Participation in tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe is strictly on a voluntary basis. Neither SANDEMANs NEW Europe, nor the self-employed freelance guides who are the providers of the tours promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe, will be held responsible in any way for injuries to body or property incurred during tours. The tour guides reserve the right to deny participation in any tour, to any person, for any reason. Thank you for your understanding.
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