This 2-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.
Your booking options
We're now offering 2 different booking options for individuals for our Free Tour of Amsterdam. If you'd wish to read our most Frenquently Asked Questions click here.
Confirmed Booking Benefits:
For tours at capacity, you’re guaranteed a place
Free confirmed rebooking up to 24hrs before your tour
Free cancellation up to 48hrs before your tour
Booking a confirmed reservation supports guides
Unconfirmed Booking Benefits:
FREE!
Cancellations not required, but highly appreciated
Booking ahead helps us plan for your best experience
A third of unconfirmed bookings are promoted to the tour
The Amsterdam Free Tour starts in front of the National Monument in Dam Square
See the Anne Frank House, where one of the world's most famous diaries was written
Take pictures of the quintessentially Amsterdam canals, bridges and houses
Discover the Jewish Quarter
Find the hidden churches
Marvel at Multatuli's giant head
Learn about the Dutch bike culture
TOUR SCHEDULES
Today
10:30 AM1:30 PM
10:30 AM1:30 PM
PHOTOS
Free Tour guests meeting the guide at Dam Square
The Oude Kerk
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam
The Anne Frank House
Inclusions & exclusions
What’s included
Local English-speaking guide
Entertainment tax + processing fee per participant (if you book a confirmed spot)
What’s not included
Gratuities for the guide (optional)
Entertainment tax + processing fee per participant (if you book a unconfirmed spot)
Additional Information
The Amsterdam municipality has imposed a €1.5 “entertainment tax” (+€1.5 processing fee) per tour and activity participant. We at SANDEMANs believe this tax discriminates against budget travelers, but we need to be compliant with all local regulations. That's why we'll ask you to pay this tax when making a confirmed booking. Please note that if you choose to book an unconfirmed ticket, you'll be asked to pay this tax at the meeting point. 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
Tour starts here
Tour usually ends here
Tour usually covers
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 2 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.
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
Explore Amsterdam's most controversial neighbourhood with a private guided tour
Info & Booking € -
Customise Your Private Tour!
Tell us the landmarks, stories or parts of the city you want to see, how long you have to see them and when you want to go, and we’ll build an itinerary that suits you.
Explore Amsterdam's most controversial neighbourhood with a private guided tour
Info & Booking € -
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.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What’s the difference between a free “unconfirmed booking” and a refundable “confirmed booking”?
Guests with a confirmed booking have priority on tours that book out; we only offer as many confirmed bookings as there are spaces on the tour. Unconfirmed bookings allow guests to still reserve a wait-list spot for a tour, and in most cases guests with unconfirmed bookings make it onto the tour of their choice. We make our best effort to schedule additional guides for tours that have a lot of bookings (confirmed or unconfirmed), but the popularity of our pay-what-you-want tours means that we’re not always able to invite everyone on the Free Tour at the time and date of their preference. Choosing a confirmed booking lets you rest assured that even if you are running up to 10 minutes late, your guide will hold your place on the tour.
Why start offering two types of bookings for the Free Tour?
We’ve noticed that when people book on the Free Tour without paying for a confirmed booking, 25%-50% of those guests don’t show up to the tour. Naturally, this is very hard on guides, and in turn makes it difficult to schedule guides in the future. When guests make a small contribution towards our scheduling and recruiting amazing guides, willing to work in the pay-what-you-want model, we see that those with confirmed reservations are five-times less likely to simply not show up. Confirmed reservations make guides happy whilst also helping guests rest-assured that they’re on the tour despite the demand.
If a tour has only unconfirmed tickets remaining, is it worth booking or should I like for a day/time that’s not as busy?
If you have a few days (or weeks) before your desired tour will take place, you should certainly consider still booking an unconfirmed ticket for a tour without confirmed tickets remaining. We monitor how many bookings have come in for a tour, and use this information to encourage more great guides to lead tours. Still, if you can’t afford to be flexible in case your preferred tour fills to capacity, it’s worth considering a confirmed ticket.
Is my confirmed ticket refundable in the event that I can’t make the tour or if I’m unhappy with the experience?
Absolutely. If you’re not completely happy with your guide, contact us at info@neweuropetours.eu and we’ll promptly refund your booking. If your plans change and you need to cancel your confirmed booking, just email us at info@neweuropetours.eu 48hrs before your tour with your cancellation or rebooking request, and we’ll send you back your confirmation of rebooking/refund.
How much of the confirmed booking goes to my guide?
Whilst your confirmed booking fee doesn’t directly go to your guide, it supports the marketing, customer service, and operations of SANDEMANs Tours and indirectly your guide. Guides keep 100% of tips on the Free Tour from guests with confirmed bookings.
Tour starts here
Tour usually ends here
