Tours in Amsterdam

Amsterdam tours are a confusing business at times. With so many companies to choose from it’s difficult to decide where to start.  Each company offers something unique. So whether you’re on a shoestring budget and looking for a free walking tour, a one on one private guided tour by locals or a guided bike or canal boat tour, look no further. Below we’ve listed our top recommendations with descriptions of each to make it easy for you.

Our ‘Top Ten’ list of Amsterdam Tour Companies:

Amsterdamcitytours.com

Amsterdam City Tours is a top provider of tours in and around Amsterdam. Unlike some other tour providers who sell only certain types of tour, Amsterdam City Tours has it all. Book tours on foot, by boat or by bike, for groups of individuals. Arrange airport transfers, team building weekends, multiple day tours, dinner cruises, tickets for all major Amsterdam attractions or even customise your own tour from scratch. Professional and friendly service by excellent guides make their tours some of the best around and a secure online booking system means the site is easy to use.

Urbanadventures.com

For those who want Amsterdam tours with a real flavour of local Amsterdam. Urban Adventures started life in 2008 as a merger between Intrepid Travel and WHL Group, who decided to set up a tour company which offered the real local experience, with local guides and quirky, exciting experiences. Now they operate in over 80 locations with four excellent tours currently in Amsterdam; Going Dutch walking tour, Cycle Amsterdam bike tour, Amsterdam Beer Tour and Amsterdam Food by Foot.

Toursbylocals.com

A little bit different to all the rest of the companies offering Amsterdam tours, Tours by Locals is a global company which sets itself apart from the rest by having private, fully customisable tours. Customers can hand pick their guide from a pool of local employees. Full biographies and photographs are provided and a guarantee that your guide will live in the area that they show you around. There are plenty of standard tours to choose from on their website, but everything is customisable, making it a good choice for those who travel for ‘the true local experience’. Tours by Locals also offer a money-back guarantee if not fully satisfied.

Viator.com

With an extremely comprehensive collection of tours and an easy-to-use web interface and secure booking system, Viator is a great option got those who want to book a tour quickly and with no hassle. Choose from any number of different types of tours and attractions and get very reasonable deals with their frequent special offers. Despite their convenience though, they don’t offer the personal touches of the first three tour companies.

City-discover.com

Another good Amsterdam tour company which operates in many different countries. Choose from an extensive range of tours, dinners and airport transfers, all with a best-price guarantee. As with Viator though, City-discover does not feel as personal as other Amsterdam tour companies.

Omyamsterdamtours.com

A wonderful little company with a small number of excellent Amsterdam tours to choose from. All guides are local, tours have an upper limit of 8 people and the best part; 20% of the money you pay goes to local charities in the area you tour. All tours are walking tours, as the company believes this to be the best way to experience the city. Choose from the city centre tour, red light district tour, Rembrantsplein, ecological or photo tour. Aside from these options you can choose a bespoke tour, providing there are 6 or more of you.

Citysightseeingamsterdam.nl

Home of the Hop On Hop Off buses that have become ubiquitous in European capital cities. You can recognise the buses by their vibrant red colour and brightly splashed logo. If you enjoy having a relaxing bus tour around cities with audio guides in most major European languages then we recommend you book a place on Hop On Hop Off. The tour lasts for 60 minutes total and there are plenty of places you can jump off on route. The tickets are valid for 24 hours and children under 3 travel free. If you buy a combination ticket you also get a free canal boat tour.

Newamsterdamtours.com

Home of Sandemans free walking tours, definitely the best option of all Amsterdam tours if you’re on a tight budget. Just look for the guides in red t-shirts outside Centraal station. Aside from their excellent free tour, Sandemans also offer a number of paid tours, including a pub crawl, tour of different neighbourhoods in Amsterdam, a coffee shop tour, red light district tour and customisable tours. Professional, young and lively guides make their tours the best fit for younger travellers.

Grayline.com

Grayline is a worldwide tour company and, according to the website, the world leader. In our opinion, it’s not quite as good Viator in terms of the website’s look, but it’s probably the most comprehensive collection of tours on the web.

Linbergh.nl

The only Dutch language website on our list, Linbergh is useful for those who don’t speak English. Not the prettiest looking website, but it does the job.