I'm sorry if I'm driving anyone nuts by asking the same question about a number of cities, but we have loved the European Walks series books for Florence and London. They take you into the back streets and alleys of the tourist district and include chatty info about who lived and ate where, why various odd hardware on houses was used for, the history of bricked up windows and the like. They also get you into surprisingly picturesque courtyards, small churches, and alleys we would have missed. I don't mean just a scenic walk between sights, but something more off the beaten path and chattier--an end in itself. Anyone have any suggestion for something like this for Amsterdam either on foot or by bike. Heck even my boat?
Posted by
3 posts
Hi Jen,
there are some people voluntarily doing this in Amsterdam, just for the pleasure of showing you the non-touristic parts of the city. I personally have never done it, but I am sure on the Internet you will find it!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14731 posts
Here is a thread from October with a walking tour recommendation from Nance who was in Amsterdam for several days ahead of her Rick Steves tour.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/thatdamguide
Posted by
89 posts
I have done something like that several years ago with so called "free walking tour" and it was quite a good experience. One is joining the group and by the end of the walk rewarding a guide with a tip of her/his own choice. There was a lot of interesting talking and spotting places that are not that obvious like Hidden Attic Church (from outside) or Begijnhof.
I cannot remember the name of the particular tour, but I am sure you can find some ideas online or in Amsterdam's tourist information.
Here is the example:
http://360amsterdamtours.com/portfolio-items/amsterdam-city/
Posted by
Orinda, California, United States
307 posts
These are the 2 tours we recently took in Amsterdam. Both were excellent! Eating Amsterdam Food Tours (www.eatingamsterdamtours.com), and History Walks (www.historywalks.eu). We were able to add the boat tour to the Food Tour and it was amazing - a one hour tour on a classic yacht, which Winston Churchill took 1 year after WWII to celebrate with the Queen Wilhelmina. Owned by the Pulitzer Hotel since 1909. We went everywhere on the canals, learning about the neighborhoods as well as enjoying food and drink. The walking food tour lasted 2 hours. The History Walk, lead by Peter, focused on WWII and was a 2 1/2 walking tour that started outside The Ann Frank House and ended near The Dutch Resistance Museum. I highly recommend both tours.