This page is about a private walking tour of Amsterdam’s historical highlights. Some sights are more than 500 years old! Thiese sights will become even hotter in 2025, as Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary is coming up! :) (In 2025 and the festivities already start this year). Discover the old part of town. Suitable for small-scale business groups.
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Which attractions are part of the Amsterdam private walk “Around the Red Light District on foot” below?
Many highlights are to be discovered (by you) in old Amsterdam! First of all the Central Station. Then up to the Victoria Hotel with it’s remarkable front; what are those two houses doing there IN the hotel’s wall? Further on to the Zeedijk, a medieval dike, with it’s wooden house ‘t Aepjen, that TikTok-Insta row in front of that popular store and that parisians like theater, called Mascini. To the left the picturesque Oudezijds Kolk with the Batavia House, the Schreierstoren (anno 1487!), the Shipping House and the bridge of Piet de Kramer next to it: both icons of Amsterdam School Architecture.
Then to Oudeschans. We see the West-Indian Warehouse opposite the water. And in front of us “Malle Jaap” (Silly Jaap), nickname of the Montelbaanstoren. Then across the water with another chance for a top photo, and then past the Gassan Diamonds factory and concert hall Splendor. Around the corner is impressive with the Rembrandt House on one side and the Sint Antonie Sluis with its accompanying Sluyswacht House on the other. It is part of the 36K long Waterfront path.
Past the Zuiderkerk and then we check out that picturesque Raamgracht with it’s many houseboats.
Next the Kloveniersburgwal with Hotel de Doelen at the beginning, with its fine history with Rembrandt, Sissi and the Beatles.
Then we dive into the Oudemanhuispoort. (meaning “Old Man House Gate”, however with more women.) Out the other side and on to the Waalse Kerk.
Then…Dam Square lies loud and clear in front of you. Off we go!
Via the former harbour and now shopping street “Damrak” we reach our destination: the stockmarket square 5 and the Beurs van Berlage with its bistro.
PS: a tour OVER the Red Light District has been banned for several years by the city counsil. Except along the edges such as the Zeedijk, the Dam, the Nieuwmarkt, the oldest street of Amsterdam, called Warmoesstraat, along the smallest house and over the Kloveniersburgwal (update 2024).
Graphic example of such a city tour: “Around the Red Light District”
We drew this old city tour ourselves in this social media programme for fun, self-made tourist routes. (The descriptions of highlights along the way that accompany it are often not ours).
“Rondje om de Wallen” means “around the Red Light District”.
Other similar walks: Example of a company outing: 4 company groups starting at the same time for 4 city walking tours.
February 2022 we had 4 walking groups of 8 people (4*8) at a time from a company. 
These were 4 city tours on foot through Medieval Amsterdam with 4 local Lex and the City guides that started at the main entrance of Amsterdam Centraal in front of the I Amsterdam Visitor Center. (Centrum exit, south side)
Participants will arrive individually, and can offer these themes from there:
– Scheepvaarthuis / Lastage / Oosterdokseiland
– Red Light District (not along the red lights, as this is no longer allowed. Yes, the corners and edges of the Red Light District, such as the Zeedijk, the Nieuwmarkt, the former VOC headquarters… Those edges, by the way, are very attractive…. But what is banned by the municipality is going past the windows. With local guide then).
– Damrak, Beurs, Dam
– The new bike park for 7,000 bikes with art too, Singel, Martelaarsgracht, Brouwersgracht
– North. (EYE, Adamtoren, van der Pekbuurt.)
The first 8 participants to arrive at the Visitor centre immediately go out with the guide. Then the next ones again. And so on. This way, we make sure that the participants of the city tour through medieval Amsterdam are not crammed together on the square.
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Times of certain days to avoid old Amsterdam; the historical town center of Amsterdam
Saturday afternoons in spring and autumn have become too busy for a nice city tour of the historic centre of Amsterdam. (We think.)
The busiest times in Amsterdam’s historic city centre? Namely, those are the Saturday afternoons from 1 to 5 in spring and September. Groups tend to choose precisely this time of day and it’s not so pleasant in the city centre then. We therefore prefer not to do this anymore with groups.
Conditions are much better in the morning.
Presentation of the local private who has written this page. (including Lex and the City pricing and the small print)
Local private bike tours organized by Lex and the City
Private bike tours, most of them being unusual, in Amsterdam and above.