Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- West India House
- Amsterdam Canal Belt
Photos & Highlights
- Discover the Dutch Golden Age on Amsterdam walking tour
- Led by a local historian
Select a date
Tour Description
As you wander along the streets of Amsterdam, it is impossible to escape the influence of seafaring trade and the influence it has had on the city. The endless charm of the canals, which brings visitors to the city today, is a direct result of the trade history of the city.
When you meet your expert guide at the West India House, they will immediately transport you to the 1600s in Amsterdam, when the building was the headquarters of the Dutch West India Company. They will paint the picture of the circumstances around some of the most important decisions made in the building, from various trade endeavors to the idea to start a small colony on an island called Manhattan.
As you move away from the economic center, your guide will weave stories together about the domestic and social lives of the upper classes in the Jordaan neighborhood, home to some of the more beautiful and well-preserved canal houses.
You will eventually find yourself in the middle of the canal belt, the perfect backdrop to consider how the development of the canal system has radically determined the city of Amsterdam has become. As you end your time with your expert guide, you will have a deep understanding of how the Dutch Golden Age set the stage for the city that is Amsterdam today.
Experts
- Amsterdam Canal Belt
- West India House
- If you are deeply curious about history and want to learn about how trade, power, and art intersected during the 17th century to produce the so-called Dutch Golden Age.
- You want to get out of the main tourist drag of Amsterdam and explore charming districts without the crowds.
- You like to come home from your trips with intriguing new facts and tidbits to share with your friends.
Tickets
This tour does not include any interior venues, therefore, no tickets are needed.
Additional Trip-Planning Resources
- For more information on planning your travels to the Netherlands, take a read through our Context Stories.
- Is this tour suitable for kids? This tour isn’t part of our family program, but we do have some family-friendly guides who lead this tour and will be able to adjust the content for kids (pending their availability).
- Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues? This tour covers a fair amount of ground, and while Amsterdam is mostly very flat, the streets can get very busy, and there are bridges that may be a challenge for people with mobility issues. If you have any mobility concerns, please get in touch with our client services team, and we will be happy to advise you further.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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239 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Everything was fine. A little more map work would have oriented us more securely on when we were in the medieval city, etc. Enrique's explanations were clear, but Amsterdam is confusing when one is winding along the old streets.
Elizabeth
Reviewed on:
May 8, 2015
I had read a lot about the history of Amsterdam in the weeks before coming and my husband did not have time to read anything. Enrique managed to keep us both interested. An excellent introduction to Amsterdam at the beginning of our vacation.
He gave us recommendations for other things to see and do during our vacation.
Occasionally it was difficult to understand him because he spoke softly and there was a lot of traffic.
Lucille
Reviewed on:
May 1, 2015
We met at the Dutch West Indies House - It was closed.
We walked through the city and saw some unique canal houses, with explanations of architecture, and one with a some information on trading history of the first owner. We heard on this walk some good information about the distinction between the East and West Indies companies, and their history, all while walking. The guide also showed a very interesting map that informed us of how the city grew and the canals expanded. Not exactly about "trade" and "economics" but interesting nonetheless.
Then we were taken to the City Hall/Palace, which two of us (of three) had already visited - I wish tour description had said that - we would have waited to see it with the guide. However, we entered again (we used Museum Pass cards, but the third person paid the admission ticket) and got some interesting information that was above and beyond what we had heard on the first audio guide tour, but it was the second visit.
Then we continued on our long trek, on to to Westerkerk church for a very nice explanation of why it is different, but little to do with Investors and Explorers, and like the West Indies House, it was closed.
Then we took a further walk into the Jordaan do see a "hofjes" - which also has very little to do with Investors and Explorers - and like the West Indies House, and Westerkerk, it too was closed.
So, we had a very long walking tour of Amsterdam, on a moderately cold and overcast day, entered only one building that related to the tour's title, and found three buildings "Closed on Sunday". Why wasn't this checked before our tour? Why wasn't there a "Plan B"? Why did we need to trek through the city to find closed buildings? We could have sat in a Cafe and listened to most of what we heard without the "trek".
Make no mistake, our guide was very nice, and to the extent possible, informative. But, for the fees you charge, and based on our prior tours with you, our expectations are high and the deliverable simply did not meet those expectations.
William
Reviewed on:
Apr 29, 2015
