Things to do in

Jewish Quarter, Amsterdam

Explore Amsterdam on a full-day tour from Brussels and learn the history of the city from an English-speaking guide. Discover where the city was founded in the 13th century on Dam Square and admire the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and Royal Palace. Venture into the oldest part of Amsterdam to see the Oude Kerk (Old Church) and wander the infamous streets of the Red Light District. Continue to De Waag to look at the remains of the medieval wall, and then go into the Jewish Quarter where Rembrandt once lived. End at the flower market, and get 3 hours of free time to explore on your own. Discover the famous coffee shops or try some local cheese.

Beautiful synagogues, striking buildings, and impressive monuments line the streets of Amsterdam's old Jewish quarter. At the heart of this historic neighborhood, which is less than 1 square kilometer in area, you’ll find the city’s Jewish Cultural Quarter. Spend the day enjoying a walk through the old Jewish quarter and visit the Jewish Historical Museum, a leading Dutch cultural institution with a children-friendly junior museum, and the imposing Portuguese Synagogue. In all there are several significant cultural institutions that are accessible with a single ticket, together providing a unique overview of Jewish life in the Netherlands.

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Amsterdam with your professional German tour guide, and learn all about the history and culture of the charming canal city, including the exciting Red Light District. On this informative 2-hour walking tour through the beautiful little streets - numerous tips for your additional stay are included. This city tour combines two must-do tours: the Red Light District tour and the city center tour through Amsterdam's beautiful canal belt. Both are an absolute must in Amsterdam. Visit many highlights of Amsterdam's city center on this two-in-one tour, stroll past picturesque canal houses and learn why Amsterdam is considered one of the most free-spirited places in the world and what life is like today in this cosmopolitan, tolerant and multicultural city. Find out where to find the most culinary delights and which districts you should explore on your own by bike. The city is also home to the exciting Red Light District- A historically grown district indispensable in Amsterdam. Learn everything there is to know about the negotiations between punters and prostitutes, their income and expenses, such as prices, room rent, and taxation, as well as the women's safety. Discover the control mechanisms in the neighborhood and question the structures of sex work. This tour perfectly captures all facets of Amsterdam and is therefore wonderfully suitable as an introductory tour.

Travel back to the days of Amsterdam’s "Golden Age" on an audio tour of the Portuguese Synagogue. Learn about a period of prosperity that would have been unimaginable without the contributions of the Jewish community. Erected in the heart of Amsterdam in 1675, the Portuguese Synagogue was the largest synagogue in the world at the time. While still used as a house of worship, the synagogue is also open to the public and hosts frequent concerts. Gaze in awe at the authentic interior of large stone pillars and white plaster walls. Marvel at the dark furniture bathed in the abundant light of 72 windows. Since its consecration, the synagogue has had no electric light or heating and is illuminated by the artificial light of 1,000 candles in its brass chandeliers. The sand on the wood floor protects it from dirt. Other buildings in the complex include the treasure chambers, where you can admire unique ceremonial objects of silver, gold, silk, and brocade. You can also see the oldest functioning Jewish library in the world at Ets Haim Livraria Montezinos (included by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Register). Access other attractions in the Jewish Cultural Quarter, including the Jewish Historical Museum, with its kid-approved Jewish Museum junior. See the National Holocaust Memorial and National Holocaust Museum. Learn more about Jewish culture, history and traditions. You can visit all locations with your ticket, which is valid for 1 month.

Enjoy unlimited access to over 25 of Amsterdam's hottest attractions with a city pass for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. Go on guided tours of Rotterdam and The Hague, discover world-famous collections of historic art, and admire the city from the canals on a cruise. Easily display your pass on your phone and use the digital guide to help you plan your itinerary and make reservations when necessary. There is something for everyone to see with over 25 attractions including the Heineken Experience and Keukenhof. Attractions: Heineken Experience (reservations required)RijksmuseumThis Is HollandMoco MuseumA'DAM LookoutKeukenhof with boat cruise (reservations required)100 Highlights CruiseRotterdam, Delft, and The Hague guided tourTour de BonTonRoyal Experience - Royal Coster DiamondsKeukenhof tourJohan Cruijff Stadium tourZaanse Schans tour (reservations required)Keukenhof bus tour (reservations required)1-Hour pedal boatMacBike bike rentalHouseboat MuseumMuiderslot CastleDiamond Museum AmsterdamPancakes AmsterdamJewish Cultural QuarterAmsterdam Pipe MuseumHouse of Bols cocktail experienceAmsterdam Tulip MuseumVolendam, Edam, and windmills bus excursion (reservations required)Tony Chocolonely Superstore

Find out more about Anne Frank on a small-group or private guided walking tour of Amsterdam, led by an expert guide. Discover the city’s centuries-old Jewish Quarter in a small group setting while your guide weaves in anecdotes about Anne Frank's life and World War II. You will hear all about Anne Frank’s family dynamics, their move from Germany, their time in hiding, and her father’s life after the war. Start the tour outside the Portuguese Synagogue, a 17th-century Sephardic construction that still functions as a synagogue today. Find out about the background of the original Jewish neighborhood and how it developed over the centuries. Your guide will share stories of Anne Frank’s love of writing, the conditions she lived through in 1930s and 1940s Amsterdam, and how her diary became so famous. You will also hear about the Dutch Resistance during the Second World War and see where secret hiding places were located. Over the course of the tour, you will walk by the Jewish Historical Museum, stop at the Auschwitz Monument and see the outside of the Anne Frank House façade. Finish the tour with a small surprise at a local Dutch cafe.

Walk through the old Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam where magnificent synagogues, striking buildings, and impressive memorials dominate the streetscape. At its heart, occupying less than half a square mile is the Jewish Cultural Quarter with its landmark buildings. Travel back in time to the 17th century by visiting the Portuguese Synagogue, or find out all about Jewish culture and history in the Jewish Museum and Jewish Museum junior. Visit Gassan Diamonds, a family-owned company, located in a formerly steam-driven diamond factory in the center of Amsterdam. Join a guided tour to learn about the various stages of diamond polishing from the staff. Observe skilled craftsmen at work as they transform precious crystals into dazzling ready-to-wear pieces. After the tour, browse through the extensive jewelry and watch collection in the boutique. By presenting your Jewish Cultural Quarter combi ticket, you will be served a glass of Champagne during the tour. Afterward, receive a brilliant gift.

Get to know one of the most important facets of the city and immerse yourself in the history, current affairs and culture of the Jews of Amsterdam with an experienced German-speaking guide. The Jews, expelled by the Spanish Inquisition, transformed Amsterdam into one of the wealthiest commercial cities in Europe and thereby influenced the cityscape significantly. This is how the Jodenbuurt was founded with its most well-known part the Jewish Triangle. The tour will take you through this area with interesting stories and illustrate why it was especially this piece of land that the Jews wanted to inhabit. Not only Jews settled here. Non-Jews like the famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn also had their domicile in the middle of the Jewish quarter. The district was booming and the city was doing well. But even in Amsterdam, Jewish history is not just about success and good life. The strong discrimination experienced by the Jews by the Nazi Germans also ended in Amsterdam with the Holocaust. Learn about the young and courageous Anne Frank, who was one of the Jews hiding not to get deported. While hiding she wrote her famous diary. Her diary will accompany the tour and exemplify the grief the Jewish community had to undergo.Thousands of people were deported and hardly anyone came back. But not all Amsterdammers wanted to accept this. Learn about the February Strike in 1941, but above all: learn of the courageous resistance by Jews and non-Jews, who saved many lives while endangering their own.  Pass by the Portuguese synagogue on the tour and see important testimonies such as Stolpersteine, the gate of the old plague cemetery and monuments commemorating the courageous resistance of the Third Reich. Also, discover how the Jewish community lives today in multicultural Amsterdam. Join this tour to explore the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam and enjoy an unforgettable experience. 

Learn more about Amsterdam’s troubled past while gaining an insight into how the Jewish community lived and survived in the aftermath of the Second World War in Amsterdam. Hear about the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands from 1940 until 1945 and how it affected those living in Amsterdam and especially the Jewish community. Discover the Portuguese Synagogue, the Jewish Historical Museum, and stroll by the Headquarters of the Jewish Council. Learn how the Dutch behaved towards the Jews of Amsterdam and how the people endured the hardships as you pass sites like the Auschwitz Monument and the Dokwerker. The tour ends in front of the Anne Frank House, where you will learn more about her best-selling diary, how it was published by her father Otto Frank, and how it gained worldwide fame. Choose between group and private tour options.

Hop onboard a state-of-the-art bus and explore the Dutch capital from a new perspective. The bus boasts an open-top roof (weather permitting), providing panoramic views of Amsterdam from start to finish. Travel around the city at a leisurely pace, admiring the city’s highlights as well as hidden gems along the way. The tour starts at the IJ River, from there drive along the famous Canal Belt and watch the locals go about their day. See a selection of the city’s picturesque canals, including the Brouwersgracht and the Prinsengracht, as well as sights such as the Haarlemmerpoort. Next, explore the Museum Quarter and admire Museum Square, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Royal Concert Building. Later, drive along the Amstel River, soaking up epic views from the bus and snapping photos for your vacation album. Finally, discover the historic Jewish Quarter and the Old City Center, where you can find landmarks including Nieuwmarkt Square, the Red Light District, Dam Square, the Royal Palace, and Central Station.