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A narrow alley with wet ground, posters, and a statue on the left wall. 1
A canal with boats, a historic building, and trees lining the waterway. 2
A canal with a row of buildings, bicycles, and people walking along the sidewalk. 3
A narrow alley with wet pavement, graffiti, and posters on the walls. 4
A canal with buildings reflecting in the water, a bridge, and a row of trees. 5
By Babylon Tours
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Features

  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation

Overview

    • Experience the most controversial neighbourhood in Europe
    • Dam Square: birthplace of Amsterdam's trade
    • Oude Kerk: religion meets the Red Light District
    • Chinatown & Zeedijk: sailors' quarter charm
    • Historic Canals: façades, bridges, houseboats

Activity location

  • Dam Square
    • Dam
    • 1012 JS, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Dam square, at the bottom of the steps of the National Monument, by the lion statue closest to the intersection, facing a store called GASSAN.
    • Dam
    • Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Check availability

What's included, what's not

  • Inclusions
    Guided Waling Tour
  • Inclusions
    Expert local guide
  • Inclusions
    Available Daily
  • Inclusions
    Duration 2
  • Inclusions
    Wheelchair Tour under Request Only
  • Inclusions
    Tour runs rain or shine
  • Inclusions
    “Semi-private” means the group size is never more than 12 guests
  • Exclusions
    Service charge (optional)
  • Exclusions
    Food and drinks
  • Exclusions
    Hotel pickup or drop-off (we recommend Uber or taxi)
  • Exclusions
    Luggage or coat storage

Know before you book

    • Please note that the city of Amsterdam limits Red Light District tours to its periphery. You can find the specific area concerned by following this link and under the section titled "Exemption and prohibition areas": https://www.amsterdam.nl/en/business/rules-permit-tours/
    • Amsterdam's Red Light District (De Wallen) requires visitors to respect residents and sex workers. Strictly no photography or video of workers in windows is allowed, with risks of device confiscation.
    • The tour may enter religious buildings; appropriate dress is required.
    • Entry to churches may not be possible due to unannounced closures.
    • The tour route may be affected by national celebrations; in such cases, an alternative route will be provided while ensuring all highlights are still covered. Refunds or discounts cannot be provided in these situations.
    • Due to increased security measures, some sites may not be accessible for interior visits.
    • In accordance with EU regulations about consumer rights, activities services are not subject to the right of withdrawal. Supplier cancellation policy will apply.
    • This activity is provided by a private individual (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession).

What you can expect

  • Discover the darker side of Amsterdam on this immersive walking tour exploring the history of the world-famous Red Light District. Journey through the streets surrounding the district as your expert guide reveals how prostitution, organised crime, smuggling, vice, and coffee shop culture became intertwined with the city’s rise as one of Europe’s greatest trading ports.

    Uncover the realities behind Amsterdam’s reputation for tolerance, from the lives of medieval sex workers and the arrival of thousands of sailors to the evolution of legal prostitution, cannabis policy, and the city’s unique approach to regulating both the sex industry and coffee shops. Learn how criminal organisations, drug trafficking, and the heroin epidemic of the 1970s and 1980s transformed the neighbourhood before ambitious regeneration reshaped it once again.

    Along the way, visit historic landmarks including the Oude Kerk, Chinatown, the East India House, and Dam Square while hearing the stories of brothel keepers, merchants, police, reformers, coffee shops, and the people who lived and worked in Amsterdam’s most infamous district.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    Dam Square
    • Dam
    • 1012 JS, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    Dam square, at the bottom of the steps of the National Monument, by the lion statue closest to the intersection, facing a store called GASSAN.
    • Dam
    • Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands