Rijksmuseum & Amsterdam City Center: A Historical Exploration with a Guided Tour

Embark on a 5.5-hour guided tour of the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam City Center. Explore famous artworks, delve into history, and discover the connections between the past and present.

Duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Rijksmuseum - Spend your day exploring the canals and cobblestone streets of Amsterdam’s historic center, and marvel at the masterpieces in the Rijksmuseum. The tour kicks off at the Rijksmuseum, often compared to the Louvre, where you’ll discover highlights from its 8000 exhibits, including works by famous Dutch artists like Rembrandt. This extensive collection showcases Dutch history through the ages. For those new to Dutch culture, delve into its rich past with a variety of paintings and artifacts. Admire well-known pieces by Rembrandt and lesser-known treasures like 17th-century dollhouses and Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid.” Don’t miss the fascinating 19th-century library filled with countless stories. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of the museum’s collection and might even master its pronunciation.

After lunch, embark on a historical walk. Discover Amsterdam’s charm with its open atmosphere, picturesque bridges, and leaning houses. Stroll along the canals, learn about the medieval gate, and the Amstel River that shaped the city.

  • St. Nicholas Basilica - Starting at St Nicholas’ Basilica, our meeting point, we’ll delve into the history of Amsterdam’s main Roman Catholic Church. Built in the late 19th century when Catholics could publicly practice their faith after three centuries of prohibition, the basilica is a blend of various architectural styles and artistic movements.
  • Weeping Tower - Next, we’ll head to the Schreierstoren, or Weeper’s Tower. Once part of Amsterdam’s medieval city wall, this tower is known for the legend that women wept here for their husbands departing for war or fishing expeditions.
  • Zeedijk - We’ll then explore Zeedijk, Amsterdam’s Chinatown. This street in the old city center is lined with Asian markets, restaurants, shops, and the Zeedijk Buddhist temple, the largest Chinese-style Buddhist temple in Europe.
  • Our Lord in the Attic Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder - We’ll briefly visit the Museum Our Lord in the Attic, a beloved Amsterdam museum. The attic of this bourgeois house hides a secret Catholic Church built in 1663, during a time when Catholics couldn’t worship openly.
  • Oude Kerk - Next, we’ll see De Oude Kerk (the Old Church), a monumental church in the Red Light District. As Amsterdam’s oldest and once most important church, it remains a grand sight despite losing its title to the New Church.
  • Nieuwmarkt - We’ll proceed to Nieuwmarkt, a lively market square and nightlife spot in the old city center. Since the 17th century, this square has been a hub for commerce and socializing, thanks to its convenient location near the old city gate.
  • In de Waag - At Nieuwmarkt, we’ll also see De Waag, a 15th-century building and one of Amsterdam’s oldest non-religious structures. Originally a city gate, it has served various roles, including guildhall, museum, and fire station.
  • Trippenhuis - We’ll then visit the Trippenhuis & Klein Trippenhuis. The Trippenhuis is Amsterdam’s widest house at 22 meters, while the Klein Trippenhuis, one of the narrowest houses, stands right across from it.
  • Jodenbuurt - We’ll walk to the Former Jewish Neighborhood, or Jodenbuurt, home to many historically significant buildings preserved by the Jewish Cultural Quarter.
  • Museum Het Rembrandthuis - Next, we’ll pass by Rembrandt’s house, now a museum where the painter lived and worked from 1639 to 1656. The museum’s collection includes Rembrandt’s etchings and works by his contemporaries.
  • Dutch National Opera & Ballet - We’ll visit the Stopera, a complex housing the city hall and the Dutch National Opera and Ballet. The building’s construction spanned over 60 years.
  • South Church (Zuiderkerk) - We’ll then see the Zuiderkerk, or Southern Church, a Protestant church in the Nieuwmarkt area. It played a significant role in Rembrandt’s life and is featured in a Claude Monet painting.
  • The Amstel - We’ll walk along the Amstel River, a vital part of the Netherlands since the Middle Ages, providing Amsterdam with water and transportation for over 800 years.
  • Magere Brug - At the river, we’ll see the Skinny Bridge and the Blue Bridge. The Skinny Bridge, Amsterdam’s most famous bridge, dates back to 1934, while the Blue Bridge, named after a 17th-century wooden bridge, is not blue at all.
  • Blauwbrug - At the river, we’ll see the Skinny Bridge and the Blue Bridge. The Skinny Bridge, Amsterdam’s most famous bridge, dates back to 1934, while the Blue Bridge, named after a 17th-century wooden bridge, is not blue at all.
  • Rembrandtplein - We’ll walk through Rembrandt Square, one of the city’s busiest squares, named after the famous painter. Here, you’ll find a bronze-cast representation of his painting, The Night Watch, created for his 400th birthday celebration in 2006.
  • Bloemenmarkt - We’ll stroll through the flower market and see the Munttoren (“Mint Tower”), originally part of a main gate in Amsterdam’s medieval city wall.
  • Munt Tower (Munttoren) - We’ll stroll through the flower market and see the Munttoren (“Mint Tower”), originally part of a main gate in Amsterdam’s medieval city wall.
  • Begijnhof - We’ll visit Begijnhof, one of Amsterdam’s oldest almshouses. This group of houses around a secluded courtyard and garden once housed the Beguines, unmarried women living under vows of chastity. Today, it also hosts two churches.
  • Amsterdam Museum - We’ll pass by the Amsterdam Museum and the Walk of Art Gallery, which is free to the public.
  • Prinsengracht - During the tour, you’ll see the Prinsengracht, a canal running through central Amsterdam. It’s the third and outermost of the city’s main canals, part of an expansion project that took 50 years to complete.
  • Westerkerk - We’ll also pass by Westerkerk, a 17th-century Dutch Protestant church. Located in central Amsterdam, it’s the largest of its kind in the city.
  • Dam Square - Our tour concludes at Dam Square, one of Amsterdam’s most famous locations, known for its notable buildings and frequent events. It includes the Royal Palace, New Church, and National Monument.
What's Included
  • Exclusive Tour Guide
  • Private Transportation Between Locations
  • 5.5-Hour Tour Including Lunch Break
  • Operates in All Weather Conditions
  • All Entrance Fees Included
  • Guided Museum and Walking Tours
What's Not Included
  • Tour price does NOT include hotel pickup or drop-off (we recommend UBER or Taxi)
  • Tour price does NOT include gratuities (optional)
Additional Information

Embark on a distinctive 5.5-hour combined museum and historical walk tour guided exclusively for you. Initially, you’ll explore one of Amsterdam’s most celebrated museums: the Rijksmuseum, followed by a historical tour on foot, trudging through Rembrandt’s Nightwatch headquarters and several other locations that juxtapose the past and the present. Your guide, knowledgeable in history, will inform you about the 18th and 19th centuries, highlight renowned artworks, and reveal some select rarities.

  • It is imperative that you provide us with guests MOBILE PHONE NUMBER (including country code)
  • Notes: Rijksmuseum may be subjected to occasional closures without previous warning from the museum management. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an appropriate alternative if the museum opening time is delayed more than 1h from the tour starting time. In these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts. Appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. No large bags or suitcases are allowed inside the museum, only handbags or small thin bag packs are allowed through security. Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with ‘Skip the Line’ or ‘No Wait’ access. Some specific rooms inside the museum are subjected to a very quiet or restricted right to speak inside, in this cases your guide will provide the information about this places before entering the specific rooms where this rule applies. Some collections may vary along the year.
Location
Cobra Café
Hobbemastraat
Meet your guide outside the Cobra Cafe by the Toilet/Parking entrance on the north side of the building facing the Rijksmuseum. (between the bicycle lane and the Cobra Cafe)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(8 Ratings)
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1 star
599kanchanap
Apr 12, 2024
Van Gogh. - Love it, Well recommend to all art lovers. Would love to book more trip if we got more times. Please plan to book on advance. It is hard to get Van gogh museum ticket.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Duncantch
Dec 15, 2022
Babylon Tours is the only way to see Amsterdam - We were in Paris in September was discovered Babylon tours there and the tours were fantastic. So when we elected to visit Amsterdam a year later, Babylon was the first place we turned and, once again, we were not disappointed despite our high expectations. Our guide was friendly, knowledgable, helpful and professional. She not only clearly knows Amsterdam and art, but also knows what people enjoy viewing, how to present the works in a way that interesting and how to tell a story that ties the entire tour together. Clearly Babylon knows how to find, train, and keep terrific guides, no matter the city. Definitely would recommend this tour and Babylon in general...regardless of what city you're visiting!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A9104bkjackk
Nov 28, 2021
Great Experience - Our guide was entertaining and thoroughly knowledgeable!! Great history of Amsterdam and the Dutch Masters
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure246458
Feb 24, 2020
Fantastic Rijksmuseum Fantastic Victoria - Our tour was wonderful and our guide was fantastic. Victoria braved the inclement weather and a bicycle chain malfunction to provide a professional tour of the Rijksmuseum that was beyond expectations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stewbro
Jan 20, 2020
Great Job Josje ! - Our guide Josje did a fabulous job in helping us to understand the treasures shown in the Rijksmuseum. We would recommend her and the museum to anyone !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fx
Jun 18, 2019
Great focused tour - Giuseppina was fun and offered a lot of insights, focusing on the master pieces in the museum and telling us many details and background stories we would have missed out on otherwise. Enjoyed our day with her very much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jean
Mar 12, 2018
No when you're wrong... and correct the situation! - My son and I had booked a Skip-the-Line: Private Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Walking Tour. The Tour was suddenly interrupted after fifteen minutes because of a general power outage. Frustration got the better of me and I rated the experience as “poor”. Very unfair for our Tour guide according to my son… and he is right! The power failure had nothing to do with the quality of service, I recognize. Our guide, Victoria, was a true professional with an absolute mastering of her subject. The person in charge, Dario, went out of his way to correct the situation and make sure we would appreciate all that was in his power to make our experience better. Here’s an organization that cares! I highly recommend this Service Provider.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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October 2024
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