15 most popular tours of Amsterdam

There is no shortage of tours you can join in beautiful Amsterdam. This makes it more difficult to choose any one or two from the most popular tours of Amsterdam. Following is a list of 12 tours that showcase some popular places in Amsterdam. These are also known to be the best places to visit in Amsterdam. This means that they fill up quickly, so plan ahead. Many tours issue e-tickets that you can purchase them via your mobile phone.

Bus tours

1. Hop-on, Hop-off bus tours

Design your own tour, and set your own pace, hopping on and off a bus that stops at key destinations in the city of Amsterdam. The bus takes a number of routes that cover Amsterdam places to visit, including the Red Route, which has the Museum District, the Jewish Historical Quarter, the Heineken Experience, and more.

Boat tours

2. 1½-Hour evening canal cruise

This guided tour lets you relax and hear all the magical stories about Amsterdam. View landmarks you’ll want to visit during your stay with this canal cruise Amsterdam, including the lit up Skinny Bridge on the Amstel River. You’ll also find out which restaurants and cafés you should not miss during your stay.

3. 1-Hour canal cruise with GPS audio guide

Take one hour out of your busy touring schedule to view all the iconic landmarks of the Canal District. If this one-hour cruise is your first outing after arrival in Amsterdam, it will whet your appetite for more, and help you plan the rest of your stay – or extend your visit in Amsterdam!

Bike Tours

4. 3-Hour guided bike tour of historical Amsterdam

This bike tour covers a lot of Amsterdam tourist places. And a lot of water, naturally! Learn the history, travel alongside the canals, and develop an understanding of the culture. If you want to see all of the historical sites and understand its importance, hear the stories associated with it then go for this.

5. Amsterdam Urban Farming bike tour

Bring out your green thumbs and start farming in Amsterdam. If you want to do something different and aren’t sure what to do in Amsterdam, then take the farming tour. This is a private tour conducted by local residents. You’ll be amazed at the amount of farming going on in the city streets!

Walking tours

6. Jordaan food tour

Your guides on this 3½ hour walking tour of the eateries in the Jordaan district, will take you to hidden corners and alleyways that you may not be able to discover on your own. Meet the descendants of the families who have been marketing their wares to customers since the 17th century. Sample their culinary delights, such as cheese, herring, and, of course, stroopwafel. Eat your way through this district and as it is one of the best things to see in Amsterdam in one day. You’ll spend more time eating than walking, but that’s OK!

Combo tours

7. Walking tour and Canal Cruise combo

Spend 2½ hours combining a walk and a cruise. What could be better? The walking and cruising component show you different viewpoints, so you’ll really have Amsterdam covered. Guides are informative, enjoy what they do, and are well-versed in the history of Amsterdam. They will answer your questions on places and give small unique facts about Amsterdam tourist places.

8. Rijksmuseum + Amsterdam canal cruise

Cruise into the Rijksmuseum without having to stand in a queue, directly from your one-hour cruise along the Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht canals. Or choose the reverse, and start off your tour at the museum, viewing priceless art pieces from the Dutch masters. Either way, this combination is sure to please you.

9. Rock the City

The Rock the City tour is a combination of three activities – the Heineken Experience, together with a canal tour and the A’DAM Lookout. This is a tour that will keep you busy for 4 to 5 hours, without a single dull moment. These three different attractions each provide their own flavor so you can experience some Amsterdam attractions for adults.

10. Countryside & Windmills

This is one of the most popular tours of Amsterdam and is a trip from Amsterdam that allows you to travel through the countryside discovering cheese factories, tulip meadows and windmills. The tour takes you through certain villages like Zaanse Schans, Volendam andMarken. Taste the cheese and enjoy a cruise in Volendam or checkout the windmills of Zaanse Schans. The views are breathtaking, and you get to go out of the main city for a while and relax in the open.

Unusual tours

11. Burgers & Dogs cruise

A cruise including not-quite-gourmet dining will satiate both your food cravings and your hunger for the sights. Eat while you move on the water and see sights without having to walk much. This 90-minute night-time cruise includes a juicy burger, a hotdog, and a drink. Pass the ketchup please, but, uh, hold the jalapenos!

12. Pancake cruise

The Pannenkoeken Boot will have you wondering how many pancakes you can actually eat during a 2½-hour boat cruise of Amsterdam. This all-you-can-eat, kid-friendly tour takes you along the IJ river and includes a playroom for the kids, so your kids are occupied.

13. Plastic fishing

Yes, really. A two-hour tour in the Plastic Whale, getting to know the canals, will put you to work. Help clean the canals of Amsterdam. As a bonus for your hard work, you’ll be paid in chocolate bars!

14. Panorama Rail

One of the best options for what to do in Amsterdam or around it, this is a rolling restaurant. The train departs from the Centraal Station and diners or passengers go through the scenic Holland. It takes three hours to complete where the passengers can dine on delicious food.

15. Tuk tuk tour

Tuk tuks zip around Amsterdam quite fast and what better way to see the place than a tuk tuk. It is a fun Amsterdam attraction for adults. Enjoy sample wine and cheese while you are at it at Henri Wellig Amsterdam.