Alternative Tour Amsterdam | Drugs Story, Street Art & More
Description
Our Alternative Tour offers an insight into Amsterdam's counterculture, like the squatting culture, hippies, and LGBTQ history. It covers the street art scene and takes us into the genuine heart of the city: The Jordaan neighborhood. Our certified guides are real Amsterdammers and true ambassadors of the city. Our team consists of history teachers, culture vultures, and true gastronomes, making sure we can offer you an experience that is unmatched by the standard tour operator or guidebook. On top of learning about the alternative side of Amsterdam, our guides will advise you on which places to visit while in the city, where to wine and dine, and what tourist traps to avoid. Join us, and get the most out of your Amsterdam experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our tour starts at the National Monument on Dam square, close to where Amsterdam was founded. Our tour also ends here.
Originally built as a town hall, the historic palace is the most culturally significant building of the Netherlands. A visit is highly recommended after the tour and can be booked on the Royal Palace website.
Explore the captivating neighborhood of Jordaan in Amsterdam and immerse yourself in its rich history and irresistible charm. Walk along its narrow streets lined with cozy cafes, art studios, and independent boutiques, and uncover the stories of rebellious artists, working-class heroes, and the struggles of a bygone era.
Amsterdam is famed as a liberal city, but it wasn't always like this. Stop at Amsterdam's Gay Monument and pay tribute to the LGBTQ people who were persecuted because of their gender or sexual preference.
We will stop at various locations showcasing Amsterdam's street art, graffiti & houseboats. As of 2020, tour operators aren't allowed inside the Red Light District, however, we do cover the subject and its relevant backstory.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Recommended for adults (topics include prostitution & soft drugs policy), or teenagers under supervision.
- No catching up with the group if you are late (please book a new time slot)
- Bookings accepted up to 5 people, larger groups will not be taken by the guide
Reviews(12)
No 1 tour- Essential Amsterdam walking tour with Felipe. Excellent tour in which we could ask questions, we learned a lot and the pace was comfortable. No 2 tour- Alternative tour with Alessio. 3/5, he often forgot what he was saying part way through and other people on the tour were constantly interrupting saying about their city etc. We didn’t cover a lot of ground, we moved very slowly and we didn’t feel as though we learned a lot compared to the tour above.
We booked an “Alternative Tour Amsterdam | Drugs story, street art & more” via TripAdvisor, so paying one euro more than buying directly on the company’s website (freealternativetouramsterdam). So far all acceptable, however, once we arrived at the meeting point, there was no our guide and above all none of the guides really present was there to administer this type of tour. From them we were given information on the spot, informal and conflicting with the absence of our guide (and the fact that he did not respond to our messages) and, above all, we never received any official communication from either the company or TripAdvisor. Instead, kindly, we were given the opportunity to join an ordinary walking tour (which we had already done) or receive back the money from our reservation (unclear how and how much). We opted to redo the ordinary tour and, luckily, our new guide has included in his own tour some alternative info.
Dear Caterinal, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. You are absolutely right. The tour should have taken place as booked, and you did indeed book this tour with us. We sincerely apologize for what happened. This is not how our tours are supposed to run, and we fully understand your disappointment. We are currently investigating internally what went wrong, so we can make sure this does not happen again. Normally, all of our tours run as scheduled, and this is something you can rely on when booking with us. Unfortunately, in this case, we clearly fell short of that standard. Thank you again for your feedback, and our sincere apologies for the inconvenience. Kind regards, Tim Lunshof
We bought this voucher, but the guide said afterwards: you have not paid yet. I have to pay a lot for the tour to do, so you have to pay 2 euros each to cover those costs. Then I haven't earned anything. Someone who wanted to leave he called back: you have not yet paid a tip. Although the guide was very sympathetic and gave a pleasant playful tour, I found this an unpleasant ending. I don't think tipping is normal anymore, but to say how much you have to give...then this should be better described when buying
Bedankt voor je review, en fijn om te horen dat je de gids en de rondleiding leuk vond. Helaas mogen wij bij de verkoop van de voucher niet vermelden dat de aanbetaling voor deelname niet het totale bedrag van de tour is. Deze kleine vergoeding gaat niet naar de gids, maar naar het bedrijf, zodat we meer mensen kunnen bereiken en blij kunnen maken met een rondleiding. Een fooi aan het einde, als de tour naar wens is geweest, word meer dan gewaardeerd.
The tour was fantastic! I leaned so many things about the city. Gerben was entertaining and good company. I highly recommend the “Alternative” walking tour. Fine for teenagers.
Hi there, Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback about the Free Alternative Tour Amsterdam. We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a great time exploring the city with Gerben. He’s an amazing storyteller with a real passion for showing the creative, offbeat side of Amsterdam, so it’s fantastic to know you enjoyed his company and learned a lot along the way. We’re also really happy that you found the tour suitable for teenagers — we always aim to make it fun, insightful, and engaging for all ages. Thanks again for recommending the Free Alternative Tour Amsterdam. We hope to welcome you or your family on another one of our tours in the Netherlands soon! Kind regards, Tim Free Alternative Tour Amsterdam
An amazing experience with Sergio our tour guide. With his wit, humour and interesting stories, we walked around the sights of Amsterdam listening to Sergio's every word. He was a true professional, full of empathy and caring to all his attendees, listening to their questions and requirements. This tour was not full of facts, numbers and a guide pointing to the tourist attractions, but with true life stories and history. A wonderful experience, magical and enlighting. i left knowing more about the residents of Amsterdam, than any website. Thank you Sergio, for being Mr Amsterdam!!
I did an Alternative Walking Tour today with Ana. She is an excellent guide. Informative, friendly, helpful, and fun. I chose this tour rather than an historical one and it was exactly what I wanted.
Hi there, Thank you so much for joining the Free Alternative Tour Amsterdam and for sharing such lovely feedback. We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed your walk with Ana. She really is a fantastic guide — friendly, knowledgeable, and full of positive energy — and it’s great to know her style matched exactly what you were looking for. The Alternative Tour is all about exploring a different side of Amsterdam — the street art, culture, and local stories that make the city so unique — so we’re delighted it hit the right note for you. Thanks again for taking the time to write this. We hope to see you again on another Free Walking Tour in the Netherlands! Kind regards, Tim Free Alternative Tour Amsterdam
Gerben was an amazing tour guide for us, he had amazing energy and made us laugh throughout whilst providing us with valuable and interesting information. The tour was one of our highlights of visiting Amsterdam, would recommend to everyone!!
Hi there, Thank you so much for your wonderful review of the Free Alternative Tour Amsterdam. We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a great experience with Gerben. He’s full of energy and humour, and it’s great to know he kept you laughing while sharing stories and insights about the city. It means a lot that you considered the tour one of the highlights of your visit to Amsterdam — that’s exactly what we love to hear. Thanks again for recommending us to others. We hope to welcome you back one day for another fun and inspiring walk in the Netherlands! Kind regards, Tim Free Alternative Tour Amsterdam
The guide did not manage to be heard in our relatively small group (10 ppl). The guide talked a lot about the (old) history of Amsterdam and did not begin on the actual subject while we where there, after 40 minutes we ended up leaving the tour, as we did not hear anything and therefore did not understand the context of the tour.
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that you had difficulty hearing the guide and that the tour did not meet your expectations. We have taken your comments back to the guide to improve the experience for future guests. We can assure you that the tour now focuses on Amsterdam’s unique cultural aspects, including counterculture, drugs, houseboats, biking culture, gay rights, and other liberal freedoms that define the city. We appreciate your input and hope to welcome you again for a better experience. Best regards, Tim
Despite the rain the cold the wind the small committee tour was perfect to discover the history of the city by a pure Amsterdam resident named Paul ❤️ He knows the secrets of history and full of anecdotes about the alleys of bridges the inhabitants of tourists. For a "free" ride I think it's too little paid tips compensate and it deserves much more. Advice at the end that he was asked was appreciated. I had to do the translation for my darling and Paul took the time to let me do it without disturbing him in his visit. So for all this a huge Thank you 💕 See you on King's Day in April 😁 Claire & Benjamin
Hi Claire and Benjamin, Thank you so much for this wonderful review of the Free Walking Tour Amsterdam. What a pleasure to read your kind words about Paul! Even with the rain, cold, and wind, it sounds like he made your visit to Amsterdam special — exactly what we hope for. Paul truly is one of those born-and-bred Amsterdammers who knows every story and secret corner of the city, and we’re so happy that came across in his tour. It’s lovely to hear that you appreciated his patience while you translated for your partner and that he took the time to make sure everyone could enjoy the experience at their own pace. We’ll make sure to share your kind message with him — it will make his day. And yes, we hope to see you again in April for King’s Day, one of the most unforgettable days in Amsterdam! Merci encore et à très bientôt, Tim Free Walking Tour Amsterdam
Had an excellent time despite the crappy weather. Craig was informative and funny; the time passed by in a flash. Highly recommended!
