— GUIDED TOURS · AMSTERDAM
10 unmissable guided tours in Amsterdam (free)
Ten walking routes through Amsterdam that you follow on your own, with no guide to pay and no tip to leave. Free here means streets, canals, squares, courtyards and parks that are open to all. Where an entry charge applies, it is stated plainly, and it always stays optional.
Ellie Marsden, Netherlands specialist · September 6, 2026 · 9 min read
These ten walks have one thing in common: you do them yourself, on foot, with no guide to pay and nothing to book. We built them around themes rather than a checklist — the historic core, the Jordaan, the listed canals, a market, a park, a ferry crossing, an evening by the water. Each fits into half a day at most, stays flat, and uses only streets, squares and places anyone can enter.
Take them in any order: nothing links up, and each route starts at a precise point that is easy to reach on foot or by tram. The times assume an unhurried walk with stops, and the distances are rounded. If you want commentary while you walk, the CityGuide app plays audio by itself as you approach each place; it is a paid service and entirely optional.
Prefer one single route, step by step?
Free walking tour Amsterdam: the official self-guided (and free) route →
Read the full itinerary
10 tours · ranked from the most unmissable
No booking · no tipping
#1
Martijn Stoof · Pexels
1. The heart of Amsterdam in one loop
Dam Square, the Royal Palace, Rokin and the flower market
- 1h15
- 2.5 km · Easy
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
A first loop to make sense of the city. Dam Square is no ordinary square: it is the dam on the Amstel that gave Amsterdam its name. In front of you stand the Royal Palace, built in the 17th century as a town hall, and the New Church, where Dutch monarchs are sworn in. You then walk down the Rokin, a filled-in canal, to the Mint Tower and the flower barges of the Bloemenmarkt.
- Route :
- Dam Square and the National Monument → Royal Palace (exterior) → New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) → Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal → Rokin and the Mint Tower → Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt)
- Start :
- Dam Square, in front of the National Monument
- Access :
- Streets, squares and exteriors: free. Royal Palace and New Church: paid entry, entirely optional.
- Tip :
- Set off early: Dam Square is calm before 9am. Walk beside the cycle lanes, never on them.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
#2
Fons Heijnsbroek · Unsplash
2. Medieval Amsterdam, from the Oude Kerk to the Waag
The oldest quarter, its churches and its towers
- 1h10
- 2.3 km · Easy
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
Amsterdam started here. The Old Church, consecrated in the 14th century, is the oldest surviving building in the city; around it, the medieval street pattern outlived the grand canals, dug much later. On the Zeedijk, the He Hua temple marks the Chinatown that settled here in the early 20th century. The Waag, on Nieuwmarkt, was a city gate before it became a weigh house. You finish at the Montelbaanstoren.
- Route :
- Old Church (Oude Kerk) → Warmoesstraat → Zeedijk and Chinatown → He Hua Buddhist temple → The Waag on Nieuwmarkt → Montelbaanstoren
- Start :
- Oudekerksplein, in front of the Old Church
- Access :
- Streets and squares: free. Inside the Old Church: paid ticket, optional.
- Tip :
- This route crosses the Red Light District, where group tours have been banned since 2020. Walk alone and never photograph the windows.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
#3
3. The Jordaan: lanes, courtyards and small bridges
The old working-class district north of the canals
- 1h40
- 3.4 km · Moderate
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
The Jordaan was laid out in the 17th century for craftsmen and immigrants, outside the smart canal belt. It is a place to wander: narrow lanes, hidden hofjes, tiny shops. In front of the Westerkerk, whose tower rises over the whole quarter, the queue for the Anne Frank House is a reminder that the secret annexe stood right there, on the Prinsengracht. Brouwersgracht, to the north, lines up former warehouses.
- Route :
- Westerkerk and Westertoren → Anne Frank House (exterior) → Prinsengracht → Johnny Jordaanplein → Noordermarkt and Noorderkerk → Brouwersgracht
- Start :
- Westermarkt, at the foot of the Westerkerk
- Access :
- Streets, canals and outer courtyards: free. Anne Frank House: paid ticket, booking required.
- Tip :
- On Saturday mornings the Noordermarkt fills with farm produce and flea stalls. Skip Prinsengracht at midday, when it clogs up.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
These 10 tours, narrated in audio
The CityGuide Amsterdam audio guide starts by itself in front of each place. You walk, it tells the story.
Full audio guide
$21.90 $39.90
★ 4.8/5 · 15 reviews
30-day money-back guarantee
#4
Marvin Hashirama · Pexels
4. Free viewpoints along the IJ
Open rooftops, a library terrace and a ferry with no ticket
- 2h
- 3.8 km · Moderate
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
Amsterdam can be seen from above without paying. The central library opens its top floor onto a terrace that sweeps over the Oosterdok, and the sloping roof of NEMO is a public space you can simply walk up. Behind Central Station, ferries cross the IJ free of charge, day and night: a few minutes on the water and you land in Amsterdam-Noord, facing the white shape of the EYE.
- Route :
- OBA library, top-floor terrace → NEMO rooftop → Oosterdok and its footbridge → Central Station, ferry quays → Free ferry to Buiksloterweg → EYE forecourt and the foot of the A'DAM Tower
- Start :
- OBA public library, Oosterdokskade
- Access :
- Terraces, ferries and forecourts: free. A'DAM Lookout and the NEMO exhibits: paid tickets.
- Tip :
- Go up NEMO in late afternoon, when the light catches the harbour. Ferries take bicycles, so let them board first.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
#5
Nikolai Kolosov · Unsplash
5. Quiet courtyards and places of worship
The Begijnhof, hidden chapels and the Singel churches
- 1h05
- 1.5 km · Easy
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
A low door off the Spui opens onto the Begijnhof: a lawn ringed by houses, where devout women once lived without taking monastic vows. Two places of worship face each other here, the Catholic chapel and the English Church, next to one of the few surviving wooden-fronted houses in Amsterdam. The rest of the walk follows the Singel, between a Lutheran dome and the neo-Gothic spires of De Krijtberg.
- Route :
- Spui → Begijnhof → Begijnhof Chapel → English Church (Engelse Kerk) → Round Lutheran Church, Singel → De Krijtberg, St Francis Xavier
- Start :
- Spui square, by the entrance to the Begijnhof
- Access :
- Begijnhof and courtyard: free. Chapels open around services; donations welcome, never required.
- Tip :
- The Begijnhof is still lived in: keep your voice down, close the gate behind you, and check the opening hours posted outside.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
#6
Zion C · Unsplash
6. Vondelpark and Museumplein on foot
The big park, the lawns and gardens that cost nothing
- 1h50
- 3.8 km · Moderate
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
Vondelpark was laid out in the 19th century in the English landscape style and named after the poet Joost van den Vondel, whose statue stands among the lawns. In summer the open-air theatre puts on free performances. You come out on the east side towards Museumplein, its wide grass and pond, then reach the Rijksmuseum gardens, open to anyone behind the museum.
- Route :
- Leidseplein → Vondelpark entrance → Vondel Monument → Open-air theatre (Openluchttheater) → Museumplein → Rijksmuseum gardens
- Start :
- Leidseplein
- Access :
- Park, Museumplein and Rijksmuseum gardens: free. Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and Stedelijk: paid tickets.
- Tip :
- On Sundays the Leidseplein end of Vondelpark is packed; enter from Amstelveenseweg for a much calmer walk.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
#7
Ronnie Overgoor · Unsplash
7. De Pijp: Albert Cuyp Market and Sarphatipark
Market stalls, red brick and Amsterdam School façades
- 1h30
- 2.9 km · Moderate
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
Albert Cuypstraat holds a street market from Monday to Saturday: smoked fish, cheese, stroopwafels pressed in front of you. Walking the stalls costs nothing; tasting is up to you. Further on, De Pijp shows another face: the trees of Sarphatipark, the gabled oddity of the House with the Gnomes on Ceintuurbaan, then the rippling brickwork of De Dageraad, workers' housing by the Amsterdam School.
- Route :
- Albert Cuyp Market → Gerard Douplein → Gerard Dou Synagogue → Sarphatipark → House with the Gnomes, Ceintuurbaan → De Dageraad housing estate
- Start :
- Corner of Ferdinand Bolstraat and Albert Cuypstraat
- Access :
- Market and streets: free. Tastings and purchases are yours to pay. Heineken Experience: paid.
- Tip :
- The market closes on Sundays and packs up around 5pm. Come in the morning, before the lunchtime crowd.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
These 10 tours, narrated in audio
The CityGuide Amsterdam audio guide starts by itself in front of each place. You walk, it tells the story.
Full audio guide
$21.90 $39.90
★ 4.8/5 · 15 reviews
30-day money-back guarantee
#8
Adrien Olichon · Unsplash
8. The canal ring, façade by façade
Grachtengordel, the Nine Streets and the Golden Bend
- 1h45
- 3.5 km · Moderate
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
The 17th-century canal ring is a Unesco World Heritage site, and it reads like a book: the width of the plot, the shape of the gable, the hoisting beam under the ridge used to haul furniture upstairs. Between Keizersgracht and Herengracht, the Nine Streets fill old craftsmen's houses with shops and cafés. The Golden Bend, by contrast, shows the double-fronted mansions of the merchant families.
- Route :
- House with the Heads, Keizersgracht → Huis Bartolotti, Herengracht → The Nine Streets (De 9 Straatjes) → Golden Bend (Gouden Bocht), Herengracht → House on the Three Canals → Oudemanhuispoort
- Start :
- Westermarkt, at the corner of Keizersgracht
- Access :
- Streets, bridges and façades: free. The canal house museums charge admission, all optional.
- Tip :
- Look up: gables date the houses. Walk at the end of the day, when lit interiors let you glimpse the rooms.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
#9
Marcelo Verfe · Pexels
9. Amsterdam at night, bridges and reflections
From Rembrandtplein to the Amstel, once the lights come on
- 1h15
- 2.4 km · Easy
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
After dark the arches of the bridges are picked out in small lights and doubled in the water. From Thorbeckeplein, looking south, several bridges over the Reguliersgracht line up in a single perspective. Further along the Amstel, the Skinny Bridge, a white wooden double bascule, still opens for passing boats. The way back follows the river past the lit-up Carré theatre.
- Route :
- Rembrandtplein → Thorbeckeplein and the Reguliersgracht view → Blauwbrug → Skinny Bridge (Magere Brug) → Amstel locks → Amstel quayside by the Carré theatre
- Start :
- Rembrandtplein, by the Rembrandt statue
- Access :
- Bridges, quays and lighting: completely free. Canal cruises are paid and not needed here.
- Tip :
- In winter darkness falls around 5pm, ideal for an early walk. Stay on the pavements; the quays are narrow and slippery.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
#10
Fons Heijnsbroek · Unsplash
10. Amsterdam-Noord: the NDSM yard by ferry
A free crossing, industrial halls and painted walls
- 2h
- 3.6 km · Moderate
- 6 stops
- Optional audio: EN · FR · ES · DE
NDSM was a shipyard; the cranes and the halls stayed, taken over by artists' studios, stages and cafés set down on sand. The ferry, free like every crossing on the IJ, takes about fifteen minutes and opens a wide view over the port. Once there you walk between painted containers, walls covered in murals and motionless cranes, a long way from the postcard canals.
- Route :
- De Ruijterkade pontoons → Free ferry to NDSM → NDSM shipyard (NDSM-werf) → STRAAT murals and façade → IJ waterfront towards Pllek → Ferry back to Central Station
- Start :
- Ferry pontoons behind Central Station (De Ruijterkade)
- Access :
- Ferry, quays and outdoor murals: free. STRAAT museum and A'DAM Lookout: paid tickets.
- Tip :
- The NDSM ferry runs less often than the others: check the timetable on the pontoon before you cross.
Free
self-guided, at your own pace
How to do these tours for free (without missing anything)
1. Fix your starting point
Every walk names a concrete start: a square, a pontoon, the corner of two streets. Find it on a map before you go out, and note the tram or metro line that gets you there. Amsterdam is compact, but the concentric canals play tricks on your sense of direction: two bridges the wrong way and you are back where you began. An offline map is enough.
2. Build a day that is not a race
Two walks in a day is comfortable; three is a lot. Pair a city-centre route in the morning with lunch at a market, then a park or a ferry crossing in the afternoon. Keep the night walk for a clear evening. And watch for bikes at all times: they have right of way in practice, and cycle lanes are not pavements.
3. Add audio commentary if you want it
Walking in silence works perfectly well. If you would rather have explanations as you go, the CityGuide app starts an audio commentary automatically when you get close to a place, with nothing to search for or tap. Guides download in advance and run offline, which avoids data charges. It is a paid product: the ten routes above work fine without it.
— Frequently asked questions
Free guided tours in Amsterdam: your questions
Yes. They are walking routes you follow on your own, through streets, squares, courtyards and parks that are open to all. There is no guide to pay, no tip and no booking. The only possible spending is what you choose: a museum, a taste at the market, a coffee. Each route states clearly what costs money.
Two, without rushing. The routes take between one and two hours of walking, stops included, plus the travel between them. Three is possible if you pick short, neighbouring routes, such as the medieval core and then the Begijnhof courtyards, but you will take in less. Leave yourself time to linger.
Yes, on your own and on foot. Guided group tours have been banned there since 2020, at the request of residents and sex workers. Passing through is still allowed, and you will: the Old Church, the Waag and the Zeedijk all sit inside it. Never photograph the windows, do not gather in groups, and keep your voice down at night.
No. The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk and the Anne Frank House all charge admission, and the Anne Frank House requires an online booking. Their surroundings cost nothing, though: Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum gardens and the façade at Prinsengracht 263 are all in plain view. Check opening hours and prices before you set out.
It is an optional audio companion. You walk, and the commentary starts by itself as you come near a place; there is nothing to trigger or read. The Amsterdam guide downloads in advance and works with no signal. It is paid for, and completely separate from the ten routes described here, which stay free.
— Go further
Amsterdam explained, without staring at a screen
You walk, the audio guide does the rest: the commentary starts on its own as you approach a canal, a church or a square. The full Amsterdam guide downloads once and plays offline, using no data. The ten routes on this page stay free either way.
Explore the Amsterdam audio guide
