Red Light District Tour: History and Culture

165 Ratings

Amsterdam

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Embark on a critical and informative tour of Amsterdam’s famous red light district. Explore the history and future of erotic Amsterdam, learn about the work of prostitutes, and gain a critical perspective on sex work in the city.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

National Monument - Start of the tour
Condomerie - Visit the iconic condom shop “condomerie” and learn about the history and importance of contraception in Amsterdam’s red light district.
Oude Kerk - Explore the area around the Oude Kerk (the oldest church of Amsterdam) and dive deeper into the history of how the red light district was established in the historical center. Get a chance to see the first windows.
Amsterdam Centraal - Discover the historic old harbour and learn about all the important facts related to sex work in the red light district. Is the sex work legal? How much do the services offered cost? How does the renting system of the windows work?
Amsterdam Centraal - Take a critical perspective and dive deeper into issues that sex workers have to tackle. Find out whether the liberal city of Amsterdam has pimps and what the city does to make the district safe.
Nieuwmarkt - Learn about the history of coffeeshops, how they got established in Amsterdam, the political situation related to cannabis and the future of the red light district.
Oudezijds Voorburgwal - Receive some tips from your guide how to best explore the red light district at your own pace, including a 70’s peep show.

What's Included

Professional Guide

What's Not Included

Peepshow (2EUR)
Gratuities

Additional Information

Explore the renowned red light district of Amsterdam on a thought-provoking and educational 1.5-hour journey guided by a fluent German or English city expert. Gain insights into the profession of sex workers and critically analyze Amsterdam’s sex industry. Get to know about the sex theaters enriched with unique performances and understand the historical background of the region. Find out about the emergence of coffeeshops in Amsterdam and the possible future scenario of the red light district.

Please note that in summer it gets dark at around 22:00
On Fridays and Saturdays a lot of tourists visit the Red Light District. If you would like a quieter tour please take the tour on another day
The tour will take place in any weather. Don’t forget an umbrella for rainy days
Distance traveled is approximately 1.8 kilometers at a comfortable pace during the city tour
It is forbidden to take photos of the prostitutes
Participants of the public tour 16 years old and older must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants can go on the public tour unaccompanied from 18 years of age.

Location

National Monument

Dam

Departure Point: On the stairs of the national monument (Nationaal Monument) at Dam Square. The monument is a big white pillar/obelisk. Your tour guide will be wearing a red neckless/keycord with her/his name on it.

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings

4.9

(165 Ratings)

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Clarissaba3272xf

Oct 4, 2024

Great Time with Sonya! - Sonya was a great tour guide! She was very kind, funny, and knowledgeable. She made our tour of the red light district amazing!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lori

Oct 2, 2024

Red Light District Tour - Noah was a fantastic tour guide! Very knowledgeable and fun! He was able to answer many questions about history. Highly recommend this tour.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Cherry_s

Oct 2, 2024

superb guide - Our guide was knowledgeable, fun and super nice. She was very patient to all of us who has a lot pf questions. I would recommend this tour. We learned a lot about the red light district.

Review provided by Viator

Cecelia_d

Sep 29, 2024

Great guide and very informative. - The tour was very informative. Our guide could not join us due to the rules for that area but would give us some instructions and then the group would rejoin. I wish I remembered her name. She was a university student that was a very good speaker and very engaging. I would highly recommend this tour.

Review provided by Viator

Carrol_r

Sep 22, 2024

Great tour, even greater guide! 5* - Nina was absolutely the most perfect tour guide. Information was given in a clear and concise manner. Her knowledge and injected humour was very refreshing. It was a joy to meet Nina and we wish her well with her studies. ❤️

Review provided by Viator

Doug_s

Sep 21, 2024

Night time walking tour of Red Light District. - Tour guide Konya (sp?) was exceptional. She was well spoken and had an incredible knowledge of the history and current state of the Red Light District. Highly recommend her as your guide.

Review provided by Viator

Patrick_r

Sep 21, 2024

Very Informative Tour - Very informative tour, our guide Roman did an excellent job giving us the history and behind the scenes information on the Red Light District. One note, you tour around the district, not actually through it (which is illegal in Amsterdam). It was a memorable experience and we’re glad we did it.

Review provided by Viator

Kim_c

Sep 20, 2024

Worth it! - Arena was amazing. Best tour ever. She went above and beyond. I was really interested in finding out more about the history of this district. She was enthusiastic, informative and connected with everyone on the tour.

Review provided by Viator

Cherise_g

Sep 20, 2024

Very interesting - Roman was a fabulous guide. He really gave us a very in-depth explanation of the history of the district! It was fascinating. Loved the food and different stores as well. Highly recommend.

Review provided by Viator

419dunjas