Amsterdam City Tour

Short escorted tour of Amsterdam exploring the city for 5 days as a small group. Your tour guide provides an authentic experience with expert local guides, exploring one of Europe's most popular destinations with like minded people. Designed as a short tour for those who wish to spend additional time in places at the conclusion of their tour.

From A$4,995AUD

Available

Highlights

  1. 1. Visit the Rijkmuseum and view the famous Rembrandt painting, "The Night Watch".
  2. 2. Tour the Anne Frank House at Prinsengracht 263, which offers a sobering exhibition about the persecution of Jews.
  3. 3. See the Royal Palace Amsterdam, built during the Dutch Golden Age.
  4. 4. Enjoy an excursion to The Hague from Amsterdam.

Departure Dates

Departure Date Price
17 April 2024

Ends 23 April 2024

A$4,995 Twin

A$6,195 Single

Available
Selected

Amsterdam City Tour

Explore the city of Amsterdam on a small group tour with Odyssey Traveller.

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, an exciting city of gabled houses with an elaborate and distinctive canal landscape. The city had its roots in a humble 13th century fishing village that settled on the banks of the River Amstel. The river met the IJ Bay, which tended to overflow and flood settlements, until the fishermen built dikes and later a dam--hence the name "Aemstelredamme" (Amsterdam) or "dam in the river Amstel"--to contain the waters. The first appearance of the name Aemstelredamme in a historic record was in Count Floris V's 1275 document granting bridge toll exemption to "people living near the Amstel dam". This toll privilege in the County of Holland gave freedom to Amsterdam merchants to go wherever they wished, allowing the city of Amsterdam to flourish as the city's traders shipped merchandise to and from Scandinavia and sailed to the Baltic and the Mediterranean. Amsterdam experienced unprecedented growth in the 17th century, attracting immigrants who found refuge in the city. The large foreign population contributed to the city's affluence but also contributed to its congestion. In 1613, Amsterdam began to undertake construction in order to expand its boundaries, adding the now-famous--and UNESCO World Heritage-listed--ring of canals around the historic city centre. Today, Amsterdam retains this multicultural character, with residents from 180 different countries living in an open, tolerant society.

This small group tour is offered to travellers who are seeking a five-day extension in the city as part of an Odyssey Traveller escorted small group tour.

The tour stays in a centrally located accommodation in Amsterdam. Each day we set out to explore various parts of the city, typically using public transport, taxis and the rail network to reach the destinations selected, taking in 2-3 key features or attractions of the city. We will be aided by knowledgeable, local guides who will share the history of the city as we explore.

Amsterdam Tour Highlights:

  • Amsterdam's Museumplein (Museum square) is an art lover's utopia. The largest public square in the city is bordered by world-famous museums: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum (Museum of Modern Art). It also hosts open-air exhibitions and markets.
  • The Rijksmuseum is arguably Amsterdam's grandest and most popular museum, housing historic art by Vermeer, Frans Hals, and other Dutch masters of the Golden Age. It also houses Rembrandt’s renowned "The Night Watch". You can read our article about the masterpiece and its restoration here.
  • The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of paintings, drawings, and letters by the Dutch post-Impressionist master. In 2015, the museum opened a new entrance directly on Museumplein, making it easy to access from the cultural heart of the city.
  • The Anne Frank House at Prinsengracht 263 offers a sobering exhibition about the persecution of Jews. This was where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding from the Nazis during World War II, and a must-visit for those who want to learn more about this dark period in Amsterdam's history.
  • The Royal Palace Amsterdam was originally built during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century as a town hall, before being transformed 150 years later into a royal residence by the French king Louis Bonaparte. The palace today is in active use by the Dutch Royal House but is open to the public on certain days so visitors can explore its interiors and learn more about its rich history.
  • A cruise down Amsterdam's famed canals is a unique and relaxing way to experience the city and view its architecture.
  • The original river settlement was built by fishermen fishing for herring, and all over the city one can still find haringhandels (herring carts) selling the delicacy. Try a "broodje haring" or herring served in a sandwich with pickles and onions.
  • A day trip to The Hague on the train.
  • Amsterdam is home to several flea markets and boutique shops, a great way to go shopping and treasure hunting!

Articles by Odyssey Traveller about Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

The following links are to articles written by Odyssey that may be of interest to you;

Small Group Tours with Odyssey Traveller

This tour to Amsterdam is based in the heart of the city and gives travellers easy access to popular tourist attractions and public transport. Similar to other Odyssey Traveller tours, this tour is designed for the senior traveller and is fully escorted, with the group accompanied by an Odyssey Program Leader and local guides, adding expert knowledge about the history and culture of the area. The small group setting also ensures flexibility and focused attention to programme participants.

This tour to Amsterdam can be used as an extension of other Odyssey Traveller tours to the Netherlands.

For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right-hand side of this page.

Itinerary

7 days

Day 1: Amsterdam

Accommodation: Citadines Sloterdijk Station Amsterdam or similar

We make our own way to our Amsterdam apartment, where an Odyssey Program Leader will meet with the group. The group will also be issued their public transport pass.

The remainder of the day is free so we can settle in our new accommodation.

Day 2: Amsterdam - The Hague - Amsterdam

Accommodation: Citadines Sloterdijk Station Amsterdam or similar

Today we will have a full-day excursion to The Hague, with the use of a private coach and with the help of our local guide. We will view the main sights and visit the Binnenhof, a complex of buildings that is home to both houses of the Dutch government. The oldest part of the Binnenhof is the Ridderzaal (“Knights Hall”), a 13th-century hunting lodge and ceremonial hall built by the Counts of Holland. The most important ceremony held here is the Prinsjesdag, held annually on the third Tuesday in September when the reigning monarch addresses members of both Houses of Parliament from the throne.

En route back to Amsterdam, we stop to view its historical windmills.

(B)

Day 3: Amsterdam

Accommodation: Citadines Sloterdijk Station Amsterdam or similar

This morning we will visit the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House at Prinsengracht 263 offers a sobering exhibition about the persecution of Jews. This was where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding from the Nazis during World War II, and a must-visit for those who want to learn more about this dark period in Amsterdam’s history.

We will then walk to the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace Amsterdam was originally built during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century as a town hall, before being transformed 150 years later into a royal residence by the French king Louis Bonaparte. The palace today is in active use by the Dutch Royal House but is open to the public on certain days so visitors can explore its interiors and learn more about its rich history.

(B)

Day 4: Amsterdam

Accommodation: Citadines Sloterdijk Station Amsterdam or similar

Today we will be entering Amsterdam’s finest museums located on the Museumplein (Museum square), an art lover’s utopia. The largest public square in the city is bordered by world-famous museums. It also hosts open-air exhibitions and markets.

We will explore:

  • The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of paintings, drawings, and letters by the Dutch post-Impressionist master. In 2015, the museum opened a new entrance directly on Museumplein, making it easy to access from the cultural heart of the city.
  • The Rijksmuseum is arguably Amsterdam’s grandest and most popular museum, housing historic art by Vermeer, Frans Hals, and other Dutch masters of the Golden Age. It also houses Rembrandt’s renowned “The Night Watch”. You can read our article about the masterpiece and its restoration here.

(B)

Day 5: Amsterdam

Tour concludes after breakfast today.

(B)

Includes / Excludes

What’s included in our Tour

  • 5 nights of hotel accommodation.
  • 5 breakfasts and 2 dinners.
  • All entry fees and services of local expert/guide where relevant.
  • Services of a Tour Leader for the duration of tour.
  • Gratuities and necessary tips.
  • Detailed preparatory information.

What’s not included in our Tour

  • Comprehensive travel insurance.
  • Return economy class international airfare and departure taxes.
  • Items of a personal nature, such as telephone calls and laundry.
  • Porterage.
  • Meals not specified in the itinerary.
Level 1 - Introductory to Moderate

Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, moderate walking on uneven surfaces between 3 - 5 kilometers per day. Suitable for most fitness levels

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Departure

17 April 2024

Available

Ends 23 April 2024 • 7 days

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Room Type

Single Traveller
A$6,195
Two Travellers
A$4,995 pp

By booking two travellers sharing a room you save $1200 per person.

Payment Type

You can reserve your spot by paying a A$1,000 pp deposit, for full details please see our Terms & Conditions .

Pay Deposit
A$2,000
Pay Full
A$9,990

Prices are per person and valid until 30th December 2023.

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Make it a private tour

If you have a group of 6 friends or more you can book this tour as a private departure, with all the benefits of our small group tours.
Get in touch to find out more.

Easing your journey

Crossing international borders with restrictions

The list of requirements to travel internationally has changed and will continue to change for several years. Odyssey is here to assist you in managing your way through these requirements:

Pre-departure checklist for travelling across International borders.
Support over email or phone available 24/7 for any questions you have.

For more information see our Crossing international borders with restrictions page.

Book With Confidence

If less than 30 days before your tour starts you are unable to travel as a result of Government travel restrictions, Odyssey Traveller will assist you with a date change, provide you with a credit or process a refund for your booking less any non-recoverable costs.

See Terms and conditions for details.

Peace of Mind Travel

The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.

See Peace of Mind Travel for details.

Reading List Download PDF

Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City

Russell Shorto

An endlessly entertaining portrait of the city of Amsterdam and the ideas that make it unique, by the author of the acclaimedIsland at the Center of the World

Tourists know Amsterdam as a picturesque city of low-slung brick houses lining tidy canals; student travelers know it for its legal brothels and hash bars; art lovers know it for Rembrandt's glorious portraits.

But the deeper history of Amsterdam, what makes it one of the most fascinating places on earth, is bound up in its unique geography-the constant battle of its citizens to keep the sea at bay and the democratic philosophy that this enduring struggle fostered. Amsterdam is the font of liberalism, in both its senses. Tolerance for free thinking and free love make it a place where, in the words of one of its mayors, "craziness is a value." But the city also fostered the deeper meaning of liberalism, one that profoundly influenced America: political and economic freedom. Amsterdam was home not only to religious dissidents and radical thinkers but to the world's first great global corporation.

In this effortlessly erudite account, Russell Shorto traces the idiosyncratic evolution of Amsterdam, showing how such disparate elements as herring anatomy, naked Anabaptists parading through the streets, and an intimate gathering in a sixteenth-century wine-tasting room had a profound effect on Dutch-and world-history. Weaving in his own experiences of his adopted home, Shorto provides an ever-surprising, intellectually engaging story of Amsterdam from the building of its first canals in the 1300s, through its brutal struggle for independence, its golden age as a vast empire, to its complex present in which its cherished ideals of liberalism are under siege.

Amazon

In the City of Bikes: The Story of the Amsterdam Cyclist

Pete Jordan

Pete Jordan, author of the wildly popular Dishwasher: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States, is back with a memoir that tells the story of his love affair with Amsterdam, the city of bikes, all the while unfolding an unknown history of the city's cycling, from the craze of the 1890s, through the Nazi occupation, to the bike-centric culture adored by the world today

Pete never planned to stay long in Amsterdam, just a semester. But he quickly falls in love with the city and soon his wife, Amy Joy, joins him. Together they explore every inch of their new home on two wheels, their rides a respite from the struggles that come with starting a new life in a new country.

Weaving together personal anecdotes and details of the role that cycling has played throughout Dutch history, Pete Jordan’s In the City of Bikes: The Story of the Amsterdam Cyclist is a poignant and entertaining read.

Amazon

Amsterdam: Lost in City Guide

Uwe Hasenfuss

Artist studios in churches, a hidden bar in a burger joint, hippie beaches in the center, a restaurant in a greenhouse, thrilling views from the old docks... Get lost in Amsterdam. Getting lost in the city is not about throwing away the map. It's about surrendering yourself to the essence of the place. The sights, smells, flavours and sounds that make it unique. The photography, the art, the creativity that provide its individual inspiration. Getting lost is diving headfirst into what makes each city its own.

Amazon

Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands

Rick Steves, Gene Openshaw

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Amsterdam.With this guide, immerse yourself in the culture of Amsterdam as you stroll along canals and saunter through the red light district. Bike through historic streets to grand museums where you will marvel at the works of the great Dutch Masters. For dinner, sample fine fresh seafood, or stop at a coffee shop for some extra local flavor.Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. He'll help you plan where to go and what to see, depending on the length of your trip. You'll get up-to-date recommendations about what is worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.

Amazon

The Time Between: Love, loyalty and betrayal in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam

Bryna Hellmann-Gillson

This historical novel depicts three young Jewish women, Pam, Jo and Hannah, and their family and friends during the physically, psychologically and morally difficult years of the German occupation, 1940-1945. They print illegal newspapers and false documents, hide Jewish children, commit sabotage and murder.

Their lives come together through Adrian, a young man risking his life in the resistance. He is Pam’s brother, Jo’s first infatuation and Hannah’s lover. “Isn’t this the between time?” he asks. “One day real life stopped, when the Germans came, and some day real life will start again.” For some of them, it did.

Amazon

Articles about Amsterdam

Dutch girl in tulip field Netherlands

Questions about the Netherlands for seniors

Escorted small group tours for mature and senior travellers to the Netherlands. Designed for couples and solo travellers who like to explore and enjoy learning about the history of Dutch Tulips or art restoration as they travel to Amsterdam and beyond.

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The History of Dutch Tulip bulbs

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The Ten Best Art Galleries in Western Europe

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Benefits of a small group tour for the mature and senior traveller

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