About this experience
Discover Amsterdam's Red Light District on our tour with a German, English, Italian, Spanish or French guide. Walk through the heart of the district, hear about the sex work, and visit a peep show.
Highlights
- Visit one of the last live peep shows
- Gain a critical perspective on sex work in Amsterdam
- Discover the heart of the Red Light District in a small group
- Learn about the history and politics of the district
- Enjoy privacy while walking through the district
What's included
- A tour through the heart of the Red Light District
- Licensed guide (German, English, Italian, Spanish or French)
- Your guide is a professional native speaker. The tour is not bilingual, so please select the correct language option
How to use
- Show Mobile Ticket
- At Redemption Counter
What to expect
This exclusive tour takes you on a journey through the culture, history and vibrant stories of Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District. Discover the political context of the district, how sex workers earn a living, what they make, and how the system operates.
Starting at the National Monument on Dam Square, where the famous Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is also located, stroll to Warmoesstraat, one of Amsterdam’s most well-known LGBTQ+ streets. Pass the Condomerie, a unique condom shop, and hear about the city’s history of contraception.
Walk through Amsterdam’s narrowest alley and hear why it was once the hottest spot in the Red Light District. Explore the socio-political history of coffeeshops and gain a critical perspective on sex work in the area.
Enjoy a small-group experience of up to 4 participants, allowing your guide to take you through the heart of the district and show you various establishments, including the famous red-light windows.
Gain insight into the history of Amsterdam’s coffeeshops and Marihuana, the current political landscape, and why they are seen as both a blessing and a challenge for the city.
See the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam’s oldest church, and explore its fascinating and paradoxical connection to the Red Light District.
Learn how the city’s golden age of trade helped not just art and creativity flourish in Amsterdam. Artists such as Rembrandt, whose works now hang in the Rijksmuseum, and Van Gogh, who has his own museum, the Van Gogh Museum, benefited greatly from the wealth generated by trade, even if not necessarily during their lifetimes. The famous Heineken brewery also grew during the city’s heyday. Today, the Heineken Experience has become an integral part of Amsterdam. But there is something that benefited even more from the trade: the business in the red-light district.
Embark on this unique tour as new tourist regulations now restrict larger groups from walking directly through the district. This ensures the most authentic experience, letting you see the district as it really is.
Visit an iconic 1970s peep show (one of the last live peep shows in the world) to round off your tour with a first-hand experience of what the district has to offer.
The tour ends at Nieuwmarkt, on the edge of the red-light district and the Jewish quarter, where Anne Frank also lived before she and her family went into hiding in her father’s factory, which is now the Anne Frank House.
Terms & conditions
This tour is conducted in German, English, Italian, Spanish or French – it is not bilingual. Please ensure you select the correct language option when booking.
This tour does not include an indoor visit to a coffeeshop.
On Fridays and Saturdays, the Red Light District is very busy. For a quieter experience, we recommend taking the tour on another day.
The tour takes place in all weather conditions. Please bring an umbrella in case of rain.
The walking distance is approximately 1.8 km (1.2 miles) at a comfortable pace.
Photography of sex workers is strictly prohibited.
Participants aged 16–18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants under 16 may only join a private tour, which can be adjusted according to their age.
The peep show is a brief 2-minute experience with no physical interaction.