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Who we are

Your private
art architecture history culture guide
in Amsterdam

Explore Amsterdam with Local Private Tour Guides!
Tijs, Edgar, and Maarten are all locals who know the city inside and out. Along with Dutch, English, and German, we can also arrange for other languages upon request.

Our tours focus on the city’s art, architecture and history – an experience you won’t forget!
Book your private tour with us today!

Our Tours

Our guides

Historical Amsterdam Tours is a collective of private city guides. Three Amsterdam locals with an impressive curriculum on the city’s art, architecture and history

Tijs

Founder | Owner | Guide

Edgar

Guide | Art Historian

Maarten

Guide | Art Historian

Discover the fascinating sights and hidden gems of Amsterdam with a private tour guide! Our experienced guides will take you on an unforgettable journey through the city, showing you all the best places of Amsterdam and introducing you to its culture and history.
With
our private tour guide services, you are guaranteed to have a unique and personalized experience of this beautiful city.

view tours

Our guides

Historical Amsterdam Tours Private Guide Tijs

Tijs

Owner | Guide

Tijs is a seasoned traveller. He loves to show people around his beloved hometown, so he founded Historical Amsterdam Tours in 2015. He is happy to share his passion for Amsterdam with you.

Historical Amsterdam Tours Private Guide Edgar

Edgar

Guide | Art Historian

Edgar’s knowledge about the city keeps surprising us. He is an art historian. This makes him the ideal private guide to lead you along the canals and around the museums  of Amsterdam.

Historical Amsterdam Tours Private Guide Maarten

Maarten

Guide | Art historian

Maarten has a degree in art history and literature. You will enjoy having Maarten as your private tour guide in Amsterdam. He knows the city like the back of his hand.

Historical Amsterdam Tours Private Guide Tijs

Tijs

Founder | Guide

Tijs, a BSc in Tourism with years of experience at the Amsterdam Tourist Office, has launched Historical Amsterdam Tours, offering a personal approach to the city‘s rich heritage.

With an impressive library of Amsterdam history, Tijs is passionate about combining storytelling and international tourism.

As a private guide collective, Historical Amsterdam Tours provides a unique opportunity to explore Amsterdam in an intimate setting.

Amsterdam Canal Ring Architecture tour
Tijs is a fantastic, energetic and fun guide. Our group consisted of 30 international guests. They loved the walk through Amsterdam guided by Tijs. Defenitelly can recomment Historical Amsterdam Tours!
JanesMonkey
Jordaan Tour

Edgar

Art Historian | Guide

Discover Amsterdam with Edgar, your private guide! Edgar has studied the history of art at the University of Amsterdam and has worked in tourism, writes about art and finance.

With his expertise, he can show you the beauty of Amsterdam in all its complexity, from its museums to its canals. Book your private tour of Amsterdam with Edgar today!

Edgar: your private art historian in the Rijksmuseum
Edgar was our tour guide and met us at Centraal Station. We were guided around the city for the next two hours and it was delivered in perfect English. You can tell Edgar is very passionate and knowledgeable about history and art, and loves living in Amsterdam itself. He is very approachable and tells a memorable story!
Peter B
Medieval Amsterdam Tour

Maarten

Art Historian | Guide

Discover Amsterdam with an experienced and knowledgeable private tour guide!

Maarten is an enthusiastic art historian and literature scholar with a passion for the city. He specializes in visual arts and cultural history, and would love to share his knowledge of Amsterdam with you.

Book your private tour now and explore the beauty of Amsterdam with Maarten as your guide!

Maarten was our tour guide. Very punctual, friendly and informative. Booked for my partner who is a finance professional and he loved it. Other positives: well structured and researched; happy to answer questions; and good value!
Sightseer778726
Financial History Tour

What others say about us

  • star rating  We made this tour as we prefered to get a more real-live impression of Rembrandt than just looking at his paintings in the Rijksmuseum. And Tijs fullfilled this expectation absolutely.... read more Even if the city looks pretty different today and not all buildings are existing anymore his storytelling makes the 17th century getting back to life before your eyes. He shares a lot of knowledge and you recognize that he is really into his topic and loves to share that.
    So if you want to get to know Amsterdam from a different view, this is your tour.

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    muellerrike
    May 23, 2022

    star rating  Tijs was an excellent tour guide - funny, engaging and incredibly knowledgeable. The private tour was a fantastic experience and made the museum so much more accessible to someone who... read more isn’t an art expert. Would 100% recommend!

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    Hbf99
    May 16, 2022

    star rating  Edgar took my colleagues + I on a tour of multiple areas of Amsterdam and shared so much history + culture with us when we walked.

    I remembered so... read more much of it because it was so well-paced and shared that I've shared a lot of it with friends who have visited since!

    Thanks Edgar and thanks to Historical Amsterdam Tours!

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    chrisfolwell
    May 11, 2022
  • star rating  A very relaxed and experienced guide. Willing to talk and answer questions. The best investment knowledge is to buy high and sell low

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    Mickiewicz K
    August 4, 2021

    star rating  A very relaxed and experienced guide. Willing to talk and answer questions.
    The best investment knowledge is to buy high and sell low

    tripadvisor logo
    mickiewiczk
    August 4, 2021

    star rating  A very relaxed and experienced guide. Willing to talk and answer questions. The best investment knowledge is to buy high and

    tripadvisor logo
    Mickiewicz K
    August 1, 2021
  • star rating  We’ve lived in Amsterdam for 10 years and finally took the time to learn more about the fascinating history. The financial tour did not disappoint - learning about both the... read more financial innovations of the Dutch, but also the uncomfortable truths in its history. Thank you, Thijs, for the engaging tour! …

    tripadvisor logo
    Ramela S
    July 20, 2021

    star rating  We’ve lived in Amsterdam for 10 years and finally took the time to learn more about the fascinating history. The financial tour did not disappoint - learning about both the... read more financial innovations of the Dutch, but also the uncomfortable truths in its history.
    Thank you, Thijs, for the engaging tour!

    tripadvisor logo
    RTJS
    July 20, 2021

    star rating  We’ve lived in Amsterdam for 10 years and finally took the time to learn more about the fascinating history. The financial tour did not disappoint - learning about both the... read more financial innovations of the Dutch, but also the uncomfortable truths in its history. Thank you, Thijs, for the engaging tour!

    tripadvisor logo
    Ramela S
    July 1, 2021
  • star rating  Tijs is one of the people that makes us wish the day to have more than 24 hours! :) Not only a guide who makes the fascinating Amsterdam even more... read more fascinating! His vision for the city reveals the past, the present, and create great perspectives for the future. With all the secrets of each street, you learn not only about Nederlands but also its World's Influence. Knowledge, culture, amazing angles for photos and a real lesson of lively history in just one day, I can imagine how wonderful it would be if we had the privilege to spend a week with our new Dutch Friend! Absolutely recommended, I have no doubt he will be an essential part of my tours!

    tripadvisor logo
    RafaTraveller
    December 22, 2020

    star rating  Tijs is one of the people that makes us wish the day to have more than 24 hours! :) Not only a guide who makes the fascinating Amsterdam even more... read more fascinating! His vision for the city reveals the past, the present, and create great perspectives for the future. With all the secrets of each street, you learn not only about Nederlands but also its World's Influence. Knowledge, culture, amazing angles for photos and a real lesson of lively history in just one day, I can imagine how wonderful it would be if we had the privilege to spend a week with our new Dutch Friend! Absolutely recommended, I have no doubt he will be an essential part of my tours! …

    tripadvisor logo
    RafaTraveller
    December 1, 2020

    star rating  Tijs is one of the people that makes us wish the day to have more than 24 hours! :) Not only a guide who makes the fascinating Amsterdam even more... read more fascinating! His vision for the city reveals the past, the present, and create great perspectives for the future. With all the secrets of each street, you learn not only about Nederlands but also its World's Influence. Knowledge, culture, amazing angles for photos and a real lesson of lively history in just one day, I can imagine how wonderful it would be if we had the privilege to spend a week with our new Dutch Friend! Absolutely recommended, I have no doubt he will be an essential part of my tours! …

    tripadvisor logo
    A Tripadvisor Member
    December 1, 2020
  • star rating  Highly recommend Tijs’s tours. He knows so much, about Amsterdam, is clearly passionate about what he does, and is a great storyteller. Interesting, entertaining & good value for money.

    tripadvisor logo
    MsMelass
    August 21, 2020

    star rating  This was an amazing walking tour of Rembrandt’s steps, where he lived, about his work, the good and bad, etc. It was extremely informative and our guide was Tijs who... read more did an outstanding job. He was funny, and professional, and it was obvious he is passionate about history. Definitely worth doing!

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    vivkadlecek
    August 18, 2020

    star rating  Highly recommend Tijs’s tours. He knows so much, about Amsterdam, is clearly passionate about what he does, and is a great storyteller. Interesting, entertaining & good value for money.

    tripadvisor logo
    traveller_trace
    August 1, 2020

Why book a private guide?

Knowledged and experienced

A private guide can provide you with detailed information about the city's attractions and history, as well as insider tips on where to go and what to do.

Convenience

With your own private guide, you can customize your sightseeing experience according to your needs and interests. You won't have to worry about getting lost or wasting your time.

Personalized Service

With an experienced private guide, you'll get personalized attention and advice. You'll be able to ask questions and learn more about Amsterdam in an intimate setting.

Access to Local Experiences

A private city guide can help you access unique local experiences that you would otherwise miss out on. From hidden gems to unique cultural events, they can show you the best of Amsterdam.

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Historical Amsterdam

6 different tours throughout Amsterdam

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