
Top 5 Photography Ideas For Amsterdam
In this blog Historical Amsterdam Tours has curated some of the most iconic spots, as well as several snappy ideas to capture this vibrant old city.
We start and finish at the Herenmarkt, on the Brouwersgracht, Behind the ‘West Indisch Huis’, a 10 minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station
2,5 hours | -/+ 3 km (1.4 ml)
- Westerkerk
- A visit inside a canal house
- The 'House with the Heads'
- Narrowest canal house
- Nieuwe Lutherse kerk
- oldest bridge
- crooked architecture
See Booking page
We start and finish at the Herenmarkt, on the Brouwersgracht, Behind the ‘West Indisch Huis’, a 10 minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station
2,5 hours | -/+ 3 km (1.4 ml)
- Westerkerk
- A visit inside a canal house
- The 'House with the Heads'
- Narrowest canal house
- Nieuwe Lutherse kerk
- oldest bridge
- crooked architecture
See Booking page
Are you looking to go beyond the postcard views? Our Amsterdam Architecture Tour offers an expert-led exploration of the 17th-century Canal Ring, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its engineering brilliance and unique urban design.
While many visitors find the maze of waterways confusing, our tour provides the historical and structural context to help you navigate the city’s logic. You will learn:
The Urban Blueprint: How the concentric “Grachtengordel” was planned to expand the medieval city center.
Engineering Feats: The secrets of building a world-class city on a swampy foundation using millions of wooden piles.
Renaissance Influence: How Italian architectural ideals were adapted for the Dutch Lowlands.
Trace the history of Amsterdam’s skyline. From the functional Early Dutch Renaissance brickwork to the flamboyant Baroque and Rococo facades, our expert guides explain the status symbols hidden in gables, neck-gables, and ornate crests.
Don’t just look at the facades—step inside. Experience the Golden Age firsthand within a preserved canal house.
Interior Design: Admire original 17th and 18th-century plasterwork.
Hand-painted Wallpaper: Discover rare, sprawling landscape murals that decorated the homes of the Amsterdam elite.
We dive deep into the technical challenges of 17th-century water management. Understand the hydraulic engineering that keeps the canals flowing and the city standing today.
Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, we guide you to the best photography spots in Amsterdam. Capture the perfect symmetry of the bridges and the Westerkerk, a masterpiece of Dutch Renaissance architecture.
Ready to see the city through an architect’s eyes? Join our Amsterdam Canal Ring Tour for an immersive journey into the heart of Dutch history.
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.
On our first trip to Amsterdam together, my husband and I wanted to get a city tour and make the most of our relatively short time here. Historical Amsterdam... read more Tours did not disappoint us! Our guide Tijs gave us such a personal, historic and fun...More
Amazing experience! Tijs took us through the history, like coming back in the past. Walking in the streets, listening at his storytelling was an incredible experience. Such a passionate guide!... read more We learned a lot about the culture, the past and the present. Can't wait to...More
WW2 history isn’t new to me - I’m of the age that I have had the privilege to have met veterans, victims and witnesses of this horrible era in world... read more events. However, I am relatively new to life here in the Netherlands and wanted to learn of their time in this period and must say
This walking tour gave an insight about Amsterdam during the dark period of 1940 and 1945. The 2 hour tour started at the Anne Frank House and ended at... read more the Jewish cultural quarter in the Plantage. Tijs spoke about the harrowing times that led up to the second world war, the daily struggels of the jewish citizens of Amsterdam, their persecution and their massacre in various death camps in Poland. We also learnt about how ordinary Amsterdammers tried to resist the nazi occupation of the city and how they tried to save lives. The tour itself leads through the most beautiful parts of Amsterdam and I highly recommend it to everyone who has not much time to spend in Amsterdam. You will not only visit stunning parts of the city but you will also learn more about the important topic of the Holocaust. At times, I felt emotional during this tour but it was one of those tours that I will remember for a long time. I absolutely recommend.

In this blog Historical Amsterdam Tours has curated some of the most iconic spots, as well as several snappy ideas to capture this vibrant old city.