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Why did the world’s first legal gay marriage happen in Amsterdam? To answer that question, our tour explores stories of individual people from the Middle Ages through today. Their experiences challenge preconceptions and broaden our understanding of gay history. We inspire LGBTQIA+ travelers and locals alike with the stories of people throughout history who stood in their identity.
Our guides are trained storytellers who believe we connect with places through the people who’ve lived there. This tour of queer Amsterdam is the antidote to gay and lesbian Amsterdam tours that make it sound as though LGBTQIA+ history is limited to the L and the G – or that it began in the 20th century!
Join us for a broader view of the ‘gay capital’.
This small-group tour goes through the Canal Belt (a UNESCO World Heritage site), which is the epicenter of Amsterdam’s famous canal parade and street parties. Along the way, we explore some wild history, from the way lavender wreaths brought about the Homomonument’s pink triangle to the way a 17th-century medical misunderstanding may have given cover to cis lesbian and bisexual women.
See Amsterdam’s most beautiful neighborhood while hearing about some of its LGBTQ+ badasses.
The tour starts in front of the historic queer bar Lellebel, and we point out some fun queer-friendly places along the way, from the heart of LGBTQ+ bars and clubs to the Pink Point information kiosk for travelers. At the end, we share a recommendation list to help you get a local’s view of LGBTQIA+ Amsterdam.
Duration
Minimum
Maximum
Price Per Adult
Price Per Youth
Private Tour from
* Stadspas holder or a student? Contact us for a discount.
** Youth = Under 18. This tour mentions violence, sex and some difficult topics.
*** Your own private LGBTQ+ History Tour, starting at €250 for up to 5 guests (max. 15 guests)
Traveling Solo? Fill out our form, and we’ll let you know if you can book a spot on an upcoming tour!
Select a date and time to book your tour!
Select a date and time to book your tour!
Duration
Minimum
Maximum
Price Per Adult
Price Per Youth
Private Tour from
* Stadspas holder or a student? Contact us for a discount.
** Youth = Under 18. This tour mentions violence, sex and some difficult topics.
*** Your own private LGBTQ+ History Tour, starting at €250 for up to 5 guests (max. 15 guests)
Traveling Solo? Fill out our form, and we’ll let you know if you can book a spot on an upcoming tour!
Why is this inscription embarrassing for the most famous Dutch classical playwright, a man known as the Prince of Poets? What scandal happened beyond this arch? And how is this spot connected to a good old-fashioned lesbian love triangle?
Why is this inscription embarrassing for the most famous Dutch classical playwright, a man known as the Prince of Poets? What scandal happened beyond this arch? And how is this spot connected to a good old-fashioned lesbian love triangle?
Tour Distance: 2.7 km | 1.68 mi
We hear you.
Thursdays
Fridays
Saturdays
Minimum of 2 guests per tour.
Having trouble finding a single ticket at the time you want? Invite a friend and open a tour at that time!
You can also fill out our form, and we’ll let you know if you can book a spot on an upcoming tour.
Pro Tip: We post Instagram and Facebook stories 2 days in advance if we have any openings in a scheduled tour.
Interested in a different time and have a group of three or more? Contact us!
Tours go rain or shine.
(But if looks too dicey, we’ll contact you in advance.)
This walking tour is two hours and goes through the Canal Belt from Rembrandtplein to the Torensluis.
Wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather.
In front of Café Lellebel at Utrechtsestraat 4, just off of Rembrandtplein
Click here or email us to request a different time.
The tour goes through the UNESCO World Heritage Canal Belt, including stops in Rembrandtplein, Munttoren, the Kalverstraat, the Westerkerk, the Homomonument, and the Torensluis.
The per-person ticket is a public group tour, where other people may join you on your walking tour. The private tour is just for you and your friends/family.
The tour is entertaining and empowering. The following topics are discussed, but nothing is explicit. In covering the span of queer history, some stories include homophobia and state violence. The tour also includes the full LGBTQIA community, so sexual orientation, the gender spectrum, asexuality, and intersex people are all discussed.
For now, our public tours (the per-person tickets) are only available in English. For Spanish, German, or Dutch, please email us.
Our tour began with the question: why did the world’s first gay marriage happen in Amsterdam? Knowing queer Amsterdam’s history made it even more inspiring, as did the stories of the people who made it happen.
Our stories cover major events in Amsterdam’s queer history while our route covers some of today’s hotspots. We start at Lellebel: Queer Bar and pass the nightlife center of the Reguliersdwarsstraat on our way to the home of Amsterdam Pride.
Amsterdam has a great queer nightlife. At the end of the tour, we share a recommendation page with some places to check out.
Self-Guided Digital Tour
Use your phone to explore Amsterdam! This self-guided tour uses audio, images, maps, and text to introduce you to the women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Jewish people who made Amsterdam what it is.
Private Walking Tour
Get a personalized tour that covers the interests you’re curious about and the neighborhoods you want to see. Choose pick-up/drop-off locations, any combination of our hidden history topics, and themes such as artists, politicians, and rebels.
Private Museum Tour
See the highlights and hidden icons of Amsterdam’s world-renowned Rijksmuseum in a private guided tour that explores who creates art and what stories it’s used to tell. And don’t worry about museum tickets. We’ve got you covered.
Small-Group Walking Tour
The women who shaped Amsterdam are more complex than traditional tours would have you believe. Go to Amsterdam’s historic sites to hear stories of women who fought, wrote, calculated and led through the city’s chaotic and complicated past.
Small-Group Walking Tour
In 1593, Jewish Amsterdammers began building a community in the relative safety of the city that transformed both the Netherlands and the world. Learn about these creative, compassionate, and challenging mavericks and their impact.
Small-Group Walking Tour
This historical tour through the busy Jewish quarter and residential Plantage neighborhood offers a selection of stories from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Jewish and women’s history. It’s the perfect way to get an alternative view of Amsterdam.
