Adam & Eve Amsterdam Food Tours

Private history tour

Golden Age Amsterdam: Maritime History Tour & Museum Ticket

A private walk through Amsterdam's old maritime quarter. VOC stories, sailor history, two tastings, and a full hour inside the National Maritime Museum. Local guide, your group only.

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€85 per person

The VOC tall ship and National Maritime Museum lit by sunset in Amsterdam

Walk distance

2 km

Duration

2 hours + 1 hour museum

Age

Recommended 12+

Meeting point

Café Schreierstoren, Prins Hendrikkade 95

Group size

Up to 12 per guide; larger groups welcome, in small groups, each with its own guide

Amsterdam’s Golden Age was built by sailors

The VOC made Amsterdam the richest city in the world. This private tour takes you through the old maritime quarter, where that story is still written into the streets, the towers, and the bars. Your guide keeps it personal, specific, and anything but a standard city walk.

The short version: €85 per person, 2 hours on foot plus a full hour inside the National Maritime Museum, 2 tasting stops, private for your group only, up to 12 guests with one guide, and bigger parties are welcome on request: a larger group walks in several small groups, each with its own guide. We meet at Café Schreierstoren, Prins Hendrikkade 95, and walk about 2 km / 1.2 miles through the old harbour quarter. Your museum entry ticket is included.

What to expect

Start at the Schreierstoren, the Tower of Tears, where Henry Hudson set sail for America in 1609. Walk through the Zeedijk sailor strip, past Cafe het Aapje where sailors once paid their tabs with monkeys, around the corner where the world’s first stock exchange operated, and through the old harbour district to Kadijksplein.

The tour ends at Cafe de Druif with a drink in hand while your guide tells the press-gang story. Then you walk across to the Maritime Museum, entry ticket included.

Guests tell us the stories are what stay with them: not dates and dusty facts, but the city brought to life, street by street. If you’re curious how those VOC ships changed what the Dutch eat, read how colonial history shaped Amsterdam’s food, or see the canals themselves with our canal cruise guide.

Want the maritime quarter as one part of a longer day, with food or a canal boat? We plan that as a custom private tour: food, bikes, boats and history, built around your group.

What to expect

How the tour flows

Note that every tour is a little different. Ask your guide for special wishes.

  1. 01

    Schreierstoren (Tower of Tears)

    Tasting

    Welcome drink and snack at the 15th-century watchtower where Henry Hudson set sail in 1609.

  2. 02

    Cafe het Aapje & the Zeedijk

    Pass by

    One of Amsterdam's oldest bars. Sailors paid their tabs with exotic animals. Your guide explains where 'broodje aap' comes from.

    Two guests by a pile of old bikes with the Oude Kerk church behind on the food tour
  3. 03

    Sint-Olofskapel

    Pass by

    Named after a Viking king. Also where the world's first stock exchange operated. Outside in good weather, inside the chapel when it rained.

  4. 04

    De Waag, Nieuwmarkt

    Pass by

    Medieval city gate turned weigh house. Everything from VOC ships was inspected and taxed here.

  5. 05

    Amrath Hotel (former KNSM headquarters)

    Pass by

    Grand art nouveau building that once served as HQ for the Royal Dutch Steamship Company.

  6. 06

    Montelbaanstoren

    Pass by

    Built in 1516. VOC-era lookout post with direct sightlines over the shipyards. One of the best-preserved towers in Amsterdam.

  7. 07

    Michiel de Ruyter's house

    Pass by

    Home of the admiral who rose from rope-maker to the man who sailed up the Thames and towed the English flagship back to Amsterdam.

  8. 08

    Cafe de Druif

    Tasting

    One of Amsterdam's most historic brown cafes. Your guide tells the press-gang story over a drink: how young men ran up a tab here and woke up with a VOC contract.

    Wooden board of cured ham, nuts and grilled bread with two beers on a terrace table at golden hour
  9. 09

    Het Scheepvaartmuseum, the National Maritime Museum

    Pass by

    Your guide walks you to the entrance. Ticket included. VOC ship replica, historic charts, four centuries of Dutch seafaring. Open daily 10am-5pm.

    The replica tall ship moored outside the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam

What's included

  • Private local guide. For approximately 2 hours.
  • Welcome drink and snack at the Schreierstoren. To open the tour.
  • Drink and snack at Cafe de Druif. One of Amsterdam's oldest sailor pubs.
  • Entry ticket to the National Maritime Museum. 1 hour self-guided.
  • Route through the historic maritime quarter. Zeedijk, Nieuwmarkt, Montelbaanstoren, Prins Hendrikkade, Kadijksplein.
  • Private group. Your party only, no strangers joined.

Not included

  • Additional food or drinks. Beyond the two included tasting stops.
  • Transport. To and from the meeting point.
  • Personal purchases inside the Maritime Museum.
  • Gratuities. Not required, appreciated if you enjoyed the experience.

What guests say

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Good to know

Questions, answered

How much does the Golden Age maritime history tour cost?

The maritime history tour is €85 per person, including your private local guide, a welcome drink and snack at the Schreierstoren, a drink and snack at Cafe de Druif, and your entry ticket to the National Maritime Museum.

Is this a private or shared tour?

The maritime history tour is fully private: only your group, no strangers added. You get the full guide to yourselves for the entire experience.

Is the Maritime Museum ticket really included?

Yes, the Maritime Museum ticket is included in the tour price. You get a full hour to explore at your own pace after the guided walk. Museum open daily 10am-5pm, latest recommended start is 2pm.

Where exactly do we meet?

The maritime history tour meets outside Café Schreierstoren, Prins Hendrikkade 95, a short walk east of Amsterdam Central Station. Please arrive 5 minutes early.

How much walking is involved?

The maritime history tour covers roughly 2 km / 1.2 miles over 2 hours on cobblestone streets at a relaxed pace with frequent stops. Comfortable shoes strongly recommended.

Do you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Dietary needs on the maritime history tour: please mention them when you enquire and we'll do our best to accommodate at both tasting stops.

Is this suitable for children?

The maritime history tour covers adult historical themes including VOC colonial trade and press-ganging, so we recommend it for guests 12 and older. The Maritime Museum is great for all ages.

Can I cancel or move my booking?

Cancel up to 24 hours before the tour starts and you get a full refund. For bookings above €1,000, such as a large company group, the free cancellation window is 48 hours. Need a different date or time instead? Email or WhatsApp us and we move the booking if a guide is free.

Can we pay in US dollars for the maritime history tour?

Prices are in euros. After you enquire we send you a card payment link, and your card is charged in euros. Your bank converts the amount, so check whether your card adds a foreign transaction fee.

Are there toilets on the maritime history tour?

Yes. Café Schreierstoren, where the tour starts with a drink, and Cafe de Druif both have a toilet, and so does the National Maritime Museum, where the tour ends.

Is the maritime history tour wheelchair accessible?

The maritime history tour is private, so we can adapt the route to make it wheelchair friendly. Mention it when you email or WhatsApp us. A foldable wheelchair is appreciated, because the old harbour quarter has cobblestones and narrow café doors.

Is tipping expected on the maritime history tour?

Tipping is not expected on the maritime history tour, or anywhere in the Netherlands: service is included by law and your guide is paid properly. If they made your day, a tip is welcome and always optional, and a review on Google or Tripadvisor does even more for them.

Can we do the maritime history tour in another language?

The maritime history tour runs in English. Other languages are on request: name the language in your enquiry, and we confirm whether a guide is free to tell the story in it.

Can a bigger group do the maritime history tour?

Yes, bigger parties are welcome on request. A larger group walks the old harbour quarter in several small groups, each with its own guide. Put your group size in your enquiry and we plan the guides around it.

How far ahead should we book the maritime history tour?

Earlier is easier, especially from May to September. For a date that is close, message us on WhatsApp at +31 6 23028032 and we will tell you straight away whether a guide is free.

Can our company pay by invoice?

Yes. Send us the company name, address and VAT number with your enquiry and we invoice your company directly, or we send you a card payment link instead. Prices are in euros.