We only had an afternoon to explore after a 10 hour flight (with little to no sleep) before hopping on a cruise departing the same evening. We were picked up by Brahm in his easily identifiable pedicab right at our ship. We requested a highlight of the city -see as much as possible- and were treated to a wonderful visual history and narrative by a truly local guide winding through all the different neighborhoods of such a vibrant city. If you want to maximize your time (not walking unfamiliar streets) and have the BEST personal guide ever, Brahm delivers!
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Private transportation
Excludes
- Snacks
- Gratuities
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Wait in front of the hotel and look for the blue pedicab
Itinerary
Dam square is the main square and heart of the old centre of Amsterdam. It's the place where Amsterdam started to evolve and where we find the royal palace, the new church and the national monument.
One of the oldest dikes around the old centre, the Zeedijk, is where we find the oldest cafe of Amsterdam, with it's beautiful original interior and ancient vibe. Besides it's beauty, It has a dark secret that i will unveil.
The Amsterdam chinatown is the oldest chinese neighborhood of the European mainland. it houses a lot of chinese restaurants, supermarkets and has a chinese temple.
The Nieuwmarkt square is one of the most important squares of old Amsterdam. In the middle of it we find the old citygate, which formed the main entrance to the city when Amsterdam was a walled fortified city until the big city expansion of the 17th century. There is a lot of history around this square to talk about.
The Montelbaanstoren is an old watch tower for the ships that was part of the Amsterdam expanded defense line early 16th century. From here we also have a good lookout over de oude Waal where there are a lot of houseboats lined up with 17th century canal houses as background decor.
We will look at the original Rembrandt house from the outside where Rembrandt used to live during the successfull years of his life. Entering the museum is possible but not included in this tour.
Although a large portion of the old jewish neighborhood in the centre was broken down after the 2nd world war, there are still quit some interesting buildings, synagogues, houses and streets to visit that were an essential part of the old jewish quarter that survived and do exist today.
The Portuguese synagogue is the largest synagogue and also among the very first synagogue that jewish people were allowed to build in western Europe in the 2nd half of the 17th century (1675). We will have a look at the outside of the building and see the other synagogues opposite the building, that now form the jewish museum.
We will pass by the holocaust name monument, where 102.000 brick stones with names, remind us of all the dutch jewish victims of the 2nd world war.
We will pass by the hermitage museum that used to be a monumental large widow house care house built in the 17th century. Nowadays it's part of the russian hermitage museum.
The skinny bridge is one of the most iconic bridges of Amsterdam that beautiful lights up at night when hundreds of light bulbs accentuate it's skinny but stylefull design. From here we have a good overview over the canalised river the Amstel, which is the main and widest canal in Amsterdam. It's also a good place to take pictures
The canal district is the 17th century expansion area that surroundings the old centre of Amsterdam. On any city map it can be clearly seen as the half circles that go around the centre. Here we find the majority of the typical Amsterdam canal houses that were once the homes of successful merchants. Unlike modern times, all canal houses are slightly different, although we will see there are some typical similarities among them that unveil their building era.
Museum square is the biggest and probably the most impressive and nicest squares of Amsterdam. On one side resides the largest museum of the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum, where the bigger Rembrandt paintings are on display, on the other side we will see the Concertgebouw, concert hall for classical music. Also located next to the square are the Van Gogh museum, the Stedelijk museum for contemporary art, the Moco museum (Banksky) and the Diamond museum. Enough to keep you busy for a few days if you have the time. In the tour we stop here to enjoy the views and i will tell you some more interesting details.
We will pass through the famous bicycle tunnel under the Rijksmuseum, where often classical music of street artist can be hear and will then go towards the museumplein to get a really good view of the back of the museum, that was completed in 1885 and designed by the catholic architect Pierre Cuypers.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Traveling with Bram shortly after arriving in Amsterdam was the highlight of our week's stay. He was our legs and gave us a full day's historical tour. We learned more from Bram than reading any books, as we saw the history as he spoke of it. Highly recommend you book directly with him, but don't go away shy of the full 4-hour Historical tour. He's remarkable. He gave us a pictorial history of Amsterdam on our day traveling with him from one end of the city to the other.
It is a great way to see and feel Amsterdam. It also gives you an orientation of Amsterdam. I strongly recommend this for first time visitor to Amsterdam The driver guide was excellent and knowledgeable.
Using this pedicab service is a wonderful way to see and learn about the city up close and personal.
This is the best tour to see Amsterdam, highly recommended. We didn’t have to beat ourselves walking around. Brum picked us up at the hotel. We went to see many sites, canals, gardens, museums, narrow streets, cafes, restaurants we would have not seen riding a car. We also stopped to take photos, He also talked about history and other things. I highly recommend this tour. The price point is worth Solid 5 STARS!!!!’
Bram gave a wonderful tour. He was very informative. Showed us all the sights and gave a lot of insight and information about Amsterdam. This was probably our favorite tour so far!
Excellent tour with Bram. Good communication. He was born here and knows so much about the past history and current situations. Shows a lot of illustrations for better understanding . Highly Recommend.
The absolute best tour ever! The driver picked us up at r hotel on time and off we went. He took us to the local sites and brought pictures of what these sites looked like years before. He took us to places the hop on and off bus doesn't go. it's a private tour. Make sure u book a pedicab tour.
This pedicab tour with Bram was my favorite thing we did on our two week tour to Europe. My 80 year old mother wanted to see this city close up and this was the perfect solution. Bram was knowledgeable, accommodating, and passionate about his city. I highly recommend this tour.
We had a wonderful tour with Bram. We set the overall parameters and he filled in the details based on our interests. He was a perfect match for us. We felt safe and protected. Even on a sunny day, it gets cold in the cab but Bram had a fleece lined poncho that kept us snug. He is very knowledgeable and showed us hidden gems. We highly recommend him. A unique and delightful way to tour this lovely city. Thank you Brad.
This is hands down the best way to see Amsterdam. Our guide was great and knew a great deal About the city’s history. Very interesting.
Super nice local tour guide who gave you lots of information about the city. Very interesting and pleasant 2 hrs in Amsterdam! Highly Recommend!
The pedi bike tour was fantastic! Our guide was incredibly personable and happy to take us anywhere we wanted to go or see. His knowledge of Amsterdam’s history was impressive, and he even showed us pictures comparing how places looked in the past versus today, which made the experience even more interesting. I was a little reluctant to go at first, but after the tour I couldn’t stop raving about it. It ended up being one of the highlights of our time in Amsterdam. I highly recommend this tour without reservation!
Bram was our guide and he was very friendly and informative. He arrived at our hotel on time and dropped us off at the restaurant of our choice. In between, we spent two hours seeing an amazing amount of the city with a lot of excellent narration and history. Very highly recommended!
I booked this pedicab tour for my elderly parents who have trouble walking, and they absolutely loved it. They said their tour guide, Bram, told them all about the histories of places and showed them historical maps and photos of the places they visited while he brought them all over the city. Highly recommended.
This tour is perfect to see Amsterdam. We were able to go to places you wouldn't know about, cover a large area and didn't have to walk. Bram gave us so much history along with pictures of how things where in the past. We just sat back and enjoyed everything. He pulled over when ever we wanted to take a picture or talk more about something. It rained a couple times during the trip and there was a waterproof blanket to pull over us and we did not get wet. Very enjoyable, I would highly recommend this tour.
This should be on your list of “must dos”when visiting Amsterdam. Our tour guide tailored the tour to our interests. He was so knowledgeable, professional, and a lot of fun.
This was my favorite experience on my trip to the Netherlands. I was on a Viking cruise and most tours have a group size of about 15, so you have to go at the guides pace and cant make special requests. Bram answered all of our questions, picked us up near our boat, and dropped us off at our next scheduled museum visit. He is a local with great stories and pictures to show you the history of the city. Just the right amount, so you still see a lot of the city. He stops at many locations for pictures and if you need him to stop, he will when it's possible. He knows all the best paths through the city to avoid traffic. We were there on a 92 degree day and I could see the other tourists longingly looking at our shaded, quick, comfortable mode of transportation. My 88 year old mother would have never have been able to see as much of the city without Brams pedicab. We also did a canal tour, but enjoyed this so much more.
Lots of good information and great history lesson. Our two guide was very knowledgeable and did stops as needed.
Had a great time! Asked if we had any special interests and highlighted those specific areas in the city. Highly recommend!!!
A wonderful way to see the city. The guide, Bram, provided interesting information about many aspects of his home town. He had old maps and photographs that showed the growth of Amsterdam over time. I highly recommend this tour if want to see a cross section of Amsterdam.
We had an amazing experience on this pedicab tour with Bram! He is incredibly knowledgeable about Amsterdam’s history and culture, being a native himself. His storytelling skills, combined with historical photos showing the city’s transformation, made the experience even more engaging and insightful. The ride was very comfortable, and Bram even provided a blanket, which was a thoughtful touch. My mother, who is a senior, and my 7-year-old daughter both thoroughly enjoyed the tour, proving that it’s great for all ages. The pedicab is the perfect way to navigate Amsterdam’s small streets smooth, convenient, and a great alternative to walking or biking while still taking in all the sights. I highly recommend this tour! It’s an excellent way to see the city, learn its rich history, and enjoy a relaxing yet informative ride, all at a great price. If you’re visiting Amsterdam, this is a must-do experience!
Bram, our guide and pedal-power, was knowledgeable and interesting. He not only explained what we were seeing, he also brought pictures and drawings to put things into perspective. Bram was also more prepared than we were, providing a waterproof blanket for the rain and 58F/14C weather (and this was July). Great experience.
Upon arrival in Amsterdam, our hotel was in a very busy area of the city as I was not impressed. After the tour with Bram, my view of the city totally changed. He was personable, friendly and knowledgeable. He took us to quieter parts of the city explaining g history along the way. We had a unique experience of viewing historical photos taken by his ancestors and comparing them to present day. We enjoyed it so much we stayed on the tour for an extra hour. I highly recommend this tour.
We got more than we expected..not just a tour of sights but detailed information throughout..a very knowledgeable and fit owner..on time
We loved everything about our experience and our guide Bram was fantastic. We loved seeing the changes over the years of Amsterdam and the photo album of pictures he used was a great way of showing them to us. We also enjoyed the stops we made along the way. We went by Ann Frank’s house which I was looking forward to among other places.
Our guide gave us a wonderful tour of the city highlighting all of the historic elements and describing them beautifully, very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour as an introduction to the city or if you only have a short time there. We would definitely do it again and recommend to our friends.
Our Pedicab tour was interesting, informative, and fun. Bram deHaan not only showed us around Amsterdam, but told us great stories and history about the different sites. Using a binder of colorful maps and pictures, he explained how Amsterdam has changed over the centuries. We are recommending this Pedicab tour to all of our friends!
We so thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Amsterdam. Our operator Bram was the best. Polite, punctual and just all-around nice person. He taught us a great deal of Amsterdam history throughout the tour. He included an enormous amount of information during our ride. He was clear, articulate and precise. The entire time with him had a nice flow. A huge barrel of information. In addition he directed us to the closest grocer to our hotel and dropped us off there with directions back to our hotel. This was a fabulous 2 hours and well worth the time and money. Aloha and mahalo Bram for making our first visit/ day in Amsterdam fabulous and delightful.
This was a great way to get around the city in three hours. Bram was a very nice & knowledgeable guide and allowed us to extend our two-hour tour, and we got to see so much of the city that we never would’ve seen otherwise. We saw the Jewish quarter, Chinatown, the Holocaust Memorial, lots and lots of neighborhoods with so much beautiful architecture, a large park, and my favorite part was driving through the museum! Loved how Bram shared personal stories and lots of photos so we could compare old & new Amsterdam. We only got out of the pedicab a few of times for photos and to see the memorial, which was fine with us because we were pretty tired from traveling. Highly recommend.
Brad gave a great tour, full of history, and took us all around the inner circle. A great orientation to the city, and a great way to travel,
Fantastic way to see Amsterdam, we saw things that only Bram could have show us. He had a passion and some personal stories that we would have never seen on any other tour. We loved doing this and we highly recommend.
Smooth ride! Bram was a great tour guide, extensive knowledge of history and current events. Flexible route - we saw everything we wanted to see, including areas not visited by other tours. Highly recommend!
I would like to give a shout out to Bram, who took my elderly parents on a two hour bike ride around Amsterdam. What an experience they had, both said it was one of the best days of their lives, and Bram was absolutely beautiful accommodating, and very knowledgeable of Amsterdam ,my 80-year-old mother said she learnt more about Amsterdam in two hours from Bram then she would've ever experienced reading in books or watching documentaries. Thank you Bram for looking after my family so well very much appreciate it. only regret was i didn't book a longer tour for them.
Bram was an excellent host and guide! He picked us from our hotel and showed us many beautiful parts of the Canal ring, the neighborhoods and historic monuments. At every stage he provided detailed history of the beginnings of the city of Amsterdam all the way to the occupation by Hitler’s army. He shared photographs and maps showing how the city had evolved. This tour by Bram was by far one of the best experience for us in Amsterdam and there was no way we could have seen and learnt so much without our exceptional driver/guide. Highly recommend this tour!
This was a fun, exciting, and comfortable way to see the streets and sights of city centre of Amsterdam! We did this tour on a cold and breezy morning in December, and Bram had already warned us to dress warmly for this 2-hour tour. When he arrived at our hotel to pick us up (10 minutes early I may add!), he provided both of us with blankets so we can be extra warm. He took us to see Dam Square, the old Chinatown area, Niewmarket, the 3 main canals and the famous bridges, the Jewish quarter, area near central station, Rembrandt’s house, museum square, and the Jordaan district. At each area he made a stop and told us about the history, and he showed us pictures of the past and present, which made this tour ever more insightful. Bram was born and bred and Amsterdam, so he added a special touch to our tour by providing his perspective of how the city looked while he was growing up compared to now, and how and why the area evolved over the years. He even gave us stories of his personal connections to certain historical buildings along the canals. The pedicab itself is very comfortable (perfect for 2), and it’s easy to get on and off. Bram always gave us ample time to take pictures and videos. I highly recommend this tour to a couple who want to experience the sights without too much walking and who want to avoid crowds. It’s definitely worth the price!
It was a beautiful trip through Amsterdam with lots of very interesting information. Our tour guide, Bram, drove us through Amsterdam savvy and dedicated. Anytime again.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email
