Discover Amsterdam’s culinary history on a 2-hour food walking tour, led by an expert guide! While learning about the city’s gastronomic roots, sample much-loved local dishes like fresh herring and salty fries. Sit down in a leading city cheese shop for a tasting session, and hear all about the Dutch spice trade during the 16th century. The tour finishes on a high note with drinks in an atmospheric 17th-century distillery.
Numbers are limited to 12 on this small-group food tour, ensuring you’ll see the city’s culinary hotspots with personalized attention from your guide.
After meeting your guide in the center of town, stroll around the city to learn about the Netherlands’ gastronomic heritage. As a country wedged between nations with more distinctive culinary traditions, the Netherlands’ cuisine is less well defined – taking influences from its European neighbors. Hear of the Dutch love for hot, salty French fries – a specialty from its Belgian neighbor – and after trying some for yourself in a café, sample a dish of fresh herring – a fish favored by the Scandinavian nations.
Continue walking through the city streets, passing alongside picturesque canals and over pretty bridges, before venturing inside one of Amsterdam’s top cheese shops and sample some of its pungent artisan cheeses. Learn about the thriving Dutch spice trade during the 16th century; the Netherlands was a major player in the East Indies Spice trade.
Visit a 17th-century distillery next, and discover the history of the Dutch brewing industry while sipping on a house spirit (or other traditional drink). Hear trivia and little-known facts about the industry, and learn how the Germans and Americans have influenced the country’s brews over the ages.
Your tour finishes at the distillery, and your guide will happily give you tips for other local eateries to try out before leaving.
My husband and I enjoyed this tour. Tyler was knowledgeable and funny! Love to take another tour with him!
Review by: sjrieger, July 2018
Tour conducted in the non-touristy part of town. Very leisurely pace - excellent food samples. Great fun and group small enough to really enjoy the tour. Thank you!
Review by: tlgballet, July 2018
Wow! This is the first time my kids and I tried a food tour ... Im very glad we did !!! Tyler is a fabulous guide and now we are going to try more food tours in other cities we go to. We were so blessed that we were the only ones in the tour so we got to go faster - which meant more treats ...we had 7 !!! The best for us were the french fries . Yuuuuuum _br/_ Tyler is also a good tourist guide so that was also an added treat getting to know more l things about Amsterdam.like why the houses in Amsterdam tilt forward and many very interesting fun facts . Thank you again Tyler !
Review by: Ian T, July 2018
Great tour with lots of different food to try, definitely don't eat before you do this. Interesting information given on the city.
Review by: Susan D, July 2018
Our guide Arthur was great. He shared local knowledge withi casual eating. The walking pace was comfortable and we didn’t feel rushed. The food was on the go fast food with a good variety. We were on the go for several hours. It was really enjoyable.
Review by: Nita, May 2018
Taylor was an excellent host and guide. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and will recommend it to anybody. He took us along all the small alleys and exceptional food bars. Excellent!!
Review by: Ana-Maria S, May 2018
It was an interesting way of discovering local culture and we were only 4 so felt like a private tour. Tyler gave a nice walk between places we had samples of truly authentic local food and plenty of them and offered us tips about were to eat and shop. The tour finished at a central pub near the Dam square. It is a bit pricey but with the discount from Viator it was OK.
Review by: James G, December 2017
The food tour was great. Just six of us, so plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get to know our fellow travelers. Our guide knew lots of places with local fare and information about what we were snacking on. We learned that French Fries originated in Belgium - sorry France. They are twice fried to make them crispy on the outside without being overdone inside. Local custom is a take-away paper cone with fries and chili or other toppings. We now look for food tours in addition to cathedrals and famous art. Thanks Viator!!
Review by: Daniel D, December 2017
Excellent tour, guide was awesome, ate lots of wonderful food, got shown around and learned new things, made new friends! Worth it!
Review by: Marc's Tours, November 2017
Informative and helpful guide with simple street food that had surprising history
Review by: outdoorlu, October 2017
Very small group. I'd actually give it another half star. The guide was not a native of Amsterdam and provided a unique perspective on the area and it's food. I would have liked to do a little more tasting, but it was a great experience.
Review by: Dr Dan, September 2017
Sean, the tour guide was great. Everything else was so-so.
Review by: monica s, September 2017
Loved loved loved this tour First time we ever did a food tour but now it will be a must do on an any trip we take . We were able to eat all the Amsterdam must haves And it was a lot of delicious food Our guide was great As we walked he also talked about non food Amsterdam , history, culture etc
Review by: Kieren S, September 2017
A great tour through Amsterdam, plenty of stories and tips along the way.
Review by: michael p, August 2017
A great way to meet other travelers
Review by: Kevin Z, August 2017
Our tour guide Tyler knew his stuff! He gave us lots of Dutch treats and there was never any rush. A great Tour!
Review by: crreich, July 2017
Five stars on the stroopwafles, pancakes, and fries we went back to these specific places to re-sample later in our trip as they we better that other places we tried. Three stars on the HEMA sausage didn't quite understand this choice. Overall, it was a good introduction to some of the food highlights.
Review by: James C, June 2017
We enjoyed this 2.5 to 3 hour tour. This tour is in English. _br/_ This is a snack food tour with cookies, fries, pancake bites, herring, and cheese samples. Do not expect a tapas tour. It was nice to stop for snacks at the small neighborhood shops. Tyler, our tour leader, was nice and informative. It is an afternoon tour, so snacks were appropriate. Tour starts at Shui square by the statue and ends at Dam square.there is a drink at the end of the tour. Other drinks may be purchased at stops.
Review by: Vincent M, June 2017
Guide was good, really enjoyed the tour
Review by: Bianca P, June 2017
Amsterdam was an amazing city. I truly enjoyed the picturesque views and history the city had to offer. It was nice to learn about the history while doing the walking food tour as it was very informative._br/_ Our guide Tyler was really nice and friendly however I was very disappointed with the food samples. While I didn't expect to eat 50 euros of food which is what My friend and I paid... I didn't think I would have eaten less than 5 euros worth. The places and options were Less than par._br/_ We started out by having fries with our choice of sauce which was acceptable but after that it just went downhill. Then sausages were next which half the group didn't have including myself due to dietary restrictions. Then we had a hard cookie which nobody, including the staff was sure if it was caramel or coffee flavour. Needless to say they were not the greatest, especially since the staff were not informed. Along the walk he pointed out ice bakeries and traditional cafes which we didn't eat from. I'm not sure why we didn't get to try them since they are a staple in Amsterdam which he said. The best thing we had was mini puffers Dutch pancake which are so small and we had to share 2 plates among 9 people. After we had herring and smoked eel which of course is a hit or miss as it's an acquired taste but important to the culture so it was good to try and personally I didn't mind it but it's certainly not a crowd pleaser. Lastly he took us to the only gouda cheese shop and we tried free samples the store offers. That was so tacky to take us to a place to have free samples as an end._br/_ To improve this tour they should start with savoury and end with sweet. We should have been given a Dutch pancake as they offer different toppings and it's part of the culture. We all should have been given our own Dutch pancake and we should have tried the Dutch apple pie. Perhaps end with an ice cream and or waffle as dairy is also apart of the culture. We should have had a platter of proper cheese to sample._br/_ It was poorly done and needs great improvement in regards to the quality delivered. I was saddened and felt like it was a waste of time and money that could have been better used elsewhere.
Review by: Patrick R, April 2017
This was the first tour I did when I got to Amsterdam. What better way is there to introduce yourself to a new city than to sample their favorite foods? The guide Shawn was super helpful and knowledgeable about the culture.
Review by: CATHY B, April 2017
Not what I was looking for. There were 3 of us on the tour and 2 of them left about half way through. You did not get a tour of the city, just food samples. The guide did show me on a map where the sights were. Not helpful. I would not advise you to take this tour. Food was delicious though.
Review by: Joel R, December 2016
We believe one of the best ways to experience a new city is to walk around with a local guide and taste the local foods. It was just the two of us on this tour. We stopped at a street kiosk and tried the famous herring with chopped onions. They were so delicious we even had seconds. We visited several markets and a cheese store where we samples some of their hand turned cheeses. A real treat was sampling local Belgium French Fries that were very crispy on the outside and creamy inside. They are served with your choice of about 10 different toppings
Review by: Eric S, November 2016
Great food tastings with detailed background along with city tour between locations
Review by: Charles G, November 2016
Great way to see the city and taste the flavors of Amsterdam. Our tour guide, Donovan was very knowledgeable and made the whole experience great fun. We would walk the different streets and he would tell us stories and then we would stop at a neighborhood shop or store and try their specialty. Ended the tour at a small neighborhood pub where we created our own drink and sat around a small table and shared. Would love to do it again.
Review by: Andrew M, November 2016
Absolutely outstanding! Our guide, Sean, was great -- knowledgable, friendly, and funny. We sampled more than enough food, beginning with the best Belgian fries we've ever had, continuing with stoopwaffell probably spelled wrong, sausage, a local variation of pancakes, and ending with a visit to a local, very old distillery to sample a type of gin. All in all, a tour not to be missed!
Review by: Jenni R, November 2016
I couldn't find the tour operator. Waited in the rain for about 15 minutes. Disapppointed.
Review by: hsypauline, September 2016
Very helpful guide. Thanks for showing us the local spots which we might not be able to find by ourselves.
Review by: C J F, September 2016
Good value for money tour. We went to and experienced a lot of local food haunts. My only slight criticism is that our guide did not introduce himself.
Review by: Karen H, August 2016
Hi - was disappointed - knowledge and background of the food that we tasted could of been better. It would of been nice to have a local taking the tour who spoke Dutch and spent some time explaining more about the food that we were tasting. I found out more about the food, origins and history of the food in the Netherlands from a friend the following day.
Review by: Amanda M, August 2016
Because of my flight I was not able to even attend any of the events I had signed up for. I tried to find the location to explain my issue but wasnt able to find it.
Review by: Laura P, July 2016
It ended up being just the tour guide and I on the food tour. He still took me out and about and It was nice because we were able to get through it a little quicker and pop in some of the smaller shops to have a little more in-depth look at the local cuisine. Loved the food! A lot of variety and planned out well. The guide was awesome and focused on supporting the small businesses in Amsterdam. I would definitely reccommend
Review by: roaminjj, July 2016
This was fun, but a bit too filling. The guide was new to Amsterdam and being the tour guide, but did an excellent job. The group I was with were interesting and also made it very enjoyable. For me, we had a few too many sweet specialties, but the history that went with it and walking from place to place made for a great afternoon.
Review by: Christine B, July 2016
Very informative, our guide Sean was amusing and full of character. We enjoyed the fish, cheese and the Bols especially. Found the tour a little slow and could have been completed in 1 1/2 hours.
Review by: Christine B, July 2016
Very informative, our guide Sean was amusing and full of character. We enjoyed the fish, cheese and the Bols especially. Found the tour a little slow and could have been completed in 1 1/2 hours.
Review by: Rufus C, July 2016
Plane was late,so never made the tour
Review by: Deanne3899, July 2016
A fun way to start our trip to Amsterdam was a walking food tour with Sean of Urban Adventures. It was a great way to begin to become acquainted with the city and try some new things. We learned so much about the city! Very enjoyable and totally worth it for an afternoon of treats and conversation.
Review by: Amanda F, July 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Karen H, July 2016
Very informative and fun
Review by: Tiffany G, June 2016
The tour was good, mostly because our guide Donovan was very personable and friendly. The food itself was mainly fried fare (which I and #39;m not a huge fan of) but it was still a nice tour of the city with a few eats along the way.
Review by: Prabhakar T, June 2016
Sean was phenomenal
Review by: bismarckotto, June 2016
We enjoyed the tour -- nice exposure to Amsterdam though focused on traditional God -- frites, sausage, etc. Sean was gracious and entertaining. It is not a tour if you are interested in the innovative side of Amsterdam food.
Review by: Michael G, June 2016
First class your, very well led by the tour guide, very witty and informative
Review by: Timothy C, June 2016
We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Sean, the owner of Urban Adventures, is GREAT. We had a great time trying different foods and would recommend this tour to others. Check out UA's website for more tours. We also did the Bike Tour with Sean and that was awesome.
Review by: Georgina M, May 2016
Worth doing good guide.
Review by: Arita P, May 2016
Very interesting!
Review by: MrNandoJr, February 2016
It was such an outstanding experience that I did it twice.
Review by: MrNandoJr, February 2016
Donovan, our group guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, telling us curiosities about the food and Amsterdam. It was a very pleasant activity.
Review by: Mrs A F, December 2015
Sean was an excellent tour guide. We felt like we spent an afternoon with a friend who shared lots of information about eating in Amsterdam as well as more general information. Great tips on where to eat and shared nice food ending in a drink at a distillery. Good value too
Review by: KBatista, November 2015
We loved this food tour. Although quite a bit of the foods we tried were free samples anyway, the tour guide was super knowledgeable. We went on our first full day of Amsterdam and learned a lot about the history, the areas we walked through, and of course the different foods!
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