Red Light District Police Tour of Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Between the 1970’s and 1990’s, Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District was known as a no-go zone. Though it was characterized by drugs, robberies, prostitution, murders, and illegal gambling, the neighborhood also reflected harmony and team spirit among the local police and its residents. Join a former cop for this educational, 2-hour walking tour along his former patrol route. Hear real stories as you see the district's highlights and compare those lawless days to the safe, trendy neighborhood you see today.

Meet your local guide, Piet, at the IAMsterdam visitor center at 3pm to begin a 2-hour walking tour that will take you back in time to the Red Light District's lawless days of the early 1980s. From your guide, a former police officer whose beat was this neighborhood, hear the nitty-gritty details of prostitution, drugs, gambling, and corruption — but also harmony and togetherness between the workers and residents of this once-seedy district. 

See the former police station, Zeedijk Street (once a no-go-zone/ ghetto), places your guide worked undercover, the former residence of a criminal mastermind, escape routes, and places where drug dealers operated. Compare these reckless days with the safe, trendy hotspot the Red Light District is today before saying goodbye to your guide at Amsterdam's Central Station at the end of the tour.