Walking in Amsterdam
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  • A Golden Age painting of Dutch sailing ships at sea
  • Old gabled houses on the Warmoesstraat
  • The Zeedijk by day
  • The gable of St Olof’s Chapel
  • A canal in the old centre on a sunny morning
  • The Schreierstoren, the Weeping Tower, on the harbour front
  • The Basilica of St Nicholas across the water of the old harbour
  • A tree-lined canal near the Nieuwmarkt
  • The Oost-Indisch Huis, headquarters of the Dutch East India Company
  • The VOC monogram of the Dutch East India Company
  • The Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam’s old stock exchange
  • The bronze bull in front of the Beurs van Berlage
  • A Golden Age painting of Dutch sailing ships at sea
  • Old gabled houses on the Warmoesstraat
  • The Zeedijk by day
  • The gable of St Olof’s Chapel
  • A canal in the old centre on a sunny morning
  • The Schreierstoren, the Weeping Tower, on the harbour front
  • The Basilica of St Nicholas across the water of the old harbour
  • A tree-lined canal near the Nieuwmarkt
  • The Oost-Indisch Huis, headquarters of the Dutch East India Company
  • The VOC monogram of the Dutch East India Company
  • The Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam’s old stock exchange
  • The bronze bull in front of the Beurs van Berlage

Colonial Amsterdam

The story of the Dutch East and West India Companies

The 17th century was Amsterdam’s Golden Age. In those remarkable years the city built a vast network of trade across the world that, within a few decades, made its citizens the richest and most powerful on earth.

That prosperity also gave rise to much of our modern society, such as liberalism and capitalism. The founding of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, and then of the first modern stock exchange, bear witness to the vision and ambition of Amsterdam’s merchants.

This walking tour is an adventurous journey through the streets and places where that extraordinary age began, flourished and inevitably came to an end, leaving an indelible mark on the city and on our daily lives. Along the way you will see iconic places such as Amsterdam’s stock exchange, the first headquarters of the Dutch East India Company and the first place in the world where shares were traded.

A tour that blends history, finance and architecture, especially well suited to schools and companies.

  • 2 hoursFrom the meeting point to the ending point, stops included.
  • Cancel or change up to 24 hours before the startIf your plans change: the full terms come with your booking confirmation.

Itinerary

  1. WarmoesstraatAn old Amsterdam street where the first shares in history were issued.
  2. Weeping Tower (Schreierstoren)An old defensive tower of the city, where great trading voyages set out.
  3. NieuwmarktOne of Amsterdam’s great market squares.
  4. Dutch East India Company (VOC)The company’s original headquarters.
  5. Beurs van BerlageAmsterdam’s old stock exchange.

Included

  • A guide who speaks the language you choose
  • Pictures that bring the guide’s explanations to life
  • An outside visit to key historic sites of Amsterdam’s trading and financial history

Not included

  • Entry to, and visits inside, historic monuments

Where the walk starts and ends

The front of the Basilica of St Nicholas
  1. Meeting pointBasilica of St NicholasPrins Hendrikkade 73, 1012 AE Amsterdam
  2. Ending pointDam SquareDam, 1012 JS Amsterdam

How to recognise it

Your guide waits in front of the Basilica of St Nicholas (Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek), holding a black umbrella printed with the company logo.

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Suitable for children

The tour deals with slavery and colonial violence. Fine for teenagers; younger children may find it heavy.

Practical information

Group size

From 1 to 15 people. Amsterdam law allows each guide a group of at most 15 people. For larger parties we bring more guides and split the party into groups of no more than 15. Under Amsterdam law, even newborn babies must be registered and have a ticket: a child without one cannot join a tour whose group has reached the legal maximum.

What to bring

Comfortable shoes, and waterproof clothes or an umbrella: in Amsterdam, rain is always just around the corner! Please be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the tour starts. There are no breaks along the way, so we suggest a bathroom stop and a drink before you arrive.

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible.

Colonial Amsterdam2 hours