No. You tell us the city, a date and your group size; we reply within one working day with a named local guide, a fixed price and a meeting point. Nothing is committed until you say yes.

€185 per private group of 1–4 for 2 hours. 5–6 guests add €20 each on the 2-hour walk, €25 each on the 3-hour. Train tickets, admissions and food are not included.

Do you pick us up from our hotel?

No. You take the train yourself from Amsterdam Centraal, which is faster and cheaper than any vehicle for these cities, and your guide meets you near the destination station.

Which city should we choose?

Haarlem for the least effort, Utrecht for a different kind of canal, Leiden for museums, The Hague for art and the sea, Delft for Vermeer and history, Rotterdam for architecture, Gouda for a summer-Thursday cheese market. The day-trips page compares all seven.

Private day trips from Amsterdam · by train

Amsterdam is just the beginning.Explore another Dutch city with a local guide.

Discover the stories. See what matters. Go where locals go.

Take the train from Amsterdam. Your private guide meets you near the station for a two-hour walk. Then the city is yours.

Private local guide2 hours€185/group of 1–4You take the train

Choose a city Request a private tour

No payment to enquire. Guide, price and meeting point confirmed by email within one working day.

A yellow NS Intercity train at a platform under the glass roof of Amsterdam Centraal, passengers walking alongside

Amsterdam Centraal: every train on this site leaves from here.

Seven cities. One easy train ride.

All direct from Amsterdam Centraal, each with a historic centre a short walk from the station. None of them is a smaller Amsterdam.

A tree-lined canal in the centre of Delft with brick houses and the Nieuwe Kerk tower behind

Delft60 minVermeer and Dutch historyThe easiest historic Dutch city to do properly in a day, if Vermeer, the House of Orange or blue-and-white ceramics mean anything to you.

Windmill De Adriaan on the river Spaarne in Haarlem at sunset

Haarlem15 minThe easiest escape

The Oudegracht canal in Utrecht with wharf cellars at water level and the Dom Tower behind

Utrecht27 minCanals unlike Amsterdam

The Koornbrug bridge and the town hall tower over the Nieuwe Rijn canal in Leiden

Leiden35 minMuseums, Rembrandt, the Pilgrims

The Binnenhof parliament buildings reflected in the Hofvijver pond in The Hague

The Hague50 minArt, politics and the sea

The Gothic town hall of Gouda standing in the middle of the market square

Gouda50 minCheese market and old town

The Erasmusbrug bridge over the river Maas with the Rotterdam skyline behind it

Rotterdam60 minArchitecture and the port

Compare all seven: train times, what each is for, who should skip it

How it works

Afterwards, stay for lunch, a museum or the canals on your own. Return whenever you like.

Take the train
Travel independently from Amsterdam Centraal. No reservations; tap in with a bank card. Fifteen to sixty minutes.
Meet your guide
A local guide who knows the city meets you near the station at the time agreed by email.
Explore privately
Walk the city together for two hours, shaped around what interests you. Just your group. A three-hour extended walk is available on request.

Costs, timings and what is not included

Not sure which city?

Canals, history and a postcard old townDelft or Leiden
Architecture and a modern cityRotterdam
Politics, palaces and artThe Hague
The easiest escape from AmsterdamHaarlem
Canals with a different feelUtrecht
A cheese town on a ThursdayGouda

Why pay for a guide when the train is this easy?

Sometimes you should not. Three ways to see a Dutch city from Amsterdam, without pretending ours is right for everyone.

€

Do it yourself

Follow a map, read the signs and decide everything yourself. Only the train fare, and maximum freedom. No one to ask why the tower leans, what the bullet holes are, or which church is worth the ticket today.

Genuinely right for confident travellers who enjoy researching and wandering. Our city pages are written for you too.

€€

Dutch City Tours

The same independent train journey, then a private local guide for two hours. A private local guide brings the city’s history to life, shows you what others walk past, and leaves you with personal recommendations for where to eat, drink and explore next.

History brought to life The stories behind the buildings, connected rather than listed.
A route that makes sense The essential centre in a sensible order, instead of doubling back.
Local food and drink advice Where to eat, drink and spend the afternoon, suited to your group.
Practical help when you need it Tickets, closures, weather, children, walking pace — and a stop when someone needs one.

€185 per private group of 1–4. Train tickets and admissions not included. What is and is not included.

€€€€

Chauffeur day tour

Hotel pickup, a vehicle and a driver-guide, several cities in a day. Typically several hundred euros per group-day.

Right when comfort matters most or mobility is limited. Not needed for cities the train already reaches in an hour.

Who guides you

Independent local guides, named before you confirm.

For each enquiry we arrange a knowledgeable local guide, selected for subject knowledge, clear English and familiarity with that particular city. We introduce your proposed guide by name and background before you confirm anything, and the walk is shaped around what you care about.

Guide profiles will appear here as guides agree to be listed. We do not publish people who have not consented, and we do not invent them.

No payment to enquireAsking about a date costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
PrivateYour group only. No strangers, no fixed departure times.
Local guidesIndependent guides who know the city they show you.
Reply within one working dayA person answers, with a named guide and a fixed price.
Price confirmed firstYou see the total before you agree to anything.

Decide with the facts

Comparisons and planning guides that answer the question first, including when the answer is "you do not need us".

Delft or Leiden?Choose Delft if you want a small, beautiful canal town with a clear story (Vermeer, William of Orange, Delft Blue) and a day that runs itself.
Haarlem or Utrecht?Choose Haarlem for the least effort and a half day: fifteen minutes by train, a great church on a great square, two good museums and quiet canals that feel like a calmer Amsterdam.
The Netherlands without a carYou do not need a car.
Do you need a guide in Delft?Probably not, if you are happy to wander.
The best Dutch city if you dislike crowdsLeiden.
Which Dutch cities deserve a full day?Give a full day to Leiden (museums), The Hague (art, palaces, the sea) and Rotterdam (spread-out sights and the river).

All planning guides · All comparisons · The seven day trips compared

A new way to explore beyond Amsterdam

Dutch rail is already excellent. Visitors do not need another vehicle. They need someone knowledgeable waiting at the other end.

Dutch City Tours launched in 2026 around that idea. No fake reviews, no invented ratings. Until real ones arrive, judge us by the exact prices, the clear exclusions, the "not ideal for" sections, the dated facts with sources, and a reply from a person within one working day.

Who is behind this, and what we do and do not do

See if a guide is free on your date

Send the city, a date and your group size. We check which guide fits, then reply within one working day with a name, a fixed price and a meeting point. Nothing is committed until you agree.

You send a city, a date and your group size
We check the right guide and reply within one working day: name, price, meeting point
You confirm by email, or not

€185 total per private group of 1–4, for 2 hours. Train tickets and admissions not included. Full prices.

Preferred tour language

Tours run in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, subject to guide availability. We confirm the guide and the language before you decide.

How long? Optional — two hours is the standard walk2-hour Private City Introduction — €185The essential historic centre and an introduction to the city. Recommended.3-hour Extended City Walk — €255 (+€70)A deeper route, where the city rewards the extra hour.

Your name

Which city?

Preferred date

Approximate is fine; say so in the message.

How many people?

1–4 guests are included in the group price. 5–6 guests add €20 each on the 2-hour walk, €25 each on the 3-hour. Groups of 7 or more: send an enquiry and we will confirm a suitable guide and a group price separately.

Interests, questions, timing (optional)

Add details (language, WhatsApp, how you found us)

WhatsApp or mobile

How did you find us? (it helps us a lot)

Where did you hear about us?

Which assistant?What did you ask it? (optional)

€185 total per private group of 1–4, for 2 hours. 5–6 guests add €20 each on the 2-hour walk, €25 each on the 3-hour.Groups of 7 or more: send an enquiry and we will confirm a suitable guide and a group price. The €185 total does not apply above 6 guests.Train tickets and admissions not included. Guide, final price and meeting point confirmed before you decide.

Free enquiry. No payment or commitment.

This is an enquiry, not a booking. We use your details only to answer it and arrange your tour. Privacy statement.

Questions people ask

Is this a booking?: No. You tell us the city, a date and your group size; we reply within one working day with a named local guide, a fixed price and a meeting point. Nothing is committed until you say yes.
What does it cost?: €185 per private group of 1–4 for 2 hours. 5–6 guests add €20 each on the 2-hour walk, €25 each on the 3-hour. Train tickets, admissions and food are not included.
Do you pick us up from our hotel?: No. You take the train yourself from Amsterdam Centraal, which is faster and cheaper than any vehicle for these cities, and your guide meets you near the destination station.
Which city should we choose?: Haarlem for the least effort, Utrecht for a different kind of canal, Leiden for museums, The Hague for art and the sea, Delft for Vermeer and history, Rotterdam for architecture, Gouda for a summer-Thursday cheese market. The day-trips page compares all seven.