A food tour in Amsterdam is usually a guided walk of about three to four hours through one or two neighbourhoods, with six to ten small tastings of Dutch staples such as cheese, herring, bitterballen and apple pie, often with a drink stop. The most common routes cover the Jordaan, De Pijp and the Albert Cuyp market, and the best ones explain where the food comes from rather than just serving it.
What a typical Amsterdam food tour covers
Most tours follow the same pattern: a meeting point in a central neighbourhood, a walk of two or three kilometres, and stops at shops, market stalls, cafés and a brown café (bruin café, a traditional pub). Group sizes vary a lot between companies, from small groups of under a dozen to larger groups of twenty or more; this matters more to the experience than the route, so check it before booking.
Common formats:
- Daytime walking tours through the Jordaan or De Pijp, with market food and snacks.
- Market-focused tours around the Albert Cuyp market.
- Evening or "borrel" tours built around Dutch drinking snacks, beer and jenever.
- Indonesian or Surinamese food tours, which reflect the colonial history behind some of the most popular food in the city.
- Self-guided options, using a list of stops and a map, for travellers who prefer their own pace.
Prices and contents vary widely between operators and change from year to year, so compare current offers and read recent reviews rather than relying on a fixed figure.
Dutch foods you will likely taste
| Food | What it is |
|---|---|
| Hollandse Nieuwe | Lightly brined young herring, eaten raw, often with onions; the new season starts in June |
| Kibbeling | Battered and fried pieces of white fish with a garlic or remoulade sauce |
| Bitterballen | Small, round, deep-fried balls of meat ragout, served with mustard |
| Kroket | A larger, cylindrical version of the same, often eaten on a bread roll |
| Stroopwafel | Two thin waffles with a caramel syrup filling, best eaten warm |
| Poffertjes | Small, puffy pancakes with butter and powdered sugar |
| Appeltaart | Deep Dutch apple pie, usually served with whipped cream (slagroom) |
| Gouda and other cheeses | Young (jong) to very old (overjarig) cheese, often tasted side by side |
| Patat | Thick-cut fries with mayonnaise, or with peanut sauce and onions (patatje oorlog) |
| Drop | Liquorice, sweet or salty, in many shapes |
| Jenever | Juniper spirit, the ancestor of gin; jonge and oude refer to the recipe, not age |
Vegetarian tours or vegetarian versions of standard tours are widely available, because cheese, stroopwafels, poffertjes, fries and apple pie are all meat-free. Herring and bitterballen usually have alternatives. Vegan and gluten-free diets are harder on a standard tour; mention them when booking.
Neighbourhoods and markets
The Jordaan is the classic food-tour neighbourhood: narrow streets west of the main canal ring, with cheese shops, bakeries, brown cafés and the Noordermarkt, which holds a farmers' market on Saturdays and a general market on Monday mornings. The area is also home to Winkel 43, a café widely known for its apple pie.
De Pijp, south of the canal ring, is built around the Albert Cuyp market, one of the largest street markets in the Netherlands, open Monday to Saturday. Stalls sell fresh stroopwafels, herring, cheese and Surinamese snacks. The surrounding streets are dense with cafés and international restaurants.
Foodhallen, in a converted tram depot in Amsterdam-West (De Hallen), is an indoor food hall with many stalls under one roof. It is a practical stop for groups with mixed tastes and works well on rainy days.
Amsterdam-Noord, across the IJ by free ferry from behind Centraal station, has a newer food and drink scene around the NDSM wharf and the Buiksloterweg area.
Booking and choosing an operator
There is a wide choice of food tours in Amsterdam, run by small local businesses and by large tour platforms. Rather than going by a single name, compare:
- Group size and whether the guide is local.
- Neighbourhood: the Jordaan and De Pijp are the most common; tours that cover a different area give a different view of the city.
- What is included: number of tastings, drinks, and whether there is a sit-down stop.
- Dietary handling: whether vegetarian or other diets are confirmed in advance.
- Cancellation terms: summer weekend tours fill up, and flexible tickets help if plans change.
Book a few days ahead in spring and summer, and further ahead for weekends and King's Day week. Tours run in English as standard; other languages are less common.
Timing and seasons
- Herring season starts with the first Hollandse Nieuwe in June. Herring is sold all year, but the new-season fish is the one people queue for.
- Oliebollen, deep-fried dough balls with or without raisins, appear in stalls in late autumn and winter, peaking around New Year's Eve.
- Spring and summer mean more outdoor stops and terraces; winter tours lean more on cafés and covered markets.
- Market days matter: the Albert Cuyp market is closed on Sundays, and the Noordermarkt's farmers' market is only on Saturdays.
- Mornings are quieter in the Jordaan; late afternoon tours often end at a brown café for a borrel.
Doing it yourself
A self-guided food walk is easy to put together in Amsterdam:
- Start at the Albert Cuyp market for a warm stroopwafel and cheese tasting.
- Walk through De Pijp and north towards the canal ring.
- Stop at a herring cart (haringkar) for herring or kibbeling.
- Continue into the Jordaan for apple pie and a cheese shop.
- End at a brown café with bitterballen and a glass of jenever or a local beer.
The whole loop is walkable in an afternoon. Card payment is accepted almost everywhere, and some places are card-only.
Etiquette and practical notes
- Herring is eaten either by holding the fish by its tail and lowering it into your mouth, or, more common in Amsterdam, cut into pieces with onions and pickles.
- Bitterballen are served very hot; let them cool before biting.
- Tipping on a tour is appreciated but not mandatory; Dutch service charges are included in prices.
- Wear comfortable shoes and bring a rain layer. Tours run in most weather.
- Amsterdam's cycle paths are busy; follow the guide when crossing them, and never stand on a red bike lane.
