Discover the darker side of Amsterdam on this immersive walking tour exploring the history of the world-famous Red Light District. Journey through the streets surrounding the district as your expert guide reveals how prostitution, organised crime, smuggling, vice, and coffee shop culture became intertwined with the city’s rise as one of Europe’s greatest trading ports.

Uncover the realities behind Amsterdam’s reputation for tolerance, from the lives of medieval sex workers and the arrival of thousands of sailors to the evolution of legal prostitution, cannabis policy, and the city’s unique approach to regulating both the sex industry and coffee shops. Learn how criminal organisations, drug trafficking, and the heroin epidemic of the 1970s and 1980s transformed the neighbourhood before ambitious regeneration reshaped it once again.

Along the way, visit historic landmarks including the Oude Kerk, Chinatown, the East India House, and Dam Square while hearing the stories of brothel keepers, merchants, police, reformers, coffee shops, and the people who lived and worked in Amsterdam’s most infamous district.