Discover the city one bite at a time
Free Food Tour Amsterdam
Taste Dutch classics and discover Amsterdam with a local guide.
Fresh stroopwafels, Dutch cheese, local food shops and the stories behind the flavours. Join a friendly walk through central Amsterdam.
€8 per person includes booking & food samples. Tip your guide what you feel the experience is worth.
A taste of the experience
See the Food Tour in action
Get a feel for the food, local stops and friendly atmosphere before you join.
Shared bites. Happy guests.
What food lovers say
Choose your date
Find your Food Tour departure. All times are local Amsterdam time.
Choose an available date
Booking & food samples included. Tip your guide what you feel the experience is worth. Register every participant, including children; maximum 6 people per booking.
Continue to Free Walking Tours Amsterdam to enter your details and pay securely.
Open the central Food Tour booking pageYour booking includes the food samples. At the end of the tour, choose your guide’s tip based on your experience.
Tour language: English. Register every participant, including children. Up to six people per booking.
More local. More delicious.
A taste of Amsterdam beyond the postcard.
The best way to discover Dutch culture? Taste it.
Walk between local food businesses, try Dutch favourites and hear why these flavours matter to the people who live here. It’s sightseeing with a tasty twist, and a relaxed way to meet other curious travellers.
Up to 6 people per booking · Maximum 15 participants per guide · Reserve online
Dutch classics, local stories
What you’ll taste
Sweet, savoury and sometimes surprising. Get to know the flavours the Dutch couldn’t live without.
Gouda cheese
Discover the history behind our national pride and taste the different kinds of heavenly Gouda cheese!
Stroopwafel
Taste a freshly prepared stroopwafel and learn why so many people fell in love with this traditional cookie!
Bitterballen
One of the most popular deep-fried snacks in the Netherlands is the delicious bitterbal, what most people enjoy while having a drink at the bar.
Herring
A very typical Dutch food in the Netherlands is our herring. This tasty fish is served with onions and pickle slices.
Tastings and exact locations can vary depending on availability, the guide and the group. You may also discover Dutch liquorice, poffertjes or other local sweets. Samples introduce the flavours; they are not a full meal.
More than just food
The stories behind every bite.
Why are the Dutch called cheese heads? What did herring mean for Amsterdam’s trading history? And how did a syrup-filled waffle become such a favourite?
Your guide connects food with Dutch history, everyday traditions and Amsterdam culture, and shares personal favourites along the way.
Discover the Dutch food stories
Food is a great way to share and learn from each other’s culture. On this Free Food Tour in Amsterdam, we will explain the crazy flavors that the Dutch couldn’t live without.
Tasters on this tour*:
Gouda cheese | The world-famous cheese from the Netherlands. During the Free Food Tour, you will understand why Dutchies are known as kaaskoppen (cheese heads) and how Holland became so renowned for its cheese.
Licorice | Find out how this tongue-twisting candy became the Dutch no 1 treat and where it originated from. Love it or hate it, you haven’t been to Holland if you haven’t tried ‘drop’.
Herring | Straight from the North Sea, served raw and sprinkled with onions. Learn what this pungent appetizer meant for the economy of Holland and Amsterdam in the 16th century and try this typically Dutch staple!
Stroopwafel | Once you’ve tried this beloved Dutch cookie, you will never again want to even look at the bulgy Belgian derivative. The best one is a fresh one and on the Free Food Tour, we will show you where to get them!
Bitterballen | A bite-size snack, best enjoyed with a cold beer! The final tasting and route can vary by guide and availability.
Unique Dutch sweets & treats | Each guide shares their personal favorites, like traditional candy, bite-sized pancakes, or locally-made chocolates.
Join the Free Food Tour Amsterdam and take a peek inside the Dutch cuisine’, what we traditionally eat at home, and our table etiquette. Hungry yet?
*Please note that the tasters mentioned are subject to availability and reflect the guide’s unique tour interpretation
Real tours. Real appetites.
A few bites from the tour
Food, conversation and a friendly group. These are moments from our Amsterdam Food Tours.
People who love their city
Meet the food lovers behind the stories
Your guide brings their own favourite stops and personal stories. Here are some familiar faces from the tour.
Bernardo
A food lover who started the tour to connect people through local cuisine. Ask him about hutspot and Gouda cheese.
More about Bernardo
Sharing the love of food with others brings us together and it is a great way to discover the culture through food. In my years of travel, I noticed that food makes a big part of all different cultures around the world.
I consider myself a food lover and I love to share my passion for food with other people who I meet in my daily life. When I am in another country I want to taste the local cuisine and experience the food that the country is known for. For this reason, I started the Free Food Tour in Amsterdam.
My favorite Dutch food has always been ‘Hutspot’. This is a typically Dutch dish made out of boiled and mashed potatoes, carrots, and onions. This dish has a long history in traditional Dutch cuisine. Another food that I love is Goudse Kaas (Gouda cheese) which we will be also tasting on the Free Food Tour during our 2-hour walk in Amsterdam!
Tim
An Amsterdam food lover with a soft spot for boerenkool and Dutch herring. He loves helping visitors discover local flavours.
More about Tim
As a Food lover, I love to eat and taste all there is to taste in Amsterdam. This is why we have the Free Food tour here in Amsterdam. When you travel, you want to really eat and taste all the different things they don’t have in your country.
The best Dutch dinner if you ask me is kale mixed with potatoes and a big smoked sausage, in Holland we call the Boerenkool. On the tour, I will show you where you can get the best. A typical Dutch snack you cannot miss before you leave the country is a Dutch herring. We serve it with onions and pickle the best thing about it all is that we eat it raw in one peach.
So if you want to know the typical Dutch food, join my tour and you will not only know the best places to eat but also taste it! See you soon as a guide on the Free Food tour Amsterdam
Marius
Born in Amsterdam and guiding since 2015. He brings a love of history, storytelling and vegetarian stamppot.
More about Marius
Born in:
Amsterdam, like my father and my mother and their parents and great parents too… My kids too by the way.
Guide since: September 2015.
Why did you become a tour guide in Amsterdam:
I like to travel and make city trips basically love to walk around and hear in-depth stories about the cities. It’s more fun to know it is told as a story than only reading it. More interactive more social and more fun.
Your favorite Dutch food:
vegetarian sausage next to my stamppot. That is a mountain of stamped potatoes with sliced veggies in between and a crater of gravy on the top of that mountain. Like a volcano.
Favorite bar in Amsterdam:
Paradiso and Melkweg (Milkyway) for live concerts of the best in the world. And every day!
You cannot leave Amsterdam before:
A trip to the Rijksmuseum. Check the Night Watch, Vermeer, and also Frans Hals too. Frans Hals is SSssoooo….. good. ?
Food Tour moments, in our guests’ words
Culture tastes better together.
“The food tour by Free Walking tours was just outstanding!”
Jerry Kurowyckyj Jr · Google review
“All the snacks we tasted were delicious – even the herring!!”
Elizabeth Lim · Google review
“A great combination of history, culture and delicious food.”
Christine Henderson · Google review
Excerpts from the genuine reviews shown above. Individual experiences and tastings vary.
Easy to find in the city centre
Meet us at Dam Square
Arrive at least 10 minutes before your booked departure. Look for the white umbrella with the orange Free Walking Tours logo and follow the exact instructions in your confirmation email.
The walk explores central Amsterdam and normally ends near Dam Square. The exact route and final food stop can vary.
Before you book
Good questions. Clear answers.
Are the food tastings included?
Yes. Current booking information says the food samples are included
in the €8 booking and food fee per person.
Can vegetarians join the Free Food Tour Amsterdam?
Yes. Around 80% of the tastings are vegetarian, although some Dutch hard cheeses contain animal rennet. Tell your guide about your preferences before the tastings. The regular tour is not suitable for vegans; contact us about a private tailored experience.
Is the Free Food Tour Amsterdam suitable for vegans?
The regular Food Tour is not suitable for vegans because many Dutch specialities contain dairy or other animal products. Contact us about a private tour tailored to your dietary needs.
Is the Free Food Tour Amsterdam really free?
The guide-led tour is tip-based, but current booking information
says there is an €8 booking and food fee per person.
For that reason, the experience should not be understood
as completely free.
What happens if I am late?
Please arrive at Dam Square at least 10 minutes before your departure. Once the tour has started, you cannot join the group. Guides cannot answer their phone while guiding.
Can larger groups join the regular food tour?
You can reserve for up to 6 people in one booking. This is the booking limit, not the total tour group size. For a larger party, contact us before booking or arrange a private food tour. Do not split a larger party into multiple reservations to bypass the limit.
What is the maximum group size?
The maximum is 15 participants per guide, including children. You can book for up to 6 people in one reservation. Larger parties should contact us or arrange a private food tour.
How can I change or cancel my booking?
Use the cancellation link in your confirmation email. To change the departure, cancel your reservation and make a new booking for an available date. A new booking requires a new payment; the original fee cannot be transferred. Under the current rebooking policy, the original booking fee is refunded when you rebook. Without rebooking, cancel more than 24 hours before departure for a refund. If the organiser cancels, the fee is refunded. Allow up to 5 business days and read the full Booking Fee & Refund Policy.
Hungry yet?
Ready to taste Amsterdam?
Join a local guide for Dutch classics, Amsterdam stories and a few new favourites.
English · About 2 hours · Dam Square · €8 booking & food fee + your chosen tip
+ your chosen tipCheck Dates & Book