Your Own Amsterdam. Stories of the Jewish District
For anyone interested in the Jewish diaspora's history, culture, and modern life
PRIVATE TOUR
Explore the Jewish District of Amsterdam:
Private Guided Culture Tour
Did you know that even today old Amsterdammers call their city Mokum? In Yiddish it means “place.” And that’s just one tiny detail. The influence of the Jewish community, rooted here since the Middle Ages, can be felt everywhere — in language, in place names, in local folklore, in science, trade, finance, and in a whole philosophy of life. And in the stories that fill the city. Sad, comic, tragic, wise, endlessly beautiful — they wait for us behind the most ordinary façades, on the streets, in cinemas, cafés, parks, and courtyards.
We’ll stroll through the old Jewish quarters. We’ll see monuments, old mansions, the market at Waterloo Square, synagogues — including the famous Portuguese Synagogue (the Esnoga). We’ll find out how, for centuries, people here lived, worked, loved, celebrated, traded. We’ll hear their stories. It was a world of its own until the Nazi occupation during the Second World War brought it to an end.
We’ll talk about tragedy, but also about resistance. About those who survived, and the postwar city that received them. We’ll recall how the community slowly and painfully came back to life. We’ll also speak about today’s interaction — very tangible and meaningful — between the city and its Jewish population. And we’ll inevitably come to see that the history and culture of the Jewish community have profoundly shaped Amsterdam’s identity. We’ll be seeing it at every step.
See you on the tour.
We’ll stroll through the old Jewish quarters. We’ll see monuments, old mansions, the market at Waterloo Square, synagogues — including the famous Portuguese Synagogue (the Esnoga). We’ll find out how, for centuries, people here lived, worked, loved, celebrated, traded. We’ll hear their stories. It was a world of its own until the Nazi occupation during the Second World War brought it to an end.
We’ll talk about tragedy, but also about resistance. About those who survived, and the postwar city that received them. We’ll recall how the community slowly and painfully came back to life. We’ll also speak about today’s interaction — very tangible and meaningful — between the city and its Jewish population. And we’ll inevitably come to see that the history and culture of the Jewish community have profoundly shaped Amsterdam’s identity. We’ll be seeing it at every step.
See you on the tour.
(for a larger group €80 per each additional participant)
On a day convenient for you
At a time convenient for you
3 hours
Private
EN/FR/UA/RU
€320 for a group of 1-4 people
At a time convenient for you
3 hours
Private
EN/FR/UA/RU
€320 for a group of 1-4 people
Date:
Time:
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Type of tour:
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Cost:
Time:
Duration:
Type of tour:
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What We Will See:
Jewish Amsterdam Through Its Landmarks and Everyday Places
Jewish Amsterdam Through Its Landmarks and Everyday Places
On our guided walking tour through the Jewish Quarter, you’ll see:
- Huis de Pinto – the historic home of a wealthy Jewish merchant;
- Waterlooplein – Amsterdam’s oldest flea market with deep Jewish roots;
- The Diamond Factory;
- The majestic Portuguese Synagogue (Esnoga) - one of the most beautiful in Europe;
- The Jewish Museum, housed in four former Ashkenazi synagogues;
- H’ART Museum (the former Amstelhof) - once a home for the elderly;
- The Holocaust Names Memorial by Daniel Libeskind;
- The Schaduwkade monument – remembering the 200 Jewish residents of Nieuwe Keizersgracht;
- The Auschwitz monument by Jan Wolkers, in Wertheimpark;
- The new Holocaust Museum at the site of the former Jewish crèche;
- Hollandsche Schouwburg – a theatre turned into a deportation center;
- Glimpses of the Botanical Garden and Artis Zoo, once hiding places for Jews;
- De Plantage restaurant – an elegant reminder of Jewish community life;
What You’ll Discover:
from Community History to Personal Stories
from Community History to Personal Stories
On our private tour of Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter, we’ll talk about all sorts of things: history, religion, everyday life, the engagement with socialism, but also about diamonds and food traditions.
You’ll discover:
And above all, we’ll share stories of the people who lived in this quarter, and of their descendants today – whose lives are remarkable too.
You’ll discover:
- How Jews came to Amsterdam and found refuge here;
- The skills and networks they brought – vital for Dutch trade, publishing, colonial expansion;
- Everyday life in the 17th–19th centuries;
- Why Jews in Amsterdam were easily identified and betrayed during WWII;
- How deportations were organized and the role of Dutch collaboration;
- Acts of resistance – from clandestine operations to remarkable rescues of Jewish Amsterdammers;
- The impact of the Holocaust on the city and its Jewish community;
- How the Netherlands reflects today on its wartime role and collaboration with the Nazis;
- The resilience of Jewish survivors and the rebirth of community life after the war;
- The community in contemporary Amsterdam and its influence on modern culture.
And above all, we’ll share stories of the people who lived in this quarter, and of their descendants today – whose lives are remarkable too.
What We’ll Experience:
Immersing Ourselves in Jewish Community Life through Taste, Sound, and Memory
Immersing Ourselves in Jewish Community Life through Taste, Sound, and Memory
We’ll taste a traditional Jodenkoek (Jewish butter cookie) or rugelach;
In the Netherlands, we’ve got an incredible variety of tours: dozens of routes around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and charming small towns; trips to castles and fishing villages, windmills and farms, museums and nature reserves, the “Northern Venice” and the islands. We offer food tours, art walks, photo adventures, bike rides, boat trips, and even journeys by plane or hot-air balloon. And yes — we can also arrange your transfer. Come over!
- We’ll try to spot hidden symbols of Jewish life in the architecture and streetscape;
- We’ll try reading a Hebrew or Yiddish inscription we come across;
- We’ll listen to a song by Henriëtte Bosmans, a Dutch-Jewish composer who continued to create music during the war;
- We’ll hear the melodies of Sephardic prayers that once filled the Portuguese Synagogue;
- We’ll pause for a moment of silence at Hollandsche Schouwburg, reflecting on the stories carried in this place
In the Netherlands, we’ve got an incredible variety of tours: dozens of routes around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and charming small towns; trips to castles and fishing villages, windmills and farms, museums and nature reserves, the “Northern Venice” and the islands. We offer food tours, art walks, photo adventures, bike rides, boat trips, and even journeys by plane or hot-air balloon. And yes — we can also arrange your transfer. Come over!
It's advisable to decide on tours you would like to take as early as possible, ideally to book them right after buying your airplane tickets. That way we will make sure we have a guide for you and our meeting will definitely take place :) If you make a last-minute decision to take a tour, do not hesitate to contact us either. We will do our best to arrange a guide for you to show you the country.
We will definitely agree on it well in advance! Then, two days before the tour date, a reminding email with the name and the phone number of your guide, the exact location of the meeting point and its photo will be sent to you. Please do not miss this letter. Thanks! :)
Sure. We love to plan individual programs more than anything else. In addition to our existing tours, a boat or a yacht trip could be included; a hot air balloon flight, designer shops and art gallery tours, various workshops, tastings, university tours, castle visiting and much, much more. In addition, we adore arranging multi-day bicycle trip programs around the country. Arranging an individual program is a paid service. Let us know your personal wishes and we will do our best to make it happen!
Perhaps, you still have some questions. This is what we get asked about most of the time.
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We are happy to show you the city! Please send us a message and we will reply to you tomorrow!:) If your message was sent over the weekend, we'll get back to you right after.
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We have many tours
in the Netherlands, Morocco,
Serbia, Hungary, and Belgium.
You can also book a Tailored Travel Itinerary.
Our Specials:
Tours in Amsterdam for US Travelers
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+31645728768
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See you soon!
in the Netherlands, Morocco,
Serbia, Hungary, and Belgium.
You can also book a Tailored Travel Itinerary.
Our Specials:
Tours in Amsterdam for US Travelers
Tours in Amsterdam for Travelers from India.
+31645728768
hi@snurk.travel
For Agencies
See you soon!
Photos by Tie Liu, Anastasia Afonina, Diana Tamarova, Sergey Rozanov, Olga Tolstova, Oleksander Vladimirov, Maria Kuzmicheva, Irina Miftakhova, Yulia Bogdanova, Mihael Zholubovskiy, Irina Novichkova, Anna Dyerjabina, Elias Ouaghrib Fosset.
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