Small Group LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour in Amsterdam
Description
Be inspired by centuries of LGBTQ+ Amsterdammers who beat the odds and changed the world. Walk with an engaging storyteller through the UNESCO World Heritage Canal Belt to uncover this long history. LGBTQ+ Amsterdammers have always been part of the fabric of the city. Far too often, however, only the 20th century is discussed. This small-group walking tour through Amsterdam’s most beautiful neighborhoods explores the full breadth of the history and the community. The tour goes from a 17th-century lesbian love triangle to a 21st-century drag queen, from a 19th-century bisexual ruler to a 17th-century intersex soldier. We start at the nightlife hub of Rembrandtplein walking to iconic spots along the Canal Belt including the Homomonument, which was groundbreaking when it was unveiled and remains a place of both celebration and mourning. You’ll leave the tour inspired and with a full sense of Amsterdam and its LGBTQ+ community.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After a flying overview of Amsterdam, you'll hear stories of LGBTQ clubgoers, a married king who had affairs with men, and the world's first legal gay marriage - all in Amsterdam's nightlife center.
Learn how a shopkeeper here tried to protect his friends in the face of state violence.
Discover how a familiar name is connected to LGBTQIA history in a way that the Catholic church tried to keep hidden.
This canal has some wild stories, including the Pope of the Gays, a 17th-century literary lesbian love triangle, and a pompous doctor who may have accidentally given lesbians legal cover.
Since its unveiling, this has been a place of both celebration and mourning for Amsterdam's LGBTQIA community. We use it to celebrate a badass lesbian hero.
Get inspired by the queer Resistance fighters who worked in this inconspicuous canal house.
End your tour inspired by the surprising message in the story a trans soldier who served in 18th-century Amsterdam's militia!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(11)
Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly and kept it casual, inviting us to interact with the info she shared. Colorful characters from Amsterdam's past were brought to life for us during the tour. Educational and inspiring! Recommended.
I loved going on this tour with Elyzabeth, she told about so many LGBTQIA+ heroes that would otherwise be forgotten. Thank you Elyzabeth for your work and respect for these otherwise forgotten heroes
That means so much to me for you to say. Thank you - and thanks for going on our LGBTQ+ History Tour in the first place!
Loved the tour- interesting facts as well ad moving and inspiring stories
We're so glad you like our Queer Heroes tour. It's our favorite way to celebrate Amsterdam Pride. Thank you for coming!
A very informative and engaging tour with Elyzabeth. We joined the Queer Heroes of Amsterdam Pride Tour in a small group and it was so enlightening to hear about people who have not had their story told in the mainstream. Thank you.
That's so kind of you to say! I love spending Amsterdam Pride revelling in these stories, so I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed them!
My fiancée and I went on the "LGBTQ+ History Tour". It was refreshing learning about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and the roles they played in Amsterdams history. It gives you a different perspective from what you usually hear when you go on a historical tour or what you usually learn from history books. Our guide was Liesbeth. She was really friendly and knowledgeable. We felt comfortable right from the start and we had a great time - we barely noticed that we had walked two hours through Amsterdams streets. 😄Many thanks to Liesbeth and the company for doing such important work 🏳️🌈
We're so glad you enjoyed the LGBTQ+ History tour - and Liesbeth will be thrilled to hear your kind words. This history is really important to us, so we're always happy to hear that guests connected with it.
Astrid’s enthusiasm for Amsterdam and its unknown resistance heroes is contagious! She is a great storyteller whose quirky humor and energy immediately make you empathize with the protagonists of the story and leave you wanting to know more. The route is beautiful, and the high level of interaction — both with the people joining the tour and with the city surroundings — makes you feel as though you have entered a theatre performance that takes you back in time. In one word: BOOK! Book a tour for yourself and your open-minded friends, move beyond the mainstream — often cis-men-oriented — narratives, and embrace a more inclusive perspective on history, which is so much needed in times of polarization and disconnect. Keep up the impactful work of opening people’s eyes! <3
Thank you so much for your kind words. Astrid and I put a lot of work into this tour, so it's nice to hear it paid off! Astrid is also phenomenal on our Hidden Gems tour, which dives into untold stories across Amsterdam history. (Just in case you were wondering...) =)
Informative, inclusive, and truly badass. Elizabeth’s tour was very worth the time and money. I learned a lot and am motivated to learn even more on my own.
I'm so glad to hear you were inspired! Thank you.
We'd been told by friends how great their tour with Badass Tours was when they visited Amsterdam in December 2024, and so we decided to try a tour for ourselves. We met Guus on a cold, wet and windy Friday morning. Despite the weather, Guus kept us entertained on our tour. The 2 hours seemed to fly by, and we felt that we'd made a friend by the end of the tour. The tour covered LGBTQ+ history over the past several hundred years and is a definite must for anybody interested in this aspect of history. Overall we would definitely recommend Badass Tours, and will not hesitate to book another tour next time we're in Amsterdam!
Thank you so much for your kind review. We really appreciate it!
Brings history back to life. Knowledgeable, passionate, inspiring and lots of fun. 100% recommended. I loved every bit of it
That's so wonderful to hear. Thank you!
I have lived in Amsterdam for many years now and recently went on Elyzabeth's LGBTQ+ Tour. It was so interesting to hear stories about gay rights figures from the past and has changed the way I see the city. Would recommend to anyone who wants a unique take on Amsterdam!
Thank you! We love hearing from locals, so we really appreciate your response!
