Amsterdam: LGBTQI History Walking Tour & Oldest Gay Bar

4.98

(125 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll be honest, I signed up for this LGBTQI history tour of Amsterdam because I was curious — about the city, but also about how it became what it is today. The group met at the Homomonument, and there was this quiet moment where Henk (our guide, who seemed to know everyone) just let us stand there before he started talking. It wasn’t dramatic or anything — just a pause, with the canal breeze and someone’s bike bell in the background. Then he told us why that spot mattered, not just for the Netherlands but for people everywhere. I didn’t expect to feel so much standing on cold stone by the water.

We wandered along those old canals, past 17th-century houses that lean like they’re whispering secrets. Henk pointed out details I’d never have noticed — a carved face here, a rainbow sticker half-hidden on a window there. He talked about what it meant to be “different” centuries ago, and honestly, some stories were rougher than I expected. But then we’d laugh at something silly (like my attempt at Dutch pronunciation — sorry to every local ear). The Royal Palace looked almost golden in the afternoon light; apparently it has its own queer history too, which… who knew?

Dam Square was busy as always, but hearing how public spaces shaped LGBTQI life gave it a different energy. We cut through Chinatown and into the Red Light District — not as wild as movies make it out to be during daylight — where Henk explained why one street became known as “leather street.” Some of us asked questions that felt awkward at first, but nobody minded. By the time we reached “het Mandje” on Zeedijk (the oldest gay bar in Amsterdam), I felt like we’d walked through more than just streets — maybe through time? The smell inside was all beer and old wood; someone behind the bar winked when Henk introduced us. I still think about that view down Zeedijk as we left — rain starting up again, neon reflecting everywhere.