Leiden: Historical private guided tour from Amsterdam

Highlights

• See how a city and its university are fused into one.
• Behold the history of the Netherlands from its formation to the current day.
• Get away from the tourist crowds and see the Netherlands as it truly is.
• Private local Dutch guide

Description

This tour aims to give you a peak into the live of a normal dutchman. We will take you away from the tourist traps and crowds of Amsterdam and take you to one of the most cosy and pleasant cities in the Netherlands, Leiden. Leiden has often been described as the better version of Amsterdam, with its majestic canals, friendly people, rich history and bustling city live. While not having crowds of people or tourist traps. Leiden offers a chance to peak into the true side of the Netherlands and experience the cosiness and kindness of the Dutch people while being surrounded by over 450 years of history.

The tour will start at Amsterdam Central station. From here we take the train to Leiden.

Once arrived in Leiden we have a walk through the city, in order to taste the uniquely open atmosphere of Leiden. This walk takes us past some of the most important landmarks of the city, showcasing the typical Dutch windmills from up-close.

Afterwards, we follow the canals to hunt for the hidden wall paintings illustrating the scientific and cultural heritage of the city.

This leads us to the historical center of the city, where we pay a visit to one of the first buildings, the old keep/castle on the hill.

From there we decent the hill to go though the old market places at the meeting point of the two rivers that flow though Leiden.

We then have a stop for some lunch in one of many parks. Here the guide will provide a picknick style lunch on the grass next to the canals, where you can enjoy some typical Dutch food while watching the people pass by in boats.

Now that we have some food in our bellies, it is time to visit the academical center of Leiden. The city is closely interwoven with its university, something that is most clearly visible in this part of town.

We pass through the beautiful botanical gardens of the university, that make you feel like you stepped into a real jungle.

Exiting these we find ourselves at the large observatory building, where we can have a look at the giant antique telescopes that used to map the sky.

On our way back we pass by one of the most important houses in Dutch history, the birth house of famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn and the windmill at which he played as a kid.

Last but not least, we walk through one of the only remaining parts of the city wall. A wall that played a direct role in the formation of the Netherlands as an independent state.

We finish the tour with a train ride back to Amsterdam Central station.

Hopefully, at the end of your tour, you will understand an old quote from Einstein: "Leiden, that delightful little place of earth."