Everyone has heard about the famous Red Lights at De Wallen, but what do you actually know about sex work and this area? Join our Red Light District Tour and get answers to questions you didn’t know you had!

The Red Light District in Amsterdam is full of controversy and curiosity, as is sex work in general. Prostitution was already common in this neighborhood in the fourteenth century, when Amsterdam was still a small fishing and sailor town. Throughout history, it was forbidden and tolerated again many times, but prostitution was finally legalized in the year 2000, with De Wallen itself housing around 240 brothels. So what were the arguments to legalize sex work in 2000? Could legalization solve problems of human trafficking and strengthen the position of sex workers? What problems do the police, residents and sex workers still face? And what are the complications around the neighborhood’s exploding tourism? To learn more about the divided opinions on this area and its future, join our tour at De Wallen!

Further, how does prostitution actually work here? Do you just knock on the window? How much does it cost to come inside? Our guides tell you many juicy stories about this notorious neighborhood, giving you a richer and broader view on the practice of sex work. You will see that it is not so easy to form a singular black-or-white opinion on the Red Light District, as this neighborhood has many faces. Our local Amsterdam guides have seen how it changed over the last years, for the good and the bad.

Come and experience De Wallen with us!

Details tour:

• Start & end location: National monument Dam square
• Duration of the tour: 2 to 2½ hours
• Language: English, Spanish, Dutch

This tour offers:

• The history of the Red Light District
• The working conditions of the sex workers
• Security measures and human trafficking prevention
• Government policies and the future of the Red Light district
• Questions of gender
• Sex museums, sex shops, sex theaters
• A lot more juicy stories…

The Red Light District Tour has so much to offer, but it is best to experience it in person.

P.S. If you are looking for a Red Light tour where you can get absolutely shitfaced with your mates, this is probably not what you are looking for. Our tour is informative and fun, and we might get a beer afterward, but not suited for bachelor parties. A few inappropriate sex jokes are inevitable, however.

Fill in the form and tell us if there is anything specific you want to see during your tour!