Free Walking Tours

We really enjoyed this walking tour: very friendly guide, a lot of funfacts, a lot of history…
A really good way to discover Amsterdam and for free! (At the end you can decide whether or not to give a tip and we thought it was totally worth it).
I definitely recommend it.
I think several languages are available but I am not sure about French.

The 2 hour tour I took with Sergio was fantastic. He was engaging and knowledgeable, and added obscure bits of trivia and his own personal experiences to really give us a deeper look at Amsterdam. I can’t speak on the other guides (I’m sure they’re great too), but would absolutely recommend this tour if he is leading.
All that said, there are a few things you should know if you’re going to take the tour. The most obvious problem is that the «free tour» is NOT, in fact, free. It was explained just before we all started walking that unlike traditional tours where you pay a set price before you go, on this tour you pay after you come back based on what YOU think the cost should be. Where «free» would imply no strings attached but a tip highly appreciated, this tour certainly had a (unmentioned) cost.
I don’t mind paying for a good product, and the tour Sergio gave was absolutely worth something but someone needs to reevaluate the marketing strategy and quit using the word «free.» It’s a lie. In fact, a couple other people who were obviously also surprised by the not free «free» tour, gave the guide 10 € and he actually scowled.
Also, know that the tour is a full 2 hours and involves a good bit of brisk walking. Wear comfy shoes and bring a jacket. It was warm when we started but a lot of the route is shady, and by the time we got back, the sun was setting and the temperature had dropped drastically. Be aware that the tour does go through the Red Light District, too. We didn’t spend much time there, and most of the girls weren’t out yet but if you’re sensitive to this or traveling with kids, you may want to skip the end of the tour.
I really, really loved this tour and was so impressed by Sergio’s knowledge and ability to keep a very broad group engaged. But, ultimately I left feeling like I was tricked and a victim of deceitful advertising.