The rise of Haarlem: Culture, History, Art and Architecture Walking Tour

Badge of ExcellenceHaarlem, Netherlands

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore the old North Sea trading port of Haarlem on a walking tour through its cobblestone streets. Join a small group and listen to your guide recount the rich history of the city that stretches back to the Middle Ages. This tour has a strong focus on the culture, art, and architecture for those who want a well-rounded look at the city.

Visit a secret spot for unparalleled views of Haarlem
Get insider tips on where to eat, drink, and explore
Choose from several tour times to suit your schedule
A small group means more attention from your guide

What's Included

Walking tour
Certified English-speaking guide
All Fees and Taxes

A tip for the guide
Caveat Emptor - When visiting on a Sunday all the Hofjes in Haarlem are closed for public viewing.
The Hofjes close daily at 5pm therefore the Summer tours starting at 5pm do not go inside the Hofjes

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Water Tap
Grote Markt 17, 2011 RC Haarlem, Netherlands
In the Grote Markt (main square) next to the entrance of the Grote Kerk of Sint Bavo (great church) there is an enormous Statue of Laurens Jansz Coster holding up a letter A, this is the meeting point and starting point for the tour. Grote Markt, 2011 NZ Haarlem 9JJP+HJ Haarlem

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

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What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Not recommended for travellers with difficulty walking (the tour covers 4 km or 2.5 miles)
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

38 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 38 reviews

Worth every minute

shane_d, May 2024

our guide, James, was highly engaging, friendly, insightful, and patient with the multitude of questions that I presented. If you are in Haarlem surrounding area I would definitely suggest taking this tour early in your stay. James will definitely enhance your enjoyment as you continue to explore the area.

Great town full of history

Anton_M, May 2024

I’ve learned so much from James and walked so many interesting places. Highly recommend, the town is small but full of history.

Would recommend.

Kit_D, Apr 2024

Never would have found so many places on our own! Learned a lot. Small group allowed for asking questions. Would recommend.

This was a very interesting tour and we,especially enjoyed the history of Haarlem!

Beverly_T, Apr 2024

Seeing the historical WWII Dutch Resistance photos was very memorable. Corrie Ten Boon's facts and home was extremely fascinating. Our guide James was wonderful!

Great architectural and historical overview of Haarlem.

Martin_H, Apr 2024

James provided a very useful and informative tour of Haarlem, focusing on architecture and history. He clearly did a lot of research in preparing for this tour, and brought along a tablet to show pictures of historical points and artifacts. This added greatly to the impact of his points during the tour.

Just great!

Sallie_S, Apr 2024

James was funny and informative. He gave me the best tip: visit the Huis Barnaart in Haarlem. You should reserve a time. It is a 19th century canal home, Empire style. GORGEOUS! There’s a second one managed by the HDK monumenten in Amsterdam: Huis Bartolotti. Also need to book a reservation for this 18th century canal home.

A great tour of Haarlem

Ewa_P, Apr 2024

James was a really knowledgeable and engaging guide. He led the group with sensitivity and even showed us where to have a good beer afterwards. We learnt a lot about Haarlem.

The Guide Makes All the Difference

Dennis_P, Apr 2024

Very pleased that our guide was knowledgeable of the impact of Nazism on the people of Haarlem. He was very also knowledgeable about styles of architecture. Finally, he had a friendly nature & was very open to answering questions.

This tour is a wonderful introduction to Haarlem

Scott_G, Nov 2023

We were unaware of Haarlem’s rich background until we took this tour with James. With his insights into Haarlem's culture, history, art, and architecture, we left with newfound appreciation of the city’s charm. We highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Haarlem. Be sure to ask for James.

A delightful tour

Lloyd_W, Oct 2023

Our guide James was friendly, Informative and very good. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer.

A must do!

Pallavi_R, Oct 2023

The most interesting informative tour I have taken across this entire region. This is a must do! James is a fantastic extremely knowledgeable guide.

Very informative guide, James, who was personable, flexible and made it so interesting.

Judy_S, Oct 2023

Learning about the architectural symbols and history of brave women who had a major part of rescue and resistance during WWII.

A great overview of Haarlem

Paul_F, Sep 2023

We had an excellent time. A very knowledgeable guide covered a wide ranging time frame and took us to places we would not have found on our own. If you like history and walking, you will enjoy this tour. A great experience!

Great start to our Haarlem visit

Kate_P, Aug 2023

James is great company and an excellent guide. We spent an informative and fun morning learning about the architecture and history of Haarlem. It was a fantastic start to our visit. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Hi Kate and little Kate Thanks very much for coming on the tour, I hope you enjoyed visiting the historic houses afterwards. Kind regards James

He did an excellent job...

Jenni_C, Jul 2023

He did an excellent job of showing us all the different architecture, was super engaging and knowledgeable, and had a good pace for everyone involved.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Dear Jenni Thanks very much for joining the tour and thanks for the great review, glad you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip and could spot the same architecture in Belgium! Kind regards James

Deep dive into architecture and history.

OpherG, Jun 2023

Very deep on architecture and history. James is very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Hi Opher Thanks very much for recommending me, great to have you on the tour. Best wishes James