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The Jordaan is Amsterdam’s ultimate destination for food tours. Here you’ll find 8 carefully selected guided experiences (average rating 4.94/5, from €79 to €158), ranging from walking food tours to tastings aboard a UNESCO canal cruise. Groups capped at 10-12 people, 8 to 10 specialities per outing. For a first taste of the neighbourhood, the gastronomic tour with 10 tastings (4.98/5, 5,329 reviews, €79) offers the best value for money.
The Jordaan isn’t just a pretty postcard backdrop. It’s a neighbourhood you eat, listen to and discover through its stories – provided you have the right guide. Since I started covering Amsterdam for Pixidia, I keep coming back to this network of cobbled streets between Prinsengracht and Lijnbaansgracht, not for its museums or boutiques, but for what its brown cafes, herring stalls and silent inner courtyards reveal about a city that has kept its character through five centuries. Dutch cuisine gets a bad press – a few stroopwafels and a photo of cheese. What you’ll find in this article is different: eight experiences designed by local guides who take you to the places Jordaanese actually frequent, not the tourist traps.
Of the 92 experiences available on Viator for Amsterdam, I shortlisted 8 – all rated 4.89/5 or above, all anchored in the Jordaan or its immediate surroundings. Among them: the classic 3.5-hour food tour with 10 Dutch speciality tastings (4.98/5, 5,329 reviews, from €79), the original Jordaan Food Tour by Eating Europe celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the only format that combines a walking food tour with a one-hour cruise on UNESCO World Heritage canals. There’s something for every schedule: a 75-minute private rickshaw for small groups, a 4-hour deep-dive into Dutch flavours for the dedicated foodie, or the Albert Cuypmarkt for those who prefer street food and market browsing. Every experience is capped at 10 or 12 people – book ahead, especially June through August.
The Jordaan: a living laboratory of Dutch gastronomy
Founded in 1612 during Amsterdam’s great expansion, the Jordaan was deliberately built outside the city’s official boundaries, giving it the maze of narrow alleyways and stubborn independent character that persists today. Even the name remains a mystery: the Huguenot hypothesis (French Protestant refugees called the area « le jardin », phonetically rendered as « Jordaan »), the biblical hypothesis (the Prinsengracht nicknamed « the Jordan river »), the linguistic hypothesis. The uncertain etymology suits perfectly a neighbourhood that has always refused to be easy to define.
The richness of today’s food scene is rooted in layers of history: French Huguenots in the 17th century (hence the flower street names – Bloemgracht, Rozengracht), Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish communities, then in the 20th century Surinamese and Indonesian immigrants, heirs to the Dutch colonial period. In less than 2 square kilometres, you’ll still find bruine kroeg (brown cafes) that have been serving jenever since the 18th century, raw herring stalls « the Amsterdam way », Surinamese restaurants and artisan cheesemongers. The Boerenmarkt at Noordermarkt, every Saturday from 9am to 4pm, is where it all converges – local producers, regional cheeses, seasonal vegetables. The Jordaan borders directly the Grachtengordel, the canal ring inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, giving food tours an exceptional architectural backdrop: 14 km of canals, 80 bridges, 1,550 listed buildings.
The 8 best food experiences in Amsterdam’s Jordaan
1. Amsterdam Food Tour: 10 Tastings with a Passionate Local Guide
This is Amsterdam’s highest-rated food tour across all categories – 4.98/5 from over 5,000 reviews, which says it all. Your guide isn’t a chain-tour employee; they’re a genuine Amsterdam enthusiast who takes you to their own personal favourites: a hidden inner courtyard tucked in the heart of the city, a brown cafe where regulars have been ordering the same thing for decades, a cheesemonger who explains why Dutch cheese has a different rind depending on the region. The 10 tastings cover classics (Tom Pouce, haring, bitterballen, Dutch cheese) but also under-the-radar spots you won’t find in mainstream guidebooks. Meeting point communicated after booking.
- 10 Dutch specialities at genuinely local addresses
- E-guide with your guide’s personal best addresses included
- Max 10 people for an intimate experience
2. Jordaan Food Tour: the Original Eating Europe Celebrates 10 Years
Eating Europe launched this Jordaan Food Tour 10 years ago – they literally invented the food tour concept in this neighbourhood. For this anniversary edition, the route has been refined to show you what has changed and what has endured: a 400-year-old brown cafe where the apple pie recipe hasn’t changed, the Dutch fishmonger and his herring served the Amsterdam way, crispy croquettes and hot bitterballen straight from the fryer. Your guide carries the purple Eating Europe bag and meets you at the back of the Church. This is the original that all the others take inspiration from.
- 400-year-old brown cafe serving its legendary homemade apple pie
- Surinamese and Indonesian influence on Jordaan cuisine explained in context
- Fresh herring and croquettes at a traditional Dutch fishmonger
3. 10 Tastes of Amsterdam: 750 Years of History in 3 Hours
This tour has a strong narrative angle I particularly appreciate: « eat 750 years of Amsterdam in 3 hours ». In practice, you literally start underground – in the cellar of one of Amsterdam’s finest cheesemongers, where 8 varieties await you at the entrance. Then a brown bar that has been serving sailors for over 400 years. Then a Surinamese restaurant to understand how colonial heritage transformed Dutch cuisine. Ten tastings across 5 local venues, with a guide who knows the history of every address. Arrive 10 minutes early to make the most of the cheeses at the entrance.
- Start in a historic cheesemonger’s cellar with 8 varieties to sample
- Century-old brown bar with traditional local jenever
- Vegetarian and pescatarian diets catered for on request
4. Food, Culture & Canals Tour with Sherpa: 10 Tastes from Waterlooplein
This tour sets off from one of my favourite starting points for a food experience: Waterlooplein, the former canal turned flea market and once the heart of Amsterdam’s Jewish quarter. Your Sherpa guide greets you in front of a cosy cafe and begins literally underground – bold bites in a historic cellar – before winding up through the Jordaan via UNESCO canals. Over 3.5 hours and 10 tastings, you walk a section of Amsterdam that few tourists tread, with a strong emphasis on the cultural history behind each dish. Price displayed in euros (converted from USD, approximately €81).
- Starting at Waterlooplein, a historic market steeped in history
- 10+ dishes and drinks with the story behind every recipe
- Small group, personalised experience over 3.5 hours on foot
5. The All-Dutch Food Tour: 4 Hours of 100% Dutch Immersion
This tour makes zero concessions: everything you taste here is 100% Dutch. Homemade apple pie (one of the best in the city), fresh herring with onions and gherkins, crispy bitterballen, aged local cheese, and jenever – the ancestral Dutch gin drunk in proeflokalen since the 17th century. At four hours, this is the longest tour in this selection, and rightly so: your guide takes the time to trace the history of each product, from Roman garum to the first Jordaan distilleries. The weekend version includes apple pie at one of the neighbourhood’s most celebrated cafes.
- Homemade Dutch apple pie at a legendary Jordaan cafe
- Jenever tasting at a historic proeflokaal
- 10+ 100% Dutch specialities, alcoholic drinks included
6. Jordaan Food Tour + UNESCO Canal Cruise: the Complete Package in 3.5 Hours
This is the only experience in this selection that combines two formats I genuinely love separately: the walking food tour in the Jordaan (same Eating Europe formula as position 2, legendary apple pie, herring, local fishmonger) and a one-hour cruise on UNESCO canals aboard a wooden salon boat, sipping jenever as you go. You glide along the Prinsengracht, the Jordaan’s eastern boundary, listed as UNESCO World Heritage since 2010. If you can only pick one experience that covers both gastronomy and canal architecture, make it this one.
- Full Jordaan food tour with local artisans and homemade apple pie
- 1-hour UNESCO canal cruise on a wooden salon boat with jenever
- The most complete Jordaan experience, guided by Eating Europe
7. Streat Bites at Amsterdam Market: Street Food & Stalls in 2.5 Hours
This is the most distinctive format in this selection: not a restaurant-to-restaurant food tour, but an immersive exploration of Albert Cuypmarkt (De Pijp, the Jordaan’s neighbouring district), one of Amsterdam’s oldest outdoor markets. Streat Bites takes you through 8 street dishes in 2.5 hours, with street food specialist guides who know every vendor by name. Alcoholic drinks included, and a more accessible format for those who’d rather stand and move between stalls than sit down in several restaurants. Meet at the entrance of HEMA Ferdinand Bolstraat 93A.
- 8 street dishes through the bustling stalls of Albert Cuypmarkt
- Alcoholic drinks included, guided by street food specialists
- Immersive market format on your feet between stalls – a genuine change of pace
8. Amsterdam by Private Rickshaw: 75 Minutes Through the Jordaan Effortlessly
A format radically different from classic food tours: an electric pedicab (rickshaw) for two people maximum, 75 minutes of private circuit through the historic centre and the Jordaan. The ideal option for couples, those with limited mobility or anyone who wants to take in the neighbourhood without walking miles. Your guide takes you through the Jordaan, Dam Square and adjacent historic districts. The price covers up to 2 people (not per person). Meet at Koningsplein, trams 2, 11 or 12. Perfect rating of 5.0/5 – the most recently launched of the 8 products with 52 reviews.
- Private tour for up to 2 people in a comfortable electric rickshaw
- Ideal for limited mobility, couples, or after a long day on foot
- Jordaan, Dam Square and historic centre in 75 minutes flat
Planning your trip to Amsterdam
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Find flights to AmsterdamThe Eating Europe formula combining a walking food tour and a UNESCO canal cruise aboard a wooden salon boat. The most complete package.
Check availabilityPractical tips for your Jordaan visit
Getting there from the centre: trams 2, 11 and 12 serve Westermarkt (the Jordaan’s main entrance). From Centraal Station, it’s a 20-minute walk along the Prinsengracht or 10 minutes by bike. Amsterdam is a cycling city – hire a bike on arrival if you’re staying more than a day.
Best season for food tours: May and June are ideal. It’s the Nieuwe Haring season (the freshest raw herring of the year), outdoor markets are in full swing, and daylight stretches to 9.30pm. September and October offer fewer crowds and superb photographic light on the canals. In December, the Amsterdam Light Festival illuminates the Jordaan canals – a magical atmosphere, though prices are higher.
Book ahead: all food tours run with limited capacity (10 to 12 people). During peak season (June to August), slots fill up 3 to 5 days in advance. Free cancellation is usually available up to 24 hours before the start.
Noordermarkt: if you’re in Amsterdam on a Saturday morning, don’t miss the organic Boerenmarkt on Noordermarkt square (9am-4pm), running since 1987. Artisan cheeses, locally grown vegetables, sourdough bread and regional honey. It’s free, it’s a local favourite, and it pairs perfectly with any food tour.
The hofjes: the Jordaan has 24 hidden inner courtyards (hofjes) built in the 17th and 18th centuries by philanthropic merchants. Most are freely accessible if the gate is open – push it. Sint Andrieshofje (1617, the oldest) and Karthuizerhof (the largest) are worth seeking out between tastings.
Frequently asked questions about Jordaan food tours
What is the best food tour in Amsterdam’s Jordaan?
The highest-rated is the 10-tasting food tour (4.98/5 from 5,329 reviews, from €79, 3.5 hours). For the most deeply rooted Jordaan experience, the Eating Europe anniversary edition (4.89/5, 2,586 reviews, €137.50) is the original tour that popularised the concept. To combine a food tour with a canal cruise, the complete 3.5-hour package (4.90/5, €154) is the best option.
How long does a Jordaan food tour last?
Classic Jordaan food tours last between 3 and 4 hours. The 10-tasting tour runs 3.5 hours, while the 100% Dutch immersion is the longest at 4 hours. Short on time? The market street food tour lasts 2.5 hours and the private rickshaw tour covers the neighbourhood in 75 minutes.
Are Jordaan food tours suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, several tours accommodate dietary requirements. The 750 Years of Amsterdam tour explicitly states that vegetarian and pescatarian diets are catered for on request (gluten-free: a private tour is recommended). For other tours, mention your diet at the time of booking – operators generally adapt. The Albert Cuypmarkt street food tour naturally offers more vegetarian variety.
What Dutch specialities do you taste on a Jordaan food tour?
The must-try classics on Jordaan food tours: Dutch apple pie (appeltaart) served warm with whipped cream, haring (fresh raw herring held by the tail with onions and gherkins), bitterballen (deep-fried beef croquette balls), artisan Dutch cheese, jenever (ancestral Dutch gin) and a fresh stroopwafel rested on a cup of coffee. Most tours also cover Surinamese and Indonesian influences inherited from the Dutch colonial era.
Do you need to book Jordaan food tours in advance?
Yes, absolutely. All Jordaan food tours run with limited capacity (maximum 10 to 12 people). During peak season (June to August), slots fill up 3 to 5 days ahead. Free cancellation is generally available up to 24 hours before the tour. For the 10-tasting tour, the exact meeting point is shared after you book.
Sources
- dutchamsterdam.nl – History of the Jordaan – accessed 2026-06-15
- jordaanweb.nl – Foundation of the Jordaan 1612 – accessed 2026-06-15
- UNESCO WHC – Grachtengordel, inscription 2010 – accessed 2026-06-15
- annefrank.org – Anne Frank Museum – accessed 2026-06-15
- amsterdamian.com – Boerenmarkt at Noordermarkt – accessed 2026-06-15
- amsterdamlocalgems.com – Hidden hofjes in the Jordaan – accessed 2026-06-15
- visitamsterdam.com – The Jordaan district guide – accessed 2026-06-15
- funamsterdam.com – History of the stroopwafel – accessed 2026-06-15
Ready to explore the Jordaan like a local?
Jordaan food tour slots fill fast in peak season. Book ahead to secure the best time slots and the most intimate group sizes.
See the top tour (4.98/5)