Amsterdam Jordaan Walking Tour: A Self-Guided Route Through the Charming Old Quarter

The Jordaan is the most charming quarter of Amsterdam, a former working-class district of narrow lanes, leaning gabled houses, hidden courtyards and quiet canals that has become the city's most beloved neighbourhood for wandering. If you are planning a walking tour in the Netherlands, this Amsterdam self guided walking tour explores the Jordaan and its edges, from the tall tower of the Westerkerk past the Anne Frank House and the flower-lined canals to the buzzing markets, the famous shopping lanes and a secret medieval courtyard. It is a gentle, intimate walk through the soul of Amsterdam, where every bridge frames a postcard and every lane hides a surprise.

Before you set off, a few practical notes. This walk covers about five kilometers and takes around two hours at an easy pace, entirely flat as you would expect, on paved streets, cobbles and canal-side lanes. Wear comfortable shoes, and bring a layer, because the weather off the water can change quickly. Morning is a lovely time to start, catching the markets in full swing, though the golden evening light on the canals is magical too. If you are following along by audio, keep your eyes up for the gabled houses and canal views, and above all watch for cyclists, who rule these streets and move fast and silently, so listen and look before crossing any bike lane, and pause whenever a canal or a courtyard invites you to slow down.

Westerkerk

You begin at the Westerkerk, the tall and elegant Protestant church whose blue-crowned tower is the highest in the city and one of its most beloved landmarks, rising gracefully above the canals at the edge of the Jordaan. Stand back beside the canal to take in the slender tower, topped with a golden and blue imperial crown, and listen for its carillon of bells, which chime out melodies across the rooftops. This was the church whose bells the young Anne Frank could hear from her hiding place nearby, and which she wrote gave her comfort. The painter Rembrandt is buried somewhere within, though the exact spot is lost. The church anchors this corner of the city with quiet grandeur. Take in the tower and its crown. Then walk just a few steps along the canal to a plain, narrow house that holds one of the most moving stories of the twentieth century.

Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House is a plain canal-side house that has become one of the most visited and moving places in the world, for it was here, in a concealed annex behind the building, that a Jewish girl and her family hid from the Nazi occupation for two years before their betrayal. Stand across the canal to take in the ordinary narrow facade, giving no hint of the secret rooms behind a hidden bookcase where Anne wrote the diary that would be read by millions. A queue usually stretches along the canal, but simply standing here, imagining the fear and the hope contained within those walls, is deeply affecting. A statue of Anne stands nearby. Take a quiet, reflective moment before this house and its terrible, tender history. Then turn into the Jordaan proper, crossing into its narrow lanes, and make your way to one of its prettiest canals, lined with flowers.

Bloemgracht

The Bloemgracht is one of the loveliest canals in the Jordaan, nicknamed the gentlemen's canal of the quarter for its unusually grand and beautiful houses, its name meaning flower canal, and it is a picture of everything that makes Amsterdam enchanting. Stroll along its edge beneath the elm trees, past narrow gabled houses leaning at gentle angles, their steps crowded with pot plants and bicycles, their reflections shimmering in the still green water below. Humpbacked bridges cross the canal, framing views down the water in both directions, and houseboats bob along the banks, some with gardens of flowers on their decks. It is quieter here than the main sights, a place of everyday Amsterdam beauty. Pause on a bridge to take in the classic canal view. Then wander north through the lanes of the Jordaan toward a lively square gathered around a church, at its best when the market is in full swing.

Noordermarkt

The Noordermarkt is a characterful square in the heart of the Jordaan, gathered around a fine old church, that hosts some of the best markets in the city, an organic farmers' market and a wonderful flea market on different days, drawing locals in search of food, antiques and treasures. If you arrive on a market day, the square is a delightful jumble of stalls, piled with cheeses, breads, flowers, fresh produce, secondhand clothes and curiosities, the air full of chatter and the smell of good food. The handsome church at its centre gives the square its focus, and cozy cafes around the edges spill their tables onto the cobbles. It is the social heart of the neighbourhood. Browse the stalls or watch the locals over a coffee. Then head northeast to what many consider the most beautiful canal in all of Amsterdam, marking the northern edge of the Jordaan.

Brouwersgracht

The Brouwersgracht is frequently voted the most beautiful street in Amsterdam, a stunning canal at the northern edge of the Jordaan lined with converted old warehouses, their tall shuttered windows and gabled tops reflecting in the water, crossed by a series of picture-perfect bridges. Walk along its edge and take in the scene, the old brick warehouses that once stored the goods of the city's breweries and traders, now sought-after homes, their facades in warm reds and browns above the greenish water. Houseboats line the banks, bicycles lean on every railing, and the bridges offer one gorgeous view after another. This is Amsterdam at its most photogenic. Linger on one of the bridges to soak in the canal at its finest. Then cross the water and head east a short way to a bustling shopping street that buzzes with local life and independent shops.

Haarlemmerstraat

The Haarlemmerstraat is one of the most vibrant and beloved shopping streets in the city, a long, busy lane just north of the Jordaan packed with independent boutiques, delis, bakeries, cafes and specialty food shops, popular with locals rather than tourists. Walk along it and take in the buzz, the smell of fresh stroopwafels and coffee, the windows full of Dutch design, cheese and chocolate, and the constant stream of cyclists weaving past the shoppers. This street and its continuation have repeatedly been named among the best shopping streets in the country, precisely because they feel authentic and lived-in rather than polished for visitors. It is a great place to pick up a treat. Browse the shops and sample something local. Then turn back south, crossing the grand canals of the city centre, toward the famous cluster of tiny lanes known as the Nine Streets.

Nine Streets

The Nine Streets, or Negen Straatjes, are a charming grid of nine little lanes connecting the grand canals just south of the Jordaan, packed with quirky independent boutiques, vintage shops, tiny galleries and cozy cafes, one of the most delightful areas in the city for a leisurely wander. Stroll through the compact web of streets, each one crossing the great canals so that you glimpse water at the end of every lane, and browse the eclectic shops selling everything from vintage clothing to handmade jewelry, rare books and Dutch cheese. The scale is intimate, the mood relaxed and stylish, and every corner tempts you with a shop window or a cafe. Wander the little lanes and enjoy the canal glimpses at every turn. Then continue south a short way to a hidden entrance that leads, almost unbelievably, into a silent medieval courtyard sealed off from the roar of the city.

Begijnhof

You finish at the Begijnhof, a hidden medieval courtyard tucked behind an unmarked door in the busy centre, a serene enclosed garden ringed by ancient houses that was once home to a community of pious women and remains an oasis of near-total silence. Slip through the low gateway and the noise of the city falls away completely, replaced by a green lawn ringed by beautiful old gabled houses, including the oldest surviving wooden house in the city, its black timber facade a rare survival. Two small churches face the garden, one of them a hidden Catholic chapel from the days when the faith was suppressed. It is a magical, secret place, asking for quiet and calm. Stand in the hushed garden and take in this pocket of the medieval city preserved in stillness. This serene hidden courtyard, sealed away behind the bustle, is a perfect and peaceful place to end.

Why the Jordaan Is Made for Walking

Reaching the Begijnhof, you have wandered the enchanting heart of Amsterdam, from the great church tower past the Anne Frank House and the loveliest canals to the buzzing markets, the shopping lanes and a hidden medieval courtyard. Walking is the only way to know the Jordaan, because its magic lies in the small and the concealed, a flower-lined canal, a secret garden behind an unmarked door, a leaning house full of pot plants, none of which a boat or a tram could ever show you. On foot you feel the intimate scale of the quarter, the way water and lane and courtyard interweave, and you notice the details that make it unforgettable, a houseboat garden, a carillon drifting overhead, the sudden silence behind a low gate. If you would like company for the next walk, open the Walk With Me map to find other walkers out exploring the city right now.