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Portuguese Synagogue

Portuguese Synagogue: Our most recommended tours and activities

Amsterdam: Life of Anne Frank and World War II Walking Tour

1. Amsterdam: Life of Anne Frank and World War II Walking Tour

Find out more about Anne Frank on a small-group or private guided walking tour of Amsterdam, led by an expert guide. Discover the city’s centuries-old Jewish Quarter in a small group setting while your guide weaves in anecdotes about Anne Frank's life and World War II. You will hear all about Anne Frank’s family dynamics, their move from Germany, their time in hiding, and her father’s life after the war. Start the tour outside the Portuguese Synagogue, a 17th-century Sephardic construction that still functions as a synagogue today. Find out about the background of the original Jewish neighborhood and how it developed over the centuries. Your guide will share stories of Anne Frank’s love of writing, the conditions she lived through in 1930s and 1940s Amsterdam, and how her diary became so famous. You will also hear about the Dutch Resistance during the Second World War and see where secret hiding places were located. Over the course of the tour, you will walk by the Jewish Historical Museum, stop at the Auschwitz Monument and see the outside of the Anne Frank House façade. Finish the tour with a small surprise at a local Dutch cafe.

Amsterdam: Anne Frank Walking Tour in German

2. Amsterdam: Anne Frank Walking Tour in German

Get to know one of the most important facets of the city and immerse yourself in the history, current affairs and culture of the Jews of Amsterdam with an experienced German-speaking guide. The Jews, expelled by the Spanish Inquisition, transformed Amsterdam into one of the wealthiest commercial cities in Europe and thereby influenced the cityscape significantly. This is how the Jodenbuurt was founded with its most well-known part the Jewish Triangle.  The tour will take you through this area with interesting stories and illustrate why it was especially this piece of land that the Jews wanted to inhabit. Not only Jews settled here. Non-Jews like the famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn also had their domicile in the middle of the Jewish quarter.  But even in Amsterdam, Jewish history is not just about success and good life. The strong discrimination experienced by the Jews by the Nazi Germans also ended in Amsterdam with the Holocaust.  Learn about the young and courageous Anne Frank, who was one of the Jews hiding not to get deported. While hiding she wrote her famous diary. Her diary will accompany the tour and exemplify the grief the Jewish community had to undergo.Thousands of people were deported and hardly anyone came back. But not all Amsterdammers wanted to accept this. Learn about the February Strike in 1941, but above all: learn of the courageous resistance by Jews and non-Jews, who saved many lives while endangering their own.  Pass by the Portuguese synagogue on the tour and see important testimonies such as Stolpersteine, the gate of the old plague cemetery and monuments commemorating the courageous resistance of the Third Reich.  Also, discover how the Jewish community lives today in multicultural Amsterdam. Join this tour to explore the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam and enjoy an unforgettable experience.

Amsterdam: Anne Frank Walking Tour

3. Amsterdam: Anne Frank Walking Tour

Join a walking tour through Amsterdam and learn about Anne Frank during the Second World War. Meet your guide at Waterlooplein and discover the most important sights related to Anne Frank and other Jews in Amsterdam during World War 2 including the Jewish Quarter, the Portuguese Synagogue, and the Jewish Council headquarters. Explore the heart of Amsterdam's Jewish neighborhoods, including the historic Jewish Quarter and the picturesque Plantage district. Learn about the centuries-old history of Jewish life in Amsterdam and the significant role that the community has played in shaping the city's culture and heritage. Walk through the narrow streets and alleys of the Jewish Quarter and you will see many historic buildings and landmarks, including the beautiful Portuguese Synagogue and the Jewish Historical Museum. Discover historical monuments and buildings that are still marked by traces of war. Learn about life during the Second World War and the struggles people endured like the February strike and the hunger winter. You'll also hear stories about the experiences of Amsterdam's Jewish community during World War II and the Holocaust, and the enduring legacy of this tragic period in history. Hear the story of Anne Frank, her family, and what they had to endure during this dark period of time. Learn about her diary, how it was published by her father after the war, and how it became one of the best-selling books of all time.

Amsterdam: Portuguese Synagogue Entrance Ticket

4. Amsterdam: Portuguese Synagogue Entrance Ticket

Travel back to the days of Amsterdam’s "Golden Age" on an audio tour of the Portuguese Synagogue. Learn about a period of prosperity that would have been unimaginable without the contributions of the Jewish community. Erected in the heart of Amsterdam in 1675, the Portuguese Synagogue was the largest synagogue in the world at the time. While still used as a house of worship, the synagogue is also open to the public and hosts frequent concerts. Gaze in awe at the authentic interior of large stone pillars and white plaster walls. Marvel at the dark furniture bathed in the abundant light of 72 windows. Since its consecration, the synagogue has had no electric light or heating and is illuminated by the artificial light of 1,000 candles in its brass chandeliers. The sand on the wood floor protects it from dirt. Other buildings in the complex include the treasure chambers, where you can admire unique ceremonial objects of silver, gold, silk, and brocade. You can also see the oldest functioning Jewish library in the world at Ets Haim Livraria Montezinos (included by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Register). Access other attractions in the Jewish Cultural Quarter, including the Jewish Historical Museum, with its kid-approved Jewish Museum junior. See the National Holocaust Memorial and National Holocaust Museum. Learn more about Jewish culture, history and traditions. You can visit all locations with your ticket, which is valid for 1 month.

Amsterdam: Anne Frank Tour & Jewish Quarter Entry Ticket

5. Amsterdam: Anne Frank Tour & Jewish Quarter Entry Ticket

With this ticket, you can visit the Jewish Cultural Quarter in the heart of Amsterdam’s old Jewish neighborhood. In an area of less than one square kilometer, you’ll find the Jewish Historical Museum with the engaging Children’s Museum, the stately Portuguese Synagogue, the moving National Holocaust Memorial, and the National Holocaust Museum. Here, visitors can find out all about Jewish culture, history, and traditions. You can use the ticket for the Jewish Cultural Quarter whenever you wish during your stay. At your chosen time, join the Anne Frank guided walking tour. During this tour, hear all about what life was like following the occupation of the Netherlands by the Germans in 1940-1945 and how Anne Frank became an icon. Hear the story about her diary and how it came to be published by her father Otto Frank. Hear about important events, such as the February Strike and "Hongerwinter" (Dutch Hunger Winter). The tour ends near Anne Frank's House.

Private Amsterdam Anne Frank and Jewish Quarter Tour

6. Private Amsterdam Anne Frank and Jewish Quarter Tour

Join this 2-hour private walking tour and learn about the Jewish history of Amsterdam. Explore the centuries-old Jewish quarter of the city in a small group and learn about the life of Anne Frank from your guide. Get interesting information about the background of the original Jewish Quarter and its evolution over the centuries. Your private guide will tell you stories about Anne Frank's love of writing and the circumstances she experienced in Amsterdam in the 1930s and 1940s. Hear stories about Anne Frank's family relationships, her move from Germany, the time she was hiding, and her father's life after the war. Listen to how her diary gained worldwide fame. Discover some secret hiding places where the writer sought refuge during the Dutch resistance in the Second World War. See many sights like the Joods Historisch Museum, the Auschwitz Monument and finally the house of Anne Frank, where your tour ends.

Amsterdam: Anne Frank and Jewish Quarter Tour

7. Amsterdam: Anne Frank and Jewish Quarter Tour

Learn about Amsterdam's struggles during the Nazi occupation of the early 1940s. Find out how the people endured important events such as the February Strike and the hunger winter. Hear the story of Anne Frank, her family, and their strife during this dark period of time. See notable points of interest such as the Portuguese Synagogue, the Jewish Historical Museum, and the Headquarters of the Jewish Council. Discover sites like the Dokwerker and the Auschwitz Monument. Learn more about the Jewish history of Amsterdam. Get interesting information about the background of the original Jewish quarter and its evolution over the centuries. Explore the centuries-old Jewish quarter of the city. Explore the heart of Amsterdam's Jewish neighborhoods, including the historic Jewish Quarter and the picturesque Plantage district. You'll learn about the centuries-old history of Jewish life in Amsterdam and the significant role that the community has played in shaping the city's culture and heritage. As you walk through the narrow streets and alleys of the Jewish Quarter, you'll see many historic buildings and landmarks, including the beautiful Portuguese Synagogue and the Jewish Historical Museum. Hear stories about the experiences of Amsterdam's Jewish community during World War II and the Holocaust, and how the Jewish community lived and survived during and after the Second World War.

Amsterdam: Jewish Cultural Quarter & Gassan Diamonds

8. Amsterdam: Jewish Cultural Quarter & Gassan Diamonds

The Jewish Cultural Quarter in the old Jewish neighbourhood in the heart of Amsterdam is home to the Jewish Museum and Jewish Museum junior, the Portuguese Synagogue, Hollandsche Schouwburg and National Holocaust Museum. Grouped together within a square kilometre, these four historic locations house a unique collection that brings to life a history and rich Jewish heritage spanning from 1600 to the present day. The Jewish Cultural Quarter welcomes all visitors, young and old, in search of information, entertainment, beauty, contemplation, growth and inspiration. All with just one ticket. Travel back in time to the 17th century by visiting the Portuguese Synagogue, or find out all about Jewish culture and history in the Jewish Museum and Jewish Museum junior. Visit Gassan Diamonds, a family-owned company, located in a formerly steam-driven diamond factory in the center of Amsterdam. Join a guided tour to learn about the various stages of diamond polishing from the staff. Observe skilled craftsmen at work as they transform precious crystals into dazzling ready-to-wear pieces. After the tour, browse through the extensive jewelry and watch collection in the boutique. By presenting your Jewish Cultural Quarter combi ticket, you will be served a glass of Champagne during the tour.

Amsterdam: Jewish Museum Entrance Tickets

9. Amsterdam: Jewish Museum Entrance Tickets

Beautiful synagogues, striking buildings, and impressive monuments line the streets of Amsterdam's old Jewish quarter. At the heart of this historic neighborhood, which is less than 1 square kilometer in area, you’ll find the city’s Jewish Cultural Quarter. Spend the day enjoying a walk through the old Jewish quarter and visit the Jewish Historical Museum, a leading Dutch cultural institution with a children-friendly junior museum, and the imposing Portuguese Synagogue. In all there are several significant cultural institutions that are accessible with a single ticket, together providing a unique overview of Jewish life in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam: Jewish Quarter Walking Tour

10. Amsterdam: Jewish Quarter Walking Tour

Learn more about Amsterdam’s troubled past while gaining an insight into how the Jewish community lived and survived in the aftermath of the Second World War in Amsterdam. Hear about the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands from 1940 until 1945 and how it affected those living in Amsterdam and especially the Jewish community. Discover the Portuguese Synagogue, the Jewish Historical Museum, and stroll by the Headquarters of the Jewish Council. Learn how the Dutch behaved towards the Jews of Amsterdam and how the people endured the hardships as you pass sites like the Auschwitz Monument and the Dokwerker. The tour ends in front of the Anne Frank House, where you will learn more about her best-selling diary, how it was published by her father Otto Frank, and how it gained worldwide fame. Choose between group and private tour options.

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What people are saying about Portuguese Synagogue

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 3,450 reviews

Really enjoyed this tour! Our guide Aaron was super friendly, could barely believe it when the two hours were over. Great experience if you like history especially that related to WW2.

Manuel was very informative and clear his knowledge was passionate, he interacted with all on the tour and with subtle humour made this tour for me one of enjoyment

Great tour of the city of Amsterdam and learning about and seeing the atrocities that took place in Amsterdam during WW2 to the Jewish community

Very interesting tour, Janet was very eloquent and nice with excellent english!

Really fascinating tour, Talia did a great job of bringing history to life.