The Jewish Cultural Quarter is east of the city center with Europe's largest and oldest active…read moresynagogues. Its magnificent interior looks much as it did in 1675, with its original towering stone columns, vaulted timber ceiling & wooden pews surrounding a massive Torah ark made of gleaming wood. Evening services are illuminated by hundreds of candles in the large brass chandeliers. The sheer size of the synagogue & it's beauty left us awestruck. The Portuguese Synagogue is the functioning house of prayer of the Portuguese Jewish Community of Amsterdam. On days when no services are held, this magnificent esnoga and the hidden treasure chambers are open to visitors. What makes this building so remarkable is that its interior has remained completely intact. No heating or electricity has been installed and it's lit by a thousand candles you see all around. At night, by candlelight and the candlelit concerts are supposed to be incredible. The world's oldest functioning Jewish library is also here: Ets Haim Livraria Montezinos, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Lovely 17th century Sephardic synagogue in one of Amsterdam's most charming districts!…read more Audio tour is informative and well orchestrated. Be sure to visit the (very close) Jewish History Museum AND the Museum of the Dutch Resistance while you're in this part of one of my two favorite European cities.

Every day Shacharit at 07:00 and mincha/ma'ariv before sunset. Go there...., you'll like it!read more

Wow! So much more than I expected. Tour is about 75 minutes. The stonework is, hands down, the…read moremost impressive I've ever seen. Absolutely incredible and worth every penny of the 13.50 euro entrance fee. It was pretty busy and the tour was a little confusing, but don't let that keep you away.

I started my Amsterdam trip with a tour of Koninklijk Paleis. The Palace is located in Dam Square…read more Tickets are €12,50 and I was able to walk up and purchase a ticket at the main entrance. They have a free coat check which was useful. I did the self guided audio tour and I think I spent about 1.5-2 hours. The palace was built in the 17th century and it initially served as the town hall until Louis Napoleon claimed it as his palace. Now it's used for state visits. The palace is one of three residences of the royal family, however their primary residence is in The Hague. The architecture is beautiful. I really enjoyed Citizen's Hall. The self guided tour focused on the art and architecture while giving a history of past monarchs. It was kind of crazy walking through a room where executions were once carried out. I would have liked more information about the current royal family (King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima). I learned on a different tour that he is a pilot and occasionally flies for KLM. I didn't enjoy this tour as much as I thought I would. If you're short on time, I would recommend skipping the Palace.