Welcome to Free Walking Tour Utrecht!
Our tours are in English and tip-based; we ask a small booking fee (€2 per person) to secure your spot
Choose a date to start booking:
Looking for a guided tour with a private guide instead? Visit our Guided Tour Utrecht page:
Booking A Tour FAQ
Our Free Tours are designed for small groups of up to 5 people. Smaller groups keep the tour moving at a good pace, make it easier to meet new people, and ensure a fair experience for everyone. Since our tours are tip-based, very large groups can make tipping tricky — smaller groups help guides receive tips more fairly and keep everyone happy.
If you’re visiting with a larger group, we recommend a Private Walking Tour of Utrecht. You’ll have your own guide, more flexibility, and a fully personalized experience.
If you’d still like to join a Free Tour with more than 5 people, please email us in advance. We’ll do our best to accommodate your group if we have availability — please allow 24 hours for a reply.
Booking a tour can be done through our booking system, that you will find on the front page of our website.
Follow these steps to enter your booking:
1. Choose a date
Find the calendar and select an available date.
2. Select number of people
Check the tour details of your selection and click on the button that says ‘Book event’. Select the total number of people that will join and click ‘Continue’.
3. Add your details
Fill in your personal details, and make sure to double check your email address. Fields with an asterisk* are required.
4. Check your billing details
When you click ‘Continue’, you will be taken to the payment screen. Your details are filled in automatically, double check these and click the box to confirm that you agree to our Cancel & Refund Policy and continue.
5. Select payment method
Choose which online payment method you want to use. If there is no option available for you, please send us an email for assistance. Click ‘Place order’, which will take you to the payment gateway of your online bank.
6. Add booking to your calendar (optional)
After completing payment, your tour is booked. If you wish, you can add to your Google, Outlook, Yahoo or Apple Calendar.
7. Check your email for tour details
An automated confirmation email is sent to your email address, with information about your booking and start location of the tour. If you haven’t received anything in your primary folder or spam folder, please send us an email. We are happy to assist.
When you join a tour, you are charged a €2,00 booking fee per attendee. These costs cover the following:
€1,61 booking fee:
- A guarantee of your reservation, both for you and for us.
- Our work on the backend, organizing & managing our tours and guides.
- Marketing & website maintenance, so you can find us when looking for the best tour in Holland.
- Being there for you when you contact us!
€0,39 transaction fee for electronic payments
The booking fee can be paid when you make an online booking. For more information about the fee and our cancellation policy, visit our Booking Fee & Cancellation Policy page.
The booking fee does not include earnings for the guide
At the end of the tour, you’re welcome to leave a donation based on your experience and satisfaction. While this is entirely optional, please keep in mind that these contributions are the only source of income for our guides. There’s absolutely no pressure to give a specific amount — we warmly welcome all budgets and appreciate any amount you feel the tour was worth and can comfortably give.
You can cancel a booking at any time, by going to your confirmation email and clicking the cancel button:
Your reservation will be cancelled and you will be taken to our website, where you can book a new tour, if desired.
You will receive a confirmation of your cancellation and taken to our website. If desired, you can book a new tour.
You will receive a full refund of your original booking, if:
- You make a new booking at any time.
- If you don’t make a new booking, the booking fee is refundable until 24 hours before the start time of the cancelled tour. For more information, check our Cancel & Refund Policy.
NOTE: Our payment system does not allow your original booking fee to be used for a new booking. When you make a new booking, you will be required to make a new payment. We will reimburse the fee of your initial booking, please allow 7 days for us to process your refund.
If you get stuck on the payment screen, or your transaction is not confirmed, there are several reasons why this could happen. Perform the following checks to locate the issue:
- Check your internet connection. If your connection is slow or not secure, online transaction may be aborted for security reasons. This may happen if you are trying to book on public WiFi (like on an airport or train station), or when connecting to a busy hotspot (like a cafe or restaurant).
- Make sure you didn’t perform an online transaction shortly before. If you perform multiple online transactions with the same information in a short timespan, an anti-fraud protection prevents duplicate transactions for protection against theft. This may also happen, if you made a mistake when entering your card details or CVV number and re-entered them. Wait for a few minutes and try again.
- Check if your online payment system is down. If you are paying via online banking, visit your bank’s website or phone application to ensure that your bank is still up and running. If you are using an electronic payment system like PayPal or SEPA, visit their website to check if their services are temporarily down.
- If you are paying with card, verify if it is valid. When your card is declined, it is usually because it went past its expiry date, or you have reached the maximum number of transactions. Try a different method or contact your bank.
If these steps won’t resolve the issue, send us an email. We will attend to your email within 24 hours.
Yes, some areas have stairs, but it’s possible to go around them. The cobblestones in the city centre may offer a bit of a bumpy experience, but generally the city is well-equipped to accommodate those who get around on wheels.
Yes, our tour is suitable for all ages. However, we recommend parental guidance for children under 12, some topics include tragic events, like World War II.
If you wish to hire a private guide for your group, we offer a private tour of Utrecht.
The tour is like the Free Tour, however you can choose your own date & time and you will have your own guide who tends to your group exclusively. To read more and book, please visit our Guided Tour page for Utrecht.
If you have questions about our private tours, reach out to our Guided Tour email: info@guidedtourholland.com.
The tour takes about 2 hours and we end up back at Dom Toren, or close by – that way you won’t get lost!
We strongly recommend making a reservation. In this way, we know how many people will book join the tour. So if necessary we will be there with more guides. If the tour is full you may have to join the next tour. So please click here to book a tour to secure a spot.
Yes, your furry friend is most welcome on the tour!
Keep in mind that during sunny days, the sidewalks can get quite hot and that there may be some parts of the tour where it will be necessary to clean up after your dog – please make sure to bring plastic bags.
Tour duration: 2 hours
Start & end point: Dom Tower,
by the Resistance Monument
by the Resistance Monument
Daily tours
Join Our Free Tour And Experience Utrecht Like A Local!
Welcome to historic Utrecht, a hidden gem in the heart of the Netherlands. Since Roman times, this area has been a strategic military border, a lively trading outpost, a sacred religious center, a thriving transportation hub, and an important university town. Now it’s the fourth-largest city in the Netherlands and possibly the most beautiful, as the central canals were recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
Our two-hour introduction to Utrecht covers all the essential historic city center highlights, sometimes with visits inside an important church, an elegant library, or a noted landmark when possible. You’ll discover the secrets of our beautiful canals, have intriguing landmarks explained, and trace the settlements’ amazing 2000-year-old history. But more than that, we’ll dive into the charming small stories and local anecdotes that paint a more complete picture of the township. Our casual stroll together is no hardcore historic lecture, but more a celebration of the quirky characters and unsung heroes in a city of adventures.
Our 5-star guide will show you all the major attractions downtown while also informing you of exciting destinations further afield. Better yet, you’ll have a local expert available to help sculpt your visit into the unforgettable experience it ought to be. Best of all, the tour is free to everyone who signs up – less the little sign-up fee that keeps us running! So whether you’re a struggling student or on a luxury cruise around the world, our tip-based model welcomes everyone. It also strengthens the tour constantly, as our guides are inspired to offer the best experience possible with practical advice, up-to-date information, and creative local suggestions for curious visitors.
In this way, everyone can enjoy the highest-rated walking tour in Utrecht – because exploring should never be a privilege.
Famous Dom Tower
The Dom Tower from 1360 is the highest church tower in the Netherlands and the tallest building in central Utrecht – the same size as a Saturn 5 rocket!
Historic Old Canals
See these important medieval constructions that include uncommon landings or ‘wharves’ in a unique design that aided commerce – declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2021.
Cyclist Heaven
The city regularly hosts important bike races like the Tour de France in 2015. Not surprisingly, Utrecht now has more bikes per resident than any other city on earth!
Video
Meet our guides!
Gerben
Hey, I’m Gerben and I would love to show you around in Utrecht!
Utrecht is a very beautiful place, it is one of the biggest cities in the Netherlands. Yet it is a lot quieter than Amsterdam. I was born in the east of the Netherlands, but I moved here because of my studies. I never regretted this decision; it is a wonderful city with a rich history. In Utrecht you will never be bored.
I hope you will join me in one of my tours around Utrecht, and maybe you will fall in love with this great city as well. In my opinion following a free walking tour is the best way to discover a city. Even as a local, you can learn a lot from the tours I give.
Jeffrey
I’m Jeffrey, a US/UK expat who now calls Utrecht home after a lifetime of travel and storytelling. I’m a teacher during the year but I’m also a writer and an artist with a special fascination with this medieval township. My neighbors are my stories: I live near the Dom so my stories about colorful locals from days past help me weave a tapestry about the history of this fine city – so near and dear to my heart. I’m a chatty sort, and I love getting to know my guests so I can put together the best tour possible for our time together. Tourists will appreciate my energetic and theatrical presentation of these Utrecht legends, and I’m honored to be able to present them.
Marjolein
My name is Marjolein and I have been a tour guide in our lovely city for more than two years now! Rain or shine, I always have a good time pointing out our famous landmarks and sharing my knowledge of the city.
I am a Dutch high school history teacher so I love to talk about all the past stories, important events, and simple beauty Utrecht has to offer. There is such a variety of interesting tales to tell – nice ones, sad ones and exciting ones! It’s not unusual to see me under our big white umbrella, so I’m looking forward to seeing you on a Utrecht Free Walking Tour sometime soon!
Ruud
My name is Ruud and I have lived in Utrecht for more than 50 years in 8 different neighborhoods, so I can tell many stories about this vibrant city. I was born and raised in Amsterdam until I was sixteen so when I compare both cities now I can tell you – Come to Utrecht!
As a career, I worked as a stage director in many theatres all around Utrecht, but I can tell you the city itself is the nicest stage! When you walk with me I can show you historical buildings and famous landmarks, but also nice hidden places too. I will also tell you highlights from the history of here and stories of the common people, not just the leaders. Let’s have a fine walk together today in the Dom City!
Tim
Hi, I’m Tim van der Heiden, and I’ve been a Dutch guide for more than 3 years now. I moved to Utrecht more than 10 years ago to study history at the university and fell in love with the city. Seeing the Dom Tower as I walk out of my house never fails to bring a smile to my face! After my studies, I became a high school history teacher as well as a tour guide for the Free Walking Tours! Sharing my knowledge and telling the stories of this city is my passion, and I love seeing the smiles on my guests’ faces as we walk around this ancient town. Aside from my love for Utrecht and history, I’m an avid lacrosse player and even part of the national team!
Frouke
Dear all, My name is Frouke. Frouke (or Froukje) is probably the most Dutch name you will hear during your stay here in the Netherlands! Originally my name comes from the North, but I was raised in a town in between Amsterdam and Utrecht. I fell in love with Utrecht and I decided Utrecht was going to be the city, where I wanted to study law. I have now been living here for a few years and I am still very enthusiastic about all the nice courts and squares that Utrecht has to offer. I would love to tell you stories about some of the events that took place in Utrecht and some crazy things that happened here.
After spending the full afternoon with me, hopefully, you will start loving Utrecht as much as I do!