Amsterdam Rijksmuseum Guided Tour

Overview

Going into a museum as huge as the Rijksmuseum can be overwhelming. You are bombarded with years, styles, dates and then spit out into the streets of Amsterdam in a daze. Yes, what you have seen is beautiful, but how does it all fit together? What do these collections really tell us about Dutch history? That’s where we come in. Our vision for this tour is to place all these works in their historical context and, at the same time, connect them to the great European artistic movements. Regardless of your background in European history, the tour has been created through independent research by our team of enthusiastic guides to give everyone access to these deeply fascinating periods and, ultimately, we hope that you will come away with a much more intimate and in-depth understanding than before.

Outside the museum you will be greeted by one of our passionate guides who will allow you entry and, once inside the great hall, will continuously introduce you to the different collections spread across its vast wings. As we walk through these rooms, we will see how Dutch culture was built during the medieval turmoil of the Black Death. We will see how the Dutch gained independence and observe the flowering of their great Golden Age. From this foundation we will better understand why Dutch masters like Vermeer and Rembrandt are held in such high regard, why still lifes were so incredibly popular and why they chose ordinary people as the subjects of their great works of art. The tour will conclude by venturing into the lower floors, where the Dutch Golden Age declined, the Age of Enlightenment developed and independence was once again achieved. However, the reputation of this great republic has had and continues to have an impact on world history, to this day. We look forward to welcoming you to this incredible museum.