Everyone should see the RLD and approach it with an open-mind. I highly recommend the tour provided by the Prostitution Information Center (aka the Wallenwinkel). They are located right in shadow of the Oude Kerk (Old Church). The tour guide was excellent and knowledgeable and it opened my eyes to the prostitution trade, how it works, etc. We even got... more

Well, that's pretty much what was to be expected. Suprising openness and "normality" of the whole thing. We didn't always feel very safe (walking in the evening). But I just couldn't stand the stench, you just cannot breath there!! more

If you're worried that this place will be seedy and dirty and unsuitable then you'd be right.. but its also so much fun and we felt safe at all times. My husband and I wandered about a few times and saw something different everytime. Familes live on this street and in my opinion its one of the least sexiest places... more

It’s not just about the party and sex trade, it’s how this is mixed in with the beauty of Amsterdam, and how normal this is in a functioning modern city. I moved to Netherlands some time ago. If you’re in Amsterdam you must visit the RLD. During the day its calm around 8PM things start to pick up. In the... more

The reviews seem to be split on whether you should visit the RLD or not. If you are easily offended or feel that there is something unethical with prostitution then the RLD is probably not for you. I personally found the RLD facinating. I went with my husband and a couple of friends and we visited the RLD twice during... more

We had an absolute BLAST walking through the red light district. We rode through during the day on our bike tour (Mike's Bikes, we recommend them highly!) and went back at night. Food is hard to find after 10PM but we found a little French restaurant across from the Waag that had a great Steak au Poivre and yummy fondue.... more

I had imagined the RLD of Amsterdam to be big, brash and obvious. In reality it took us ages to even find the place! The ladies look fed-up in their windows, there are less sex shops than in Soho and it all ends up looking rather sad and boring. more

Once an area like this has been turned into a tourist destination, it loses a lot of what I'm sure was a more dangerous edge, which is a good thing for the tourists. The area didn't seem as derelict or trashy as some red light districts I've seen, namely the Reeperbahn, and the girls in the windows were certainly something... more

As a seasoned visitor to Amsterdam I am often put off that it's reputation is sullied by an area covering a 5 block radius. Amsterdam has so much more to offer than this and the fact that this area gets so much attention is irkesome to me. There are more museums in Amsterdam in a small area than any other... more