Toms Travel Tours
Toms Travel Tours
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About
TOMS TRAVEL TOURS. Your Dutch Connection! Toms Travel Tours is an Amsterdam-based boutique travel company offering custom-designed private tours. The company is led by the enthusiastic founder & owner, Tom van der Leij. Founded in 2013, the tour company comprises a high-quality team of Dutch natives who are professionally trained guides and experts in an array of fields. One thing we all have in common is our passion for Amsterdam, the Netherlands & the wider region! Our guides speak English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and German, among others. We offer diverse private walking and cycling tours, or you can choose to tour via car, van or boat. We can also whisk you away for a day to other Dutch towns or into Belgium. We’re more than happy to custom design your tour and suggest some ideas in this brochure to stimulate your trip planning. Our tours range from 2 hours to a week, and can be tailored for individuals, couples, families or groups, or for company outings and incentive travel.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024

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Tours and Tickets by Toms Travel Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles663 reviews
Excellent
646
Very good
13
Average
4
Poor
1
Terrible
0

Carol P
Greenville, SC9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
My parents, husband, and I booked the 4 hour walking tour of Amsterdam and the full day countryside tour with Tom’s Travel Tours. Tom was our guide and our experience with him was exceptional.

We enjoyed our half day walking tour and covered much more ground in just 4 hours than we thought we would. He picked us up at our hotel, guided us through town, and dropped us off at a restaurant that he had recommended we reserve for lunch. He knew we had reservations for the Anne Frank Museum that afternoon and made sure to suggest a spot nearby. Between the walk, recommended lunch, and Museum, our first day in Amsterdam was covered.

It’s worth mentioning that our weather forecast for our stay in the Netherlands was abominable. Heavy rains, winds, and cool temps for the summer were predicted. Tom was flexible and well prepared - even going so far as to bring along disposable ponchos and umbrellas just in case.

The following day we traveled to various towns outside of Amsterdam. We enjoyed a morning of riding bikes and an afternoon of exploring Edam, the Windmills, and De Beemster. Tom even knows a Miller personally and scheduled time for us to privately walk through his Windmill (also his home) and property. We learned so much and are confident that we would not have had the same experience with anyone else. Tom knew that we have a sweet tooth and went out of his way to pick up cookies and chocolates to have as an afternoon treat while exploring the countryside. He even packed an IPA for my husband and cava for me. Tom displayed absolutely exceptional guiding, service, and attitude both days.

Additionally, Tom has a passion for photography and gladly photographs his guests. We so enjoyed his skills and appreciated his willingness to take pictures of our family. We know that his shots will be the best of our entire trip to Europe.

We will, without hesitation, recommend Tom to any friends and family that travel to Amsterdam. 5/5 stars. Book with him now!
Written August 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind words in this extensive review! Was a pleasure!
Written October 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Susan J P
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
In April 2022, we participated in a group tulip tour of the Netherlands which was provided by Toms Travel Tours. The itinerary was an outstanding combination of popular attractions such as the Keukenhof and Het Loo and more intimate experiences such as a tour of the historic formal gardens at a private palace by the owners and a visit to a small bee keeping operation. The logistics of the tour were very well organized with comfortable hotels and excellent choices for the provided meals. We were very impressed with our guide Ingrid who was well organized and provided great energy and a wealth of knowledge.

After our group tour we arranged several days of extended activities in Amsterdam through Toms Travel Tours. We were particularly impressed by our personal tour of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum with Jeroen who provided both the stories of the artworks as well as information about the artists' techniques. A final highlight was our private evening canal cruise in a 92 year old wood strip boat, with Willem as our captain and commentator.

We look forward to travelling with Toms Travel Tours again and will recommend his company to our friends!
Written May 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you, Susan, for your very kind review! It was our pleasure to host your lovely group in April, our favorite time of year! Excited to hear you enjoyed the canal cruise so much. We look forward to welcoming you all back in the future. Kind regards, Tom
Written June 23, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Johnsotr
Sewickley, PA337 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
With 25 class of 1968 classmates and spouses, we just concluded a 18 day tour organized by Tom van der Liej. It was fantastic! Our experience was excellent in all respects. Tom chose the best guides imaginable and guided us himself a couple of days. This trip took a huge effort to organize and execute and we made many changes in the weeks immediately preceding our arrival in Amsterdam. Tom figured out how to make everything happen. Every guide, every coach and driver, every hotel and restaurant were great. Michelle and Tricia served as trip leaders for the first two weeks and did a masterful job. They had learned all 26 names within a day or two and we were all in tears when their part of the trip concluded and their successors joined us. Tom organized several unique experiences, such as a BBQ lunch in a tulip field and a tour of the Delta Works with a guide who lived through the 1953 flooding. We enjoyed a visit from a Senator in the Dutch parliament and a "royals watcher" on King's Day eve. We had a "private concert" from an internationally renowned flutist who played "The Forbidden Music" for us collected by the Leo Smits Foundation at her home. Tom and his team exceeded our expectations in all respects and all 26 of us highly recommend him and his company. He can arrange customized experiences that most tour operators wouldn't even attempt. You can't go wrong with Tom.
Written May 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks again, Tom, for your splendid review and planning your trip was the highlight of my career so far! We made the trip of a lifetime together and I know Michelle and Tricia enjoyed it just as much as all of you. Stay in touch and wishing you and all your fellow class & travel mates a great summer and year ahead. Warm regards, Tom
Written June 23, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Arianna
4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
Let me start off with my positive comments.

The communications with this company was fantastic, they were responsive and so helpful!

The private boat tour in Amsterdam was the highlight of the whole trip. I highly recommend captain Willy, he was knowledgeable, very pleasant to be around, AND has a beautiful wooden boat.

As for the tulip tour, we could not have been more disappointed. We had requested Tom as our guide many months out, only for him to inform us a day or two before that he had to accommodate another group and we’d have a new guide.

We felt strongly that our guide was more of a driver than anything else. There were no snacks or water in the car, the lunch spot was a disappointing snack-bar (there were plenty of beautiful quaint towns close by which would have been a better option - it was almost like he didn’t know the area well…..), he did not offer to take photos at the tulip fields (we always had to ask), and overall we felt he didn’t have the experience or knowledge of a trained guide like we’re used to. Naturally, when you’re paying this amount for a private guide you’re hoping they’ll share some details about the towns your passing, history of the area, information on the tulips and other flowers in season, etc. There were some other minor things not worth mentioning.

Overall, it doesn’t bring me any pleasure writing something like this, but I felt an obligation to write this so other fellow travelers could get a bit of a heads up. Make sure you clarify specifically what your looking for and expectations when booking with Tom Travel Tours and I’m sure it’ll work out just fine!
Written April 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Arianna, Thanks so much for taking the time to write this review. I’m thrilled to hear that you appreciated the boat tour. Cruising the canals of Amsterdam is one of the most special ways to see the city! However, I’m sorry to hear that the tulip tour wasn't to your expectations. It is indeed one of our most booked and loved tours, so it is unfortunate that it was not as wonderful as we always aim to (and usually) deliver. As with most, if not all, tour companies in high season, it is not possible to 100% guarantee a particular guide, as we have to sometimes adapt planning due to circumstances not always in our control. We understand this caused some frustration. We will do our best to incorporate your feedback in improving the way we work for future guests. After all, we hope you enjoyed your time in the Netherlands and wish you a great day, week, and year ahead. Kind regards, Tom van der Leij
Written April 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Happy Traveler
Caribbean3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
Incredible Tours With Toms Travel Tours! We had the best tours of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum with Ingrid and the Deft and the Hague with Jackie. If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam, be sure to hire Toms Travel Tours so that you really get the most out of your vacation and be sure to ask for Ingrid or Jackie. Both tour guides were incredible. Ingrid shared her passion for Van Gogh during our visit at the museum and her admiration for Rembrandt as she discussed how he progressed over his lifetime to become one of the greatest artists of all time. Jackie actually went out of her way and added a special treat to our tour: the beautiful fields of daffodils of Lisse which were in peak season.
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your fantastic review! And how nice that you enjoyed our guides, Ingrid and Jackie, so much. I will be sure to pass along your praise to them. It is lovely to hear how Ingrid could share her passion of art with you and that you could see the bright daffodils! All the best, Tom van der Leij
Written April 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Joanne H
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Family
My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Tom’s Travel Tours in mid-April. Tom and his team provided extremely helpful information as we planned our itinerary for tours in the city and to the countryside. Tom also took care of getting us tickets to the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. The trip started smoothly with Ertug waiting for us as we came out of the luggage area and provided commentary about the city as we drove to our hotel. We had a wonderful early evening canal tour with Wim, and this gave us a chance to see the city from the water as we navigated the large and small canals. The next day we had a highly informative walking tour with Chris as we learned a great deal about the city history and explored areas on foot that we would not have seen on our own. Joyce did a fantastic job navigating us away from the crowds at Keukenhof so that we could see each beautifully landscaped beds with relative ease. This visit was one of the highlights of our trip along with the stops at the Schermerhorn windmills, Edam and Marken. Our final tour with Rein to The Hague filled with information about the government center, the Vermeers and Rembrandts at Mauritshuis. This was followed by our visit to Delft as we learned about the history of the New Church and explored the charming Market Square and downtown area. We can highly recommend Tom’s Travel Tours for planning a special customized experience in Amsterdam and the surrounding countryside.
Written May 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you, Joanne, for your lovely review of your experiences with us across so many tours - from the windmills and countryside to some of the best museums in Amsterdam. Hope you took home some wonderful memories! Warm regards, Tom
Written July 3, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Brett F
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
Tom is an amazing tour operator. Last minute he whipped together an outstanding tour. I have been on private tours in 3 countries over 8 days and no one has matched his “turn key” experience. He set us up with an amazing guide (Jackie - ASK FOR
HER), who took us in a clean, comfortable Opel Van all over the countryside surrounding Amsterdam. We rode bikes, saw windmills and went to a cheese and wooden shoe factory. She was full of knowledge and she also had the right amount of “mom” care for 5 boys (grandpa, 2 adult sons and their 2 sons). 5-star experience. Must do it! We will be back with them again to see another part of this beautiful country. Only negative is that she wrecked our expectations for the modestly above par tour guides we had thereafter.
Written August 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow, what an amazing review, Brett! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us! So pleased that we could exceed your expectations for a relatively last-minute tour for you and your family. I passed on your great words to Jackie as well. All the best to you all! Warm regards, Tom
Written September 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

rsjaffe
Dunoon, UK15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
We booked three tours from Amsterdam: 3 hour walking tour Jordaan/Amsterdam, Guided visit to the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum, Royal tour Delft and Hague; one tour from Gent: Elegant Ghent Tour; and one tour from Bruges: Charming Bruges. All were excellent. In particular, our Amsterdam guide, Joyce, had excellent in-depth knowledge that was particularly useful in the museums we visited with her: the Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Mauritshuis; and in the Royal Delft museum in the Royal Delft factory. She was able to go beyond what was written on the displays and give further context and meaning, as well as identifying optimum ways of navigating throught these sometimes crowded museums. Mieke in Gent was obviously well-known there: people kept on stopping and talking with her. And Hendrickx was very useful in Bruges.
Written June 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank for your thorough review of your museum tours, walking tour and time in Belgium! We were pleased to host you and hope you took home some great memories from your time here. All the best, Tom
Written August 2, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

AAEM
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
Our bike tour with Tom van de Leij was exceptional, despite the fact that the day was pretty cold and we are not highly-experienced cyclists. We toured all around the city, even going to the North side - an area we hadn't been to previously and probably would have missed if it wasn't for this tour.

Tom immediately made us feel comfortable on our bikes (there were 3 of us: my husband, 16-yr old daughter, and myself) was EXTREMELY kind and VERY knowledgeable about all the city sites. We biked through Vondelpark, stopped in various key locations in the Jordaan and the City Center, and took the ferries to and from the North Side.

Tom's family has lived in Amsterdam for many, many generations so he was able to provide so much history and many interesting facts about the city (including his favorite cafes and the most scenic spots). Worth pointing out, is that Tom is a professional travel photographer (he currently has an exhibit in Amsterdam) and he snapped many photos of us! We didn't have to worry about bringing a camera or trying to get selfies; it was as if we were touring with our very own private photographer and he shared the photos with us the very next day (and don't worry, if this isn't what you want to do, it won't be an issue).

This bike tour was so much fun and without a doubt a HIGHLIGHT of our time in Amsterdam! We will certainly book other tours with Toms Travel.
Written March 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write an amazing review and to share how much you enjoyed our bike tour and photos! It was a pleasure showing you my favorite places and I hope you carry these memories with you for a long time! Kind regards, Tom
Written April 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rugger08
Northville, MI10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
Three part review. (1), we selected Tom's Travel Tours since we were on a fairly tight schedule and we were looking for a private family tour (with a teenager) with flexibility and customizability, and a lot of walking. Tom's Tours was the most responsive and thorough about working with us to plan ahead. Ultimately we felt like we were able to secure the sights on a schedule/timeline that worked really well. We booked two separate tours over two days. It was not completely obvious at first, but Tom's Tours does work with a number of private guides. Reading through some other reviews, I can see it's possible that experiences can vary based on the match with a particular guide. My two cents are just to be to thorough and explicit about what you are looking for and Tom with work with your needs. (2) Our first guide was Marjorie who led us through the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum over approximately 3 hours. Marjorie was absolutely fantastic. Apparently she works for or is on a select list of guides who can lead tours at the Rijksmuseum. Her background with and knowledge of the exhibit were just stellar. I can't say enough positive comments. (3) For day 2 of our tours, we lucked into being led by Tom, himself. I am not sure if this can be requested or arranged. As circumstances unfolded, our assigned guide had a family commitment arise, and so Tom led us on his own. To say we were in good hands would be an understatement. Tom walking us through his hometown is in his element. He freely walked into restaurants, shops and up to vendors and gather samples of this and that. His energy seem to increase during the span for 3+ hours that we spent with him. I loved that we walked virtually the whole time. We moved with pace and covered a ton of ground. Thank you Tom and Marjorie for such a fantastic experience. Tom, I know you can't always do this alone, but we were so glad to have met you in person and thank you for showing us the city that you clearly hold so dear.
Written April 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your thorough and super helpful review of your experience on our tours! Indeed, we have many guides who specialize in an array of areas, so it's great you highlighted that. I was happy to be able to show you around my favorite city too! It was our pleasure to host you and give you such a memorable time here. All the best and warm regards, Tom
Written May 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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