Amsterdam's Red Light District - tour?
 

I'll be in Amsterdam for a weekend and would like to see the Red Light District. I'm a female traveling alone. I may be able to walk through the RLD during the day (maybe), but definitely don't feel comfortable walking through on my own in the evening.

Does anyone have recommendations for tours? I've found these two via web searches: http://www.viptours.nl/night_tours.html and http://www.robvanhulst.nl/. Anyone know anything about these, or have any other suggestions? Any comments about safety, even during the day?

Thanks for your help!

If you go in the day or evening you will be amongst the throngs of tourists wandering through the narrow streets of the RLD.

i'm curious about what you're hoping or expecting to see.....

There is nothing to see but women standing like dolls in a glass urn. Most of them are not worth a penny...I think area is very safe.

It's really not very interesting, but if you must see women behind glass, by all means go. It's just as safe as anywhere else. Since there are a lot of tourists, there may be more pickpockets; just be careful with your belongings, just as you would anywhere in town.

Some of the women are in the windows during daylight hours and the area is not necessarily "jammed" with tourists and potential buyers all the time as might be implied by some of the responses above.

You can easily, and very safely, go through the area, which isn't all that large, during the day and get a sense of what it is all about. The only thing different after dark will be, possibly, more windows operating and more people passing by.

They may very well smile at you just as they smile at the males who pass by so be prepared for that possibility.

There are brothels all over Amsterdam, not just in the red light district. That's just where there are more of them. And there's a small area (right near the Old Church) with a bunch of bars. All the "red light" means is that there is a small red light outside the window, and maybe a scantifly clad female sitting inside (usually knitting or talking on a cell phone). Ohter than that it looks like anywhere else in Amsterdam. In looking at my photos it was usually hard to tell which ones were shot there versus other areas of Amsterdam. I can't imagine why you would need or want to take a tour of it. Go there to see the old church, and the church in the attic museum (both only open during the daytime anyway) and wander around like you would anywhere else.

In re-reaading my reply I should add that I did not take photos OF the windows or the women sitting in them. That would have been not only in bad taste but possibly dangerous. I have heard that they'll come after you if you photograph them. But I took lots of photos of buildings, canals, etc in the red light district, was just careful not to shoot right at a window with someone sitting in it. And I kept my camera concealed when I wasn't using it.

Isabel makes a very good point of not taking pictures of the girls. Many of them don't want their families to know what they are doing. They have no idea of what you might want to use the photos for. My guidebook stated that your camera will be thrown into the canal and probably you with it. It is a busy area in both day and night. You won't have any problems walking around.

check out ignatzmice.com for RLD info. The RLD tour and RLD FAQ are good starting points. The discussion forum is heavily used and full of up to date info.

A great site for RLD pictures is at Normal Guy 52's page at imagestation.com
He took 60+ pictures at dawn when no one was around.

The URL is: http://www.imagestation.com/album/?i...;1010338939600

If this URL doesn't work (it may have my logon info embedded) go to image station and search for RLD at Dawn. The results are alphabetical by poster so scroll down to Normal Guy 52.

Be careful taking photos - girls and their pimps go appreciate. In any case take high exposure film!

My husband and I made a passing stroll around the Oudekerk; later as it became dusk, the area began to increase in the number of men collecting about...I didn't feel comfortable in that environment. If I just <i>had</i> to see the 'attractions' at nighttime, I would only do it with a guide.

Have you considered staying in your room with a good-sized mirror?

I strolled the RLD during the daytime (solo female). It felt safe enough although not particularly interesting IMO. I'm not sure what difference it would be in the evening. You will see the women in various configurations of storefronts and shop windows, hanging out waiting, or simply a closed curtain if they are busy. It is quite business-like, hardly as risque as you may be imagining.

One thing I would definitely NOT want to do... is be traipsing around in a gawking group as part of an organized tour, now THAT would be embarrassing!

I don't know if it's true or not because as we know, you can't believe everything you hear about, but there was a mention that some of the girls in that RLD were kidnapped from aisian countries and sold to pimps to work in that district. Perhaps that is another reason they don't like photographs, if that information is in fact true.

I agree that the RLD is not all that interesting and you might feel uncomfortable by some of the &quot;boys&quot; on the street, but early in the day I think it will be a good experience.

When in Amsterdam be sure to look in the Yellow Pages under 'escorts' or something like that. Yes they do advertise and also take Visa and Mastercard.

Hi trav,

I consider the RLD to be a sort of mildly sinful Disneyland.

I suggestthat you save your time and money and take a nighttime canal boat tour.

((I))

Ira - spot on!!

Traveler - I'm a female - mid-30's when I was there last year. You'll be fine walking around on your own. You can easily see where you should turn, and maybe not wander. I was there during the day and the night (not just for the RLD) no issues.

Actually Ira's idea may be your panacea as a few boat tours actually go thru the canals in the redlight district.
There's the redlight district most tourist casually walk by and then there's the redlight district in the tiny alleys where it's mainly business. From the original Bulldog coffeeshop on O Z Voorburgwal (sp?) take the first alley to the right - an alley barely big enough for two people to pass (watch you wallet) at the end of this alley is an incredible indoor mall of redlight ladies - wall to wall booths with the pungent odor of disinfectants hanging in the air and many men milling about, negotiating, looking over the goods. It's so intimate that you have to brush by the girls at places to get by. Now i've never seen single women or even women, at least tourists in these alleys and i think it would be very angst rising but for men who want to see something they may never see elsewhere, it's an eye-opening one of a kind adventure.

&gt;...for men who want to see something they may never see elsewhere, it's an eye-opening one of a kind adventure.&lt;

There is nothing new under the sun.

Reminds me of a cartoon in Playboy (I think) some decades ago.

Woman calling down from window to sailors, &quot;Hey, sailor. I give you something you never have before&quot;.

Sailor to buddy, &quot;I wonder what kind of disease she's got&quot;.

((I))