In a nutshell
- Amsterdam’s Red Light District De Wallen is a super popular attraction in Amsterdam – by day and by night.
- In our article, you’ll find all the information you need for a visit, a map of the best sights in De Wallen, important rules of conduct and tips for your safety.
- Don’t want to walk through the district alone or want to know more about De Wallen? Then we recommend the guided Red Light District tour in Amsterdam.
What is the Red Light District Amsterdam?
The Red Light District De Wallen is located near Amsterdam Central Station and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Amsterdam.
You can think of it as the Reeperbahn in Hamburg.

Due to the old canal houses, everything here is even more densely built up.
Sex stores and strip clubs are lined up next to erotic museums and coffee shops next to brothels with women in the shop windows.
And, of course, everything is lit up in the old-fashioned way with neon signs to create that certain“sinful atmosphere“.

Amsterdam’s Red Light District comprises 6 streets:
- Warmoesstraat
- Oudekerksplein
- Oudezijds Voorburgwal
- Oudezijds Achterburgwal (center of the district)
- Zeedijk
- Nieuwmarkt
Where is Amsterdam's red light district?
To help you find your way around, we have drawn the Red Light District in Amsterdam on a map.

When Should You Go to the Red Light District in Amsterdam?
The best time to visit Amsterdam’s Red Light District depends entirely on your intentions. What do you want to see and experience?
During the day, De Wallen is an almost normal residential area.
The sex stores and museums are open, but so are the usual cafés and restaurants. It’s much emptier here at this time of day and you can have a good look around.
From around 8 pm onwards, the Amsterdam Red Light District gets busier by the hour.
That’s when the shows start and the brothels, clubs and bars open their doors.
Incidentally, you can also include the Red Light District in your itinerary if you are only in Amsterdam for one day. In our opinion, it’s a must when you are for 3 days in Amsterdam.
Sights in the Red Light District Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s Red Light District is known for its wild nightlife. But you can also see a lot here during the day. These are the highlights in De Wallen by day and by night:

Highlights of the day
- Cafés: Our favorite is the Quartier Putain
- Oude Kerk: Large church and the oldest building in Amsterdam.
- Condomerie: Special condom store.
- Sex stores: 5 stores in De Wallen.
- Red Lights Secret: Museum on the history of prostitution. We thought it was totally great! You can book tickets in advance here.
- Coffeeshops: The Bulldog is the most popular coffee shop.
- Monuments: De Gestreelde Borst and Belle near the Oude Kerk.
If, like us before, you don’t know much about coffee shops, then read our guide:
Highlights at night
- Pubs: The Old Sailor is the most popular pub.
- Table dance bars: La Vie en Proost is the best table dance bar in De Wallen.
- Coffee shops: Are also open at night.
- Strip clubs: Bananabar is often recommended.
- Peep shows: The Sex Palace is famous for its shows.
- Live sex shows: Shows run every hour at Casa Rosso.
- Moulin Rouge Erotic Theater: Mix of different erotic acts.

Guided Tour of Amsterdam's Red Light District
If you don’t want to explore the Red Light District in Amsterdam on your own or really want to learn a lot about De Wallen, then you have the option of taking a guided tour with a small group.
You’ll get lots of information about the district, the women who work here, and maybe just feel a little more comfortable.
The tour is in English and takes you for 1.5 hours through the most important streets of De Wallen and to some must-see hotspots in Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

We’ve already done the tour and found the general overview of the district really helpful. And: afterwards we also “dared” to walk the streets ourselves.
The tour also takes away some of the worries you might have. That’s really good.
Book Amsterdam Red Light District Tour
Rules of Conduct in Amsterdam's Red Light District
Not only for your own protection, but also out of respect for the prostitutes, you should follow a few rules.
#1 No photos of the women
Please leave your camera in your bag. Neither the workers nor the other employees want to be photographed by every tourist. Many cell phones have ended up in the canals because people don’t respect the rules.
#2 Be considerate
De Wallen is home to many ordinary people who have to go to work the next day. Noise should therefore be avoided.
#3 Many pickpockets
Especially when it gets crowded in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, pickpockets take advantage of the situation. So be sure to keep an eye on your valuables.
#4 Avoid street vendors
On the Red Light District, you will always be offered substances on street corners. Don’t buy any of it. The local coffee shops are the better alternative. Here you are safe and can be told exactly what you are smoking.
#5 Blue light
A window with a blue light means that a transsexual prostitute is working here.
#6 Services
The following applies to everyone who uses services: be respectful. Looking is free, but touching requires the woman’s consent and your money.

Doing Business with Prostitutes: What You Need to Know
These are the most important facts about business between clients and prostitutes:
- In the red light district, cash is pretty much the only and best means of payment.
- The workers in De Wallen charge an average of 50 to 100 euros for 15 to 20 minutes.
- If you are interested in a woman, you knock on the window and negotiate. Prices that are too low are considered disrespectful.
- Absolutely nothing happens without a condom.
- Kissing is taboo because it is too intimate. This must also be respected. Apart from that, almost anything is possible as long as the payment is right.
- If you want to stay longer with a lady, you have to pay more.
Tips for Women in Amsterdam's Red Light District
Would you like to visit the Red Light District in Amsterdam as a woman? Then we’ll give you a few tips from woman to woman:
#1 Never walk around alone!
As a woman, you should walk through De Wallen at night with at least two people if possible. It’s not overly dangerous, but better safe than sorry. And you will definitely feel more comfortable. You can also stroll through the neighborhood alone during the day.
#2 Access for women
Always check at the entrance whether women are allowed in. Most brothels only allow men to enter and there are no or hardly any male prostitutes in De Wallen. However, shows, bars and other establishments are also open to women.
#3 Don’t just go with anyone!
This is very important! We don’t want to paint the devil on the wall, but it’s a cruel fact that prostitution and human trafficking are closely intertwined. By all means have fun, but make your safety a priority.
#4 Police in Amsterdam’s Red Light District
Police officers patrol De Wallen. In uniform, in plain clothes, on foot, on bikes and on horseback. So security and protection are always present.
If you feel unwell or need help, you can speak to them immediately. If there is no patrol in sight, you can call the Dutch emergency number 112 in case of danger.

Good to know: The Red Light District in Amsterdam is under video surveillance. You can see large cameras everywhere on the street corners, overlooking the district from all sides. Another really good protective measure!
Is the Red Light District in Amsterdam Dangerous?
The red light district in Amsterdam is no more dangerous than other red light districts.
Although petty crime and theft are a fact of life here, the police have the area well under control. Of course, as a woman you still need to be careful.
Prostitution in Amsterdam

So that you can visit Amsterdam’s red light district with a clear conscience, here is some general information about prostitution in Amsterdam.
Sex workers vs. city administration
You need to know: De Wallen is a very controversial topic. The Red Light District attracts so many tourists every year that the city council fears for the preservation of the district and the valuable canal houses.
More than 10 years ago, the city of Amsterdam tried to make the district cleaner with the 1012 project – this is the zip code of De Wallen.
Some shop windows had to close, but the desired effect did not materialize.
Recently, the idea of moving De Wallen to a district outside the city and building a mega brothel there has been circulating.
The honest workers in the neighborhood don’t like such ideas at all. They want to stay in De Wallen and have already diligently started petitions to this end.
Where do the prostitutes come from?
The majority of prostitutes working in Amsterdam come from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Only about a third of the workers come from the Netherlands.
Do the prostitutes work voluntarily?
Most prostitutes in Amsterdam do their job voluntarily. However, there is always a number of unreported cases that can be attributed to forced prostitution and human trafficking.
A study by the UNHCR in 2018 revealed that between 100 and 200 such cases are uncovered in the Netherlands every year.
Brothels in Amsterdam are subject to strict government controls. This ensures that workers and customers are protected as well as possible.

History: How De Wallen Came to Be
Amsterdam’s Red Light District can be traced back to the 17th century. At that time, Amsterdam was one of the most important port cities in Europe and ships sailed in and out of here.
And that is precisely why De Wallen is so close to the harbor – and today’s train station. The district was a popular meeting place for sailors.
They wanted to have fun here after many months at sea. And despite the ban on prostitution, the trade grew steadily.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the ban was lifted and the stores, which had previously been called gambling houses, became proper brothels – even if they were still not completely legal.
It was not until 2000 that prostitution was fully legalized in the Netherlands.
These were our tips for the Red Light District of Amsterdam!
Have you already been there and have more tips? Please write us a comment. We look forward to hearing from you!