We are here, we are queer…
We will not disappear.
About LGBTOUR Amsterdam
LGBTOUR Amsterdam is more than a tour company. It's a space for stories, connection, and queer perspectives on our dear city.
What started as one person sharing personal experiences mixed with high knowledge on education of DEI has grown into a collective of queer guides, each bringing their own voice, history, and energy.
We believe the best way to understand a city is through the people who live there every day. And queer stories deserve to be seen, heard, and shared so that our legacy and rich culture can prevail. By sharing facts with you, we proudly contribute to strengthening Amsterdam’s queer archives.
It started with a story.
Meet Sanne, the founder of LGBTOUR Amsterdam
Sanne Pols is a professional storyteller and the happy founder of LGBTOUR Amsterdam: your queer city guide through Amsterdam. With her unique experiences, she connects queers and allies from all around the world on a personal level, while exploring the pink and historic heart of Amsterdam together.
She specializes in making space for the differences among us by using the power of personal storytelling to create inclusive workplaces, classrooms, and sports clubs.
How it all began
After falling in love with a woman for the very first time, Sanne experienced how people would react differently to her when walking hand-in-hand with her girlfriend, instead of before, when she was walking hand-in-hand with her boyfriend. She found this experience so ridiculous that she wanted to see if she could do something about it. After all, nothing had changed for her: she was still walking hand in hand with the person she was in love with. She wanted to use this experience and share her story to foster greater understanding and create more space for differences.
She began by sharing her personal story in the classroom, in the workplace, and in the theater to create more space for diversity and inclusion. Important work, intensive training sessions, and educational projects that she led with passion. But amid all that work, she missed making genuine connections and sharing stories, so that they could learn from each other's experiences.
Also, she experienced that many of the stories she had been looking for were missing. Queer history often felt invisible, even in a city as open as Amsterdam, where queer LGBTQ+ people were already bubbling and thriving.
One day, a great queer lightbulb appeared in her head: ‘Why not walk my favourite pink route together with all these queers and allies from around the world?’
What began as small, personal tours quickly became something more. Visitors connected not only with the history but with the honesty, humor, and openness that Sanne brought into every walk. More than that, people from all across the globe were connecting on their queer experience, enriching everyone's knowledge of our community and raising awareness on LGBTQ+ people’s realities worldwide.
Guests were not just learning about Amsterdam; they were connecting to it, and to each other.
That is still at the heart of everything we do today.
Growing and thriving
From one guide to a queer collective
As more people joined the tours, it became clear this was not just about one voice, and that people were craving these queer stories, which are often hidden and hard to find.
LGBTOUR Amsterdam grew into a team of enthusiastic queer guides, each with their own stories, backgrounds, and perspectives on the city.
Today, our tours are led by a small but vibrant team!
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Sanne
(Pronouns flexible)
LGBTOUR Amsterdam started in 2017 with Sanne Pols. After coming out and embracing her identity, Sanne realized that many of the stories she had been looking for as a child were missing. Queer history often felt invisible, even in a city as open as Amsterdam, where LGBTQ+ people have long been present and active. So she decided to start telling those stories herself.
What began as small, personal tours quickly grew into something bigger. Visitors didn't just experience history; they also felt the honesty, humor, and openness that Sanne brought to every tour. At the same time, people from all over the world connected through their own queer experiences, enriching everyone’s understanding of the community and raising awareness about the realities of LGBTQ+ lives globally.
Today, she offers the following tours:
In 2015, Sanne won the national LGBTQI+ Innovation Award for her contribution as a peer educator and project leader of GELIJK = GELIJK: an educational youth project promoting self-acceptance at school and in the classroom. The award was presented by the former Minister of Education, Jet Bussemaker.
She also won the "Best Reviewed Experience" award from tour provider Airbnb for her Amsterdam Queer City Tour.
Nationality: Dutch
Born in the Netherlands and lives in Amsterdam since 2009
Speaks: English & Dutch
Shayna
(She/her)
Shayna has over 20 years experience working at the crossroads of the arts, education and social justice. She's brought student-centered queer pedagogies to the development of multiple education programs in the USA and NL.
Most notably, she spent 11 years as a core instructor with the Interactive Media Design (I/M/D) department at The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and 6 years as the Community Art Developer for LEAD, an after-school arts program in Amsterdam.
Her greatest achievement? The loving and supportive queer family she's growing with her trans* partner and their child.
Bringing a playful energy to the team, Shayna focuses on creating cohesion with queer families and their kids through art, food, and outdoor time in one of the nicest parts of the city, the Pijp. In her tours, kids can explore, touch, taste, and enjoy through games, creativity, and storytelling. Her tours are joyful, inclusive, and just as engaging for adults as they are for younger explorers. If you're a queer parent or caregiver, and/or your kids are queer, head to the Queer Kids Tour.
Nationality: US & Dutch
Living in Amsterdam, NL since 2007
Speaks: English & Dutch
Alexander
(He/him)
With over 12 years of experience as an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry, Alexander has worked across the full spectrum of the field, from underground culture to international business. He has built brands, raised investment, and advised companies throughout Europe.
Alexander combines deep knowledge of the plant with firsthand insights from the pioneers who shaped Amsterdam's cannabis scene, offering a rare and authentic view beyond the surface. He guides guests through Amsterdam's cannabis culture while opening up thoughtful conversations about identity, society, and the Dutch approach to both.
His tours are relaxed, open, and full of perspective.
Nationality: German
Living in Amsterdam, NL since 2017
Speaks: English & German
Find out more about the Queer Cannabis Tour.
Ada
(They/them)
Ada has built a career on guiding people through new experiences: from casual sport clubs to massive university systems. They’ve led the development of community groups for over a decade, including the UCSD chapter of Nerdfighters, Queer Climbing Columbus, Humanitarian Engineering Scholars at Ohio State University, and most recently the Living Room at Nieuwe Vide Artspace in Haarlem.
In their work, Ada is known for their ability to connect with others on a genuine level, making them feel seen, and centering their needs. Every tour they lead is as unique as the people on it, with flexibility and flow to adapt to the vibes of the group.
Ada feels right at home after sunset. With a strong connection to Amsterdam's queer nightlife, they guide guests through the stories, spaces, and energy of the queer night scene. Expect insight, atmosphere, and a tour that captures the city at its most alive, boiling point. So darling, sharpen these eyeliner wings, wear your favorite party outfit, put on your heels (or docs!), and go choose your night out among our Queer Nightlife Tours.
Nationality: US
Living in Amsterdam, NL since 2024
Speaks: English + tiny bit of Spanish and Dutch
Each guide brings something unique. Some lean into history, others into culture, arts, identity, or lived experience. Together, we create tours that are layered, personal, and real.
What we believe in
Our values
By the community, for the community.
Real stories, real people, real conversations.
Our guides do not follow a script. They share their own lives. Stories about coming out, love, identity, and what it means to grow up queer, find your people, and feel free in a city that lets you be who you are. Every tour reflects the guide who leads it, shaped by lived experience and deep knowledge of Amsterdam’s queer communities, from trans and lesbian culture to kink and cannabis spaces. You leave with more than you came for. And so do we.
Sharing multiplies
Small groups and a space for genuine connection.
We intentionally keep our groups small because connection needs room to flourish. No crowds, no rushing from one stop to the next, no chasing numbers. LGBTOUR Amsterdam grew through word of mouth, not big marketing budgets. Because when something truly moves people, it travels on its own. This company was built on the belief that openness creates openness. When one person shares, it permits others to do the same.
Honest & sustainable
Guides are paid first. Always.
Our model is simple and fair. Guides receive the largest share of every booking, and LGBTOUR Amsterdam takes a small percentage when group size allows. We believe in building something that lasts, not something fast. This is a company driven by people who genuinely love what they do. You can feel that energy on every tour. When booking one of our tours, that is what you are part of.
More than just tours
What makes these experiences unique
LGBTOUR Amsterdam is not about checking off landmarks. It is about walking through the city with someone who knows what it feels like to live here as a queer person. That changes the experience. Guests often tell us the tours feel open, relaxed, and genuinely meaningful. Conversations happen naturally. Questions are welcome. Stories stay with you.
Queers supporting queers
Community & impact
Community is at the heart of everything we do. Through our Queers4Queers initiative, we offer free tour spots to members of the LGBTQ+ community who wouldn’t otherwise be able to join.
We believe everyone, regardless of their buying power, should have access to stories, history, and safe spaces. Those should never have to depend on income.
Guests who book with us can support this initiative and help keep the experience accessible to all.
Somewhere over the rainbow…
Looking ahead
LGBTOUR Amsterdam continues to grow. We are expanding our team, developing new experiences, and exploring new ways to share queer storytelling in Amsterdam and beyond.
At the same time, we stay close to what matters most:
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Small groups
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Honest stories
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Real connection
Queer voices to the front!
What guests say about our tours
One way to learn more about us is to listen to the queer and ally voices who have previously experienced our tours. Here are a few testimonials we received from our dear guests!
JT, New York City - USA
"I learned so much from this excellent tour. Sanne the guide was knowledgeable & enthusiastic, it was a pleasure to hear her speak about an inclusive history. A truly great person and a tour that is fun and not too difficult for a senior like me."