The tour cost f25 (that was just before the days of the Euro). The two hour tours were running on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6.00pm and 8.00pm.

The tour began with drinks and a talk from the multilingual guide about the history of the district and the present conditions. The red light district is in one of the oldest parts of the city. Zeedijk was the playground of the sailors, as they came off ship looking for beer and women. It has kept true to its tradition, though I have been informed that the Zeedijk is a lot tamer these days than it used to be. The red light district got its name from the red lamps the women used to carry as they met the incoming ships. The talk went onto prostitution today. Dutch prostitutes charge more than those who are immigrants in many cases. Prices vary from f50-100 for ten minutes, and men can only come once! There are thousands of tourists to the area a year. The area has one of the lowest crime rates (that suprised me, given the drugs problem as well).

We then went out, viewing the district. We walked along tiny side streets. Some buildings of significance were pointed out - the oldest timber building in the city, a hidden church, and my favourite - a building where someone committed a murder and disposed of the body in the adjacent canal, but the body floated... It was quite busy, and had a lively safe feel to it. To see the girls in the window was quite an eye opener for me. We ended up by a canal, and then the tour ended with a visit to the Musuem of Erotica.

The guide was quite fun, easy to talk to and entertaining. The tour was well conducted and gave a good overview of the area. I felt it was worth the fee.

It would be possible to go on your own though. I was travelling alone and was nervous, not knowing the area. However, if I went again, I would feel confident enough to have a stroll around by myself.