Visit the former transit camp of Westerbork, a place of remembrance for one of the darkest chapters of Dutch history. Your guide tells this story with the care it deserves, at a pace that leaves time to reflect.
During the Second World War, Westerbork was known by many as the “gateway to hell”. It served as a transit camp for tens of thousands of Jewish people, Roma, Sinti, and others who were deported from here to Nazi extermination camps such as Auschwitz and Sobibor. Anne Frank and the others hiding in the secret annex spent time in the camp.
Located in an isolated area of the Netherlands, Westerbork became the central point from which deportations to the east were organised. In total, more than 100,000 people passed through the camp, with very few surviving the journey and the camps that followed.
Your guide will take you around the extensive site, where several original features and reconstructed elements remain. You will see the former commander’s house, a reconstructed barrack, and sections of the railway track that once carried prisoners towards the extermination and labour camps in Germany and occupied Poland.
As you walk through the grounds, the scale and organisation of the camp become clear, offering insight into how deportations were carried out with chilling efficiency.
The site contains a number of powerful memorials dedicated to those who were imprisoned at Westerbork and later murdered elsewhere. These memorials serve as places of reflection and remembrance.
Throughout the visit, your guide will explain the historical background of Westerbork and share personal stories of people who passed through the camp, helping to give a human face to the overwhelming numbers and events.
As part of the tour, it is also possible to visit one of the nearby Hanseatic towns, such as Harderwijk, Kampen, Hasselt, or Zwolle. These historic towns played an important role in the Western European trading network from the 11th century onwards and provide a contrasting perspective on Dutch history beyond the wartime period.
Your guide will be happy to discuss the available options and adapt the itinerary where appropriate.
This tour is part of our World War II tours in the Netherlands. Free cancellation up to 7 days before the tour, minus any non-refundable tickets, in writing, under our terms and conditions.
Westerbork is about 2 hours 30 minutes from Amsterdam by car. This is a full-day private day trip from Amsterdam to one of the country’s most important World War II sites, with comfortable transport for the longer journey.
You will visit the site of the former transit camp and its moving memorial and museum, which tell the story of those held there before deportation during the Second World War.
Yes. Many visitors come to reflect and to trace personal or family connections. Our guide approaches the day with care and sensitivity.
Yes. As a private tour, the day is shaped around what you wish to focus on, at a pace that feels right for you.
Yes. Every tour we run is private, so it can be built around limited mobility rather than squeezed into it. Tell us what you need when you book and we will plan the route, the pace and the stops around it: the car closer to each stop, shorter walking stretches, seated breaks, and step-free alternatives where they exist. Wheelchairs, walkers and prams are all fine. Where a particular site is genuinely not accessible we will say so before you book rather than let you find out on the day.
What Is Included in This Private Tour?
Long full day
Travel time from Amsterdam: about 2 hours 30 minutes each way.
This is our longest day trip in the Netherlands. The drive is long, but for many guests visiting Camp Westerbork is a deeply personal journey and well worth the time.
Practical info
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