Skinny Bridge (Magere Brug) Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Skinny Bridge. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Amsterdam Classic Saloon Boat Cruise, Drinks and Cheese Option
• Amsterdam: Luxury Canal Cruise Unlimited Drinks & Bites Option
• All-Inclusive Amsterdam Canal Cruise with Drinks and Dutch Bites
• Amsterdam: Luxury Canal Cruise with Onboard Bar
• Amsterdam Evening Canal Cruise with Live Guide and Onboard Bar

It’s free to walk or cycle across the Skinny Bridge. But many travelers opt to see it from the water on an Amsterdam canal cruise. Prices start at around €20 (roughly US$21) for a no-frills shared cruise, but cruises with food and drink included, or private boats, cost more.

The Skinny Bridge is open 24/7/365, but it looks most magical once the lights come on in the early evening. For photos, unless you have a tripod or your phone or camera has great low-light performance, aim to visit during the dusk or dawn “blue hour.”

No, there are no set times when the Skinny Bridge opens to let boats pass. Its middle section opens regularly throughout the day whenever a taller boat needs passage. Don’t expect it to open for your canal boat cruise: Tour boats are low-lying enough to negotiate the bridge without help.

Yes, you can take photos at the Skinny Bridge—or from your canal cruise boat, if you prefer. The bridge looks at its best at night when strings of lights illuminate the structure. Some photographers visit before dawn to capture the lights without the crowds.

Yes, the Skinny Bridge is open to pedestrians and cyclists, and most people who use wheelchairs will find the incline manageable. Most Amsterdam canal boats are not wheelchair-accessible, but a few operators have boats with ramps and a wheelchair elevator. Most don’t have adapted bathrooms, so plan a bathroom break.