Amsterdam City Center Canal Cruise with Audio Guide
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the beautiful city of Amsterdam, known as the ‘Venice of the North,’ from the water on this sightseeing cruise. Choose your preferred departure time from your chosen departure point and set off on the UNESCO-listed waterways aboard a glass-topped canal boat. Glide under pretty bridges, past 17th-century buildings and landmarks like the Anne Frank House, and learn about the city’s history from the audio guide.
- Glide around Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed canals in a glass-topped boat
- Cruise past top Amsterdam attractions including the Anne Frank House and Magere Brug
- Learn about Amsterdam’s history and sights from the audio commentary
- Choose from four departure points to suit your itinerary
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
This ever-popular Amsterdam canal cruise offers a range of times and departure points.
What's Included
- 1-Hour Amsterdam Canal Cruise
- Audio guide in several languages
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Make your own way to one of four departure points—Central Station, Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Leidse Square—at your chosen time and settle into your glass-topped canal boat for a relaxing journey along Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed waterways.
Watch the landscape pass by while the audio guide fills you in on Amsterdam’s history and interesting details about its landmarks. Cruise under pretty bridges, past 17th-century merchant houses, and by landmarks, including the Anne Frank House (Anne Frank Huis), Westerkerk (Western Church), De 9 Straatjes, Van Gogh Museum, and Rijksmuseum.
After you’ve soaked up the city’s sights from the water, return to dry land back at your original point of departure.
Watch the landscape pass by while the audio guide fills you in on Amsterdam’s history and interesting details about its landmarks. Cruise under pretty bridges, past 17th-century merchant houses, and by landmarks, including the Anne Frank House (Anne Frank Huis), Westerkerk (Western Church), De 9 Straatjes, Van Gogh Museum, and Rijksmuseum.
After you’ve soaked up the city’s sights from the water, return to dry land back at your original point of departure.
Lovers Canal Cruises Amsterdam (Pass By)
Centraal Station (Pass By)
Magere Brug (Pass By)
Keizersgracht 319 - Amsterdam (Pass By)
Herengracht (Pass By)
Prinsengracht (Pass By)
Red Light District (Pass By)
Westerkerk (Pass By)
De 9 Straatjes (Pass By)
The Amstel (Pass By)
Het Scheepvaartmuseum| The National Maritime Museum (Pass By)
NEMO Science Museum (Pass By)
Rijksmuseum (Pass By)
Nieuwmarkt (Pass By)
Bloemenmarkt (Pass By)
IJ (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Check-in at Lovers 10 minutes before the reserved time
- Children up to 3 years join for free
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 60 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Michael_J
A must do in Amsterdam, it gives a totally different view of the city. Eddie the captain was entertaining and very funny. Overall a great experience
Reviews
3.6
based on 842 reviews
Daniela_V, Apr 2026
The trip was very good. Unfortunately there was a lot of noise and wasn't able to listen to any of the explanation. I recommend doing it at a time with less people.
Teresa_H, Apr 2026
Know where all the stops are before you go. Make sure you have an app and a paper map.....
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Response from Host, Apr 2026
Dear Teresa,
Thank you for your feedback! We appreciate your helpful tips and hope you still had a nice experience on the canal cruise.
Kind regards
laura_l, Apr 2026
Lovely audio tour with good information about amsterdam. Enclosed cruise which was great as it was raining.
Amy_C, Mar 2026
Easy to board, audio is perfect and makes the journey more enjoyable.
Easy to find pick up location and small cafe for before or after.
6 seats per table, a little tight with baggage but captain didnt over load
Jan_S, Mar 2026
You have audio earbuds (wired, you can take as many as you want.) And you can sit anywhere you want. Its great for sightseeing but the windows can be a little dirty.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Jan,
Thank you for your review! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the canal cruise and appreciated the audio guide and flexible seating. We also appreciate your note about the windows and will keep it in mind as we continue to maintain the boats.
Kind regards, Lovers Canal Cruises
Anna_V, Feb 2026
Warm and cozy, just enough to see the main waterworks and canals. Not too long. Windows will restrict the view but essential in the winter.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Anna,
Thank you for sharing your feedback!
We’re glad to hear you found the cruise warm and cozy, and that the duration was just right for seeing the main canals and waterways.
We appreciate your comments and hope to welcome you back on a future cruise, perhaps during a warmer season for an even more open experience!
Kind regards, Lovers Canal Cruises
Madalina_S, Feb 2026
You should book this experience at the beguining of your trip, it give good insights on what to see.
Maria_G, Jan 2026
Honestly I did not enjoy this canal tour. The host was funny and entertaining but the actual tour was not interesting at all. All we saw were homes, cars and boat homes. We passed the Anne Frank house and one other place that I do not remember. If you are looking for a non walking activity that is relaxing then this is for you.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Maria,
Thank you for your feedback.
We’re sorry to hear that the canal cruise did not meet your expectations. We’re glad you enjoyed the host’s humour, and we appreciate your comments about the sights along the route. Your feedback helps us improve the experience for future guests.
Kind regards,
Amsterdam City Tour
Rebecca_V, Jan 2026
Good experience! We enjoyed the boat cruise on Christmas Eve, so there were lots of lights along the canal for a pretty view.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Rebecca,
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the Christmas Eve cruise and the beautiful lights along the canals—it really is a magical time of year.
Kind regards,Amsterdam Sightseeing Canal Cruise
Isabel_V, Dec 2025
It was a great experience during the evening, the captain was really helpful and gave us additional information
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Isabel,
Thank you for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the evening cruise and that the captain made it even more special with extra information.
Kind regards,
Amsterdam City Tour
Mohamed_F, Dec 2025
We thought ending the day with a canal cruise would be relaxing and informative. Unfortunately, the experience was far from that. The boat was extremely noisy—children were crying, playing, and yelling, and several adults were having loud conversations. The captain never made any effort to manage the noise, and as a result, it was impossible to hear the recorded commentary. Captain came in and out of the boat with out any comments!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Mohamed,
We’re very sorry to hear about your experience on the canal cruise. We aim for a relaxing and informative environment, and it’s disappointing that noise affected your visit. Your feedback has been noted, and we will share it with the cruise team to improve future experiences.
Kind regards, Amsterdam Sightseeing Canal Cruise
mayur_b, Nov 2025
Tour was amazing and the captain was super fun. He explained all the locations with some fun facts and audio guide was spot on as well.
Frank_T, Nov 2025
Operator at location did not allow the boat ride to take place! He was sleeping in the boat at the time of our boat ride! Please refund me my money
Olga_P, Nov 2025
Walking tour with Clements was very educational and informative. We enjoyed it very much learning about Brussels and its history and of course chocolate and waffle tasting was the best part of it. We highly recommend it
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Olga,
Thank you for your thoughtful review. We’re delighted that you enjoyed the walking tour with Clements and found it educational and informative. It’s fantastic that the chocolate and waffle tasting was a highlight for you — a sweet way to learn about the city’s history!
We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another tour soon.
Kind regards
aikaterini_f, Nov 2025
A good experienc, olite staff, all organised but a kind of supermarket of tours. I would recommend a smaller tour on a smaller boat with a guide. Audio tour was good but nothing special. Rather basic and commercial at places
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Aikaterini,
Thank you for your thoughtful review. We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cruise and found the staff polite and the organisation good. We also appreciate your feedback about the size of the tour and the audio commentary. We also offer tours on smaller boats, so maybe next time you will join another cruise with us.
Kind regards
Caroline_T, Oct 2025
Get in early to get good seats. They pack the boat. It is warm also due to enclosure but you can open a window.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Caroline,
Thank you for your kind review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and found the audio guide interesting. We appreciate your tip about arriving early for the best seats and are happy you had a pleasant experience on board.
Kind regards,
Tours & Tickets
Gordon_H, Oct 2025
Great way to get a quick overview of the city, especially if it is your first time visiting Amsterdam.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Gordon,
Thank you for the nice review! We’re delighted you enjoyed the Amsterdam Sightseeing Canal Cruise and found it a great way to get an overview of the city. It’s always wonderful to hear that first-time visitors appreciate seeing Amsterdam’s beauty from the water. We truly value your feedback and hope to welcome you aboard again on your next visit.
Kind regards
Jon_P, Oct 2025
Limited visibility due to framework of overhead windows. If it wasn’t for the rain we would have preferred an open top boat
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Jon,
Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. We’re glad you joined our Amsterdam Sightseeing Canal Cruise, even on a rainy day. We understand that the covered boats can limit visibility slightly, though they’re designed to keep guests comfortable in all weather conditions. On sunny days, our semi-open boats are indeed a great alternative. We hope you’ll return to experience the canals again under clearer skies!
Kind regards
Tricia_S, Oct 2025
My tickets were booked for 10/13/25 at 6:30pm. We were at the meeting point listed on our tickets at 6:20pm and no one ever showed up. When I tried to call the number, no one was available in the evening. I was not contacted that the canal cruise was cancelled. This was our last night in Amsterdam! Very unhappy! I will contact for a refund.
chris_U, Oct 2025
Missed the 7 pm cruise. Arrived hopeful to catch the 8pm experience. Explained the situation and was allowed to join the 8 pm group without question. This an enjoyable experience. I recommend this!
Sharon_M, Oct 2025
This tour was a great way to see Amsterdam from a different perspective. Very enjoyable. It is lovely on a nice sunny day
Beth_S, Sep 2025
I would recommend this informative and interesting way to see Amsterdam in comfort. Great to hear about the history too. Captain very helpful.
William_G, Sep 2025
We were at the pick up location on time. The Boat never showed up! There was another couple there who experienced the same problem.. no way to contact Viator!
Victoria_A, Sep 2025
Really lovely to see the lights at night, great captain and commentary really informative. Would recommend
Frannie_L, Sep 2025
A nice basic boat tour for 1st time visiting. Highly recommend when the weather gets a bit unstable.
Geraldine_H, Sep 2025
Good tour, the weather was out of anyone’s control. Informative guide, good pilot on the boat. . The ear phones didn’t work properly. Kept missing the information. The guide on the boat gave more information than the stupid ear phones.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Dear Geraldine,
Thank you for your honest and thoughtful review. We're glad you enjoyed the tour and found the live guide informative, as well as the captain’s navigation smooth. We’re sorry to hear that the headphones did not work properly during your cruise—we appreciate you bringing this to our attention, and we’ll make sure it’s followed up internally to improve the experience. We hope to welcome you back again for a better and more seamless journey!
Kind regards,
The Amsterdam Canal Cruise Team
Stacy_M, Sep 2025
Very easy to find outside of the Centraal Station. Peaceful ride and very informative. I would recommend.
Sheryl_K, Aug 2025
Excellent crew and informative. Very nice cruise and view of city. A great way to see the city if you don’t have a lot of time.
Carolyn_G, Aug 2025
We booked a one-hour tour starting at the location near the Anne Frank House through Viator. However, when we arrived on time for our tour, the ticket agent at “Lovers” told us there were no tours from that location that day due to the big sailing event. Viator sold us the tickets and never said a word about this! Luckily, he sent us over to the “Lovers” location near Central Station (about fifteen minutes walk away) and they changed our ticket to a tour leaving immediately from there. So, I give the 1 star to Viator. The actual tour was ok. In retrospect I would have taken a tour on a smaller boat with no windows so we could get better photos. The tour itself was a 3-star out of 5. Not bad, but not amazing. The audio was good but we couldn’t see things as well as if we’d been on a more open boat.
Maxine_S, Aug 2025
There was no experience as our cruise was canceled and i am awaiting a full refund, cruise was cancelled ans we were not notified!!! Very poor customer support
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Amsterdam City Center Canal Cruise with Audio Guide
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