Amsterdam: heated Light Festival Cruise | Incl. Drinks Option

Badge of Excellence

Amsterdam, Netherlands

1 hour 15 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Avoid crowds and long walks while still enjoying the magic of the Amsterdam Light Festival by experiencing it from the comfort of a heated, covered boat. Departing conveniently from Central Station, this canal cruise offers unlimited drinks and panoramic views of the city’s light installations. With an official audio guide included, learn the stories behind each artwork as you sail past. Sit back, relax, and make the most of photo ops from the lounge deck (or through the skylight)—no stress, just a smooth and cozy evening on the water.

Bypass the crowds by taking to the water on this canal cruise
Audio guide adds context and insight into what you see
A heated, covered boat keeps you cozy and comfortable no matter the weather
Experience the light installations from a unique vantage point

What's Included

75-minute cruise
Unlimted drinks: beer, wine & soda’s (if option chosen)
Heated & covered boat
Toilet on board
Lounge on the back deck for the best views
Panoramic skylight
Audio guide in English & Dutch
Friendly skippers with unique stories

Snacks (A small selection for sale on board or at the boarding location, such as nuts and chips.)

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Pickup point

Prins Hendrikkade 33A, 1012 TM Amsterdam, Netherlands

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Prinsengracht (Pass By)

Amsterdam Canal Ring (Pass By)

Anne Frank House (Pass By)

Westerkerk (Pass By)

Houseboat Museum (Pass By)

Leidsegracht (Pass By)

Beulingsloot (Pass By)

Melkmeisjesbrug (Pass By)

The Amstel (Pass By)

H'ART Museum (Pass By)

Stopera Pier (Pass By)

Centraal Station (Pass By)

IJdok (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
To board, you have to climb a few steps. Therefore, it can be difficult for people with reduced mobility to board.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 54 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Elizabeth_W

Second time taking a canal cruise , however my first time with this particular business, I must say, they were so friendly and accommodating. The whole staff was very nice and made the experience that much better. I highly recommend going outside for the best pics.

Reviews

4.4

based on 139 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Missing Cruise Company

Glen_H, Feb 2026

The description for the meeting point shows near the Centraal Station. There were many other boats there doing a similar tour, but no one from our booked cruise company was any where to be found. We called the phone number, it said it was out of service. We called Viator, they received the same out of service message. I am not sure if this company exists. I would be careful when booking with this company, this may be an old listing for a company that no longer exists.

A little disappointed

AnnaMarie_E, Jan 2026

Did a similar boat cruise with a different company in October but booked again to see the light festival. The boat was too overcrowded we all were crammed in. Couldn't really see out the windows. We were sat next to a table of people who did not stop talking loudly between themselves and had their family on loud speaker on the phone doing the tour, so unable to hear commentary.No option of outside seating deck as advertised. We were a family of 3 adults and 3 older children. Can definitely get tickets cheaper just turning up to boats by central station.

Arrive early - there are...

Kristine_A, Dec 2025

Arrive early - there are no drinks on the boat, and you will need to take to-go beverages from a nearby cafe.

Great crew

Sheila_M, Jan 2025

The boat was lovely and the crew were friendly and helpful. We saw alot and we were able to go outside and take photos Having a toilet on board was handy

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Dear Sheila, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a nice review! We are really happy to know you had a good time and that you appreciated our boat's facilities :) Hoping to see you on board again soon! Team Amsterdam Circle Line

From Excited to Disgusted

John_G, Jan 2025

This was supposed to be the cherry on our sundae visit to Amsterdam. Instead it was more like the sediment from a bad bottle of wine. 1. No way to know where to line up. We had to ask other boat companies. No employee to check you in. Just a mob on the dock. 2. Only provided 2 glasses (short) of a Spanish white wine. No choices. One glass of Coke for our teen. No beer, no gluwhein, no red wine, did I mention no other choices. 3. One small tray of cheeses for 3 people. No clue what they were-one spicy, one truffle-but not Dutch. 4. No audio -except for a programmed voice that we could not hear over conversations. The trains and trams are quieter. The captain said 2-3 items of note. No interaction. 5. My teen and another slept through the tour. 6. I feel like I could have stood on a canal bridge and tossed my money into the canal for more value.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Dear John, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're truly sorry to hear the tour didn’t meet your expectations, and we apologize for the issues you faced. Our hosts are trained to provide a better experience, and it’s concerning to hear there was no one to check you in or offer further drinks and explanations during the tour. We’ll look into this. As for the cheese, the selection included Dutch varieties: truffle cheese, cumin cheese, and old Gouda, which is a classic. We take your comments seriously and will investigate further to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Best Regards, Amsterdam Circle Line

Second time taking a...

Elizabeth_W, Dec 2024

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Dear Elizabeth, Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had a great experience with us, and we truly appreciate your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another wonderful canal cruise soon! Best Regards, Amsterdam Circle Line

Lovely time!

Carmen_O, Dec 2024

It was absolutely amazing! The views of the holiday lights and the canals of Amsterdam were truly magical. The crew was beautiful and more than accommodating.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Dear, Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed the holiday lights and canals. It's great to know our crew made your experience even better. We hope to welcome you back for another magical trip soon! Best Regards, Amsterdam Circle Line

Beautiful lights cruise

Rosann_D, Dec 2024

Loved the history and lights. Our captain and hostess were wonderful enjoyed pairing cheeses with the wines.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Dear, Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the history, lights, and cheese and wine pairing. It's great to hear that our captain and hostess made your experience special. We hope to welcome you aboard again soon! Best Regards, Amsterdam Circle Line

Very Poor Experience. In Amsterdam.

Wendy_H, Dec 2024

I have used. Viator many times and all of my experiences have been super exceptional for this one and it was terrible. Finding the correct boat was very difficult - I had to call for assistance. The unlimited wine included only one very small glass.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Dear Wendy, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet your expectations. While we understand that finding the correct boat can sometimes be a bit confusing, we strive to provide clear information, and our crew is always available to assist our guests. Regarding the wine, we apologize if the glass size seemed smaller than anticipated. However, we would like to clarify that the wine is unlimited and can be refilled as often as you'd like throughout the trip. We sincerely appreciate your feedback and will take it into consideration for future improvements. Thank you again for your comments, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back for a more enjoyable experience in the future. Best regards, Amsterdam Circle Line

Weak, didn't got what we paid for

Andrew_D, Aug 2020

It should be 1 hour and 30 minutes. We got 45 minutes in the boats... General the both was good but we aspected to be in the boat twice as longer but it already end 17.47pm and it start the cruise 17.09 pm

Boat Trip

Anthony_O, Feb 2020

Very good service which was well documented and explained by the Captain as we went. Unfortunately the weather was horrible but that is unavoidable at times.

Sylvester and Amsterdam

Alexander_F, Dec 2025

Amsteedam visited from the water with great impressions. The experience at dawn was unique.

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Ein Boot für 80 Personen ganz für uns alleine

Oliver_K, Jan 2025

Wir hatten das große Glück tatsächlich die einzigen beiden Gäste dieses Trips zu sein. Der Veranstalter hätte diese Fahrt dadurch natürlich ausfallen lassen können aber so waren wir die einzigen Passagiere und das machte die Fahrt zu etwas ganz Besonderem! Die Erklärungen der Kunstwerke waren sehr gut!

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Dear Oliver, Thanks for taking the time to leave us a nice review! That's really important for us, so we highly appreciate it :) So lucky that you had the entire boat for yourself indeed! Of course we still sailed, we wouldn't cancel a trip just for that. We want our guests to be able to experience what they booked for :) Hoping to see you again on board next ALF season! Team Amsterdam Circle Line

Das Boot hatte einen...

Heike_S, Dec 2024

Das Boot hatte einen technischen Defekt wir mussten 15 Minuten ohne Info und weitere 15 Minuten in der Kälte stehen. Die Wegbeschreibung ist leider auch nicht eindeutig. Wenn man dem Bahnhof zugewandt steht ist der Einstieg links und nicht rechts. Toilette war ebenfalls defekt. Schade.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Dear Heike, Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the technical issue and the delay in the service. The holiday season can sometimes lead to unexpected delays, and we appreciate your patience during this busy time. We also regret the issue with the toilet and are taking steps to ensure this doesn't happen again. Thank you again for your understanding, and we hope to have the chance to provide you with a better experience in the future. Best regards, Amsterdam Circle LIne

Belle balade

eric_h, Jul 2020

La croisière dure 45 minutes et pas une heure trente. Accueil très sympathique et convivial. Balade au top. Merci. Cruising is only for 45 minutes. Staff is kind. Nice moment. Thanks