Amsterdam Light Festival: Canal Cruise + Snack & Unlimited Drinks
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam Light Festival: Canal Cruise + Snack & Unlimited Drinks
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Experience the bright sights of the annual Amsterdam Light Festival in a more memorable way than simply walking on this canal boat experience. After you board the classic Dutch boat, glide through the world-famous Amsterdam canals and see many lit-up art installations along the way. Enjoy the option to buy drinks on board or upgrade to the unlimited package with mulled wine, beer, sodas, and more.
- Explore highlights of the Amsterdam Light Festival from the water
- Check off two experiences in one as you cruise along the city’s canals
- Go beyond the guidebook and learn more about Amsterdam from your live guide
- Buy your drinks as you go or upgrade to the unlimited option—extra cost
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
Itinerary
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 128 reviews
Mahla_B, Jan 2026
Well first of all we where standing in the cold and after an hour the boot arrived and it was freezing cold inside
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Dear Mahla,
Thank you for your review. We are truly sorry to hear that you had such a frustrating experience with us.
We would like to express our sincere apologies that you had to wait for such a long time in the cold and that it was also cold during the tour. We aim to provide all our customers with a cosy and comfortable experience, even when the weather is harsher, and regret that this was not the case for you.
Please know that we take your feedback seriously and that we will address it internally to improve the processes at the dock, as well as the heating on board. If there is anything else you would like to discuss or bring to our attention, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly.
Once again, we are very sorry for the discomfort and frustration you experienced during and before your tour. We hope that we might have the opportunity to welcome you on board for a much-improved experience, perhaps in the warmer months.
Warm regards,
Jessie
Front Office Management
Luciana_R, Dec 2025
If I could give this zero stars I would - AVOID THIS TOUR!
The boat has plastic windows and ceiling, so even if it wasn’t raining you couldn’t see out the windows without opening day. We had a rainy and very very cold day, so to open the windows meant getting cold and wet.
We were not offered snacks at all, the guide had minimal information to share, and overall this was just a huge disappointment and not worth the money.
There are other boats with glass windows and proper tables to sit and enjoy drinks and snacks. This is a very poor choice of boat for a tour in the wintertime.
A waste of money and we ended the night cold and wet.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Dear Luciana,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We truly regret to hear that your recent experience with us left you so disappointed.
We sincerely apologise that the type of boat your tour took place on was not what you expected, and led to you being unable to enjoy the sights. We are also very sorry that your guide did not share much information and that you were not offered the snack included in your tickets.
What you have described is very far from what we would have wanted you to experience. Therefore, we will address your comments with our team to improve our processes and offerings. Please feel free to reach out to us directly if there is anything else you would like to discuss or bring to our attention.
Once again, we would like to apologise for the frustration and inconvenience this experience has caused you. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on board again in the future for a much-improved experience, perhaps in the summer.
Warm regards,
Jessie
Front Office Management
Leslie_E, Dec 2025
The boat was nice and the guide was very enthusiastic and personable. Some of the art installations were dazzling and complex. Others were simply lovely. They made the canals even more beautiful.
Emma_B, Dec 2025
The tour guide was in experienced and didn’t really know what to say to each art piece. I don’t think we saw half of the art pieces as there was over 20 and we may have seen maybe 10 at most. It felt very cheap and would benefit from better service focus. I would try find a better company next time.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Emma,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are saddened to hear that you were disappointed with your tour. Providing an enjoyable experience for all our customers is our top priority, and it’s disheartening to hear that we have fallen short in that regard.
We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the storytelling aspect of the tour and felt that it was uninformative. We are sorry to hear that it didn't come across as if the host was high knowledgable about the art pieces you passed by and that you were generally disappointed with the number of pieces you were able to see. We will address this internally to prevent these experiences to recur.
If there is anything further we can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out. We appreciate your feedback and hope we can welcome you again for a better experience.
Best regards,
Flying Dutch Boats
Front Office Team
Vishal_B, Dec 2024
Canal trip was good, light festive is not very few. Boat was full. Boat captain and guid were knowledgeable. Day trip would give you better idea about canal.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Dear Vishal,
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the canal trip and appreciated the knowledge of our guides.
We understand your comments about the light festival and the boat being full. The evening tours can be quite popular, and while we strive to provide the best possible experience, we recognize that a daytime trip might offer a different perspective of the canals.
Your input is of great value to us, and we appreciate you taking the time to let us know about your experience. We hope you’ll consider joining us again to explore Amsterdam further.
Warm regards,
Jessie
Front Office Management
Wendy_K, Dec 2024
I was so disappointed with this canal cruise 75€ for two with unlimited snacks and drinks. Although there was unlimited wine and cans of Heineken and Pepsi it was awkward trying to ask as the guy that was talking us through the entire lights experience had to be interrupted if you wanted a drink so most people didn’t bother there wasn’t someone there to make sure people had drinks and for the snacks it was a handful of dry mixed crackers. The seats were wet so when we got off the boat in freezing cold weather we were soaked through our pants. Although the skippers were lovely and great guides it was far from a luxury boat trip I would not book this again unfortunately I made the mistake of booking before I got to Amsterdam I would advise going down and having a look at all the boats before choosing which one because there are some luxury ones and you can book there and then.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Dear Wendy,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that your canal cruise did not meet your expectations, especially given the price you paid. We aim to provide a comfortable and enjoyable experience and we did not succeed in your case.
We understand your frustration with the limited drink service due to the guide also focusing on sharing the information of the artwork. We also regret that the seats were wet and caused discomfort, especially in cold weather. We will review our boat preparations to ensure guests are more comfortable in the future.
Your comments about the cruise guides are appreciated, and we’re glad you enjoyed their company. However, we understand that the overall experience did not meet the "luxury" standard you expected. We’ll take your suggestions seriously to ensure future guests have a more seamless and enjoyable experience.
Thank you again for your feedback. If you wish to discuss your experience further, please feel free to reach out to us.
Kind regards,
Jessie
Front Office Management
Shelly_H, Jan 2023
Unfortunately there weren’t many memorable moments. The onboard team was friendly and very attentive. There was a steady flow of drinks. There were many silent moments in between the location of the art installations. It was difficult to see some of the installations especially the hanging ones as there were no windows on the top of the boat. The regular canal cruise was so much better and so much more informative. Even in similar weather and in the evening we could see outside. Very disappointed. Tour company really appears to have been too greedy with this one with wrong choice of boat. The onboard team unfortunately wasn’t able to make up for the experience either. Too much quiet time and no energy onboard. You’re better off taking a regular night canal cruise and walking the streets to see the installations by yourself. You will certainly have much better views and not waste your money.
Shobhit_M, Jan 2023
The tour guide was very informative and the drinks and all was fun but the boat itself was very bad. The place was so cramped up and the seats were opposite to windows, so instead of seeing outside we are seeing other people drinking 😕
John_K, Dec 2022
Big disappointment. We went early in the day to find where to board for the evening cruise. It is just an empty dock with no signs or boats. At night these tubs show up. Plastic covers you can’t see out of, but some plastic windows are rolled up to let the freezing air come in. No heat. A hole in the top for the captain to stick his head out to see. This is a sub standard boat. We see all the nice boats go by with proper seating and glass windows, heat, and bathroom. The guide had no microphone and when you could hear him, you couldn’t understand his English. Book from a legitimate canal cruise company. This was a waste of time and money.
Mallory_S, Dec 2022
I am usually very happy with tours booked through Viator, but this one was really bad. After attempting to contact the company the hour before our tour we rushed through our dinner to make it in time for the 8pm tour. Once at the departure point we stood and waited 40 minutes outside in the cold with no help or organization from staff. Other groups got on boats before those of us who had been in line longer and other people around us were also getting very upset. It was 8:45pm before we finally got on a boat. On the tour the driver was good and probably did more than he normally would do because the actual guide had no information to give and couldn’t answer questions about the area and knew minimal history about the areas of the canals we toured. He didn’t know the name or information about any of the lights displays which was supposed to be the focus of the tour. The boat was freezing, which was not the fault of the tour company of course, but the promised included drinks were only cold beer and a chilled rosé wine,. They were out of the red wine and other drinks that might have been more warming. It was overall a miserable sort of experience. We couldn’t see the lights displays very well through the scratched plastic cover of the boat. I’ve done tours like this in many other European cities and they have been great but this one was really disappointing.
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