Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise by Captain Dave
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Enjoy unrivaled views of Amsterdam’s Festival of Lights—which takes place every year from November through January—on a canal cruise that reveals the bests of the installations. You’ll enjoy personalized attention in a small group limited to 12 travelers, as you float along Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal Ring in the comfort of your heated boat.
- Experience the best of Amsterdam's Festival of Light on a boat cruise
- See the city from a different perspective as you explore at night
- Avoid the crowds on land in your heated boat
- Enjoy mulled wine and hot chocolate on board
What's Included
- 90‑minute Festival of Lights canal cruise with first‑class views of the open‑air exhibition
- Personable, non‑scripted local captain — your host and fully licensed guide
- Alcoholic BeveragesWinter drinks included, such as mulled wine, hot chocolate, and other beverages
- Heated boat with extra blankets for a comfortable evening cruise
- Restroom on board (light use only)
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Spaces HerengrachtHerengracht 124-128, 1015 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands
I’ll be waiting for you at our meeting point in front of Herengracht 124–128. Depending on your departure time, you’ll be welcomed on board either the historic Jonckvrouw or the iconic James Bond boat.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Herengracht (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Not recommened for travelers with acute intestinal problems
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 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
Reviews
4.9
based on 123 reviews
Brenda_B, Dec 2025
Tour Operator was awesome. The light display not as advertised on the various booking sites. Not much to see.
Kris_B, Dec 2025
It all sounds spectacular--Amsterdam Light Festival-- but it was rather unspecial. We remained inside during the wintry cruise and the views were limited because of the windows, the rain, and all the other passengers. Our Captain was good at the steering wheel but referred to everyone as "Guys" about a 100 times during the hour+ trip. The wine/food offerings were meager: stale Pringles and questionable vintages. It could have been better with Christmas jazz and bigger windows. The lights were pretty but not breathtaking.
Suttee_H, Dec 2025
The Light Festival boat tour with Okka as our captain was a wonderful experience. Having a small group was perfect. It combined informative commentary with breathtaking views of the canals and light art. The boat was comfortable and warm, with an outdoor deck for fresh air, and offered a nice variety of drinks and light snacks.
Kevin_A, Dec 2025
Lovely historic boat, great guide, a lovely 1.5hr night cruise around the canals of beautiful Amsterdam
christine_o, Dec 2025
Everyone enjoyed themselves. Christmas lights were beautiful and the captain was informative and entertaining
Kelly_B, Dec 2025
The boat was smaller than most and cozy. I first sat out back in the open air but couldn’t hear the guide Roman and couldn’t actually see as much. Roman took care of us with mulled wine and cookies. The hot chocolate dispenser was broken which was a problem. Roman was fun and knowledgeable and overall the tour was nice.
James_H, Dec 2025
The guide is tremendously knowledgeable about everything in the canals. The boat holds 12 passengers and it's really nice to travel through the canals with limited people. The only thing that would have made this trip better ould if it wasn't raining. On a personal note, I misread the instructions and had it standing at the wrong place. Captain Dave and his staff work non-stop to ensure we were at the right place so we would make our cruise time.
milliga9, Dec 2025
This canal cruise was perfect! Great captain, beautiful boat, and the perfect amount of information and stories while viewing the light festival installations. It was a smaller boat which lead to a more intimate setting. A great opportunity to get away from the louder crowds and pack them in bigger boats. Would highly recommend and cruise on Captain Dave’s boat!
Teri_G, Dec 2025
Comfortable and Fun and Interesting Good Gluwein and cookies. Cool boat. Great evening with friends.
Caitlin_O, Jan 2025
Captain Jack put a lot of energy into the evening. It was a lot of fun and an interesting way to see the sights of Amsterdam. He bonded us as a group, was entertaining and informative. The group was a good vibe.
Jeremy_S, Jan 2025
Great time on board with Jan! Very knowledgeable about all things Amsterdam, and was a great snapshot of the city via the canals. Comfy & cozy way to enjoy a couple of hours in Amsterdam.
Jaylin_K, Jan 2025
My mom and I had a great time with Tony! The boat was cozy and comfortable with the mulled wine and beer and other drinks flowing. We loved the Dutch gingerbread. My favorite part was how well Tony described the history of the canals and of Amsterdam in general. He showed us a great time and the lights were wonderful.
Leslie_B, Dec 2024
We learned a lot about Amsterdam from a local that you won't typically learn. Captain Dave's excursion was informative and fun. Of course, we loved seeing the sights by night and the Light Festival was beautiful.
jimosborneabc, Dec 2024
Cruise was great. Captain was fantastic and the boat was very nice…having an available toilet after a beer and some mulled wine was very much appreciated!
jemadonaldson, Dec 2024
We had a great time with Captain Dave's team. Tony was our Captain. Gave us a great history of Amsterdam while viewing the lights. Would definitely recommend!
MrsSDuffield_D, Dec 2024
We had a wonderful experience. Very informative guide and a fabulous way to be introduced to the canals of Amsterdam.
Janet_T, Dec 2024
Great tour guide and the most comfortable seats. Small group which is great. Very comfortable boat!!
Suzanne_O, Dec 2024
We had a wonderful time on our Amsterdam Festival of Lights cruise. Our captain, Hassein, was personable, funny and extremely knowledgeable about his favorite city in the world. Our starting location changed from what was originally communicated when I booked the tour. Captain Dave reached out directly with clear and concise directions and address. Highlight recommend this tour! It's a great way to experience Amsterdam.
Brian_G, Dec 2024
We had an awesome experience on our canal cruise! Jan was outstanding: he was extremely knowledgeable about the Light Festival and shared a lot of history about Amsterdam. Highly recommended!
Kathy_R, Dec 2024
I am still trying to get a full refund from Caption Dave. I agreed to a change of boat that was supposed to be the same as the boat I had made reservations for. Instead another captain showed up with an inferior boat-fewer windows to view the lights and no skylight. It looked nothing like the picture he advertised. We did not take the cruise. Captain Dave is still trying to not give us a refund.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Kathy, our boat, the Jonckvrouw from 1928, had technical issues, so we arranged another classic saloon boat from 1909. We informed everyone about the change.
You agreed to the change but were the only one who did not attend the tour and asked for a refund afterwards. As I mentioned before, I contacted Viator, and their agent confirmed that if a guest decides not to attend the tour, it is not eligible for a refund.
We did our best to provide a similar alternative under the circumstances. I am Captain Dave, but Captain Dave is also a brand with a team of chosen captains. We always aim to give our guests a great experience. See our reviews.
Cheers Captain Dave
Tatsiana_W, Dec 2024
Had lots of fun on this boat trip! Our captain was very friendly and shared great and amusing facts about history and architecture of Amsterdam. The boat itself has been a part of Amsterdam's history scene.
We will definitely be back for canal cruise by Captain Dave in summer!
Michelle_G, Dec 2024
Roman was very personable and charismatic! The boat was beautiful. It was nice having hot wine on a cold rainy night. Would highly recommend Roman as a captain and tour guide!
Dawn_D, Dec 2024
Really enjoyed the trip. Roman, the guide, was great. He gave a nice commentary on the sights as we passed and seeing the Christmas light installations was great. There was plenty of drink to last the whole trip and some snacks too.
Alex, Dec 2024
Thor surpassed all my expectations! As soon as I boarded the boat I was made to feel welcome and the captain did an excellent job at allowing conversation to flow between all members of the tour. I went on this as a solo traveller and am very happy with my choice to go on a tour with a small group of passengers. The captain was very knowledgeable of Amsterdam and the artworks we saw. I would 100% recommend, a great way to see Amsterdam
Susan_B, Dec 2024
Excellent! I highly recommend this cruise. Our guide Tony was knowledgeable and professional. We had an amazing time seeing the holiday lights and learning about Amsterdam.
Jennifer_H, Dec 2024
Lovely guide and opportunity to see all the light installations; boat was cozy and had a great story as well.
Michael_B, Mar 2024
An amazing tour! A great way to see Amsterdam! Our travel guide was friendly and made for a great experience! And, bonus, the glühwein was excellent and plentiful!!
Jason_M, Jan 2024
Captain Tony was amazing - super informative, engaged, and well-spoken. Couldn't have asked for a better guide. Our friend who was with us has lived here most of her life and still learned quite a bit from Tony! Highly recommend.
Jane_C, Jan 2024
Captain Dave kept us entertained and we learned so much about Amsterdam both its history and today. Lovely comfortable cruise. Highly recommend
d8gr7c6jvd, Jan 2024
Really lovely experience, our Caption (Tony) was very knowledgeable and seemed passionate about his job, not like he was reciting a speech as we have experienced at other cruises. The boat was warm (which was great as it was raining!) and welcoming, with drinks on board, and overall the atmosphere was cosy. Would definitely recommend booking this.
As a side note, I left my headband that my sister had made for me on the boat, and Captain Dave has been kind and patient enough to talk to me and even send it back to my home address, when realistically their job was fulfilled as soon as we left the boat, so going above and beyond is an understatement!
From $61.82
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise by Captain Dave
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