Amsterdam Canal Tour by Open Boat – 90 min Small Group Experience
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Admire Amsterdam’s top attractions without having to contend with the crowds on land during a cruise of the UNESCO-listed Canal Ring (Grachtengordel). Enjoy an intimate atmosphere in a small group limited to 12 people, as you sail past city highlights such as the Red Light District, Magere Brug (Skinning Bridge), and Zuiderkerk (Southern Bridge).
- Check off Amsterdam's top sights from the water on a canal cruise
- Buy drinks onboard or bring your own refreshments
- Enjoy personalized attention in a small group limited to 12 people
- Admire sights from a distance to avoid the crowds
What's Included
- Blanket
- Life vest (upon request)
- English speaking guide
- Rain canopy on rainy days
- 90-minute canal cruise in small group
- Alcoholic BeveragesPrices are as follows: Small Beer € 3,- and a glass of Rose or White Wine € 4,-
- Soda/PopBottle of Water: € 2,50
- Bottled waterCan of Soda cost € 2,50
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Amsterdam Boat Adventures | Open boat toursNieuwe Keizersgracht 1, 1018 DS Amsterdam, Netherlands
We meet by the canal and mini pier located on Nieuwe Keizersgracht #1 . Your friendly Captain will be awaiting you at the small open boat 10-15 minutes before the boat tour starts. Please note that we do not have an office and you check in with the Captain at the boat.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
The Amstel (Pass By)
Raamgracht (Pass By)
Munt Tower (Munttoren) (Pass By)
Grimburgwal (Pass By)
South Church (Pass By)
Red Light District (Pass By)
Oude Kerk (Pass By)
Oudezijds Kolk (Pass By)
Geldersekade (Pass By)
The Waag (Pass By)
Kromboomssloot (Pass By)
Montelbaanstoren (Pass By)
Het Scheepvaartmuseum| The National Maritime Museum (Pass By)
NEMO Science Museum (Pass By)
Wertheimpark (Pass By)
Hortus Botanicus (Pass By)
Herengracht (Pass By)
Reguliersgracht (Pass By)
Prinsengracht (Pass By)
Magere Brug (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 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
HannahLuisa_K
did this tour with my mother, and although I’ve done many tours before, this one truly stood out. The skipper was extremely open, genuinely interested, and fully involved from start to finish. It was one of the best tours we’ve ever experienced — and we’re very German and very critical! We can absolutely recommend it.
Reviews
4.9
based on 843 reviews
William_M, Apr 2026
Definitely a great way to see the inner city of Amsterdam. I highly recommend this tour in my guide was Adam. Very informative and drove through many of the canals and learned quite a bit of the history.
Kristine_F, Apr 2026
Aaron was very knowledgeable about the city and personable. The open top, small boat experience was perfect.
John_F, Apr 2026
Cool to have an expat from so cal guide the tour! Captain Aaron was knowledgeable, entertaining, and offered great recommendations for dinner.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the great review, it’s so nice to hear you enjoyed the tour with Captain Aaron. Great that his stories and local tips made the experience even more fun.
catrina_s, Apr 2026
Atila gave us the most peaceful informative canal cruise in a very comfy boat with heated seats, blankets, drinks - so lovely to visit some of the smaller canals.
He clearly loves his job and Amsterdam and is very knowledgeable.
I would highly recommend this trip. Big thank you Atila.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the fantastic review Catarina! It’s great to hear you had such a peaceful and enjoyable time on the canals with our Captain Attila. Lovely that you enjoyed the comfort on board and exploring the smaller canals as well. We really appreciate your recommendation and kind words!
David_B, Apr 2026
Captain Attila was great! He is friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to visit with! He entertained us the entire time. The boat is comfortable (even has heated seats!) We absolutely recommend this adventure!!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the fantastic review David! It’s great to hear you had such a fun and engaging time on the canals with our Captain Attila. Great that you enjoyed his stories and the comfort on board as well. We really appreciate the recommendation!
Jennifer_F, Apr 2026
Eddie was our captain and he was so informative and gave off such good vibes. He knew a lot of the history of Amsterdam and made the trip super fun! The scenery was awesome too!!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the amazing review! So nice to hear you had such a fun time on the canals with our Captain Eddie. Great that his knowledge and good vibes made the experience even better. We really appreciate your kind words!
ErinH, Apr 2026
Captain Attila was an amazing guide who had such a calm way of speaking and sharing insights on Amsterdam! I highly recommend touring with him. My family and I had a wonderful experience and learned so much about Amsterdam and the boat was warm - heated seats! and beautiful.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the fabulous review! It’s so nice to hear you and your family had such a wonderful time on the canals with Captain Attila.
We’re glad you enjoyed his calm and engaging way of sharing the stories of Amsterdam. And lovely to hear you stayed warm and comfortable with the heated seats.
chiachin_y, Mar 2026
Captain Joao's tour was super relaxing and informative at the same time. His happy demeanor made it even better . It was really nice to see Amsterdam from the water away from the busy crowd .
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the amazing review! It’s great to hear you had such a relaxing and enjoyable time on the canals with our Captain João. We love to hear that João’s positive energy made the tour even more special.
John_L, Mar 2026
Attila was a perfect guide. He was very welcoming and made everyone feel comfortable. He offered beverages and made sure all were ready for the tour. The tour coverage so much of Amsterdam is a thorough yet relaxing way. He was knowledgeable and funny! He engaged everyone on the boat and made us all feel included. Great job at a very reasonable price! Would book it again!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the fantastic review John! It’s wonderful to hear you had such a great time on the canals with our Captain Attila.
We’re so glad he made everyone feel welcome and included. And lovely to hear you enjoyed both the stories and the atmosphere along the way.
We truly appreciate your kind words and would love to welcome you back on board again.
Megan_O, Mar 2026
Wonderful tour. Very comfortable boat. It was cold outside, but with the cozy blankets and heated seats, we didn’t notice. Capt Jaime and Capt Griffon were so friendly and knowledgeable. The best thing we did while traveling in Amsterdam.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! It’s great to hear you stayed warm and comfortable with the blankets and heated seats while enjoying the canals.
Lovely to hear that Captains Jamie and Griffin made the experience so friendly and engaging. It really means a lot that this was a highlight of your time in Amsterdam.
We hope to welcome you back on board again soon.
Lynn_W, Nov 2025
Concise, informative and not too overwhelming. Being on the canal alone was an enjoyable experience.
Captain Gus was amazing, excited and made you feel welcomed, comfortable and valued.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for the great review. We’re so glad you enjoyed the relaxed and informative pace of the boat tour and that exploring our city from the canals was such a nice experience. It’s wonderful to hear that Captain Gus made you feel welcome and valued on board.
Gail_C, Nov 2025
Very friendly, comfortable and informative. A lovely way to explore the Amsterdam canals. Beautiful boat with fairy lights. Warmed seat cushions and furry blankets.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for the lovely review. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and felt comfortable on board while exploring the canals. It’s great that you liked the warm cushions, blankets and the boat’s cozy fairy lights.
Julie_G, Oct 2025
On a blustering on again/off again rainy day, Aaron gave us a wonderful time. He even put on a canopy, so we didn’t get wet. Our start time was 16:30, which included the sunset. We learned about the history and sights as we rode. Only 6 passengers!
Do it!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your cozy canal cruise with our Captain Aaron, even with the unpredictable fall weather. It’s great to hear you appreciated his stories, the sunset timing, and the intimate small-group setting.
Shaina_G, Oct 2025
Eddie was the best captain! We had the most incredible canal boat tour experience! Eddie was so friendly and kind. My family and I asked him endless questions about Amsterdam and he was so generous and patient and answered them all! He was great at explaining the city and what we were seeing along the boat ride! The boat itself was very comfortable and refreshments were offered! We loved that the boat was smaller and had an open top so that the experience felt more personal and intimate. It was such a special part of our trip! We can’t thank Captain Eddie enough! It was a memory we will all remember forever! We highly recommend Captain Eddie and doing the boat canal tour!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the fabulous review! We’re so happy to hear you and your family had such a special time exploring Amsterdam’s canals with our Captain Eddie. It’s wonderful that you enjoyed his stories, patience, and the personal touch of our small open boat. Knowing the tour became such a memorable part of your trip truly means a lot. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Eddie!
Jennifer_H, Oct 2025
Amazing! Captain Eddie was great! The boat ride was so nice along the canals. Eddie answered all of our questions and gave excellent information. Blankets and heated seats were great!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the amazing review! We’re so happy to hear you had such a wonderful time cruising the canals with our Captain Eddie. It’s great to know you enjoyed his stories and the cozy touches like the heated seats and blankets.
4vtm9w2fsb, Oct 2025
I tried it with my family. It was an extremely enjoyable tour. Many thanks to Captain Aaron. I definitely recommend it.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the great review! We’re so happy to hear you and your family had such an enjoyable time on the canals with our Captain Aaron.
QuangHuy_L, Oct 2025
We had a wonderful time on the boat tour in Amsterdam! The cruise offered a perfect mix of beautiful canal views, fascinating history, and a relaxed atmosphere. Our guide was fantastic, friendly, funny, and knowledgeable about the city’s architecture, culture, and hidden gems.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so happy to hear you had such a great time exploring Amsterdam’s canals and enjoyed the mix of sights, stories, and relaxed atmosphere on board. It’s lovely to know our captain’s humor and insights added to the experience. We hope to welcome you back on the water someday!
Wayne_H, Oct 2025
Gus is a wonderful guide. Just the perfect amount of history, stories, suggestions, humor and silence.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your cruise with our Captain Gus and appreciated his perfect mix of stories, humor, and quiet moments to take in the views.
Krysta_G, Oct 2025
A great experience! Our tour guide had a great balance of fun facts and history and silence so you could really take in everything we were floating past. If the sun is down, I suggest an extra layer. The blankets and heated seats are an amazing and thoughtful touch!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the great review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the balance of stories and quiet moments on your cruise. We’re glad you appreciated the blankets and heated seats, but it's a Great tip about the extra layers as it can get chilly on the water . We hope to welcome you back on board someday!
Jonathan_S, Oct 2025
The canal tour was great, especially if you only have a few hours in Amsterdam or a layover at Schiphol. It’s an easy, relaxing way to see the city. The captain was friendly, knowledgeable, and shared fascinating insights about Amsterdam’s architecture, history, and canal system.
We saw many landmarks from the water, which made for a calm and scenic experience. Drinks and wine were available as an optional add-on, but never pushed. Whether you ordered or not, the captain made everyone feel welcome and respected. Awesome tour. thank you!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your canal tour and found it the perfect way to experience Amsterdam, even on a short visit. It’s wonderful to hear you appreciated your captain’s insights and the relaxed atmosphere on board. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back on the canals someday!
Grace_O, Oct 2025
It was a great experience to see beautiful Amsterdam from the viewpoint of the canals. Captain was very accommodating.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the nice review! We’re so glad you enjoyed seeing Amsterdam from the canals. It truly is a photographer’s dream.
Sarah_H, Sep 2025
Great way to explore the city and learn about the history of Amsterdam. João was an excellent guide and spoke fluent English and French (as well as Spanish). He was so excited to answer all our questions.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the awesome review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed exploring Amsterdam’s canals with our Captain João. He truly enjoys sharing his knowledge and connecting with guests in different languages, so it’s great to know you appreciated that. We hope to welcome you back for another cruise someday!
Natalie_L, Sep 2025
I could not have asked for a better experience! It was a small group on a small open boat. Our tour guide Jo was amazing! So friendly and knowledgeable. I was so impressed. It’s absolutely worth it to look a small open boat like this one. It’s such a more special and personalized experience. HIGHLY recommend!!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the excellent review and recommendation! We’re so glad you enjoyed your small group canal tour with our Captain Jo. It’s wonderful to hear you appreciated the friendly atmosphere and personal touch of the open-boat experience.
Daniel_M, Sep 2025
This was a very comfortable and informative canal tour. Our captain, Joe, was extremely educated on a number of subjects, including history and geography of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Europe.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed such a comfortable and informative cruise with our Captain Jo. It’s wonderful that his knowledge added to the experience.
Paul_B, Sep 2025
A smaller boat with just a few people, much more intimate tour than the big tour boats. Our guide gave us the personal touch.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the intimate feel of the small group cruise and the personal touch from your captain.
Kyle_B, Sep 2025
My partner and I took my parents on this tour and it was such a lovely and incredible experience. Of course the boat was great and the city is amazing, but what set this tour apart from the half dozen I’ve done in Amsterdam is the captain. Our captain was so knowledgeable and kept us engaged and entertained the entire time. We very highly recommend this tour as the best way to see Amsterdam. Will be using this tour group every time we have visitors in the city and hope that we always have the same captain!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the amazing review and recommendation! We’re thrilled to hear your family had such a memorable time on the canals and that your captain helped make the experience stand out from others you’ve done in Amsterdam. It’s wonderful to know you’ll be joining us again when you have visitors and we really look forward to welcoming you back on board!
Elizabeth_N, Sep 2025
Aaron did a great job. We were so glad we took this tour. Only regret is we didn’t go by the Anne Frank house, but everything else was great!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the great review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your canal tour with our Captain Aaron and had such a good experience on the water. While the Anne Frank House isn’t included on this particular route, our evening cruise does pass by it. We’d love to welcome you back for that one next time you’re in Amsterdam!
Teresa_J, Sep 2025
We enjoyed this canal cruise very much. Captain Guus was personable, funny, and very well-versed on the history of Amsterdam and the sights we passed. His commentary was interesting and educational and so much better than a recorded spiel. We also liked that this cruise, being on a smaller boat, covered some of the more picturesque, smaller canals. The boat was new and spotless and open-air, all plusses in our opinion. Great job!!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed your canal cruise with our Captain Guus and appreciated his engaging stories and humor along the way. It’s great to know you liked exploring the smaller, scenic canals and the comfort of our open boat. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back on the water again!
Sofia_C, Sep 2025
Great experience!! I would recommend. Small group boat trip with cosy blankets and hot pillows to resist the wind
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for the great review! We're glad you had a great experience and enjoyed the cosy blankets and small group vibe.
Geoff_D, Aug 2025
I would have preferred more info about the buildings.
I can understand why the guide wanted us to ask questions, but this led to questions from just a ha dful.of people.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We’re glad you joined our small-group canal tour, and we really appreciate your thoughts on the guiding style. Some of our captains like to keep the experience interactive and personal, but we understand that sometimes guests prefer more background information without needing to ask. We’ll take your comments to heart and make sure to find a better balance between storytelling and questions so that everyone feels included.
We hope you still enjoyed seeing Amsterdam from the water.
From $38.26
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Amsterdam Canal Tour by Open Boat – 90 min Small Group Experience
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