Small Shared Canal Cruise Local Captain and Hidden Gems Amsterdam

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Shared canal cruise with a local skipper
A cosy lounge deck on a historic boat
Historical stories and architectural insights (tailored to your interests)
Exclusive local stories & hidden gems
Curated music & good company
Warm blankets if it gets chilly
Open-air in good weather, covered and heated in cold or rainy weather
Polaroid keepsake
Drinks are available for purchase on board (not included in the price)

No toilet on board, but we are happy to make a short stop if you need to use a restroom

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Picnic spot
Brouwersgracht 64, 1013 ED Amsterdam, Netherlands
Go to the jetty/dock on the canal side. That's where we will wait for you!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Start time
.5:00 pm

Itinerary

Brouwersgracht (Pass By)

Herengracht (Pass By)

Blauwburgwal (Pass By)

Singel (Pass By)

Haarlemmersluis (Pass By)

IJ (Pass By)

Amsterdam North (Pass By)

Houthavens (Pass By)

Prinseneiland (Pass By)

Westelijke Eilanden (Pass By)

Lijnbaansgracht (Pass By)

Bloemgracht (Pass By)

Cafe Papeneiland (Pass By)

Prinsengracht (Pass By)

Egelantiersgracht (Pass By)

Leliegracht (Pass By)

The Jordaan (Pass By)

Emperor's Canal (Keizersgracht) (Pass By)

Brouwersgracht (Pass By)

Amsterdam (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 12 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
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

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)

Reviews

4.9

based on 18 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Small-Group Canal Cruise That Beats the Big Tour Boats — Highly Recommend

Dan_S, Aug 2026

We booked this for a small group of us (4, two of us joined by two friends) alongside another group of 3, and it was one of the best things we did on the trip. Our guide piloted the boat herself and clearly knew the canal network inside and out — she took us through narrower waterways that the bigger canal tour boats simply can't access. Drinks were included onboard, and she asked upfront if we had specific spots we wanted to see, which made the whole route feel personal rather than a fixed script. Great mix of local history and canal trivia without ever feeling like a lecture. If you want an intimate, flexible alternative to the standard glass-top tour boats, this is it. Highly recommend.

Jannah was lovely guide,...

t_C, Jul 2026

Jannah was lovely guide, communicated well when there was a change in time. Small group with a small boat meaning we got to go places the bigger commercial boats couldn't go. Would recommend

A very pleasant cruise

Kevin_B, Jun 2026

Meeting point was very easy to find convenient to Amsterdam Centraal. Janna, our captain, reached out to us to reschedule our reservation due to code red heat warning, so we took advantage of an earlier time. As it turned out we were the only 2 on the boat! We had a very pleasant and informative 90 minute cruise. Jannah was very personable and we really appreciated her consideration regarding the schedule. Highly recommended!

Perfect!

Valery_L, Jun 2026

10/10. Cute boat, good communication before the trip, and Joshua was sweet, a great host, made it fun, and was like an encyclopedia of knowledge! You cannot ask him a question he doesn’t know. Could’ve cruised around all day!

Please do not overlook...

Jennifer_G, Jun 2026

Please do not overlook this tour!! If you want something quaint and personable versus crowded and loud, this is the tour for you. Our guide grew up in Amsterdam and was very knowledgeable about the area, waterways, nature, etc! She was also very understanding when we could not find the meeting place right away. She helped us find our way! Also- only my husband and I had booked the time we went, so we ended up with a private tour!!

Best canal cruise around

Abbey_R, Nov 2025

Absolutely amazing experience! A beautiful boat with a knowledgeable captain. They adjusted the journey based on our interests and had lots of fun facts and information about all the sights. They even had dinner recommendations based on where we were going to be later that evening. Highly recommend the quiet and personal experience this tour can give you. Better than any other larger tour that is not catered to your interests.

A wonderful experience!

Matthew_W, Nov 2025

A very welcoming personal boat trip around the Canals of Amsterdam. It really was perfect. It was decided that whilst being in Amsterdam, one of the "must do`s" is a canal trip, but we did not wish to be herded onto a large boat with plenty of others. We then read a few reviews of this wonderful little tour. As there were not so many reviews, we thought we would take a chance. We can honestly say we made the correct decision. We arrived on the side of the canal early. Diana (the name of the boat) arrived along with Johanna as skipper. From then on, we knew this was going to be great despite the late October grey sky. We expected more people to show up as the trip was advertised for a "small group, with a maximum of 6 people". However, when Johanna got off the boat, she informed us that we were the only ones who had booked. We were informed the small business has only been going since the summer and are happy to take anyone that books the tour, even if it was only going to be 1 person. Therefore, we had the boat to ourselves. Johanna, said for us to be comfortable, relax, kick off the shoes, wrap yourselves in the blankets and pull up the cushions.... which we certainly did. We then had the most amazing tour through the canals of Amsterdam, just what we wanted. Johanna has lived in Amsterdam all her life, so it was interesting chatting with her, getting to know all the facts and how real people from Amsterdam feel about the place and how they live. Thank you, Johanna, for making the trip memorable. We certainly hope more people that visit Amsterdam would choose this way to see the canals. Thank you for helping us make some wonderful memories.

Unique private canal experience

YooJin_A, Oct 2025

Truly unique way to experience the canals in a private and boutique experience, friendly guide and you really get to see some Off the Beaten path routes away from the crowd. So much more relaxing, no need to make small talk or share the Boat with strangers. Highly recommend

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hey Jin Ahn! Lovely to meet you and your parents on the boat. I really enjoyed all the questions from your dad too. Hopefully you survived all the culture shocks! kind regards, Beer

Beer led us on a...

James_P, Oct 2025

Beer led us on a marvellous tour of amsterdamns less busy districts. Very knowledgeable, very friendly, very quiet and serene experience. Highly highly recommended!

Intimate boat tour

frank_E, Oct 2025

Very intimate and informative. Beautiful and quaint small boat that is 100 yrs old. Very relaxing., would book again.

Great intimate tour boat experience!

Bennet_S, Sep 2025

We had a wonderful experience taking the Off The Beaten Path Hidden Gems Canal Cruise on the good ship (OK, boat) Diana. We got a great local’s perspective on life in Amsterdam and lots of information about the various neighborhoods as we cruised around. We saw both the famous canal girdle and the less famous canals and islands. Our little antique boat, populated by just our small party, got plenty of admiring looks from the folks on the more crowded more modern boats. We had a great time.