Amsterdam 90-min Private Canal Cruise with Live Guide and Drinks

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Amsterdam, Netherlands

High interest

Booked 4 times today.

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

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Robert_R ·

Sep 2025

Our guide and tour was a highlight of our trip to Amsterdam. The day was rainy but this boat has a clear top and open sides making the ride pleasant. His knowledge of the area was exceptional and the city is......beautiful!!

· Mario_P ·

Feb 2026

This is a MUST do tour in Amsterdam. Pap was incredible, on time, the boat is super comfortable and the experience is amazing.

Overview

Relax after a busy day of sightseeing on a private evening cruise of Amsterdam’s historic canals. Take in views of the historic waterways at sunset, travelling through areas including the UNESCO-listed Canal District and De Wallen, and benefit from a customizable itinerary according to the group’s interests. Gain insight into the landmarks and routes from you local skipper, and choose a tour time that suits your schedule.

Discover the famous Amsterdam canals illuminated by city lights
Relax after a busy day of sightseeing on a scenic cruise
Enjoy a customizable itinerary according to group interests
Learn about the city from your local skipper

What's Included

Live commentary on board
Eco-friendly sightseeing cruise
Private Tour
Local certified skipper
Drinks (Water, Soft drinks, Beer, Prosecco)

Food (You may bring your own on-board!)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Prinsengracht 375, 1016 Amsterdam, Netherlands
The skipper will be at the waterside at the exact start time of your tour. You can recognise the boat by: White boat, Blue Roof, Turquoise blue seats, Heart logo on the side, Boat Name is Gordita.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

The Jordaan (Pass By)

Canal Ring (Grachtengordel) (Pass By)

De Gouden Bocht (Pass By)

Amsterdam (Pass By)

The Amstel (Pass By)

Amsterdam (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation in case of extreme weather. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately. Blankets and optional roof available
Stroller accessible

Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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)

Featured review

Amy_C

Lucas was the best! He was very friendly and made the tour so interesting. Such a beautiful and relaxing way to see Amsterdam!!

Reviews

4.9

based on 301 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

We loved our canal cruise...

Alyson_B, Apr 2026

We loved our canal cruise - Paap was an excellent skipper and very knowledgeable about architecture and history of Amsterdam. Would highly recommend!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed yourselves with the best skipper in Amsterdam :)

This is a MUST

Mario_P, Feb 2026

This is a MUST do tour in Amsterdam. Pap was incredible, on time, the boat is super comfortable and the experience is amazing.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for your recommendation. We’re glad you enjoyed the tour with Paap and found the experience comfortable and special. Hope to welcome you back soon!

Unique Canal Experience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sherilyn_S, Dec 2025

We had the best time with Skipper Paap! He showed us way more than we expected and took the time to capture several photos of us. I’ve taken a few canal tours and this one was far more exciting and enjoyable than the others. Highly recommend this private 90-min tour!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you so much for this glowing review! We are thrilled you enjoyed yourselves and captain Paap's superior knowledge of the canals of Amsterdam.

Go Private with Paap! There’s no better way!

Carmen_F, Nov 2025

It’s not that much more for private…&…worth it! The excellent boating skills, personal attention and knowledge of this local enhances any experience!

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thank you for the kind review! Paap is the best, glad you enjoyed yourselves :)

Would 10/10 recommend!

Melissa_S, Sep 2025

Would 10/10 recommend this private canal tour. Was an excellent small group activity. Pap was a wealth of knowledge, funny, and open to our questions, etc. We are Ted Lasso fans and he even showed us where Rebecca fell in the canal and which house boat they were on!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you, Melissa! So lovely to hear you enjoyed the cruise and Paap’s stories. Sounds like that film location was a fun surprise, glad you got to see it!

A private canal ride through this beautiful city is a must.

Robert_R, Sep 2025

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you for your kind words. We're so glad the cruise was a highlight of your trip, even with the rain. Amsterdam has its own quiet charm in that weather, and it’s wonderful you could enjoy it from the canals.

Not great for the money. ...

steve_t, Sep 2025

Not great for the money. Handed us a half bottle of flat prosecco and thought Auschwitz was in Germany. The private boat was good and preferred to large crowded boats so not terrible but not what we’ve come to expect with Viator tours and guides

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Steve, We're sorry that our tour didn't live up to your expectations. In order to save the environment, we do save our partially used bottles, however we should have checked whether it was sparkly or flat. Our apologies for this. If you are still in town, we would love to offer you a discounted tour with guaranteed sparkly wine and our most expert skipper. Contact us if you want to take us up on this.

Great tour - worth the money!

Emma_R, Sep 2025

Lucas was our skipper and he was excellent!! He gave us great insight into the city & its history. He was really friendly & easy to chat with, but also gave us privacy to take in the sights & talk amongst ourselves. The boat was very clean and Lucas was a great driver, we felt very safe the entire time! Refreshments on board (Cava & Beer) were great. Boat location was easy to find.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thank you for the excellent review and we're happy you and the other guests enjoyed yourselves. Hope to see you again sometime!

Do this tour!

Lisa_B, Sep 2025

Relaxed, informative, great captain! We throughly enjoyed this trip and Captain Deep was great. Informative without over talking, small enough boat to be intimate and yet plenty of room to spread out!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

We're happy to hear you had an enjoyable tour with skipper Deep. Thank you for the positive review!

What a scam!

Lena_C, Sep 2025

Don't recommend at all, absolute rip-off for the money! Boat is nothing special, no amenities and no drinks (as promised in the description). 1 hour 20 minutes through a few canals in Jordaan at 20 km/h, not covering many sights. Tour "guide" is an international student, recently moved to Amsterdam and learned 3 Wikipedia facts. Instead of some history or interesting facts, we just got awkward small talk about food and religion (not kidding). Felt scammed afterwards

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Lena, Thank you for your feedback. We’ve tried to contact you about this. We’re truly sorry your cruise didn’t reflect the quality and service we aim to deliver. Our tours include drinks and a well-informed skipper guide, so it’s clear we fell short in this case. We are reviewing this with our team to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Please contact us directly so we can make this right. (By mail to Ahoy@bookatour.amsterdam or phone +31202101256). We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Kind regards, Carla

Great experience

Jamie_F, Sep 2025

Great private experience. Lucas was very knowledgeable and pleasant. Beautiful scenery. Love Amsterdam.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thank you for the review, and we're happy you enjoyed yourself and the scenery :)

Wonderful

kee_S, Aug 2025

The boat ride through the canals was incredible . The skipper (Deep) was excellent and extremely knowledgeable.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thank you for the great review and we're happy you enjoyed the canals with our expert skipper Deep! Hope to see you again on the canals soon.

Great private tour

CARLOS_M, Aug 2025

A pleasant beautiful ride that gives you a nice romantic introduction to the city. Our captain was very knowledgeable

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thank you for the nice review Carlos, we hope to have you on the canals with us again soon!

Great time

John_W, Jul 2025

Great trip, nice boat, and friendly guide. Drinks could have been a little better, but we had a geat time overall.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you for your feedback, John! Glad to hear you enjoyed the trip and the guide. We appreciate your note about the drinks, if you have suggestions, we’d love to hear them. Thanks again! Kind regards,

Great Tour

Mark_G, Jul 2025

We had a great tour with Paap. The canals were beautiful and Paap kept us engaged throughout with great information. Highly recommended!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you, Mark! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed the tour with skipper Paap. Thanks a lot for your recommendation, we hope to see you on board again! Best regards,

Enjoyed our canal tour with Lucas!

Alice_T, Jul 2025

Lucas was very friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot and had a great time! Highly recommend- it’s a great way to see a special part of Amsterdam.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you for this wonderful review! We'll let Lucas know that you had a great tour with him :)

Must Do in Amsterdam!

Thomas_B, Jul 2025

Wonderful experience and a must-do in Amsterdam. Great way to see the whole city! Driver was extremely knowledgeable about the area, pointing out many important buildings and attractions. He also let our kids drive the boat!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you for the wonderful review! Hope to see you and your little skippers on the canals again soon with us :)

Lucas was the best! He...

Amy_C, Jun 2025

Lucas was the best! He was very friendly and made the tour so interesting. Such a beautiful and relaxing way to see Amsterdam!!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you for this wonderful review! We'll let Lucas know that you had a great tour with him :)

Highly Recommend Stress-Free Family Experience/Great Way To See The Sites

Kelly_S, Jun 2025

We highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to have a gentle but informative cruise through the canals of Amsterdam. Our driver Alex was very knowledgeable, friendly, and engaged in giving us a thoroughly enjoyable tour, and we got to see a lot of the various sights of Amsterdam without the added stress of navigating crowds and streets that all looked too familiar. Once again, we highly recommend this tour and are very grateful to have been able to participate.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you for this wonderful review! We'll let Alex know that you had a great tour with him :)

Lovely experience! We saw...

Mary_H, Jun 2025

Lovely experience! We saw so many sights and enjoyed an insider’s view of Amsterdam! 10/10 would recommend!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you for the lovely review Mary! It was a pleasure having you on the canals with us.

The Best

MarySue_W, Jun 2025

Our private tour with Skipper Paap was incredible. He went above and beyond our requests! We loved every minute of our 1.5 hours. He was a wealth of information, and introduced us to the Bimhuis jazz venue where he had seen many great musicians. We went to a performance ourlastnight, and it was the best we’ve ever seen! Thank you Skipper Paap!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

We're happy to hear you had a fun and musical tour with Skipper Paap. Lovely to hear you had a chance to go to see a Jazz concert at the Bimhuis. We hope to welcome you back in the future!

We had so much fun! Paap...

Sheila_K, May 2025

We had so much fun! Paap was great! Picked us up right on time and he had blankets and seat warmers since it was a chilly night. Also, beer, wine, Prosecco and chocolate! He gave us so much info on the area and answered all our questions! Highly recommend!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for the lovely review Sheila! The seat warmers are a must on chilly nights ;)

Fun and Engaging Experience

Matthew_T, May 2025

Alex was our tour guide and he exceeded our expectations. He was very knowledgeable of the sites and cityscapes and made the entire experience relaxed and fun. Highly recommend!!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for the kind review and for cruising the canals with us! See you next time.

Best way to cruise the...

Mark_T, May 2025

Best way to cruise the canals. Plenty of space in the boat to stretch out and enjoy, while sipping a sparkling wine or beer.

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for the wonderful review Mark! Glad you enjoyed the weather and the canals. See you next time.

Relaxing Cruise

Robert_H, Apr 2025

We enjoyed spending time with Alex. He is a very cheerful young man who provided good information and good company for this relaxing tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you Robert for the review, much appreciated! Hope to see you soon on the canals again.

Boat tour

Phillip_P, Apr 2025

The most vital part of a trip to amsterdam is a boat tour, definitely dont skip the camal tour! ask for Paap!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Agreed - Thank you Phillip! Paap is in the highest demand, everyone loves him.

Love the Canal. Needed more Drink

David_A, Nov 2024

Darn it! An average tour for the first of over 50+ that wifey and I have done with Viator. It’s not the place but really, a good guide could make a boring place exciting. The canals were awesome, the sights great. Nice that the boat had blankets because it was cold. What made it average was our guide has lived in Amsterdam three years. Knew nothing of the history of the city, shared no insights, only knew Wikipedia. Had no stories or city legends to share. As for the drinks, I had confirmed with the office what they had to offer beforehand. Once on board we were informed it was near the end of the day and almost all his drinks were gone. No food is offered so we brought snacks and easily could have brought wine and Coke lights. But come on, your on vacation, on the canals in Amsterdam, cuddling with the misses, with your in-laws. 😊 so how can you not have a great time!!!❤️. I guess the Red Light District Tour with the guide with a Masters Degree in History spoiled us.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Hi David, I apologise that your tour was not great. It's totally on us to provide top-class service on all fronts. If you're still in town, I'd like to offer you another tour with our most experienced skipper and plenty of drinks. This offer still stands if you plan to visit our city in the future. Best regards.

Awesome time

Sarah_A, Oct 2024

Mark was an awesome tour guide. Right from the beginning he was welcoming and kind. The ride itself was beautiful and magical. I’d do it again next time for sure.