floating amsterdam boat tour

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5 of Amsterdam’s best canal cruises to float the day away

All aboard ⚓️

A canal cruise in Amsterdam is an ideal way to see the city from a new perspective — and these five cruises really make it worth it.

Feeling light and breezy as you drift past actual traffic from your cosy canal view of beautiful Amsterdam is pretty much Dutchness defined.

Ready to hop aboard? Your Amsterdam canal cruise is waiting for you. 👩‍✈️

Is an Amsterdam canal cruise worth it?

Is it worth taking a traditional boat ride on the canals of beautiful Amsterdam? One thing we can say for sure: the city looks different from the water.

While you might dismiss these boats as a tourist activity — well, that’s technically true but it’s for a great reason.

Amsterdam is famous for its canals, and while you can view them from ashore, a gentle boat ride is an ideal way to scope out the majestic canal houses, iconic locals riding bikes, and beautiful urban nature lining the streets.

5 best Amsterdam canal cruises

Of course, there are plenty of options to choose from. If you want to choose the best canal cruise Amsterdam , consider the following five cruises.

1. Pancake Cruise Amsterdam

A pancake canal cruise in Amsterdam is a real treat for families and those who love sweet and savoury delights.

This family-friendly cruise combines the joy of sightseeing with the indulgence of freshly made Dutch pancakes. These fluffy pancakes are a beloved local delicacy you can enjoy as you glide through Amsterdam’s waterways.

The cruise route offers panoramic city views, including charming bridges and historic buildings.

Perfect for breakfast or lunch, this cruise ensures a fun-filled and delicious experience that will leave both adults and children with delightful memories of Amsterdam’s canals and their mouthwatering pancakes.

2. Wine & Cheese Cruise in Amsterdam

For those with a penchant for fine wines and gourmet cheeses, a wine and cheese cruise in Amsterdam offers an unforgettable evening of indulgence.

This cruise delights guests with a carefully curated selection of premium wines paired with an assortment of delectable cheeses.

As the boat glides along the water, guests can unwind and relish the tranquil ambience while enjoying the city’s illuminated beauty during the evening.

The knowledgeable staff onboard provide insights into the wine and cheese pairings, adding an educational element to the journey.

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or simply wish to enjoy a refined experience, this cruise promises an elegant and delightful time on Amsterdam’s canals.

3. Evening Canal Cruise

For the more nocturnal among us, an evening canal cruise allows everyone to have a night on the town, but in a family-friendly tour on the water.

“The Venice of the North” is no stranger to bustling nighttime activities, and this cruise lets you witness the city in all of its nighttime glory but from the comfort of a cushioned boat.

Not only do you not have to wake up early, but you can seize the plentiful photo opportunities provided by “golden hour” lighting at sunset, before sitting back and relaxing Amsterdam’s sparkling lights after dark.

4. New York Pizza by LOVERS Cruise in Amsterdam

The New York Pizza by LOVERS Cruise in Amsterdam promises a delectable and unique dining experience on the iconic Amsterdam canals.

This cruise combines the best of two worlds, allowing passengers to savour delicious, freshly baked New York-style pizza while drifting along the picturesque waterways.

A pizza cruise not only treats visitors to breathtaking views of Amsterdam’s landmarks but also ensures a mouthwatering culinary journey.

With a relaxed and cosy atmosphere onboard, this cruise is an excellent choice for pizza lovers and anyone seeking a memorable dining experience on Amsterdam’s scenic canals.

5. Amsterdam Dinner Cruise

Want to dazzle a love interest or significant other with some fine wining and dining? Treat them to a romantic dinner cruise on the water in Amsterdam, which offers delicious, professionally prepared cuisine complete with classy drinks.

Whether you opt for a meat, fish, or vegetarian menu, your palate will not be disappointed.

Plus, there’s nothing like a bit of a Titanic movie atmosphere to charm the person sitting in front of you — especially while romantic music underscores your journey through Amsterdam’s popular sites and the evening sunset illuminates your loved-up faces.

Where do Amsterdam canal cruises depart?

Taking a boat trip around Amsterdam is easy. Many Amsterdam companies offer them, but some of the most famous are Stromma, Lovers Canal Cruises, Blue Boat Company, and International Holland Cruises.

Generally, the boats dock in front of Central Station, and you can choose the prettiest one from them.

But if you want to cruise Amsterdam’s canals from elsewhere in the city, that won’t be a problem either. You can bump into them at all the famous tourist spots — for example, in front of the Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank House Museum.

What to expect on an Amsterdam canal cruise

Amsterdam canal cruises come in all shapes, sizes, durations, and more.

To start with, the boats come in different forms:

• The most common are long, narrow boats with panoramic windows that offer a view on the sides and top. They are similar to buses from the inside, except that the seats are arranged in groups of four: two facing forward, two facing backwards, and a small table in between.
• There are smaller boats, including open boats. They are the best way to see the sights along the canal banks but are best kept for a sunny day.
• The best choice is a boat with a folding roof that can be adjusted to suit the weather.

The duration of excursions along the canals of Amsterdam is usually an hour and a half. Their itineraries do not vary too much and typically include the canals of Grachtengordel with sights that can be seen on their sides.

These tours usually focus on the Netherlands’ maritime past, its colonial policies, the East India Company, and the 17th century, a time of commercial prosperity and rapid expansion for Amsterdam.

If a regular boat trip is not enough for you, you can book a personalised guided tour or a combo tour, where a canal cruise will be combined with a museum visit or a walking tour.

Ready to jump aboard?

Exploring Amsterdam’s canals is an essential and unique experience that offers a fascinating glimpse into the city’s history and architectural beauty.

Once vital for the city’s development, these waterways now serve as its main roads, providing an enchanting view of Amsterdam’s picturesque landscapes and captivating buildings.

What’s your favourite Amsterdam canal cruise? Tell us in the comments below!

Liked it? Try these on for size:

How to see the red light district in amsterdam [2024 guide], 9 classy amsterdam coffeeshops (that even your mum will love), the 18 most magnificent lakes in the netherlands (near amsterdam and beyond), what do you think.

My Dutch cousin treated me to a canal boat ride only to have a bunch of hooligans spoil it for us all by hooting howling and yelling the entire cruise. It was an ordeal for me and embarrassed my cousin terribly. I hope some provision is made to discourage such ugly behavior. Being on a boat one can not get off to escape the boors which makes it especially abusive. The tour operators are in control and need to take responsibility for giving a pleasurable ride. .Many years ago and still painful to think of it.

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Floating Amsterdam

Location & Hours

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Oudezijds Voorburgwal 30a

1012 GD Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Centrum, De Wallen

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• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
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Overall rating

I was so excited for my tour of the Amsterdam Lights but was sadly disappointed. The boat itself was nice and the tour was smooth and beautiful but there were a few issues. First, as someone with back issues, I was very uncomfortable with how we were made to get into the boats. It seemed risky to me. In addition, the person who was serving the drinks was put in charge of giving the tour and she was so distracted and talking to the drunk influencers on the tour that she often forgot to give descriptions of each piece until too late and didn't bother speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. These specific guests were also being very loud which was distracting and I could not hear the descriptions of each art piece or fully enjoy the serene setting. I'd definitely recommend that everyone go on a tour of these beautiful art pieces, but maybe consider doing it with another company that prioritizes taking everyone's enjoyment into account over socializing with certain guests.

In 2107 floating amsterdam was established. I booked online on the website a regular. We were picked up at rijksmuseum, by a boat seating 30. What i liked: - the regular price is very competitive to a canalboat ticket, for a 60-75 min tour. - the captain chooses the route, so you may see some less frequented canals. - on board drinks and snacks - wifi on board So, definitely nice for tourist but also locals.

See all photos from Johanna S. for Floating Amsterdam

Overall this boat tour had a lot of really great features. I gave it only three stars because we specifically wanted an open boat, their website claimed the boat is an open boat that could be "covered in case of rain," there was zero chance of rain, and the boat was COVERED! I spoke with the owner before the boat tour and he first claimed it was because of possible rain. When I reminded him there was no chance of rain, he said it was because of wind. (It was a calm night.) Having toured the Amsterdam Light Festival twice before, I have to say that the experience of an open boat for the light festival is about 5 times as nice as being in a covered boat. I took an international guest along who only had one chance to see the light festival, and he specifically wanted an open boat. So overall, this tour was excellent. But three stars is the most I can give for false advertising and the disappointment of not being able to see most things very well, if at all.

Wonderful experience!! Absolutely loved it!!! We were a group of 5 and rented this boat near Amsterdam Central. The boat was nice It has its own bar, nice cushioned seats around the boat and the bow has been nicely accommodated to allow you to sit & also for great photo ops. There were two ppl from the company there with us, a gentleman who steered & a lady who was the tour guide/bar tender. They asked us if we wanted a detailed tour or if we wanted music playing & for them to just point out the important stuff. We opted to have music playing and the lady kept the drinks coming & let us know when something major came around. The staff was friendly and the view was very picturesque. We had a really great time & enjoyed the ride. I highly recommend this company.

See all photos from Cindy P. for Floating Amsterdam

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Book your private boat tour through the canals of Amsterdam directly!

Book your canal cruise in Amsterdam now

There is so much to see and do in Amsterdam, and Booot is happy to take you on a canal cruise for a unique experience on the water.

• The friendliest skipper and host
• Sightseeing from the water
• A refreshing cold drink in your hand

Do you prefer a luxury canal cruise, or would you like to experience the canals at night with illuminated bridges and streets?

Cancellations are free

Changed your plans? No problem! Cancel up to 24 hours before your cruise starts and you will get your money back.

Personal cruise

Enjoy a personal canal cruise through Amsterdam with an enthusiastic, genuine local skipper.

Service oriented

We are available 24/7 to answer any questions that you may have. Contact us via phone, e-mail and/or WhatsApp.

Our public canal cruises

Choose your cruise through the canals

Step aboard the #1 best day cruise in the world and get ready to cruise through Amsterdam's canals on our unique electric sloops and salon boats.

Public tour Amsterdam Luxury Canal Cruise

Departure from Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum or Central Station

• Duration: 1 hour
• Legendary cruise
• Unique 100% electric boat

Public tour Luxury Classic River Boat Cruise

Departure from Anne Frank House or Central Station

• Duration: 60 minutes
• Cruise past monuments and highlights
• Learn about history and secrets of Amsterdam
• Enjoy the unlimited drinks and cheese

Public tour Amsterdam Evening Cruise

• Discover romantic Amsterdam
• Enjoy illuminated streets and bridges
• Small group with personal guide

Booot saloon boats

Riverboat small

• 30 passengers
• 100% electric
• Captain included
• Luxurious stylish interior

Riverboat luxurious (medium plus)

• Toilet available

Riverboat large

• 88 passengers

• 22 passengers

• 60 passengers

Riverboat medium

• 36 passengers

Flagship Titanic

• 109 passengers

Calculate the price for your private cruise

Fill in the options that you desire and request a quote for your private boat right away

With how many people will you be boating?

What type of boat would you like to cruise on.

Up to 35 people , including skipper, 100% electric

Up to 20 people , including skipper, 100% electric

Up to 30 people , including skipper, 100% electric

Up to 75 people , including skipper and hostess

How long do you want to cruise?

Where do you want to board, inside city centre.

Boats departing at Oosterdokskade 8

Outside city centre

Additional fees may apply

Would you like a drink on board?

Soft drinks package.

Soft drinks, water, ice

Basic package

Heineken beer, white and red wine, rosé, soft drinks, Spa water, ice

Medium package

Basic package + Prosecco

Luxury package

Basic package + Prosecco, spirits (Vodka, Rum, Whiskey and Gin)

Would you like to eat something on board? * Multiple options possible

Platter with appetizers.

For 10 people , includes cheese, sausage, nuts, olives, tapenades

Cold appetizers

8 pieces per serving , includes aged and young cheese, dry sausage

Warm appetizers

8 pieces per serving , mix of meat and veg, incl. sauces

Choice of different pizzas, meat and veg

Homemade burger with lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle and onion

Luxury sandwiches

Assorted sandwiches, 2 per person

Barbecue with chef

Extensive meat selection, including salads and sauces, baguettes and herb butter

How many of those people are vegetarian?

* All prices quoted are excluding VAT ** The prices mentioned are indicative. Actual prices may vary depending on the situation

Would you like to request a quote?

Does this price indication appeal to you? Fill in the information below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Price estimate

Booot open boat.

• 37 passengers

Lucky Strike

• 57 passengers

Green Marine

• 44 passengers

The Dutchman

• 35 passengers

• 52 passengers

Booot video

Booot Canal Cruise Boat Tours

Watch this short intro and get an all-around impression of our canal cruises. Curious to know what to expect from this experience? You will soak up the sun and relax on a beautiful open or classic saloon boat, with a drink in your hand (Yes, our boats are equipped with a bar with beer, spirits, soda, and cocktails)! Learn more about the rich trading history, culture, and famous landmarks of the Amsterdam canals while you are on one of our boats.

Book your private boat in a blink of an eye with shipping company Booot!

Complete your Canal Cruise with

one of our boat packages:

Private boat Drinks & Snacks Boat

• Private boat with skipper
• Unique experience with friends and family
• Platter with various snacks
• Unlimited beer, wine and soda (ice cold!)

Private boat Burger & Drinks Boat

• Cruise with burgers and drinks
• Unlimited wine, beer and soda (ice cold!)

Private boat Pizza & Drinks Boat

• Cruise with pizza

Private boat Prosecco Boat

• Relaxing on the Canals of Amsterdam
• Incl. one bottle of prosecco per person
• Perfect getaway with friends

Private boat Booze Cruise

Private boat Barbecue Boat

• Fully arranged barbecue
• Unlimited beer, wine and soda

Rent a private boat?

View our fleet up here and choose the boat you prefer to sail away through the Amsterdam canals!

Usually receive a same day response to your request!

From where does the tour start?

Departure location Booot

© Copyright 2024 Booot · All rights reserved

Private dinner cruise Amsterdam

Luxury 4-course private dinner cruise amsterdam​.

Private dinner cruise Amsterdam  with a 2, 3 or 4-course dinner on a historic saloon boat. Step onboard on our  luxury classic canal boat from 1920s  and enjoy a unique romantic candlelight dinner cruise while floating through the Amsterdam canals! Book  here  your dinner table on the water by choosing a tour package with at least 120 minutes. A dropdown field will then appear below where you can choose for a restaurant option. You can check the details (menu and pricing) of the restaurants  here . For a  3 or 4-course luxury dinner cruise  we recommend a 180 min tour. Please get in touch with us if you would like to enjoy more than 2 dishes during your Amsterdam private luxury dinner cruise.

Once you have stepped on board of our boat, a complimentary welcome drink is waiting for you. You can choose between  organic wines (red & white wine), beer or soft drinks . If you have a special moment to celebrate we also offer  Champagne  for an extra charge of 72,50 EUR per bottle.

What to expect from a private dinner cruise in Amsterdam?

The private dinner cruise is suitable  for up to 5 people . Once you are seated on our floating dinner table, we will hand you out the menus from the restaurants of your choice. Those restaurants are all located on the Amsterdam canals, so they can easily serve the food into our boat. From one restaurant you can choose the starter and from the other one you can choose the main course. If you decided to go for a 3 or 4-course private dining experience, there will be more than 2 restaurant choices possible.

During the tour you will pass by the  most scenic architectural buildings  of Amsterdam. But also Amsterdam’s points of interest, like the point of seven bridges, the Anne Frank Museum and also the Red Light District will not be missed. The 2-hours private dinner cruise is an unforgettable experience to  celebrate a special evening  with your friends, family or to surprise your partner with this private romantic luxury dinner cruise. A floating candlelight dinner experience on the Amsterdam canals!

What is the price for a private dinner cruise Amsterdam?

The price for a 2-hours private dining experience in Amsterdam is  starting from 430 EUR incl. tax + the food you order from the restaurants and the drinks you choose  next to your welcome drink. On average, a 2-course dinner with our cooperating restaurants can range between 35-50 EUR per person, depending on your choice of dishes. You can order from our minibar a selection of organic white and red wines (per bottle) as well as Heineken and Hertog Jan Beer. The wines we serve are organic wines from  Chateau Amsterdam  and we have either  Heineken  beer or local beers from a microbrewery. Do you have a favourite drink you can not miss during a perfect dinner? Let us know and we try to arrange it for you!

In addition to that, we are also able to provide a  3-course or 4-course private dinner cruise . The recommended cruise time is 180 minutes. Please get in touch with us for scheduling an extended private dining experience with serveral courses.

We do not add any surcharges on the restaurant prices! The prices of the dishes can be checked on the restaurant’s website  here .

Which canal restaurants can you choose from?

You can choose from the following combinations of canal restaurants your starter & main course. When making a booking, you can choose one of the below mentioned restaurant combinations in the dropdown menu when choosing a tour with at leat 120 minutes. The food from Black & Red as well as the Vegan Sushi Bar can be  ordered a la carte on the boat ! The food from restaurant Van de Kaart needs to be pre-ordered at least 1 day prior to departure day.

Combination 1:  Black  &  RED

Combination 2:  Van de Kaart  

Combination 3:  Vegan Sushi Bar

Amsterdam Electric Boat Tours & Private Cruises

Find your perfect tour.

• Ticket Private
• Hour Glass 1.5 - 2 hours

Burger Cruise

Are you organizing a cool activity to do with your friends? Look no further! Enjoy the best views in Amsterdam, made even better with a cold drink and tasty burger in hand.

Pizza Cruise

Tour the canals of Amsterdam while indulging in delicious pizza and unlimited drinks. See the city from a unique perspective with friends and family in a private setting.

• Hour Glass 1.5 hours

Snack Cruise

Ditch the busy café and bring your group of friends, family, or colleagues on a private Amsterdam boat tour with snacks such as breadsticks, hummus, cheese, nuts, and more.

WHY SHARE THE BOAT WHEN YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL TO YOURSELF?

Why not rent your own boat in Amsterdam and explore the city at your own pace? With complete freedom to choose where to go and what to do, you’ll be able to create unforgettable memories and capture epic photos that you’ll cherish for years to come. Remember, it’s the things you don’t do that you’ll regret, so why not seize the oppurtunity and make the most of your time in this beautiful city?

JOIN US IF YOU:

✅ Agree that what happens on the boat, stays on the boat. ✅ Prefer to hear yourself think, thanks to our noise-free 100% electric boat. ✅ Like to wave to less fortunate tourists from our luxurious lounge deck.

DO NOT JOIN US IF YOU:

❌ Like a robot guided tour in 19 languages. ❌ Like to be treated as a number. ❌ Like grumpy captains. ❌ Would like to hop on a big tourist bus boat (with sad faces in it). ❌ Love tourist traps.

SEE WHY PEOPLE LOVE US!

Our skipper and hostess, Marion, were incredible and very knowledgeable. Great to get insider knowledge of Amsterdam and great to see the light festival by boat. Would highly recommend.

Lovely tour for the late afternoon, guide was funny & very informative. Boat ride was smooth & took us throughout lots of canals. Having an open-air boat made the views perfect. Such a nice experience for the price!

Had a great tour with friends through Amsterdam this summer. Beautiful and quiet boat and very friendly captain! I can really recommend it.

Exceptional tour. Captain Duke was a very knowledgeable captain and his boat was extremely comfortable. Would recommend to anyone wanting to see Amsterdam from a local perspective.

It has been a great pleasure to be on board with these guys! We learned a lot enjoyed the sun and had a lot of fun. Would highly recommend this instead of the typical canal tours!

Great tour and a great captain! I had a layover in Amsterdam and stumbled upon this tour. It was a great way to see the city, gain some new insight, and enjoy a nice drink.

The Catboat

De Poezenboot celebrates its 50th anniversary

Want to visit us make your reservation here, welcome at the catboat.

The Catboat is the one and only animal sanctuary that literally floats. A refuge for stray and abandoned cats which, thanks to its unique location on a houseboat in Amsterdam's picturesque canal belt, has also become a place where people want to go. 

Water and cats...

Most cats hate water. But ours learn to love living on it. After all, we have been keeping their feet dry since 1968.

Since that time the Catboat has developed into a modern and professional sanctuary providing tender loving care to countless cats.

On this site you can find out how we came to be here and the rest of our history. You will also meet some of our cats. And, as well as this virtual introduction, you can find details of where and when you can visit us for real!

Entrance is free, but with a donation you make the cats and us very happy. We do not receive any subsidy. it sounds cliché, but it's true: without your donation and support we wouldn't stay afloat! Nowadays, you have to book a day and time online on our website. We hope to see you soon.

The Grand Amsterdam & canal cruise

The Grand Amsterdam is a leading luxurious 5-star hotel, which has transformed its courtyard into The Grand Beach, including a sandy beach. Until September 13 you can have dinner here in combination with a relaxed cruise through Amsterdam with AIX rosé.

Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam

Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam is a unique, historic hotel with excellent food. Do you want to enjoy the summer in luxury? Book a package that consists of good food on the beach of The Grand Beach and an hour-long Amsterdam canal cruise while you enjoy AIX rosé.

The Grand Amsterdam hotel canal cruise

The Grand Amsterdam hotel has a unique collaboration with Floating Amsterdam and AIX. Enjoy lunch or dinner and float through the canals of Amsterdam in a luxurious open sloop. All this including the highly appreciated, fresh tasting AIX rosé.

The Grand Beach

The Grand Beach is in fact the courtyard of hotel The Grand Amsterdam. Until September 13th, 2020 it has been transformed in a real sandy beach with lounge chairs and palm trees. The ultimate holiday feeling from the South of France right in the middle of Amsterdam. You can order your food and drinks with your smartphone, after which your order will be brought to your table.

Canal Cruise Amsterdam

The best canal cruise in Amsterdam is of course experienced in a silent open boat. Our electric boats are equipped with lounge cushions and a nice bar in the middle. The crew ensures that you have everything you need, so that you can enjoy your cruise to the fullest. Before or after your dinner at The Grand Beach of The Grand Amsterdam you can experience the summer atmosphere in luxury.

Route of the Amsterdam canal cruise

The Amsterdam canal cruise route takes you along all the highlights of the capital. For example, you can see the dancing houses, the Skinny Bridge, NEMO and the seven bridges. There is actually too much to mention. Better just experience it with a glass of AIX rosé in hand. You start the Amsterdam canal cruise at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 30a. That is also where the tour ends, but as with everything in life, it is not about the destination, it’s about the journey!

Personal approach

We like a personal approach. You are our guest and we will treat you that way. The captain tells you live about everything you see along the way and he will have a nice chat with you. Feel free to ask him what you want to know about Amsterdam, because he likes to tell you about it. Isn’t that much more fun than a recorded audio tape?

More about the Amsterdam canal cruise

You float in an open boat, but of course it’s still Holland so it might rain every now and then. Don’t worry, our boats have a convertible top that can be set up in minutes. This way you can also enjoy a luxurious cruise through Amsterdam in bad weather.

• Luxury Private Boat Tour
• Max 25 people per sloop
• Convertible top in bad weather

History Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam

Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam is not just any hotel. The Grand Amsterdam is 1 of the 5 Sofitel Legend hotels spread around the world. A rich, centuries-old history makes this hotel very special.

From monastery to hotel

The Grand Amsterdam was built in 1411. At that time two monasteries were established: the St. Catherine’s Monastery and the Ceciliën Monastery. In 1578 monasteries were taken as city property and the Ceciliën Monastery became a guest house for high-ranking guests, named Princen en Groote Heeren, which later became Princenhof. In 1674, the guest house was no longer necessary, because Amsterdam had built a new guesthouse, called Oudezijds Herenlogement. From that moment on, the building was used as a town hall.

Entrance The Grand Amsterdam

In 1655 the Admiralty took over the entire building and built a connection between St. Catherine ‘s Monastery and the Ceciliën Monastery. The façade of this impressive main building is now the entrance to Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam.

Emperor Napoleon & King of Holland Louis

The Netherlands was occupied by the French in 1806. Emperor Napoleon appointed his brother Louis King of Holland. In 1808, Louis claimed the new town hall on Dam Square, to be used as a Royal Palace, which forced the town hall to be moved back to the Princenhof. After this, this location remained the town hall for another 180 years.

The Grand Amsterdam and the evolution of art

The Grand Amsterdam has also played a role in the evolution of art in Amsterdam. In 1949 Karel Appel was commissioned to make a mural in the town hall. His art was a completely different style from that of Chris Lebeau, who made the mural in the Wedding Room. The murals of both artists are considered priceless art treasures of Amsterdam. When a new town hall was inaugurated in 1987, the city council passed a resolution declaring the priceless cultural treasures inviolable.

Contemporary Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam

Ultimately, the historic building was converted into hotel Sofitel The Grand Amsterdam. The building has been extensively renovated and restored. The atmosphere of the historic Princenhof was preserved. The walls are decorated with portraits of the Dutch nobility and reproductions of Dutch and French coats of arms.

Costs package deal

Lunch & canal cruise amsterdam for two including:.

Three course lunch on The Grand Beach + 1 hour canal cruise, including AIX rosé Costs Monday – Friday: € 250,00 Costs Saturday & Sunday: € 350,00 Additional costs per extra person: € 75,00

Dinner & canal cruise Amsterdam for two including:

Three course dinner at The Grand Beach + 1 hour canal cruise, including AIX rosé Costs Monday – Friday: € 350,00 Costs Saturday & Sunday: € 425,00 Additional cost per extra person: € 125,00

Do you have any questions about this very luxurious, summery package of a canal cruise in Amsterdam and having dinner or lunch at The Grand Beach with AIX rosé? Then please contact us . We will be happy to answer them!

Eric and Yari were fabulous hosts and were both informative and very funny. Loved it. The hour flew by! Worth every penny for a more personable fun experience! More reviews »

louise w April 2019

Just Perfect

What a beautiful trip around the canals of Amsterdam drinking a nice bottle of Rose. Chanise and the pilot (sorry I didn’t ask you’re name) were very informative and I have a few restaurants and bars to visit… Read more »

Kellinu Februari 2019

Finalist: UK Blog Awards/Blogger of the Year Travel Media Awards/Post Office Blogger of the Year Awards. "Spotted By Locals" – Best Amsterdam Blogs. Official Family Blogger for the City of Amsterdam website

Best canal boat tours (and self hires) in Amsterdam – for little kids and big kids alike

There are no shortage of canal boat tours in Amsterdam and in truth, most of them offer a perfectly good experience but there are some that stand out for different reasons.

Best by a mile for a boutique experience is the unbelievably lovely Pure Boats Amsterdam who will take you on a private canal cruise.  This is laid-back luxury at its finest.  Book a seat or book out the small boat in its entirety.  Its perfect for a romantic cruise, a super family-friendly outing or a bespoke tour of hidden hotspots.  Read our review of this Amsterdam must-do here .

Want to combine food and views?   Miss G’s brunch boat is the one you’re looking for – offering Eggs Benny, Bloody Marys and more.  We even got them to cater Marc’s 40th for a floating party which ticked all the boxes.  They claim to be the only brunch boat in the world and it doesn’t disappoint.

Want to take on a more active role?  Well why not take the helm with Boats4rent or Boaty who rent out small self-drive boats including some with a solar panel roof for a bit of protection.

Better still are Eco Boats Amsterdam who as the name suggests offer an environmentally friendly electric self-drive option.  After a short briefing, you take the wheel and steer the wonderful 8 or 12 seaters through the canals.  With high sides and a steering wheel this is a super easy, relaxing and surprisingly affordable experience and one we hugely recommend – read our review for the low down here .

We’re itching for our boys to be old enough to sit in an open sloop for the day, allowing us explore the smaller canals and the Amstel river out by Ouderkerk armed with a picnic.

The other advantage of a private or all-day hire is that you can also dock at Amsterdam’s greatest canal or river-side terraces for lunch or drinks.  Places like Loetje aan ‘t IJ ,  The Ij-Kantine , Hanneke’s Boom, Hotel de Goudfazant , the Amstel Hotel and The Harbour Club  all have private jetties.

Feeling peckish?  Then Eating Amsterdam food tours might be up your street (or canal).  Combine a guided walk (and eat) through the Jordaan followed by an hour sailing and eating on board.

Looking for a wilder experience?  Perhaps you should check out  Those Dam Boat Guys – a couple of Americans whose public tours are better suited to those up for a ‘no holds barred’ view of the city.  In their words:

Amsterdam is a place where sex and drugs aren’t taboo and so they will be addressed openly and honestly on the boat; and as is the case when you have a bunch of giggling man-babies in charge, the tours can get a wee bit crass on occasion.   You are also welcome smoke on board, just don’t be a dick about it.

If you’re a larger group, or have something to celebrate, why not consider a more spacious and luxurious private hire available with a bar and/or catering.  We were lucky enough to celebrate our engagement with family and friends aboard a classic Salonboat – a once in a lifetime experience.

For a stag or hen do or just a good old friends and fam celebration, check out the party boats at Starboard Boats – they offer unlimited beer and wine on their party cruise and when the weather is fine, the roof comes off for an unforgettable sunshine booze cruise like no other.

Other alternatives for closed and open boats (or those like Starboard with a retractable roof) take a look at Amsterdam boats , Salonboat Hilda  or  ‘t Smidtje Riderij .  Or for something extremely special (daily public sailing or private hire) check out the Pulitzer Hotel boat   – a classic wooden Salonboat beauty, in which Winston Churchill toured the city in 1946.  Best news of all   Pure Boats have launched a stunning 36 seater with sunbeds and toilet onboard, perfect for cocktail parties and events.

When it comes to “The Bucket List” the Winter Light Festival by boat (especially a private one) would rank highly, but best of all would be the possibility of being on water for either King’s Day, the Grachtenfestival or Gay Pride all the companies mentioned offer special bookings for these premium events.

Classic tourist Rondvaartboot – Blue Boat Tour

That said, if you have kids and want to do a regular canal cruise we can highly recommend the Blue Boat Tour .

Tours depart opposite Hard Rock near the Rijksmuseum which is a nicer starting point than the rather more hectic Rondvaartboot cluster that set off near Central Station.

Trips last about 75 minutes and leave every hour in Winter and every half-hour during the Summer Season and are great value at €16 for adults and €8.50 for kids (under 5’s go free). The tour takes visitors through the three main canal-ring beauties (Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht and Herengracht) as well as into the River Ij to see Nemo and down into the top of the Amstel before heading back.

All tours offer the kids’ Freshwater Pirate cruise.  Children (ages 5-12) are given a log book before boarding, a pair of cardboard binoculars and a set of colouring pencils.  On board they can plug into a special kids’ commentary (available in both Dutch and English) which will talk them through the adventures of Johnny the Mouse.

Our kids were absolutely captivated throughout.  Spotting carved animals with their binoculars, listening to funny stories and drawing some of the things they saw.  I was listening to the adult commentary (which is probably the weakest point – a fairly toe-curling narration by an American lady with very bad Dutch pronunciation) but it was far more fun watching the kids who kept roaring with laughter – their channel was playing interesting sounds of the city including (as far as I can tell) toilets flushing!

At the end they became “Certified Freshwater Pirates” which was the icing on the cake.

The boat is spacious and offers tables with maps.  On our February half term visit it was blissfully quiet although I’d expect that to be rather different in Summer.

There’s a toilet on board, and an open air section at the back for fresh air.  Bring your own food and drinks, and if you’re doing the kids’ cruise I’d strongly recommend you bring your kids’ own small headphones which worked brilliantly for our two.

Big thumbs up from the mini-Dutchies on this one, who declared it (amidst some pretty stiff competition) one of the best things they did on a recent trip.

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One Comment

I think boat tours are a great way of orientating in Amsterdam and like that you provide so much useful information in this post.

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• Environment
• Nation & World

In Amsterdam, a community of floating homes shows the world how to live alongside nature

SCHOONSCHIP, Amsterdam — Marjan de Blok readjusts her body weight as she treads across the jetties linking a floating community on the River IJ. Her cheeks and nose are elfin red from the whipping winds. She shouts greetings to many of her neighbors, her voice carried by the water all around.

In October, heavy rains, hail and 50 mile-an-hour winds put Amsterdam on alert, just a short ferry ride away. But in the northern neighborhood of Schoonschip, life carried on mostly as usual. De Blok visited with neighbors to gossip and get updates on the local smart grid — which enables residents to generate and share energy with each other and the country — all while overhead lamps swayed and the homes glided up and down their steel foundational poles with the movement of the waters below.

“It feels like living at the beach, with the water, the saltiness of the air and the seagulls,” she says. “But it also feels special because, initially, we were told that building your own neighborhood, it’s just impossible.”

De Blok, 43, is a Dutch reality TV director by day and guerrilla sustainable commune organizer by night. She and her neighbors quickly adapted to life on water — proving, she says, that the technology already exists to make floating urban development a solution for the world’s densely populated waterfront cities that are grappling with rising sea levels and the accelerating impacts of climate change.

She has discussed the future of scaled-up floating communities across the Netherlands and the globe when she hosted Prince Harry, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and a long list of other dignitaries, urban planners, entrepreneurs and citizens who have visited in recent years, curious to see the real-life manifestation of a once sci-fi idea. She also showcased Schoonschip’s patchwork of environmentally-focused social projects: lush floating gardens, tended by the residents and beloved by the water birds; a community center featuring floating architecture diagrams; and a nearby on-land vegetable patch bursting with kale in the winter and zucchini and tomatoes in the summer. But the homes’ industrial-chic design and their immediate proximity to the city, De Blok says, is usually what surprises visitors most.

It’s intentional, she says, as it helps to distinguish the dwellings from the quirky 10,000 converted barges — known as “houseboats” — that crowd the country’s canals. Schoonschip, boasting modern design for modern lifestyles, seeks to serve as a prototype for the more than 600 million people — 10% of the world’s population — who live on or near the water and are already being affected by climate change.

In the waterlogged Netherlands — a country that’s a third below sea level and two-thirds flood-prone — floating homes are the latest in a centuries-long experiment in contending with water. Since the Middle Ages, Dutch farmer collectives have united to drain water to make room for agricultural land. The groups evolved into regional water boards that keep the land dry using a complex system of canals, dikes, dams and sea gates. In 2007, the government unveiled a program called Room for the River, allowing certain locations to strategically flood during periods of heavy rain. Water management is such a normal part of Dutch discourse that many citizens are surprised to be asked about it, assuming it is common in every country. Dutch children as young as 4 are taught to swim with their clothes on, to instill “respect for the water,” says Michiel Snijder, De Blok’s partner, who works as a children’s swimming instructor.

The Dutch have historically lived on water. As early as the 17th century, foreign tradespeople moored their boats to the land to sell their goods. In the 1960s, artists converted boats into homes to make “houseboat” living a culturally subversive way of opting out of civilization on land.

And especially as climate change has warmed the world’s oceans over the past decade, Dutch water management strategists have sought to embrace, rather than resist, the rising sea levels. As part of that shift, floating communities have been emerging across Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. These homes that are converted into boats, rather than the other way around, bill themselves as part of a national, and potentially global, solution for a wetter future.

Schoonschip, home to about 150 residents that includes some 40 kids, is made up of 46 households located on 30 arks. Half are floating semidetached homes, shared by two families. One has three generations of the same family.

They are relatively low-tech, constructed off-site and weighted by basins filled with recycled, water-resistant concrete, then pulled across the water by a tug and moored to the lake bed. Heavy pieces such as pianos are counterweighed with bricks on the opposite side of the house, and interior design is carried out in line with the Dutch principle of gezellig, or “coziness” (think: the Dutch hygge) which incorporates soft lighting, modern fixtures and virtually no stylistic references to maritime life. Many rooms are outfitted with modular furniture that can be easily disassembled or reassembled to make room for life changes such as the birth of children or the separation of couples.

“Floating homes, you can turn them, flip them, take them with you. The flexibility on water in incomparable with the flexibility on land,” says Sascha Glasl, a resident-architect in Schoonschip. His architectural firm, Space & Matter, designed the community’s jetty system and many of its homes. “It’s evident that sea waters will rise, and that many big cities are really close to that water. It’s amazing that not more of this innovation and building on water is being executed.”

De Blok, who has no engineering, architecture or hydrological training, says that she never intended to spearhead a movement in floating urban development.

In 2009, she was exhausted by living in Amsterdam. She was working all the time, buying things she used just once or twice and had very little time to meet with friends. She recycled and bought vintage instead of new, but had the creeping feeling that she was being involuntarily made into a passive consumer.

On assignment on a cold winter day in 2009, she visited a solar-paneled floating event venue called GeWoonboot as part of a series of short documentaries she was shooting on sustainable living. She was stunned by its contemporary feel, its immediacy to the water and the city, and its incorporation of experimental sustainability practices.

“Before I visited that boat, I wasn’t really conscious that I didn’t like the way I was living,” she says.

When she asked friends if they had interest in building a floating community, she was unprepared for the deluge of responses. She cut off the list at 120 people, disappointing dozens.

She scouted waters around the GeWoonboot neighborhood, known as Buiksloterham, a 100 hectare, postindustrial area that had been largely abandoned since manufacturers — including the Shell oil company and the Fokker airplane factory that built parts for KLM airlines — left the city for lower-wage countries in the second part of the 20th century.

“The area was a disaster, really depressing. Just some companies, no streetlights,” De Blok recalls.

But when she got a look at the city’s plans to develop tens of thousands of housing units and cultural centers in the area, she thought, “We could be pioneers here.”

“Schoonschip” means “clean ship,” which when made into a verb, “to do schoonschip,” means “starting over from scratch.” In Buiksloterham, the 22-story Shell tower has been rebranded as the Amsterdam Dance and Music Tower, with dance clubs, a revolving restaurant and an observation deck. The grassy Overhoeks Promenade, which served as a gallows from the 15th to 18th century, hosts the hulking, modernistic Eye Film Museum. The NDSM wharf is peppered with artist collectives, vintage shops and a luxury hotel atop the world’s tallest harbor crane.

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De Blok views water as much in engineering as in social terms, especially as densely populated cities such as Amsterdam undergo rapid gentrification, replacing social housing and middle-class neighborhoods with homes for the ultrarich and Airbnbs for tourists.

Looking to make Schoonschip something different, she had all residents sign a manifesto committing them to constructing, insulating and finishing their homes with eco-friendly materials such as straw, burlap and bamboo. They also informally signed up for eating together, swimming in their “backyards” together and conducting their lives largely in common view of one another, with curtains only rarely drawn. They share bikes, cars and use a vibrant WhatsApp group to request almost any service or borrow virtually any item from neighbors, which they can have delivered to their doorstep usually within a few minutes. Every Tuesday, many of the residents order two-course vegan meals prepared by a resident-chef, which they often share in each others’ homes.

The neighborhood feels like an extended block party mostly because many of the residents are actually de Blok’s friends, or friends of friends, including many colleagues from the TV and entertainment industry. There’s a celebrity talk show host, several heads of content and a podcaster, most of whom joined the project in their 20s and 30s, when they had no kids and ample time to invest in building a community from scratch. Twelve years of bureaucratic struggles later, those young single couples are young families. During the summer months, their children jump out of their bedroom windows directly into the water below. On clear winter nights, the neighborhood gleams with soft lighting and buzzes with the hum of chattering residents, parked out on their top-floor porches where they have a front-row view to the inky water and the starry sky.

“When it’s dark and all the lights in the houses are on, it feels like a set from a film,” De Blok says.

To realize Schoonschip’s sustainability goals, De Blok needed to draw from its most valuable and multipurpose resource: the residents themselves. Siti Boelen, a Dutch television producer, mediated between the Schoonschip representative committee and the local municipality. Glasl, the architect, helped design the five rows of jetties that connect each house to each other and to the land.

Eelke Kingma, a resident and renewable tech expert, received special permission from the experimental sector of a Dutch electricity company to design the neighborhood’s smart grid system. Residents collect energy from 500 solar panels — placed on roughly a third of the community’s roofs — and from 30 efficient heat pumps that draw from the water below. They then store this energy in enormous batteries located beneath their homes and sell any surplus to each other, as well as to the national grid.

Kingma is finishing a new AI-automated program that will use each homes’ smart meters to inform residents when they can earn the most from selling, based on the fluctuations in energy market prices. This would make Schoonschip the first neighborhood in the country to turn a profit from generating energy, Kingma says. It’s made possible by the fact that each home in Schoonschip has five to eight smart meters — most homes in the Netherlands have only one — which constantly track the influx and outflow of the underwater energy storage system.

The program is being monitored in collaboration with 15 European companies, universities and institutions, organized by the European Commission, which supports renewable energy experiments in the hopes of scaling them up across the continent.

Over the past decade, the floating-house movement has been gaining momentum in the Netherlands.

The Dutch government is amending home-owning laws to redefine floating homes as “immovable homes” rather than “boats,” to simplify the process of obtaining permits.

“Building on water is considered a kind of blank canvas: due to the lack of existing infrastructure,” reads a research paper that advocates for the amendment to the law. “We foresee that in the near future building on water and floating living in the Netherlands will no longer be a luxury, but an absolute necessity.”

Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the Dutch delta city located 90% below sea level, are reporting a sharp uptick in requests for permits to build on the water. The trend is coinciding with a national water awareness campaign for an era in which climate change is already a fact of life. The government launched an app called Overstroom Ik?, or Will I flood?, allowing residents to check if their postal code is at risk of flooding, and supported a traveling pop-up art installation called Waterlicht, or Waterlight, that for six years has been projecting blue lights over New York, Dubai and many other of the world’s largest cities to simulate a virtual flood. In Room for the River program areas, low-lying parks and beaches will feature public awareness campaigns during the non-flood season, highlighting water-related problems and potential solutions.

And as they expand, the initiators of Schoonschip and other floating neighborhoods, office buildings and event spaces across the Netherlands are increasingly being consulted for projects across the world.

The potential solution has grown in prominence as sea levels are forecast to rise 3 to 5 feet this century, and storms are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. Last summer, at least 220 people died in Germany and Belgium from a once-in-400-year rain event. In China, nearly 8 inches of rain fell in one hour. New York City recorded its fifth wettest day on record. Rivers submerged parts of Tennessee that were not previously considered floodplains.

By the end of this century, the kind of intense precipitation events that would typically occur two times per century will occur twice as often, and events that would occur once every 200 years would become four times as frequent, according to research published in August by a team of water experts led by hydrologist Manuela Brunner.

Marthijn Pool, the co-founder of Space & Matter, has been among the growing number of Dutch architects exporting their knowledge in floating architecture to the United States. Pool says that land-scarce New York is especially ripe for floating development, and that awareness of the need for innovative solutions has grown in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which inundated New York City with waves as high as 14 feet in 2012. Space & Matter is planning to build a research and development center in an area off Red Hook, with hulls designed to promote kelp oysters underneath. They are also showcasing designs for a second residential project, similar to Schoonschip, in Washington state, which Pool hopes can set an example for stormproofing waterfront communities, as well as create an economic incentive for floating architecture.

“Water is relatively cheap, you don’t need to put sewage in the sidewalks and if you can make your own grid, then you’re able to provide your own infrastructure,” says Pool, adding that the homes can save cities billions of dollars in damages since they can withstand high levels of precipitation, simply moving up when waters rush in and descending to their original position when waters recede. He says that sewage, if connected to an independent sustainable sanitation system like that being developed by Schoonschip, can be separated and used for irrigating plants.

Koen Olthuis, an architect with the floating architectural firm Waterstudio, which designed several of the houses in Schoonschip and in the nearby floating Amsterdam neighborhood of Ijburg, says that an increase in organizations and governments looking to adapt to climate change has introduced floating projects to places that may need it most. In 2013, his firm sent a floating, Internet-connected converted cargo container, called “City App,” to the Korail Bosti slum of Dhaka, Bangladesh, where children used the space during the day to attend remote classes, and adults used it to develop business projects at night. In 2019, the vessel was relocated to a slum near Alexandria, Egypt, where it remains stationed. He says that the project, along with his firm’s luxury floating villas built in countries like the United Arab Emirates, are paving the way to mainstream the concept of floating mobile floating homes, by which homes could unmoor from lakebeds for calmer waters in the case of extreme flooding or even unpleasant weather.

“We want to upgrade cities near the water,” he says. “Now we’re at a tipping point where it’s actually happening. We’re getting requests from all over the world.”

After two decades of planning, his firm will oversee construction on a new 200-hectare lagoon off Male, the capital of the Maldives. The city sits less than three feet above sea level, making it vulnerable to even the slightest rise. The small, simply designed housing complex, priced at around 10-15% more than comparable houses on land, is intended for 20,000 people. It will have water pumps that draw energy from deep-sea water, a water-based city grid and homes with artificial coral-clad hulls to encourage marine life.

“Today, we can see how cities are performing with floods, extreme weather, urbanization,” says Olthuis, adding that the initial Dutch projects and now-international iterations are showing that “we can cope with the challenges of sea level rises.”

In Schoonschip, De Blok says that she hopes everyone will have the opportunity to live on water one day.

“It does something to you, being aware that under your house everything is moving,” she says. “There’s some magic to it.”