7 Best Canal Cruises in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a charming city dotted with bridges filled with bicycles that cross its 165 canals, on which the Dutch capital stands. Exploring them by boat is a must-do experience on your trip.

This 1-hour cruise is one of the simplest and most economical. On your semi-open, solar-powered boat with a maximum capacity of 70 people, you will spend an hour touring Amsterdam's famous canal belt while listening to commentary on its history and up to 14 attractions that you will see from the comfort of your seat, thanks to an audio guide in all languages.

You will see the merchants' houses built during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Golden Bend district and its large stately homes, cross the city's bridges, such as the Magere Brug, and pass by places such as the house-museum where the young Anne Frank lived and hid, the wonderful Van Gogh Museum and the most important art gallery in Amsterdam and the country with an impressive façade: the Rijksmuseum.

Details of interest

• Price: — from 69
• Duration: 1 hour
• Type of boat: semi-open boat with solar power and multilingual audio guide

Enhance your canal tour and embark on a luxury sailing boat with a private skipper. The luxury boat trip through Amsterdam's canals will take you on an hour-long tour of the city's main attractions, such as the Rijksmuseum and the famous Moulin Rouge theatre in the Red Light District, while you sail comfortably under the command of a private skipper who will also act as your guide.

During the cruise, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy a drink on board, as the sailboat has a bar. This is a unique experience that won't break the bank; you can book it for only 81

Details of interest

• Price: — from AED 81
• Duration: approximately 1 hour
• Type of experience: luxury electric boat with private skipper

Another incredible way to experience a cruise through Amsterdam's canals is to do it when the city is resting. This night cruise is also very affordable and very similar to the previous ones, but with it you will discover another side of this beautiful and dynamic city illuminated at dusk.

You will sail through the city's canals with its houses, bridges and neighbourhoods reflected in the waters at dusk, with its lively bars and cafés facing the sea and passing up to 10 attractions, such as the impressive Gothic building of Amsterdam's main railway station, Centraal Station, the Anne Frank House or the Heineken beer museum, with audio commentary on board available in up to 19 languages.

Details of interest

• Price: — from 103
• Duration: approximately 1 hour
• Type of experience: evening cruise with multilingual audio guide through Amsterdam's illuminated canals

With a cruise and admission to Madame Tussauds, you'll discover the city's canals and one of Amsterdam's most entertaining attractions, especially if you're travelling with family and children: the world-famous Madame Tussauds wax museum. Save money and time by purchasing both experiences together with fast-track access.

You'll start your adventure by visiting the hyper-realistic wax museum, a replica of its London counterpart, where you can come face to face with hundreds of the most famous figures in the history of cinema, music, politics, the monarchy, show business... Afterwards, aboard the cruise ship, you will enjoy the 17th-century houses, bridges, churches and cobbled streets on your tour of the city's main canals with explanations via an audio guide.

This 90-minute cruise with admission to the Heineken Experience is specially designed for beer lovers, as it includes food and drink on board and begins with a quick-entry visit to the interesting Heineken Experience, the most iconic beer museum in the Netherlands, created in its original factory, where you will discover the history, evolution and production of this drink through an interactive journey and a tasting of two of its beers.

After your visit, you will board this night cruise and enjoy a delicious pizza dinner, with 6 different types to choose from, and even Ben & Jerry's ice cream for dessert, while listening to interesting commentary on board about the city and historical monuments such as the Magere Brug Bridge, the Royal Palace and St. Nicholas Church.

Details of interest

• Price: — from 167
• Duration: approximately 90 minutes cruise + free visit to the Heineken Experience
• Type of experience: evening cruise with dinner (pizza + ice cream) and fast-track entry to the Heineken interactive beer museum

If you've never been to a bar made entirely of ice, perhaps your visit to Amsterdam is the time to remedy that. With this original cruise with admission to Amsterdam's Ice Bar, you'll don thermal clothing and enjoy a welcome drink plus two Smirnoff cocktails or Heineken beers served inice glasses!

After this fun visit, you'll board a luxurious glass-roofed boat to begin your canal cruise and see Amsterdam's main attractions, such as the Anne Frank House and the Magere Brug.

Details of interest

• Price: — from 162
• Duration: approximately 1 hour cruise + visit to the Ice Bar
• Type of experience: glass-roofed boat cruise and admission to the Ice Bar with 3 drinks included

Another way to save money on your trip to Amsterdam if you know you're going to visit this must-see museum is to book a cruise with tickets to the Van Gogh Museum. After a one-hour cruise through the canals to see the most important monuments, you can delve into the history and work of the famous painter, while also skipping the queues to get in.

With this option, you'll save time and money, as you'll get a more affordable price when you purchase this combo and you'll skip the queues at the doors of Amsterdam's most popular museum.

Or, if you prefer, you can also combine the cruise with tickets to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, another must-see in the city. By booking this option, you will also save money, as both activities will be more expensive if purchased separately.

Details of interest

• Price: — from 189
• Duration: approximately 1 hour cruise + free visit to the museum
• Type of experience: canal cruise + skip-the-line entry to the Van Gogh Museum

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Amsterdam's nickname, the Venice of the North, is entirely justified. In fact, the Italian city has fewer than 500 bridges, while the Dutch capital has a total of 1,281 bridges. A third of the Netherlands is below or at sea level, so this country has a special relationship with water, which we can see in its canals, windmills and dykes.

The city's main canals, created in the 17th century to accommodate the growing population in the area, were declared a World Heritage Site in 2010. Three of these waterways (the Prinsengracht, Keizersgratch and Herengracht canals) form the ring of the city's most important waterways, known as the Grachtengordel. The Herengracht is the smallest in area, but the most picturesque, with some of the city's most striking mansions.

You don't really know Amsterdam until you take one of the cruises that sail along its canals. It is a relaxing activity that allows you to discover another side of this friendly city and learn about its history and some of its points of interest. Among the most relevant are the House Museum where Anne Frank lived and hid, the Canal Museum, the Rijksmuseum National Museum, the colourful Floating Flower Market and other curious enclaves such as the Handbag Museum or the Van Loon Family Museum.

If you've fallen in love with the city along its canals, you should consider taking a guided tour to explore every corner of it. You can either rent a bicycle and do it on your own or take a guided group tour. In this article, I'll summarise the best ones for you: 6 Best Amsterdam Tours.