Canal Cruises in Amsterdam: The 15 Best Boats

1.Amsterdam Luxury Canal Cruise + Unlimited Drinks & Bites option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30,518 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $18Our pick

Cruise Amsterdam’s canals for about an hour with a skipper and live English guide. You’ll pass Jordaan, the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Magere Brug, and the Bridge of 15 Bridges. Choose the unlimited drinks and bites option if you want wine, beer, soft drinks, and a small snack while you sail.

“This is a wonderful your! Zet (not suit of his spelling) out your guide was incredible. He was fun, full of energy, entertaining and very knowledgeable. The captain (do not remember his name) was also knowledgeable and they both also answered questions with ease. The captain maneuvered the canals like a pro. Great tour especially during the Festival of Lights. Highly recommend!”

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2.Heated Canal Cruise with Unlimited Drinks & Bite

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21,431 reviews · 1 - 1.5 hours · from $18

See Amsterdam from a warm, fully electric boat as your English-speaking skipper and host point out the Maritime Museum, Anne Frank House, Skinny Bridge, Hermitage Museum, Golden Bend, and Amstel Hotel. Choose unlimited beer, wine, soft drinks, and one portion of snacks. Boats may be open or enclosed depending on the weather.

“Fantastic tour with two amazing guides. Very knowledgable and fun! Would recommend.”

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3.75 Minute City Canal Cruise with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 19,938 reviews · 1h 15m · from $18

Spend 75 minutes on Amsterdam’s canals, passing Westerkerk, the Anne Frank House area, Magere Brug, Rijksmuseum, and modern sights near the IJ. Choose an audio guide in 19 languages, or let children follow a Fresh Water Pirate story with a booklet and goodie bag. Snackbox sailings add sweet and savory bites plus a drink.

“We has a very nice experience. Very relaxed and nice view of the city both in the daytime and the advent of evening.”

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4.City Centre Canal Cruise including Audioguide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 16,901 reviews · 1 hour · from $17

Spend one hour cruising Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed canal district from Central Station, Anne Frank House, Leidseplein, or the Rijksmuseum. Expect merchant houses, bridges, churches, and audio commentary in 19 languages. Captains may add jokes and local facts. Boats are heated, routes vary, and boarding can take longer at busy times.

“Loved it, the sailor was so friendly, not that much queue as they were well organised, just make sure to arrive on time, also they played music while everyone were trying to settle in, taking us round the major attractions of Amsterdam.”

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5.Covered Canal Booze Cruise with Unlimited Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 5,435 reviews · 1 hour · from $18

Cruise Amsterdam’s central canals and the Amstel River on a partly covered boat for one hour. Choose two drinks or an unlimited open bar with beer, wine, and soda. An English-speaking host such as Diana, Edward, or Sabrina shares city stories while the skipper handles the narrow waterways. The boat holds up to 26 people.

“Excellent tour. The day before, I received news that my schedule had to be changed. We changed it to the previous day for 8:30 p.m., and it was the best choice because we caught the daytime, sunset, and after dark, so we saw the city in sunlight and at night. Perfect, and I recommend this schedule. The guides were very fun and attentive.”

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6.Amsterdam Canal Cruise in Open Boat with Unlimited Drinks Option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,976 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $21

Spend about an hour on Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed canals aboard a sleek electric boat with an English-speaking captain. You’ll pass Westerkerk, the Jordaan, and the Hermitage Museum, with time for photos and city stories. Open boats offer clear views, while blankets and umbrellas help in poor weather. An unlimited drinks upgrade is available, though service may vary.

“Very comfortable on the boat. It even started to rain and they had large umbrellas available for us to use. Our captain was great at maneuvering the boat in busy "traffic" and some sharp corners.”

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7.Amsterdam Newest Canal Cruise with local guide and small group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,735 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $21

Cruise Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed canal ring for about an hour in a small boat with a local English-speaking skipper. Guides such as Mark, JJ, Eddie, and Alfred are praised for lively stories, while the boat can reach narrower canals than larger vessels. Open or half-covered seating depends on weather, with blankets, ponchos, and umbrellas available.

“I had heard that small boats were the best. That was certainly true of our experience today. Jasper was a great guide.”

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8.Van Gogh Museum Ticket and City Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,899 reviews · 3 hours · from $47

Visit the Van Gogh Museum at your reserved time, then take a flexible 75-minute cruise past Amsterdam’s canals, bridges, merchant houses, and modern architecture. The museum audio guide costs extra, while the cruise includes earphones and commentary in 21 languages. Some ticket options also include a snack box.

“Really enjoyable. Van Gogh Museum was really interesting and showed the best art as well as his life. The canal tour was great as well, the guide was really funny and added extra information from what was in the audio guide. Would recommend to anyone who wanted to learn more about Amsterdam.”

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9.Amsterdam Evening Canal Cruise with Live Guide and Onboard Bar

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,619 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $24

Spend about an hour on an evening electric-boat cruise through Amsterdam’s canal ring. Your live guide shares local stories as you pass Westerkerk, Anne Frank House, the Amstel, and the Flower Market. Drinks are available onboard, but boat style and exact sights can vary by departure point.

“We had an awesome evening out vibing with some good people that we met. The guides Laia and Ruxi were awesome , knowledgeable and showed kindness. Michael our boat captain kept us safe while piloting. Your staff and services are awesome.. I recommend this trip”

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10.Van Gogh Museum Ticket & Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,304 reviews · 1 day · from $47

Visit the Van Gogh Museum with a reserved entry time, then take a one-hour Lovers canal cruise past Westerkerk, the Negen Straatjes, houseboats, bridges, and the Magere Brug. The museum multimedia guide costs extra, while the boat includes audio commentary in 19 languages. Reserve your cruise time in Amsterdam.

“I loved it, it was a dream come true. I totally recommend it. It was very enocuonada, it's beautiful. ❤️😘”

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11.German Canal Cruise with Unlimited Drinks Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 3,134 reviews · 1 hour · from $25

Spend one hour on Amsterdam’s canals with a native German-speaking guide, perhaps including the lively Sanja, whose humor and clear stories have earned special praise. Choose the unlimited drinks option for beer, wine, soft drinks, and water while you pass the Amstel, Magere Brug, Jewish Quarter, and 17th-century canal belt.

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12.City Canal Cruise and Heineken Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,133 reviews · 3 hours · from $44

Start at the original Heineken factory for a self-guided visit through brewing rooms, copper tanks, multimedia exhibits, and beer tastings. Then take a one-hour cruise through Amsterdam’s Canal Belt with GPS commentary in 19 languages. Reserve the boat time early, since its departure point is not directly beside the brewery.

“Really good deal and experience! Super easy to book”

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13.Heated Canal Cruise Including Audioguide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 2,773 reviews · 1 hour - 75 minutes · from $15Best value

Cruise Amsterdam’s historic canal belt from Damrak, Central Station, or the Rijksmuseum. Your heated boat passes the Skinny Bridge, Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Dancing Houses, and 17th-century warehouses. English and Dutch commentary plays onboard, while an app offers 19 languages. The Rijksmuseum departure lasts 75 minutes; Damrak trips take 60.

“Nice enough we were told we would get hot chocolate and we didn’t plus the toilet was broken not ideal. Pleasant views though.”

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14.Amsterdam Canal Cruise With Live Guide and Unlimited Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,573 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $20

Cruise Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal Ring for about an hour aboard a 100% electric boat. Your English-speaking guide may be Jack, Michel, Olaf, or another Boat Amsterdam host, sharing local stories while unlimited Heineken, wine, coffee, tea, and soft drinks are served. Boats are open in summer and covered with heated seats in winter.

“Absolutely incredible host, wine and experience! The whole boat ride was amazing and we got to see the city up close like never before”

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15.Amsterdam Small-Group Canal Cruise Including Snacks and Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,526 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $72

Spend about two hours on an electric sloop with up to 14 people, leaving from Keizersgracht 401. You’ll pass Jordaan, Westertoren, Anne Frank House, the Amstel, Red Light District, Maritime Museum, and Hortus Botanicus while enjoying bitterballen, stroopwafels, cheese, and drinks. Captains such as Erik, Stan, Storm, and Charley add local stories and humor.

“Definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Amsterdam. It was my 60th birthday and what a wonderful experience it was. Charley was so welcoming and knowledgeable about Amsterdam, her passion for her city’s history, architecture and heritage was evident in her enthusiasm throughout the tour of the canals. There boat was comfortable and she made steering it and guiding us through the sights so seem less. My husband and I made up a small group of people and it was a lovely sociable experience, helped by the provision of alcohol and nibbles! A thoroughly enjoyable experience and a wonderful way to spend the afternoon getting to know the…”

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