Amsterdam Canal Cruises

Amsterdam is a charming city dotted with bicycle-lined bridges spanning the 165 canals on which the Dutch capital is built. A boat tour is a must-do experience on your trip.

This 1-hour cruise is one of the easiest and cheapest. In its semi-open, solar-powered boat for up to 70 people, you'll cruise Amsterdam's famous canal belt for an hour while listening to commentary about its history and up to 14 attractions that you'll see comfortably seated and thanks to an audio guide in all languages.

You will see the merchants' houses built during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Golden Curve district and its grand manor houses, 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 or the most important art gallery in Amsterdam and the country with an impressive façade: the Rijksmuseum.

Another amazing way to experience a canal cruise in Amsterdam is when the city is at rest. This night cruise is also super cheap and very similar in operation to the previous ones, but with it you will discover another side of this beautiful and dynamic city illuminated at dusk.

You'll cruise the city's canals with their houses, bridges and neighbourhoods reflected in the waters at dusk, with its lively waterfront bars and cafes and pass around up to 10 attractions, such as the impressive Gothic building of Amsterdam's main train station, Centraal Station, the Anne Frank House or the Heineken beer museum, with audio commentary on board available in up to 19 languages.

With this two-hour cruise and admission to Madame Tussauds you'll discover the city's canals and one of Amsterdam's most fun places to visit, especially if you're with your family and children, the world-famous Madame Tussauds wax museum, saving you 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'll come face to face with hundreds of the most famous characters from the history of film, music, politics, the monarchy, show business... Then, on board the cruise, you will enjoy the houses, bridges, churches and cobbled streets of the 17th century as you cruise along the main canals of the city with audio guide explanations.

This 90-minute Heineken Experience ticket cruise is specially designed for beer lovers, including food and drink on board, and starts with a fast-track entry visit to the interesting Heineken Experience, the Netherlands' most iconic beer museum created in its original brewery, where you will discover the history, evolution and brewing of beer through an interactive journey and a tasting of two of its beers.

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

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 Amsterdam Ice Bar Cruise, you'll don thermal clothing and have a welcome drink plus two Smirnoff cocktails or Heineken beers served inice cups!

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

Another way to save on your trip to Amsterdam if you're sure you'll be visiting this must-see museum is to book a Van Gogh Museum ticket cruise. After a one-hour cruise along the canals taking in the most important monuments, you'll be able to delve into the history and work of the famous painter, while skipping the queues to get in.

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

A visit to Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum is a must on your trip to the city and that makes queues part and parcel of its otherwise spectacular entrance with its ornate façade and neo-Gothic rooftops.

With this cruise with entrance to the Rijksmuseum you can start your experience by skipping the queues and saving money on a 2 hour visit to what is considered to be the best museum in Holland and the National Museum with the largest collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and then tour the picturesque canals of the city with audio commentary on board about its history and main landmarks.

To cruise the city's famous canals in style, what better than a morning or afternoon cruise on board a classic 20th century boat with the captain narrating the history of the city and its monuments.

You'll also enjoy coffee and tea on board or the chance to buy a soft drink, a beer or a glass of wine while admiring the canalside attractions such as the Anne Frank House, the impressive Amsterdam Opera House and the stunning façade of the grand Rijksmuseum. Plus, you'll never travel with more than 12 people, as the groups are small.

You can simply cruise the canals of Amsterdam or you can make the experience truly unique by relaxing for almost two hours on board a night cruise with a delicious tasting of authentic Dutch cheese and local charcuterie, including drinks and a special welcome with a glass of prosecco.

This exclusive evening cruise takes you through the city centre along the Golden Bend area, a stretch of majestic mansions, and along the Herengracht, Amstel and Oudezijds canals to the Oosterdok, its eastern quays.

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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. One third of the territory of the Netherlands lies below or at sea level, so the country has a special relationship with water, which can be seen 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 canals (the Prinsengracht, Keizersgratch and Herengracht canals) form the ring of the city's most important canals, 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 get to know Amsterdam until you take one of the canal cruises. It's a relaxing way to discover another side to this friendly city and learn about its history and some of its sights. Among the most important are the House Museum where Anne Frank lived and hid, the Canals Museum, the National Rijksmuseum, the colourful Floating Flower Market and other curious sites such as the Bag Museum and the Van Loon family museum.

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