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.

Give your canal cruise an extra touch and embark on a luxury sailboat with a private skipper. The option of a luxury boat trip along the canals of Amsterdam will take you for about an hour to discover the main attractions of the city, such as the Rijksmuseum or the famous theatre of the Red Light District Moulin Rouge, while you sail comfortably at the controls of a private skipper who will also act as your guide.

During the cruise you will also have the possibility to have a drink on board, as the boat has a bar. This is a different experience but you won't have to spend a lot of money on it, you can book it for only RM122

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 will discover the city's canals and one of the most fun places in Amsterdam, especially if you are with your family and children, the world-famous Madame Tussauds wax museum, saving money and time by buying 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 quick 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 the beer through an interactive journey and a tasting of two of its beers.

After your visit you'll 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'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 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.

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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.