An Amsterdam Canal Cruise: Should You Take One?
You’ve arrived in Amsterdam and started strolling around the Centrum—that enchanting half-circle of canals built four hundred years ago that gives Amsterdam its unique ambiance.
Just about every time you cross a bridge spanning an Amsterdam canal, you’ll likely see a wide-bottomed, glass-topped canal boats bristling with camera-snapping tourists gliding past.
Should you take an hour out of your sightseeing schedule to enjoy an Amsterdam canal cruise?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, absolutely!
It’s a super relaxing way to see the canals of Amsterdam from a new perspective, and you’ll learn stuff.
A Bit of Background
Although I’ve visited Amsterdam numerous times since my first visit in 1970, I had not taken a canal trip since 1974. I was a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old on my very first solo trip to Europe—a two-week jaunt from England where I’d moved to go to university.
I had my backpack, my red anorak (très chic—not) and a thin wad of traveler’s checks.
After flying from London Heathrow to Amsterdam, I took the bus into the city (no splashing out on taxis in those austere days), stashed my backpack at a dorm room at the Hans Brinker Hostel (which is still going), and then went in search of a canal tour. As a first-time solo traveler, it seemed like a savvy thing to do.
I couldn’t get lost sitting on a canal boat.
That first canal tour was, frankly, not that memorable. Amsterdam in 1974 was lively, but it was also grubby and kinda seedy. The house façades looked neglected, the harbor still showed the effects of World War II, and the Dutch people appeared a bit on the grim side.
The energetic, multicultural, joyous atmosphere of today’s Amsterdam was nowhere to be found.
Finding a Canal Cruise
Fast forward forty-one years (yikes!) and I’m again on board a canal boat for a 75-minute cruise. I’ve only just arrived in Amsterdam after a nine-hour flight from Vancouver. Taking a relaxing cruise in the late afternoon turns out to be the perfect way to recover.
Book Ahead
If Amsterdam is your first stop on your European vacation, I recommend you book your cruise before you leave home. Choose a time slot that is a few hours after you arrive in Amsterdam so you can get settled and find your way to the dock closest to your hotel.
A canal cruise is a great way to get the lay of the land and see Amsterdam’s city center up close.
Here’s an option for a standard 75-minute tour:
I purchased tickets through GetYourGuide before I left home and so I just needed to present the QR code on my phone to the attendant. I chose the Blue Boat company, but there are several more in Amsterdam.
Cruise Company
Your choice of cruise company will likely be dictated by location. I’m staying at the Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American on the Singelgracht. The Blue Boat (and at least two more companies that I could see) have departure docks in this area.
The Blue Boat is about a five-minute walk along the Singelgracht toward the Rijksmuseum.
Go to the website of any cruise company and check where they have departure point, then choose the one closest to your accommodation. Most canal cruises go from Singelgracht or from the Damrak close to Central Station.
Cruise Types
In addition to the classic canal cruise in a glass-topped boat (the kind I took), you can also discover Amsterdam by canal in plenty of other ways.
Choose from open boat cruises, dinner cruises, pizza cruises, and evening cruises, or for a more intimate experience, book a private boat tour just for yourself and your party that includes food and drinks.
Here are some boat cruises on GetYourGuide that show you Amsterdam from the water.
Boarding the Cruise
The April afternoon is brilliantly sunny (a not usual occurrence in my experience visiting Amsterdam almost annually since 2008).
The boat is only half full, so Gregg and I have a table for six to ourselves. The top of the table is printed with a map of the canals, but it isn’t very useful because it doesn’t include the route.
This is my only complaint. I would have appreciated a visual representation of our route that showed me exactly where the canal tour went. The only other option is to follow the route on Google Maps on my phone.
And speaking of phones, make sure you purchase an eSim card from a company such as Airolo (my first choice) to you can keep on roaming without paying exhorbitant fees.
Tour Commentary
The Blue Boat tour I chose doesn’t include live commentary, probably because it was one of the least expensive options. I’m given a cheap pair of headphones and directed to plug into the wall next to the table and choose my language.
The commentary is informative but not constant. During the course of the 75-minute tour, it comes in and out, and is, to be kind, a bit on the dull side.
However, I do learn that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice and more bridges than Paris. The beautiful canals we see today date from the 17th century when, as a result of severe overcrowding in the old center of Amsterdam, the city fathers decided to build more canals and more warehouses.
The main canals of Herengracht, Keisergracht, and Prinsengracht were completed over the course of 40 years.
During the cruise, you can choose to sit outside at the back of the boat, which is the place to be to take unobstructed pictures of the picturesque canals. The downside is that the canned commentary isn’t available outside.
I spend a bit of time out there, but the wind is chilly and so quickly resume my seat under the glass roof.
Amsterdam from Below
What strikes me first as we get going is that I’m viewing Amsterdam from below looking up. I’m always used to looking down on Amsterdam’s canals from the bridges, not up from the water. The perspective provides a different, more intimate view of this enchanting city.
I love watching the gorgeous facades of the canal houses drift by. Most have been beautifully renovated—a striking contrast to the careworn and grimy scenes I remember from my cruise in 1974. Now, I admire plenty of white plaster leaves and swirls, ornate gables and other rich decorations including statues and columns.
After tootling around several canals in the Centrum, the boat ventures out into the harbor. Quaint gabled narrow houses give way to a plethora of ultra-modern buildings, the vast majority of them built since my 1974 trip.
The commentary informs me that Oosterhoeck Island used to be a wasteland of abandoned buildings until being reclaimed and built on in 2003.
Houseboats
The boat cuts a wide arc across the harbor and then back into the canals on its way to Singelgraacht and “home.” We pass people sit atop their canal boats enjoying wine in the sunshine.
I learn that the houseboats are permanently fixed in place on concrete pads. Unlike in the UK where houseboats are mobile, the Amsterdam ones stay put.
Staying in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has many options–from boutique hotels to grand hotels to apartments to chain hotels. I’ve stayed in all of these types and they all have pros and cons. On my most recent trip to Amsterdam in 2025, I stayed a the Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American which I highly recommend. This venerable old hotel is an Amsterdam icon with a fabulous art deco restaurant.
We were upgraded to a canal view room with a view over the Singelgracht. The location of the Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American. It’s about a ten-minute walk to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum and right on the edge of the Centrum. The area is lively with plenty of restaurants.
Another good choice that I highly recommend if you’re looking for a slightly more reasonably priced option is the Holiday Inn Express – City Hall, steps from the harbor and within walking distance of old Amsterda. Ask for a canal view room.
Amsterdam is not a cheap city. Plan on spending at least €300-€400 per night for a decent hotel in a central area of Amsterdam. I recommend you avoid places outside the city center. They may be cheaper, but you’ll spend too much time on trams getting into the interesting parts of the city.
Book a place as close to the Centrum as possible and enjoy many hours of wander alongside the beautiful canals.
Conclusion
The word that comes to mind to describe a canal boat tour in Amsterdam is restful. You have zero to do except sit and watch the world glide past at a comfortable walking pace. Snap endless pictures of elegant narrow houses, listen to the commentary now and again, and just relax.
You’re in Amsterdam!
Have you taken a canal cruise in Amsterdam? Share your experience in the comments below.
Here are some more posts about Amsterdam (one of my favorite European cities):