15 Amsterdam River Cruises Worth Booking

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 aboard a small electric boat, passing the Anne Frank House, Jordaan, Rijksmuseum, Magere Brug and the Bridge of 15 Bridges. Guides such as Sofia, Arnoud and Stef bring humor and local stories. Check your ticket carefully, since drinks and bites depend on the option and departure point.

“Quick and comfortable canal cruise on a lovely wooden ship with real windows (not roll down plastic protection). Enjoyed it especially at night as we could glimpse lovely interiors as we cruised. The only downside was condensation on the windows on a chilly night.”

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2.Heated Canal Cruise with Unlimited Drinks & Bite

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

Cruise Amsterdam’s canals for 1 to 1.5 hours aboard a fully electric boat with an English-speaking skipper and host. Expect views of the Anne Frank House, Skinny Bridge, Hermitage Museum, Golden Bend, and Amstel Hotel. Choose unlimited beer, wine, soft drinks, and a small snack, or buy drinks onboard.

“Well organised! Seating on boat was good not too packed, drinks where constantly refilled, snacks were nice! Guides were very informative and made us laugh!”

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3.75 Minute City Canal Cruise with Audio Guide

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

Cruise Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed canal belt for 75 minutes, passing Westerkerk, Centraal Station, the Amstel, Magere Brug, and the museum district. Choose an audio guide in 19 languages, or give children the Fresh Water Pirate version with a booklet and goodie bag. Snackbox tickets include sweet and savory snacks plus a drink.

“The experience was a little sad as it was not well attended that particular Sunday morning. I would have appreciated more participants. The audio guide was good. The captain often spoke over what was being offered via the audio which made it hard to follow both. Still, I had a great time being on the water & seeing the city from that vantage point.”

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4.City Centre Canal Cruise including Audioguide

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

Take a one-hour canal cruise through Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed centre from Central Station, Anne Frank House, Leidseplein, or the Rijksmuseum. A heated boat, audio commentary in 19 languages, and friendly captains such as Simon, Jack, and Stijn make this an easy city introduction. Routes vary, so not every landmark appears on every sailing.

“To see the most beautiful and important places in Amsterdam”

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5.Amsterdam All-Inclusive 90-Minutes Heated Cruise by Captain Jack

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16,101 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Cruise Amsterdam’s canals for 90 minutes from the Rijksmuseum or Central Station. English-speaking guides such as Roland, Joe, Oliver, David, and Giselle combine city stories with unlimited Heineken, wine, and Dutch snacks. Boats may be open or enclosed, and there is no toilet onboard.

“We did the 90-minute cruise with Captain Jack and had a wonderful experience. We initially missed our cruise due to some difficulty with the meeting point, but the company was incredibly accommodating and kindly rescheduled us while we were still in Amsterdam. The cruise itself was beautiful, very scenic, and highlighted the rich history of Amsterdam. Highly recommend.”

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6.Covered Canal Booze Cruise with Unlimited Drinks

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

Spend one hour cruising Amsterdam’s central canals, the Amstel, Herengracht, and Prinsengracht with an English-speaking host and skipper. Choose two drinks or an open bar with beer, wine, and soda. Boats hold up to 26 people, are partly covered, and return to the city center.

“Edward and Pedro are dope, edward was hella funny and Pedro was cutting these canals like crazy. Whole experience was fire”

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7.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 small electric open boat with an English-speaking captain. Expect views of Westerkerk, Jordaan waterways, bridges, and the Hermitage Museum. Guides such as Luuc, Matt, Jaro, Anthony, and Sebastian have been praised for their stories and easygoing style. An unlimited-drinks upgrade is available, but confirm how it works before departure.

“It was a great evening cruise, the boat operator shared lots of details of the city. This was so informative evening, great to see the city come to life with all the lights. Would definitely recommend this cruise.”

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

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

Spend about an hour cruising Amsterdam’s Canal Ring in a small boat for up to 28 people. Your English-speaking skipper may be Mark, Alfred, JJ, Eddie, or another local guide, sharing stories as you pass leaning houses, Oude Kerk, the Amstel, and smaller canals. Ponchos, umbrellas, blankets, and covered seating help with changing weather.

“The tour was amazing and JJ was very knowledgeable! He answered all my questions and was very humorous as well. I don't recall the co captains name, but he was really nice and friendly, and also very knowledgeable. It was an awesome tour and a must do while in Amsterdam! Seriously 5/5 for the tour and drinks. They also give blankets and pillows! Def recommend this tour! My only reason for the 4 star was that the description stated to look for the "dark green flag, eco line boats, and blue jacket members" and the directions stated "Station 18". Well, There was no green flag, I don't remember seeing eco…”

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9.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 entry time, then take an open-ticket canal cruise from the Hard Rock Café or Heineken Experience docks. You’ll see Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, and The Potato Eaters, followed by Amsterdam’s bridges, merchant houses, newer architecture, and an audio commentary in 21 languages.

“Loved the museum I wasn’t met at my meet pint so made my own way to location”

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10.Saloon Boat Cruise + Unlimited Drinks & Bite option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,629 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $22

Cruise Amsterdam’s historic canals for about an hour aboard a classic Saloon Boat with a local skipper and live guide. Expect views of the Amstel, Zuiderkerk, Stopera, canal houses, and the UNESCO canal ring. Choose a no-drink ticket or an unlimited package covering beer, wine, and soft drinks. Guides such as Roger, Ezra, Dara, and JD have hosted recent departures.

“Didn’t realize it was the Heineken boat. Super fun & absolutely excellent tour guide - really lucked ou”

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11.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 Amsterdam’s canals with a live English-speaking host and skipper. Depending on your departure point, you may pass the Anne Frank House, Westerkerk, Rijksmuseum, Magere Brug, and Flower Market. Buy beer, wine, sodas, or cocktails onboard, but bring warm layers because the water can feel cold.

“Wonderful boat captain and bartender. Friendly, engaging, informative. We were seated next to a family with young children using devices to watch videos and we would probably seek an adult-only experience in the future since that made it tough to hear the guides. But the boat trip and area was beautiful. We toured at night and everything was lit up. It was lovely.”

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12.Van Gogh Museum Ticket & Canal Cruise

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

Visit the Van Gogh Museum at your reserved entry time, then cruise Amsterdam’s historic canals for one hour with audio commentary in 19 languages. You’ll see Westerkerk, the Nine Streets, canal houses, bridges, and the Magere Brug. Reserve your cruise time at a Tours & Tickets shop, since the package does not assign one automatically.

“I purchased this program because it was a way for me to get into the sold-out Van Gogh Museum. I am so glad I made the decision. The Van Gogh Museum is incredible and moving to see original pieces of art from this artist and to learn his history and how he evolved as an artist. The canal cruise was quite nice. A quick way to tour this city from this unique perspective. We went on a cold, snowy night. I imagine if the weather were clear, it must be beautiful.”

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13.German Canal Cruise with Unlimited Drinks Option

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

Spend one hour on a small electric canal boat with a native German guide. You’ll pass the Amstel, Magere Brug, Jewish Quarter, 17th-century canal houses, and more. Choose the drinks option for unlimited beer, wine, soft drinks, and water. Guide Sanja is praised for humor and clear city stories.

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14.City Canal Cruise and Heineken Experience

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

Visit Heineken’s original brewery at your booked time, explore its brewing rooms and interactive exhibits, taste two beers or soft drinks, and practice pouring a perfect draft. Then take a one-hour cruise through Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal Belt with GPS commentary in 19 languages. Reserve the boat time separately for the smoothest plan.

“Heineken was brilliant along with the staffz knowledge canal cruise has to be booked in a shop on arrival to Amsterdam but was really easy to find and book on”

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15.Heated Canal Cruise Including Audioguide

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

Cruise Amsterdam’s historic canal belt for 60 minutes from Damrak or 75 minutes from the Rijksmuseum. You’ll pass Brouwersgracht, the Anne Frank House, Skinny Bridge, Dancing Houses, and grand Golden Age warehouses. A Dutch or English guide speaks onboard, while the app offers 19 languages. Boats are heated and have Wi-Fi and toilets.

“The drink offered with the ticket was too sweet on its own”

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