One of the best ways to explore Amsterdam is on the water, and what better way to cruise along the canals than on a sustainable hand restored fully electric boat? Join our Private Amsterdam Canal Cruise with our friends at Pure Boats or Smidtje when you have a larger group.
With 165 canals covering more than 100 km of waterways, and more than 1,200 bridges, you will be spoilt for choice as to what you will see. Just sit back and relax as our captain guides your Amsterdam cruise along the Dutch waterways.
On your Private Amsterdam Canal Cruise you will pass famous sights, such as the Anne Frank House, the Westerkerk, Nine Streets, the Skinny Bridge, and the dancing houses at the Amstel River.
Private cruises can be taken throughout the day and night and can vary in duration from 90 minutes to 3 hours. During this time, you have the entire boat to yourself. Your guide is your captain who will attend to all of your needs. An open bar and snack options can be included.
Our friends at Pure Boats have five beautiful boats, lovingly restored and furnished to provide both comfort and luxury. At Smidtje they have some luxury bigger boats for groups of 20 or more people. There’s no need to be concerned about the famous Dutch weather either, as the boats have canopies or enclosed cabins.
You will feel welcome immediately at their luxury 100% electric boats. While cruising, you enjoy the best local foods and drinks on a classy, sustainable boat.
There are three ways to enjoy a cruise with our friends.
1. With a shared cruise in a small group, max 16 people in your group. See the options
2. With your own private cruise with for example drinks and dutch snacks for max 20 people. See the options.
3. A fully bespoke cruise for your company for bigger groups, a dinner, a wedding or a party. Fill in our form.
An intimate cruise, shared with a small group of like-minded people, up to a maximum of 16. The duration of the cruise ranges between 90 minutes and 2 hours.
There are hundreds of boats on the Amsterdam canals, and many of them carry a hundred people past the same sights with a recorded commentary. A private canal cruise is the opposite: your own boat, your own captain and a route shaped around you. We only work with two canal cruise companies, chosen because they share the way we work: small, personal and with an eye for detail. You tell us what you have in mind, we match you with the right boat and take care of the rest, from the timing to the drinks on board.
Booking through us also means one point of contact for your whole stay. If you are combining your cruise with a private tour, a museum visit or a transfer from Schiphol or your cruise ship, we plan the day so that everything fits together.
Pure Boats rescued a fleet of historic canal boats and restored them into some of the most elegant boats on the water. Each one has its own character: Lucy, a romantic boat for up to six guests with a heated, enclosed saloon; Geertje, a classic open boat for up to ten; Schollevaar, a salon boat from 1912 for up to twelve; Pure Spirit and Danique for up to twenty; and Stan Huygens, the largest, for up to 36 guests. The captains know the city inside out, and the bar on board serves local craft beers, European wines and soft drinks.
Smidtje has been sailing the canals since 2001 with a silent, fully electric fleet that ranges from open boats and classic saloon boats to larger design ships. That makes them our first choice for bigger groups, company outings, dinners on the water and weddings, when several boats can sail together.
| Just the two of you, a proposal or an anniversary | Lucy, or Geertje on a fine day (Pure Boats) |
| Family or friends, up to twelve | Schollevaar or Geertje (Pure Boats) |
| Groups of up to 36 | Pure Spirit, Danique or Stan Huygens (Pure Boats) |
| Larger groups, company events and weddings | Smidtje, with several boats sailing together if needed |
Not sure which to choose? Tell us your group size and plans, and we will recommend the right boat.
Most guests choose 90 minutes or two hours. Ninety minutes is enough to see the canal ring, the Amstel and the Skinny Bridge at a relaxed pace. Two hours adds the quieter canals of the Jordaan and more time to enjoy the drinks on board. For dinners and celebrations, cruises of three hours or longer can be arranged.
Morning cruises are the quietest, with the city waking up around you and brunch or breakfast on board. Afternoons are bright and lively, and ideal for families. Evening and night cruises are the most atmospheric: the bridges light up, the canal houses glow and the city feels calmer. From late November to mid-January the Amsterdam Light Festival turns the canals into an open-air gallery, and our private Light Festival boat tours sail right past the artworks.
Every private cruise has a bar on board with beers, wines and soft drinks, and you can add Dutch snacks, a cheese platter or a borrel box. For something more special, choose a brunch, lunch, high tea or dinner cruise. Catering is arranged by the boat company, so just tell us your wishes when you book and it will be waiting for you on board.
The canals make a beautiful backdrop, and on a private boat you have them all to yourself. We can arrange a professional photographer to join your cruise, for a proposal, an anniversary, a family portrait or simply holiday photos you will actually want to frame. The photographer works around you, so you can enjoy the cruise while the pictures are taken. Prefer to take the photos yourself? Our private photography tour shows you how to capture the city like a local.
A private cruise is one of the most romantic ways to propose in Amsterdam. We can arrange champagne, rose petals and a photographer on board, and time the cruise for sunset or after dark. For more ideas, have a look at our romantic private tours for proposals and honeymoons.
Children love being on the water, and on a private boat you go at your own pace, with snacks on board and no strangers to worry about. Life jackets for younger guests can be arranged. For larger groups we use Smidtje’s bigger boats or sail several boats together, so everyone stays in one group. Planning a company outing or a client event? See our business and corporate tours in Amsterdam.
On a shared cruise you join a small group of up to 16 guests on the same luxury boats, with drinks on board, which works well if you are travelling as a couple or on your own. A private cruise gives you the whole boat, your own captain and complete freedom over the route, the timing and what is served. Both options are listed above.
Amsterdam’s 17th-century canal ring has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, and the best way to see it is from the water. A route can take in the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht with their grand merchants’ houses, the Golden Bend, the Westerkerk and the Anne Frank House, the Nine Streets, the Skinny Bridge and the dancing houses along the Amstel. Your captain adapts the route to your interests, the weather and the time of day.
A canal cruise pairs well with a walking tour or a museum visit. Popular combinations are a private Amsterdam city highlights tour followed by an afternoon cruise, a morning with Rembrandt and Vermeer on our private Rijksmuseum tour, or the private Anne Frank and Jewish History tour before an evening on the water.
Need a lift to the jetty? We can arrange a private driver to bring you from your hotel or cruise ship to the boat.
Our private canal cruises typically run between 1.5 and 3 hours. We tailor the duration to your preferences and can arrange longer cruises on request.
Our luxury private boats accommodate from 1 to 70 guests. So also perfect if you have a group wanting a private cruise. For larger groups we can arrange multiple boats so everyone travels together.
We depart from a central Amsterdam location convenient to your hotel as all over the city there are jetties to start a cruise. Our team will confirm the exact meeting point after booking.
The cruise includes a dedicated private boat, an experienced captain, and a personalised route through Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed canal belt. Catering options including wine, beer, champagne and Dutch snacks can be added on request. We also have options for lunch or dinner.
Yes. We operate private canal cruises throughout the year. Our boats are equipped with heating and a roof for cooler months. Winter cruises during the Amsterdam Light Festival are particularly spectacular.
Yes. Evening cruises are a wonderful way to see Amsterdam illuminated at night. During the Amsterdam Light Festival from November to January the canals are especially beautiful after dark, and our private Light Festival boat tours take you right past the artworks.
The price depends on the boat, the duration, the number of guests and any extras such as catering. You will find the starting prices on the cruise cards above, and we always confirm a fixed price when you book, so there are no surprises on the day.
Outside food and drinks are not permitted on board, but we are happy to arrange catering for you – from wine and soft drinks to Dutch snacks or even a full lunch or dinner. Just let us know what you would like when you book.
Yes. All of our boats offer canopies or enclosed, heated cabins, so your cruise goes ahead comfortably whatever the Dutch weather does. Let us know if you would prefer a covered boat and we will arrange it.
Absolutely. A private cruise is a relaxed way to see the city at your own pace, and life jackets for younger guests can be arranged on request.
We recommend booking early, especially for evenings, weekends and the summer and Light Festival seasons, which fill up quickly. We will always try to accommodate last-minute requests where we can.
We work with two of the best boutique canal cruise companies in Amsterdam: Pure Boats, with its restored heritage boats for two to 36 guests, and Smidtje, an Amsterdam family business since 2001 with a silent, fully electric fleet that is ideal for larger groups and events. We match you with the boat that suits your group and plans.
On a shared cruise you join a small group of up to 16 guests. On a private cruise the whole boat is yours, with your own captain, and you decide the route, the timing and what is served on board.
Mornings are the quietest, afternoons are bright and great for families, and evenings are the most atmospheric, with the bridges and canal houses lit up. In winter, a cruise during the Amsterdam Light Festival is a highlight.
Yes. We can arrange a professional photographer to join your private cruise, for a proposal, an anniversary, a family portrait or simply beautiful holiday photos on the canals.
Yes, and it is one of the most romantic places to do it. We can arrange champagne, rose petals and a photographer, and time the cruise for sunset or after dark. See our romantic private tours for more ideas.
Pets are welcome on Pure Boats’ private cruises. Please bring something for them to sit on, and let us know when you book.
If you want to see the canals properly, yes. You avoid the crowded tour boats, your captain adapts the route to you, and you can relax with drinks on board with only your own group around you. For couples, families and special occasions it is one of the highlights of a visit to Amsterdam.
If you have any questions for the Bespoke Amsterdam Experiences team, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Are you looking for more ways to explore our city during your visit? Don’t miss our small-group public Amsterdam tours.