Any time of year works for a canal cruise in Amsterdam. In summer the boats are open, in winter they are covered and heated. What changes with the season is the light, the crowds and what you see from the water. Here is how each time of year compares, so you can pick the one that suits your trip and book your private canal cruise.
Amsterdam has 165 canals. Most cruises take in the UNESCO-listed canal ring of the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, and many also head out onto the wide Amstel river.
From May to September the canals are full of boats of every kind, from kayaks to old wooden sloops, and as many locals are out on the water as visitors. Along the way you pass the Westerkerk, the Skinny Bridge over the Amstel and long rows of 17th-century merchants’ houses.
The best slot in summer is late afternoon into the evening. In early August the sun does not set until around nine, so you get a long, soft light along the Herengracht and then the lights on the bridges coming on one by one. There is a bar on board and a Dutch snack platter, so the cruise works well as a drink before dinner.
Early risers can book a sunrise cruise instead. The city is still quiet, the water is flat, and it is the time we would pick for a proposal. We can arrange breakfast and coffee on board, just ask.
We run our cruises with our partner Pure Boats. There is an overview of all our private and shared canal cruises on the canal cruise page.
It rains a lot in Amsterdam, and a covered boat is one of the best ways to spend a wet afternoon. It is on our list of what to do in Amsterdam when it rains.
In winter the boats are covered and heated, with blankets on board. Go in the evening, with a glühwein or a hot chocolate: the canal houses are lit from inside and their reflections sit on the water. The canals are also far quieter than in summer.
Pride in August and King’s Day in April bring the biggest crowds onto the water, but the event that works best from a boat is the Amsterdam Light Festival. Every winter, roughly from late November to mid January, artists place light installations along the canals, around a new theme each year. Many of them are designed to be seen from the water.
Light Festival cruises run on covered, heated boats, with drinks and snacks on board and blankets to keep you warm. December evenings book up quickly, so reserve early.
Find out more about the Amsterdam Light Festival and arrange your cruise with us.
For our cruises we work with Pure Boats Amsterdam, whose fleet of electric boats takes groups from one to seventy guests.
You can join a shared cruise with a small group, or have a boat to yourselves with your own captain.
For the most personal option, our private luxury canal cruise in Amsterdam is just your group, a wooden boat and a guide, with no other guests on board.
In summer, late afternoon into early evening, when the light is soft and the bridges light up. In spring the trees along the canals are in blossom. In winter, go in the evening, ideally during the Amsterdam Light Festival, which runs roughly from late November to mid January.
Yes. The boats are covered and heated, the canals are much quieter than in summer, and during the Amsterdam Light Festival the art installations along the water are best seen by boat.
A public cruise follows a fixed route, usually with recorded commentary, and you share the boat with other visitors. On a private cruise the boat is yours: you choose the route, the timing and the pace, and it can be planned around a proposal, a birthday or a family celebration.
The Westerkerk, the Skinny Bridge (Magere Brug) over the Amstel, rows of 17th-century merchants’ houses on the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, and houseboats moored along the quays. Amsterdam has 165 canals in total.
Most private cruises last one to two hours. A 45-minute trip gives you a first look at the canals, while two hours lets you go further, for example out onto the Amstel.
Yes. Evening cruises are popular in summer, when it stays light until late, and in winter during the Light Festival. After dark the canal houses are lit from inside, and a private evening cruise is one of the most romantic things to do in the city.
Yes. From late March to mid May the trees along the canals are in blossom and window boxes are full of flowers. Temperatures of around 10 to 18°C make an open boat comfortable, and it is quieter than July and August. In April it stays light until well after eight in the evening.
Yes. Evenings stay warm, and the sun does not set until around 9pm in early August, which gives you a long evening light along the Herengracht and the Amstel. Late afternoon and early evening departures work best. The canals are busy in peak season, so book a private boat a few weeks ahead, or choose a weekday or an early morning for a quieter trip.
