Our top pick31,839 reviews
60 minAmsterdam: Saloon Boat Cruise with optional Cheese & Wine
★ 4.6 · 31,839 reviews
- One hour, 19th-century saloon boat
- Quiet electric engine
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$16$16.00 / hour
Check availability→ Canal cruises, compared
Amsterdam canal cruise: six boats, one to two hours, side by side
An Amsterdam canal cruise on this site costs from $16 and lasts one hour on the classic boats: a 19th-century saloon boat with a quiet electric engine and a host who tells stories about the city. For $20 an open boat includes a tasting of Dutch cheeses; for $21 a silent eco boat comes with a live local skipper and cushions. Two hours with unlimited drinks and Dutch snacks costs $54, and a boat capped at ten guests $72. The descriptions do not name a pier, so take the meeting point from the listing you book.
Quick answer
The short answer. For the lowest price, the saloon boat at $16: one hour, 31,839 reviews at 4.6. For a quieter boat with a skipper who talks to you, the eco boat at $21, rated 4.8 on 2,913 reviews. For drinks in the price and a smaller group, two hours at $54.
Amsterdam canal cruise at a glance
- Boats compared here
- 6 listingsfrom $16
- Classic length
- 1 hoursaloon, open and eco boats
- Cheapest hour
- $1619th-century saloon boat
- Most reviewed
- 31,839 reviewsrated 4.6
- Highest rated
- 5.0on 404 reviews, max 10 guests
- Drinks in the price
- $54unlimited, for 2 hours
- Hop on, hop off
- 24 hours$50, 52 reviews at 4.3
- Reviews across the six
- 42,009live listing figures
What the hour buys
What each one-hour boat puts on board
Three listings sell the classic hour, and they differ in the boat, in who talks and in what you eat or drink.
The saloon boat, $16. A traditional 19th-century saloon boat powered by a quiet electric engine, with a host who shares stories about the city as you go. Cheese and wine are an option in the listing title, not part of the base fare. With 31,839 reviews at 4.6, it is the canal boat cruise Amsterdam visitors review most, by a wide margin.
The open boat, $20. The Amsterdam open boat canal cruise adds what the saloon boat charges extra for: a tasting of Dutch cheeses is included. Drink packages, from unlimited drinks to spritzers and Prosecco, are sold on board. 6,000 reviews at 4.6.
The eco boat, $21. A silent eco boat with a live local skipper who speaks English, cozy cushions and an optional drink package. Its 4.8 on 2,913 reviews is the highest rating of the three one-hour boats.
Five dollars separate the three. The cheapest boat on this site and the best-rated one-hour boat are not the same boat, and that is the whole decision at this price.
Six boats
Six ways to take an Amsterdam canal cruise, cheapest first
Each canal boat tour Amsterdam visitors can book below is shown with its live price, length and rating.
- Saloon boat — $16, 1 hour
19th-century boat, electric engine, a host telling stories. 31,839 reviews at 4.6. Cheese and wine as an add-on.
- Open boat with Dutch cheese — $20, 1 hour
Cheese tasting included, drink packages on board. 6,000 reviews at 4.6.
- Eco boat with a live skipper — $21, 1 hour
Silent boat, English-speaking local skipper, cushions, optional drinks. 2,913 reviews at 4.8.
- Hop-on hop-off boat for 24 hours — $50, 1 day
Get on and off for a day, with a drink in ice glasses at an ice bar before or after. 52 reviews at 4.3, the lowest rating of the six.
- Small group with an open bar — $54, 2 hours
A luxury small-group boat with unlimited drinks and Dutch snacks. 801 reviews at 4.9.
- Max ten guests — $72, 1.5 to 2 hours
A local captain as your personal guide, quality drinks and Dutch bites; the description promises no big groups and no script. 404 reviews at 5.0.
Every trip, current fare
Amsterdam canal cruise prices per hour
The canal cruise Amsterdam price list here runs from $16 to $72. Cost per hour is the fairer way to read it.
| Tour | Length | Price | What you get | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam: Saloon Boat Cruise with optional Cheese & WineQuiet electric engine | 60 min | $16 | 19th-century saloon boat | $16.00 | 4.6 · 31,839 |
| Luxury Open Boat Incl. Cheese with Prosecco & Spritzers Opt.Authentic open boat | 60 min | $20 | Dutch cheese tasting included | $20.00 | 4.6 · 6,000 |
| Amsterdam: Canal Cruise on Eco Boat with Live Local SkipperLive local skipper | 60 min | $21 | Silent eco boat | $21.00 | 4.8 · 2,913 |
| Amsterdam: Small-Group Canal Cruise with Open Bar & SnacksLuxury small-group boat | 2 h | $54 | Unlimited drinks and Dutch snacks | $27.00 | 4.9 · 801 |
| Not a Typical Cruise: Max 10, Bites, Drinks, Local, PersonalLocal captain as guide | 1.5 - 2 h | $72 | Max 10 guests | — | 5.0 · 404 |
| Amsterdam: 24-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Boat and XtraCold IcebarIcebar drink in ice glasses | 1 day | $50 | Hop-on hop-off boat, 24 hours | — | 4.3 · 52 |
Which one if…
The best canal cruise Amsterdam offers, by what you need
Six common situations, each answered from the listing descriptions.
- You are with a child
Planning an Amsterdam canal cruise family outing? None of the six descriptions sets age rules or child prices, so check the listing. The shortest commitment is one hour: the saloon boat at $16 or the eco boat with cushions at $21.
- You have two hours
The small-group boat runs exactly two hours for $54 with unlimited drinks and Dutch snacks. The max-ten boat runs 1.5 to 2 hours for $72.
- You want drinks included
An Amsterdam canal cruise with drinks in the fare starts at $54. On the one-hour boats drinks are an add-on.
- Your budget is under $50
Three boats fit: $16, $20 and $21, all one hour.
- You want the evening
The candle-lit cruise is $50 for two hours; the evening options are compared on their own page.
- You want the boat to yourselves
Canal cruise Amsterdam private options start at $247 and are compared on the private boat page.
Open boat, eco boat or a group of ten: how the smaller boats differ from the saloon boat.
Boat tours compared→Is it worth it
Does paying more buy a better hour?
On ratings, a little. The $16 saloon boat and the $20 open boat both sit at 4.6. The $21 eco boat is 4.8, so five dollars more than the cheapest buys two tenths of a point and a live skipper.
Going up again changes what you buy, not just the score. At $54 you get two hours instead of one and unlimited drinks, and the rating rises to 4.9 on 801 reviews. At $72 it is 5.0 on 404 reviews with ten guests at most and the captain as guide.
For the best canal tour Amsterdam has on this list, the numbers point to the eco boat for value and the max-ten boat for the score. A luxury canal cruise Amsterdam visitors can share starts with the word in two listings: the $20 open boat and the $54 small-group boat.
The 24-hour ticket is the exception. It is a hop-on hop-off boat with an ice-bar drink, not a one-hour cruise, and its 4.3 is the lowest of the six. Take it only if you want to get on and off.
Book direct
Book an Amsterdam canal cruise
Live prices and ratings. More boats in every price band are on the main list of 72 tours.
Authentic open boat6,000 reviews
60 minLuxury Open Boat Incl. Cheese with Prosecco & Spritzers Opt.
★ 4.6 · 6,000 reviews
- One hour, Dutch cheese tasting included
- Authentic open boat
- Drink packages on board
- Free cancellation
$20$20.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
Live local skipper2,913 reviews
60 minAmsterdam: Canal Cruise on Eco Boat with Live Local Skipper
★ 4.8 · 2,913 reviews
- One hour, Silent eco boat
- Live local skipper
- Optional drink package
- Free cancellation
$21$21.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
Rated 4.9801 reviews
2 hAmsterdam: Small-Group Canal Cruise with Open Bar & Snacks
★ 4.9 · 801 reviews
- Two hours, Unlimited drinks and Dutch snacks
- Luxury small-group boat
- Must book at least 5min in advance
- Free cancellation
$54$27.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
Rated 5.0404 reviews
1.5 - 2 hNot a Typical Cruise: Max 10, Bites, Drinks, Local, Personal
★ 5.0 · 404 reviews
- 1.5 to 2 hours, Max 10 guests
- Local captain as guide
- Quality drinks and Dutch bites
- Free cancellation
Icebar drink in ice glasses52 reviews
1 dayAmsterdam: 24-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Boat and XtraCold Icebar
★ 4.3 · 52 reviews
- A full day, Hop-on hop-off boat all day
- Icebar drink in ice glasses
- Bundle
- Free cancellation
Candle-lit, with dinner or private: what the evening listings actually promise.
Evening cruises→Common questions
Amsterdam canal cruise, answered
How much is a canal cruise in Amsterdam?
From $16 for one hour on the saloon boat. The open boat with cheese is $20, the eco boat $21, two hours with drinks $54 and the max-ten boat $72.
Which canal cruise to take in Amsterdam?
Decide on budget first. Under $25 the eco boat has the best rating at 4.8; if drinks matter, the two-hour small-group boat at $54 includes them. The saloon boat is the most reviewed, with 31,839 reviews.
How long is an Amsterdam canal cruise?
One hour on the saloon, open and eco boats. The small-group cruise is two hours, the max-ten boat 1.5 to 2 hours. The hop-on hop-off ticket is valid for 24 hours.
Are drinks included on an Amsterdam canal cruise?
On the one-hour boats, no: drinks are an option or a package. The open boat includes a cheese tasting. Unlimited drinks with Dutch snacks come with the $54 two-hour cruise; the max-ten boat includes drinks and Dutch bites.
Where does an Amsterdam canal cruise leave from?
The six descriptions compared here do not name a pier, so check the meeting point on the listing. The one cruise on this site whose description names its start is the four-course dinner cruise, from Centraal Station.
Is there an Amsterdam canal cruise at night?
On this site the Amsterdam canal cruise night listing that mentions the lights is private, at $257 for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. The romantic canal cruise, whose description names no time of day, is a private canal tour Amsterdam couples can book from $247.
Go deeper
More guides to Amsterdam
Boat tours
Boat tours
Open boats and small-group boat tours on the canals: who runs them, what they cost, how long they last.
Evening cruiseEvening cruise
Evening and night canal cruises: candle-lit boats, drinks on board, prices and start times.
Private boatPrivate boat
Private boat tours and private canal cruises for couples, families and groups, by price.
Dinner cruiseDinner cruise
Dinner cruises on the canals: menus, courses, prices and how long you are on the water.
