Small, open and private boats
A boat tour Amsterdam visitors take on a smaller boat costs from $20: one hour on an open boat with a Dutch cheese tasting included. For $21 a silent eco boat gives you a live local skipper and cushions. Two hours with unlimited drinks and Dutch snacks is $54; a boat capped at ten guests, the captain acting as guide, is $72. A private boat for up to ten guests starts at $273. These descriptions do not name a pier. The yardstick is the $16 saloon boat.
Quick answer
The short answer. Air and cheese: the open boat at $20. Quiet and a skipper to talk to: the eco boat at $21. Drinks in the fare: the small-group boat at $54. Ten guests at most: $72. Nobody else aboard: $273.
Big boat or small boat
The saloon boat at $16 is the yardstick: a 19th-century boat with a quiet electric engine and a host who shares stories. The small boats change four things.
Who talks. On the eco boat it is a live local skipper who speaks English. On the max-ten boat the local captain is your personal guide, and the description promises real stories rather than a script. On the private boats a skipper tells stories while you cruise.
Where you sit. The eco boat lists cozy cushions; the $20 boat is open. The open boat tour Amsterdam visitors review most is that one, with 6,000 reviews at 4.6.
What is on board. Cheese is included on the open boat. Drinks and Dutch snacks are unlimited on the small-group boat. The max-ten boat includes quality drinks and Dutch bites.
How many people. Only two descriptions put a number on it: ten guests at most on the $72 shared boat, up to ten on the $273 private one. A small boat tour Amsterdam visitors share otherwise has no stated size.
Six boats
Each boat listed here is shown with what its description says is on board.
An authentic open boat with Dutch cheeses; unlimited drinks, spritzers and Prosecco as packages. 6,000 reviews at 4.6.
A live local English-speaking skipper, cushions and an optional drink package. 2,913 reviews at 4.8.
A luxury boat for a small group, unlimited drinks and Dutch snacks. 801 reviews at 4.9.
Local captain as guide, quality drinks, Dutch bites. 404 reviews at 5.0.
The skipper takes you through the canal district, the river and the port. 257 reviews at 4.9.
Your own skipper, a custom route, drinks included, city centre pickup, boats for 12 or 20 guests. 4.8 on 20 reviews.
Every trip, current fare
Six boats from $20 to $614. Private prices are per booking on the listing, so divide by your group before comparing.
| Tour | Length | Price | What you get | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: Private Canal TourCanals, river and port | 1 - 2 h | $273 | Up to 10 guests | — | 4.9 · 257 |
| Amsterdam: Luxury Private Boat TourDrinks included, centre pickup | 90 min | $614 | Own skipper, custom route | $409.33 | 4.8 · 20 |
Which one if…
Six situations, each answered from the listing descriptions.
No description here gives an age rule or a child fare. The one-hour boats are the shortest; a private boat for up to ten at $273 keeps your group together.
The small-group boat is two hours at $54; the max-ten boat 1.5 to 2 hours at $72.
For a wine and cheese boat tour Amsterdam listings offer two routes: cheese and wine as an option on the $16 saloon boat, or cheese included and Prosecco sold on board on the $20 open boat.
The open boat at $20 and the eco boat at $21 both fit, with room for a drink package.
An evening boat tour Amsterdam visitors can book starts at $50 on a candle-lit boat; see evening cruises.
A romantic boat tour Amsterdam couples can book alone is $247 with Prosecco and snacks; see private boats.
Just want the classic one-hour cruise and its price? The six canal cruises side by side.
Canal cruises compared→Is it worth it
Four dollars more than the saloon boat buys the open boat and its cheese tasting, at the same 4.6. Five dollars more buys the eco boat, at 4.8 on 2,913 reviews. On the numbers, that is the cheapest step up in rating on this page.
An Amsterdam boat tour with drinks costs $54 for two hours, all of them unlimited, and it is rated 4.9. If you would buy two drinks on a one-hour boat anyway, the gap closes fast.
The $72 boat carries the only 5.0 here, on 404 reviews, and puts a cap of ten on the group. A luxury boat tour Amsterdam visitors book privately costs $614, but its 4.8 rests on 20 reviews, so weigh it lightly.
The private $273 boat is the one Amsterdam city boat tour here whose description goes past the canals to the river and the port. Split across ten guests, it is less per head than the max-ten shared boat.
Book direct
Live prices and ratings. Every price band is on the main list of 72 tours.
★ 4.6 · 6,000 reviews
★ 4.8 · 2,913 reviews
★ 4.9 · 801 reviews
★ 5.0 · 404 reviews
★ 4.9 · 257 reviews
★ 4.8 · 20 reviews
Looking at Amsterdam boat tour dinner options? Four courses on the water start at $99.
Dinner cruises→Common questions
The Amsterdam boat tour price on a small shared boat starts at $20 for one hour. Two hours with unlimited drinks is $54. Private boats start at $273 for up to ten guests.
By rating, the max-ten boat at $72: 5.0 on 404 reviews. By number of reviews among small boats, the open boat with cheese: 6,000 at 4.6. For value, the eco boat at $21, 4.8 on 2,913.
If fun means drinks, the small-group boat has an open bar for two hours at $54. If it means talking to the crew, the max-ten boat makes the captain your guide.
One description here promises the lights at night: a private romantic evening boat at $257, 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, with Prosecco and local cheese.
None of these descriptions sets an age limit or child price, so check the listing. A one-hour boat is the shortest option, from $20.
One: the private luxury boat at $614 includes city centre pickup, your own skipper, a custom route and drinks. The others do not mention pickup.
Cheese included and an open deck: the open boat at $20, 4.6. A silent boat, cushions and a live skipper: the eco boat at $21, 4.8.
Go deeper
The classic one-hour canal cruises of Amsterdam, compared by price, boat and what is on board.
Private boatPrivate boat tours and private canal cruises for couples, families and groups, by price.
Evening cruiseEvening and night canal cruises: candle-lit boats, drinks on board, prices and start times.
Amsterdam: Saloon Boat Cruise with optional Cheese & Wine
★ 4.6 · 31,839 reviews · 1 hour