Grachtengordel

Water activities

Relax on a canal cruise through the UNESCO Heritage listed Golden Age Canals of Amsterdam. View city highlights like the Skinny Bridge, the Red Light District, and the Old Harbor. Have the option to choose standard tour or a tour with unlimited delicious Dutch cheese, wine, and other drinks. Board the ship and let your local skipper tell you about local history as you sail past sights in the Jordaan district and the Skinny Bridge on the the Amstel River. Admire views of parts of the Red Light District, the former city locks, and Old Harbor. Capture pictures of the stately architecture of the Maritime Museum and the prestigious Gold Bend neighborhood. See pieces of history as you sail by places like the Anne Frank House. Ask your guide questions about the city and get recommendations for things to do and places to eat.

Embark on a cruise takes you through the unique UNESCO World Heritage-listed canal district of Amsterdam. Enjoy the opportunity to take in many of the historic sights of the city center. Depart from Central Station and discover the historic buildings and canals of the city. Admire the elegant merchant houses that date back to the Dutch Golden Age. See stunning gables, beautiful churches, the iconic Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge), and many other top attractions.  During the cruise, listen to the recorded audio commentary in your choice of 19 languages. See merchant buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries, Amsterdam’s Golden Age, when trade flourished and was reflected in elaborately decorated facades. Arrive back at Central Station to finish the tour.

Admire Amsterdam’s picturesque waterside landmarks on a 100% electric cruise. Take in incredible views of the city’s famous landmarks from an open boat and experience a relaxing way to sightsee, free of traffic. Learn informative and entertaining insights about the sites along the route. See the 17th-century buildings lining the famous canals, as well as new stylish buildings showcasing the influential 21st-century city that Amsterdam has become. Sail by the Hermitage Museum, then glide past the Skinny Bridge, the posh Amstel Hotel, and the charming neighborhood of Grachtengordel. Enjoy an open-air boat experience on a sunny day or stay warm with a protective covering on cooler days. In the winter months, relax on an enclosed boat to keep you warm. Choose for our unlimited drinks option if you want to enjoy our beer, wine and softdrink assortment. In case the option excluding drinks was chosen, these can still be purchased on board. Between November and February, we will use open boats whenever weather conditions permit, and switch to closed boats when necessary. • Large bachelor and birthday groups are not allowed on this trip.

Enjoy a refreshing beverage at a temperate minus 10 degrees Celsius at Amsterdam's Icebar, quite literally the city’s coolest drinks venue, with these entry tickets. Get winter wear, a welcome cocktail, and 2 drinks of your choice during your visit. Once you’ve exchanged your voucher for a designated time slot, marvel at a watering hole constructed almost entirely from ice. Everything from the walls and furniture to the very glass you sip your beverage out of is made of natural ice. Upon entering the bar, you will first see the lounge space, where you can have a welcome cocktail or a beer if you wish. This first part of the Amsterdam Icebar is nice and warm. After that, snuggle into the provided winter wear and savor the ambient light and ice sculptures of the Icebar. Choose from 2 different flavors of vodka, regular vodka, sambuca, rum, Heineken beer, or orange juice. Inside the Icebar you can stay up to 20 minutes. You may hang out in the lounge as long as you like, and try a selection of delicious cocktails. The “cool” factor goes even further than the general climate; mood lighting and toe-tapping party tunes complete the scene.

Discover the best of Amsterdam on a 75-minute canal cruise. See the city's top highlights, iconic bridges, and the 17th-century buildings lining the canals. Board the boat and set sail on the historic waterways of Amsterdam. See the Anne Frank House, Westerkerk, and more. Learn more about the UNESCO-listed canals from the on-board audio commentary. While you're enjoying the views that pass you by, listen to an audio guide in 19 languages that tells you everything you need to know about Amsterdam. Hear the stories, legends, and historical facts of the city. If you have children, let them be a 'Fresh Water Pirate' with the special kids audio commentary including a free goodie bag to enjoy themselves while on board.

Discover the unique beauty of Amsterdam at night on an evening cruise. Admire the lights, bridges, and canal houses and see a new side of the city. Board your cruise and begin your tour. Watch the stately 17th-century warehouses of the Dutch capital glide by. Admire the hundreds of bridges and iconic buildings alongside the canals as you cruise through the city and marvel at the illuminated Skinny Bridge. Enjoy the beautiful views and listen to an audio guide with information about the city. See the best Amsterdam has to offer and immerse yourself in the city at night while enjoying the charm of a cruise with a family-run business. Experience a different atmosphere in the city under the night sky. Add a snack box to your booking and enjoy some snacks and drinks as you cruise. Nibble on chips, popcorn, stroopwafels, and salted peanuts with a soft drink, beer, or glass of wine as you sail through Amsterdam's canals.

You can drink in a bar in any city in the world, but for a true Amsterdam experience, you can’t do better than a boozy canal cruise along the world-famous waterways, taking in the sights with a cold beer in hand. Join our intimate Shared Cruise with a maximum amount of 26 people on board. Depart from the city center and cruise through some of the city's main canals. Make your way onto the Amstel River, under the 7 bridges, and discover hidden gems that only a local skipper and host(ess) will know how to find. Your cruise will eventually return to the same spot in which you started, right in the city center, exactly where you will want to be after a cruise with an open bar.

Find out more about Anne Frank on a small-group or private guided walking tour of Amsterdam, led by an expert guide. Discover the city’s centuries-old Jewish Quarter in a small group setting while your guide weaves in anecdotes about Anne Frank's life and World War II. You will hear all about Anne Frank’s family dynamics, their move from Germany, their time in hiding, and her father’s life after the war. Start the tour outside the Portuguese Synagogue, a 17th-century Sephardic construction that still functions as a synagogue today. Find out about the background of the original Jewish neighborhood and how it developed over the centuries. Your guide will share stories of Anne Frank’s love of writing, the conditions she lived through in 1930s and 1940s Amsterdam, and how her diary became so famous. You will also hear about the Dutch Resistance during the Second World War and see where secret hiding places were located. Over the course of the tour, you will walk by the Jewish Historical Museum, stop at the Auschwitz Monument and see the outside of the Anne Frank House façade.

Experience the enchantment of the Amsterdam Light Festival on an electric boat cruise with (optional) beer, wine, glühwein, hot chocolate, soda and a welcome snack. Embark on a journey of wonder and illumination while under warm blankets. Learn about the history of the canals and facts about the city. Settle into the luxurious comfort of a modern, fully electric boat, designed to shield you from the elements, and set out on a cruise through the vibrant heart of Amsterdam. As twilight descends, pass by a captivating gallery of 20 luminous art installations that adorn the canals. Wrapped in warmth with provided blankets, immerse yourself in the city's beauty and allure from the cozy haven of your boat. Listen to stories shared by your skipper or host. Delve into the stories behind the art pieces, explore the rich history of the canals, and uncover insights about the city itself. All the while, indulge in an (optional) selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, generously provided without limit from the onboard bar. The thirteenth edition of Amsterdam Light Festival takes place from 28 November 2024 until 19 January 2025, and has the theme Rituals. Rituals have traditionally helped us through all kinds of transformations; from past to future, from winter to summer, from youth to adulthood. Light plays a vital role in many rituals, as a vibrant symbol of joy, energy and life. We use fireworks to usher in the new year, candles to commemorate the arrival of a saviour, and midsummer fires to welcome the solstice. Light adds something mystical and sacred to a ritual like no other element can. And rituals unify. Rituals bring people together.

Climb aboard a bus or boat to see the city of Amsterdam on a self-guided tour. Enjoy the freedom to hop on and off either one whenever you see a stop you’d like to visit. Choose ticket options, for one or both bus and boat. Board at one of the 10 stops for the bus, located throughout the city center. Turn on your audioguide and choose from 16 different languages to learn about the city and its sights as you pass by. Then, hop off at Gassan Diamonds for a complimentary tour of the jewelry store. But there are more stops close to Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Heineken Experience. Next, try the canal boat for a different experience from the water. Enjoy easy access to the canal stops with boarding spots next to the bus stops, so you can easily get from land to water. Glide along the UNESCO world-heritage canal of over 100 KM of waterways.  Then, take in three of the most famous canals in Amsterdam: Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht, and Herengracht. Pass alongside the houses that border the canals, and learn about the history of these mansions that once belonged to wealthy spice merchants.