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Float through the architectural beauty of the city with our private boat tours Amsterdam on our luxury private boat. Sail on the city's picturesque waterways through historical districts while sipping a chilled drink. Also available as a night tour, with Amsterdam's lightened bridges!

Destination

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

1.5 hours

Transport mode

Boat

Available languages

English, Nederlands, Deutsch

Included

• Private guide
• Welcomedrink

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Carl.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Oosterdokskade 8 - Amsterdam to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Meeting Point

   Oosterdokskade

4. Sluyswachterhuis

   Spot the former lock keeper's house now turned into a café

5. Amstel River

   The only natural river of the city

6. Skinny Bridge

   Sail under this famous bridge and hear the romantic story behind it

7. Jordaan/Anne Frank House

   Most authentic area of Amsterdam

8. Prinsengracht

   One of the main canals in the city full of things to see

9. Herengracht Canal

   Go to the Golden curve, and feel the Golden Age vibes of this area

10. Point of the 7 Bridges

    A chill canal where you can spot the locals and their boats

11. Dancing Houses

    Crooked and famous!

12. Old town/Red Light

    See what's the hype is all about about this famous district

13. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Kevin🇺🇸 United States

3 January 2025

We had a great time. Boat was adorable and very comfortable. Joost did a great job navigating and touring us. 10 excellent

Cindy🇺🇸 United States

31 December 2024

We had 8 in our party that fit perfectly in Carl’s beautiful boat. He arranged lunch and picked it up hot and fresh on our cruise going through the canals. Loved it and would do it again:)Great experience

Mary🇦🇺 Australia

17 October 2024

Carl was very friendly and knowledgable not only about the canals but also his city. Hi love and passion for what he does is evident in the information and stories he tells. His little boat is immaculate and allows for very comfortable viewing of Amsterdams landmarks. Thank you Carl for an enjoyable morning Great way to see Amsterdam.

Nidal

30 September 2024

Amazing guide and tour for small groupsHighly recommended

John🇨🇦 Canada

27 September 2024

This was my second tour with Carl. He is an amazing local captain! We learned so much of the history of Amsterdam and enjoyed seeing the city from such a unique perspective. I would recommend doing this tour!Great experience!

Molly🇺🇸 United States

13 September 2024

Carl was professional and was an expert navigating the canals, answering all of our questions. Definitely better to have a private tour vs the over crowded tour boats on offer.excellent canal tour

Mark🇺🇸 United States

31 August 2024

My son and I were visiting Amsterdam from Salt Lake City UT for the first time, and this was a fun and informative part of our experience there. Carl met us at the pick up spot and introduced us to our guide Scott. The tour was interesting, fun, and Scott delivered a lot of insight and information about Holland, the Dutch people and Amsterdam in general. Overall a great experience that I would highly recommend. The boat itself was clean and the customer service was spot on. The communication throughout the booking process was prompt and helpful. Scott our guide DELIVERED

Sharon🇺🇸 United States

30 August 2024

Carl has lived here his whole life and knows the answer to any question you have. He renovated a mahogany boat built in 1915. It’s gorgeous! We went on 3 diff boats rides while in Amsterdam- 2 big tour boats and this private boat. The experience with Carl was great! Highly Recommend private boat!!Beautiful boat, nice guy

Caroline🇺🇸 United States

16 August 2024

We could not have been happier with our canal tour with Carl! He is so fun, funny, energetic and, especially, enthusiastic about his hometown. While this tour would be terrific at anytime while in Amsterdam, we found it to be a great start to our visit. The tour quickly helped us with understanding the layout of the central area, with Carl providing details and color along the way. Carl really can do two things at once--drive and be an excellent guide! Thank you Carl!!Unique tour of the City!

Marc🇺🇸 United States

25 July 2024

We really enjoyed our time with Carl and his 1915 canal cruiser ! Would definitely book again !Beautiful sunset cruise

Lauren

21 July 2024

Carl and his partner provided a fantastic experience. The boat is absolutely beautiful, and it was nice to have some facts about Amsterdam shared throughout. I highly recommend Carl! Carl was fabukous!

Alison🇺🇸 United States

18 July 2024

We had the best time with Scott on our canal cruise! He was knowledgeable, funny, helpful and so easy to chat with! We learned a lot about Amsterdam and he tailored much of the cruise to our specific interests. This was definitely a highlight of our trip and I would highly recommend! We're so happy we chose a smaller, personalized cruise - keep up the fantastic work!So much fun!

gina🇺🇸 United States

18 July 2024

thought we were doing a tour with Carl, an Amsterdamer, but instead had Cole, who was from Portland OR. He was very nice, knowledgeable and accommodating, but not what we were expecting.nice guy, but was he a local?

Terry🇺🇸 United States

12 July 2024

Absolutely beautiful tour of the canals of Amsterdam’s old city centre! So nice to be on a private boat and have a great conversation with the captain of the boat, who was exceptionally friendly and helpful! Great experience!Beautiful boat trip on Amsterdam’s Canals

Terry

6 July 2024

The boat is charming. The hosts were amazing. It was a perfect evening to cruise and the whole experience was a highlight of our travels.Perfect evening on the canal

Tad🇺🇸 United States

23 June 2024

We booked a private tour with Carl just a day before Amsterdam. Carl is the kind of private operator you hope to get. He communicated clearly and frequently. All questions were answered before we arrived. The boat driver was on time and at the appointed meeting place. He was knowledgeable and friendly. I cannot recommend Carl and his team any more. Book with confidence and enjoy Amsterdam from a private boat with only your group. Amsterdam Canals by Carl

brazzii🇨🇭 Switzerland

31 May 2024

Es war eine wunderschöne romantische Grachtenfahrt mit vielen interessanten Informationen von Carl mit einem tollen Service dazu. ❤️lichen Dank Carl!Wunderschöne Grachtenfahrt

PIERRE

19 May 2024

Lovely cruise with great captain Carl

Dagmar🇩🇪 Germany

10 May 2024

It was a delighting Journey . We saw Most beautiful places. Carl was amiable good prepared and we could ask many things. I wish him all the best for his Future Sincerely Dagmar Binder

Trisha🇺🇸 United States

8 May 2024

Captain Cole took us on a lovely trip around Amsterdam by water. It was a great way to see areas of the City we had not visited, and a different perspective on the city from the water. He gave us some suggestions on restaurants and other areas to see while we are here. Highly recommend!Wonderful trip!

Deborah🇺🇸 United States

30 April 2024

Great afternoon sailing the canals, Mark was the captain and he was very informative and took pride in Amsterdam and sharing all the history and culture with Canals. A smaller boat is great. This makes it possible to enjoy a conversation as you sail along the some of the smaller canals. Very enjoyable experience, I recommend it highly. A lovely Afternoon on ther Canals

Stephen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

22 April 2024

As promised - a beautiful boat with a very friendly captain. It was a wonderful way to see the City in style and at a leisurely pace. It delivers a very different perspective on the water and we really enjoyed hearing the stories behind the city. Appreciated the detour to see where the Ted Lasso episode was filmed too!A perfect way to see Amsterdam

Tim🇺🇸 United States

22 April 2024

We had the best time, our boat drives knew tons of great history and it was a beautiful way to see the city. And the cheese plate was delicious Great tour!

Kim

22 April 2024

We recently took the canal cruise with Mark as our pilot/guide. He was great; knowledgeable and personable. It was a wonderful way to get a true sense of what the city feels like. Also a great way to see so much more of the canals and their boats than we would be able to do on foot (without getting lost, anyway). We highly recommend this to any first-time visitor or anyone who wants to spend 90 minutes just relaxing and watching beautiful and historical Amsterdam go by! Thank you, Mark! (and Carl).A Must Do!

Christine

21 April 2024

Victoria🇺🇸 United States

16 April 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our boat ride with Robert this week in Amsterdam. He was funny, informative, kind, and made the time pass so quickly. The tour really gave us a unique perspective, on the canals and history of the Canal boats. And it was lovely to have a chance to avoid a larger crowds with a personalized tour. I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone!Great afternoon on the wster

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

27 March 2024

I booked a private canal tour for myself and my daughter with Captain Carl and it exceeded my expectations. Before the booking Carl was great at communicating everything we needed to know. Meeting him at the dock was very easy. Carl has great knowledge of the area and provided wonderful history and facts and kept us highly entertained with fantastic stories. We loved our entire time with Carl - the 1 ½ hours flew by. Also - Carl gave us wonderful recommendations for places to dine while we stayed in Amsterdam which we took advantage of and were not left disappointed. Great local knowledge, so much fun. Would highly recommend Carl if you are looking to book a private canal tour. Perfect way to see the canals

Cheryl🇺🇸 United States

22 March 2024

We enjoyed our private tour of the canals and river. Carl was timely in picking us up His boat was beautifully maintained and he shared that the inside cabin was just refurbished. He offered us snacks and drinks and did everything to make us comfortable and feel welcome from the start. He was knowledgeable about the canals and river and shared details and facts as well as general useful info like restaurants and other places to visit. Time flew bye. I highly recommend Carl’s cruises.Canel and River tour

g6pvypmrdd

17 September 2023

Thank you Carl for that pleasant and interessting boat trip. We had a lot of questions to Carl about Amsterdam (sorry dir That) and he knew everything ! A Real local with a wonderful and romantic boat! See u next time- perhaps for a dinner boat Trip ?! Great trip

Celine🇺🇸 United States

17 July 2023

We absolutely loved our time on the boat with Mark as our skipper. The boat is beautiful and perfectly maintained. We learned so much about the canals and Amsterdam from Mark. It was a peaceful and really enjoyable way to see the beautiful city! AWESOME time on the canals!

Chaz🇺🇸 United States

12 June 2023

Great tour on the nicest boat. We had a great time and appreciate the warm welcome by Carl. Thank you and best wishes. Captain Carl is awesome!!!

Odette🇨🇦 Canada

22 May 2023

The boat tour with Carl was very nice. His boat is beautiful and extremely clean. The meeting place is easy to find and everyone was on time. We were offered welcome drinks upon arrival which was nice. Carl is a great guide, he knows his city well and we learned a lot on this tour. He had a great smile all along and gave us more insights about where to eat and what to see. We enjoyed the experience a lot, it was our first contact with the city and it was everything we hoped for. If you are looking for a great boat tour of Amsterdam, Carl is who you should look for.Fun experience!

Debra🇺🇸 United States

12 April 2023

My husband, daughter and I took a ride on Carl and Robertino's boat on our third night in Amsterdam. We had an absolutely delightful time! We would've been happy to ride around and chat and drink with these two charming men for hours! It was truly one of the highlights of our time in this beautiful city. Absolutely delightful time on the boat!

Tammie🇨🇦 Canada

10 October 2022

We loved our boat tour with Carl. He has the perfect blend of personality and knowledge to show visitors a wonderful perspective of the city. He was extremely patient at answering all our questions. Boat was luxurious and it was such a treat to enjoy a private tour. Very Best Way to Experience Amsterdam

Terry🇺🇸 United States

14 September 2022

You need to either start your vacation with Carl or finish it with him you can’t go wrong… He made us feel comfortable and that is very important… Highly recommended!!!Great Experience!!!

Kevin 🇺🇸 United States

7 September 2022

Carl could not have been more hospitable… he made us feel right at home! We had an awesome time. Very knowledgeable about everything! Would recommend this trip to everyone…. Well worth the time and money!Awesome!

Raymond🇺🇸 United States

4 September 2022

Carl’s boat tour was just what we were looking for - a nice tour of the canals along with some education and history. It was a smooth ride, easy pickup and drops and very friendly. I highly recommend. Awesome tour of the canals

Birgit🇩🇪 Germany

1 September 2022

Wir waren 8 Frauen und haben unserer Freundin eine private Bootstour mit Carl geschenkt. Carl ist ein sehr sympathischer Mensch und hat uns einen tollen Tipp für den Abend gegeben. Leider war die Bootstour nicht informativ. Carl hat nur erzählt welche Gracht wir gerade befahren, ansonsten hat er nichts erzählt. Das haben wir uns tatsächlich ganz anders vorgestellt und waren sehr enttäuscht. Die Tour war das Geld nicht wert.keine Informationen

Michael🇺🇸 United States

30 August 2022

Cruising Amsterdam’s canals at night is very special. The wooden boat looks great with an enclosed cabin and large windows to appreciate the city lights. Capt. Carl is friendly and knowledgeable about Amsterdam. A welcome glass of wine adds to the relaxed ambiance. Gliding quietly along the canals is a great way for two couples to experience Amsterdam at night with Carl at the helm. A beautiful night-time experience

Rick🇩🇪 Germany

21 August 2022

Top Ausfug

Taelor🇨🇦 Canada

20 August 2022

We had an excellent time on our tour. The boat was beautiful and Carl was very nice, and made us feel very comfortable. He was very knowledgeable about the city and gave us lots of recommendations for our trip. Delightful tour!

Gerold🇩🇪 Germany

13 August 2022

We had a evening tour starting at 21.15 and from the first moment you step on Carls’s boat you feel comfortable and like at home. The tour through the canals of Amsterdam is beautiful and we enjoyed the nice atmosphere of the city and Carls’s boat. Lovely tour in Amsterdam

Katharina🇩🇪 Germany

9 August 2022

Amazing host, lovely boat!

Sonja🇺🇸 United States

4 August 2022

Our tour with Carl was super enjoyable! He was engaging, great sense of humor, and very knowledgeable about Amsterdam! He made it feel very personalized and gladly answered all our questions! It was a beautiful, relaxing and interesting tour! My friends and I truly enjoyed it and highly recommend the tour and Carl!!Canals with Carl

Rick🇺🇸 United States

3 August 2022

Carl gave us a wonderful private tour of the Amsterdam canals on his beautiful boat. Seeing Amsterdam from the canals is a must-do while in the city and Carl is a knowledgeable and fun guide!Highly recommended boat tour with Carl

Brenda🇺🇸 United States

26 July 2022

My daughters & friend had a private canal tour. It was very relaxing and beautiful scenery. Only thing missing was more historical information on what we were looking at. Overall good experience Nice relaxing experience.

Bruce🇺🇸 United States

26 July 2022

Carl our guide/captain was a relaxed gracious host. The tour was informative and the conversation with Carl was enjoyable. And the boat is a classic. Next time we will do the dinner cruise !! Relaxed / elegant canal tour

Michael🇺🇸 United States

18 July 2022

This trip was the highlight of my family’s visit to Amsterdam. Carl is wonderful, the boat is beautiful. What a great way to see Amsterdam. Can’t wait to return!Wonderful ride

andysheldon🇺🇸 United States

3 July 2022

We had the most delightful 90 minute trip around the beauty that is Old Amsterdam. The boat is a delight, small, but really charming. Our Captain, Nichol, was delightful, informative, yet not overwhelming. His boating skills and local knowledge made for a relaxing and fascinating tour. Highly recommend, and absolutely add Cheese and Wine to the trip, so worth it. Phenomenal!

Cherie🇺🇸 United States

29 June 2022

Carl was amazing! He answered all of our questions about the scenes plus chatted with us about life in Amsterdam and life in general! He was professional, friendly, and informative. His boat was beautiful and I definitely recommend you tour with Carl! The best!!