This was our first stop in Amsterdam and WOW! What a way to start off our trip. Not only did we see…read morescenic views of Amsterdam (and beautiful pirate Pete!) but we also learned about the rich history from our amazing guide (Pirate Pete). Could not recommend this tour more, the company is great and of you want the advice of a real local book with them!!

Had not one but two highly entertaining trips. Just couldn't be happier. Knowledgeable and ready…read morewith a quiet quip.

I had the opportunity to experience both the canal tour and the stroopwafel-making workshop, and I…read morethoroughly enjoyed them both! I had also booked the food tour, but unfortunately, it was canceled. I wish I had been notified in advance rather than finding out upon arrival, but they apologized, explained the situation, and assured me that I would receive a refund, which I believe I did. Stroopwafel-Making Workshop I absolutely loved this workshop, it was so much fun! Sofia was a wonderful instructor who made the entire experience feel welcoming, relaxed, and enjoyable. I first noticed the workshop the day before because the store window was so beautiful. I wondered what it was all about, and by complete coincidence, Sofia was the person who pointed me in the right direction and showed me how to book it. I'm so glad she did because I ended up having such a fantastic time! The best part was getting to make my own stroopwafel and decorate it however I wanted, with as many toppings and decorations as I liked. It was such a fun and unique experience, and I'm so happy I decided to give it a try. Canal Tour Daniel and Summer were incredibly welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. Daniel, in particular, went above and beyond by happily answering our questions and even getting us drinks whenever we needed them. Their hospitality added so much to the experience. The boat itself was beautiful, and the canal tour was a relaxing and memorable way to experience Amsterdam. Seeing the city from the water offered a completely different perspective and made the tour feel especially memorable. I also thought it was really smart to decorate the boat with flowers. They created such a unique and beautiful backdrop for photos, and if you prefer not to have them in your pictures, they're very easy to avoid. My only small suggestion would be to be mindful of where you sit. I somehow ended up getting quite wet all down the back of my legs! I think I was simply unlucky, since no one else seemed to have the same issue, but it's something worth keeping in mind. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and Daniel and Summer made it even more enjoyable! Both experiences were highlights of my time in Amsterdam, and I would happily recommend them to anyone looking for a fun and memorable way to experience the city and its culture. Side note, they are both located right near the Anne Frank Haus!

Booking a last‑minute tour online turned out to be more confusing than expected. Flagship lists a…read morewhole menu of overlapping options -- beer, wine, beer‑and‑wine, full bar, cheese or no cheese -- all at different prices, all departing at the exact same time from the exact same dock. We had the tour that started near the Rijksmuseum, which made getting there straightforward despite the confusing booking process. We chose the basic tour; the couple ahead of us booked the Heineken version, which supposedly included multiple complimentary beers. Yet once onboard, everyone was offered the same single complimentary drink, and anything beyond that was charged. It's hard not to wonder why the pricing tiers exist when the onboard experience doesn't seem to match them. Our captain, Max from Amsterdam, was friendly and clearly knew his way around the canals, but he was repeatedly overruled by the guide, Roger, who insisted on turning the boat around whenever Max tried to take us toward certain areas. Roger's guiding style leaned more toward casual chatter and personal anecdotes than actual commentary on the city. Over the course of an hour, only a small handful of buildings or landmarks were mentioned, leaving long stretches of the ride feeling more like background conversation than a guided tour. At the end, Roger joked about the tip jar being a "traditional Dutch tip jar" -- the kind where you leave what you think the tour was worth, and if you weren't satisfied, you take out what you think you're owed. It was meant as humor, but it landed a little too accurately; we laughed with the group next to us that there wasn't nearly enough in the jar for all of us to reclaim what we felt we were owed due to what the tour lacked. All in all, it was a pleasant boat ride and a nice way to see Amsterdam from the water. But if you're expecting a genuinely informative, structured canal tour, this isn't the company -- or at least not the guide -- to rely on.

Everyone wants to do a Canal tour and they're are so many options. We were just waking but and the…read moreguy on the aside of the Canal stood us to chat and talked us into it. Very friendly, but it was just timing. So I have no other info to base off of or compare . We were 2 adults and 2 kids and had a great time. They kept drinks going and the info coming. It was relaxing and informative and beautiful

With so many canal tours to choose from, it was hard to decide prior to our trip in March 2019…read more However, I am very glad we selected Friendship Rederij for our tour! We had an enjoyable hour in a comfortable and low-key atmosphere, and were provided so much information about Amsterdam and the canals! I would highly recommend Friendship Rederij over a larger, more commercial boat, as this was a great experience. Our guides were very knowledgeable and easy to listen to, and the smaller boat was relaxing and comfortable. Drinks are available for purchase while on board, and they do take cards and Euros which was very nice. We were in a group of probably 20ish people. The tour was in English, which was much appreciated. The tour was extensive, and we felt like as the boat was smaller than some of the bigger, commercialized ones, we were able to view more of the canals. It was also nice that the boat is uncovered, so no matter where you were sitting, you were able to get great pictures! Do yourself a favor and choose Friendship Rederij for your canal boat tour while visiting Amsterdam. This is a well-priced, less touristy, and wonderful option.

My boyfriend and I loved our experience at Pure Boats, especially after enduring a French boat…read morecruise that prioritized quantity over quality. Such an intimate boat with an open bar, charcuterie board, and friendly tour guide. I made four or five mimosas before I calmed down. We asked questions about living in the Netherlands that are rather unconventional, and he still managed to answer all of them. He managed to balance guiding the boat and conversing with all guests very well. He also stopped for all the guests to take photos at particularly scenic points in our tour. Definitely worth it to take your tour in the evening while the sun is setting and the weather isn't too hot! Most people who came were celebrating engagements or honeymoons. If that doesn't speak to the testament of the quality of this place, I don't know what does! Trusting a spot with one of the few important moments in your life where you don't splurge is impressive. We definitely passed by our fair share of other boat cruises, and this one has the most lovely interior. The high rating on Yelp is well deserved. What a memorable moment of our Amsterdam trip.

Best Amsterdam Canal Cruise! Our family of 3 enjoyed the must comfortable and scenic 9am morning…read morecruise. Just the right amount of time on the water, we were fully engaged the whole time. There was a small toilet on our boat but went unused as the tour goes quickly. Waters, wine, and beers were offered and a few of our friends enjoyed beverages. The quality and professionalism was outstanding, with a very knowledgeable English speaking captain (Pauline was great!). After seeing the other boats jam packed with tourists, we knew we made the right choice. Pure Boats is the way to go. Book it!

This was absolutely the highlight of our trip! This was a wonderful 90 minute trip around the…read morecanals. There was plenty of room as well as plenty of snacks and drinks to go around. I ended up in a wheelchair and they were able to fold it up and put it on the ship (I did have to be able to get down some stairs and in and out of the boat). We went at 7pm when the sun was absolutely gorgeous. Loved this.

We had taken a canal tour boat trip last year and say the main sights and with the recorded audio…read more We took Capt Jack this time and it was completely different and personalized. The tour we took had the all you can snack and drink which was nice however we drank sparingly since they are no restrooms for 90 minute. All seats have a good view. Capt Beau offered some information but mostly answered the question from the 20 or so of us. We liked hearing what it's like to grow up in the Netherlands. Our tour was at 8pm in Early August; we had good daylight with partly cloudy sky's and then nice sunset colors. The route was different than the big tour boat. I would say comfortable and relaxing are the main take aways with a shot of fun and interesting.

A trip to Amsterdam is incomplete without doing some form of canal cruise and we chose Starboard…read moreBoats to tour the city. We aimed for the 8:45PM slot for sunset views and it was a great way to end the day! Pick-up and drop-off are at the same dock. I'm not sure if private tours are the default but our group was large enough to fill up a boat. We also had unlimited beer, wine, and soda for the whole experience. Unfortunately, you won't be able to bring anything else on board so keep the hard liquor at home! Our tour guide (Elena) was fantastic and I really liked how she just matched our vibe. In the beginning, she asked what kind of tour we wanted like educational or to be left alone. We opted for educational and learned so many interesting facts about the city. We got history, culture, and current events and she knew most of the answers to our questions. At the end, she gave us some great recommendations for nightlife in the city. Elena also did the entire tour in English! Highly recommend if it's your first time in Amsterdam!

Great crew,super friendly and informative,take you to local neighborhoods rather then than the…read moreusual tour boat routes through the Binnenstad...got to see elephants and locals swimming and sunbathing in canals...Will go back again...

Why 5 stars? Because this was an amazing way to see Amsterdam…read more --- --- --- In planning our one day to Amsterdam, I assumed we would be doing a canal cruise, but hadn't put much more thought into it than that. When we arrived at our hotel, the concierge asked if we wanted to sign up for a cruise that would pick us up right in front of the door at 3pm that afternoon. That was about as convenient as possible for us, so we signed up for it without knowing much more than that. I was a little hesitant about spending 70 euros on it, but it ended up being worth it. There were only 12 of us on board, plus the captain, who was American, but with Dutch roots. He was the perfect host: informative and entertaining, but also low key. He offered us drinks throughout the 90 minute tour, as well. I liked that the boat we were on did have some cover, but it was also open in parts too. I sat in the very back, which allowed me to get a little warmth from the covered area, but I was still able to get some unobstructed photos. If you are looking for a canal cruise in Amsterdam, I can't think of a single negative about our experience with this one!

I can't imagine how our excursion with Leemstar could have been better. We had a group of 8 take…read morethe canal cruise. Our captain, Floris, was outstanding. He was warm, welcoming and very knowledgeable. He made us feel at home immediately. The boat was very special: all wood, comfortable seating benches and closed in with windows and open areas for easy photo taking. Floris was knowledgeable and asked if we wished commentary, which we wanted. The commentary included maps to help orient us to the trip. We booked a 'cruise' for 5:30 pm but our taxi did not show up at the hotel. I called Leemstar and shortly received a phone call from Floris checking on our progress. Fortunately we obtained alternate taxis and made it on time, but having Floris check with us relieved anxiety. We had ordered two cheese boards and drinks. There was beer, Prosecco, wine and soft drinks. It was all delicious and added a special touch to our cruising. The canals and river area we travelled were gorgeous. Floris' commentary was fascinating and humorous. He is a very articulate. Again, after a Viking Cruise and excursions totaling 19 days, everyone in our group thought this canal cruise was one the the top highlights of our entire trip. You won't go wrong booking a cruise with Leemstar.

Highly highly recommend if you're looking to do a canal cruise in Amsterdam. I found Mokumboot…read morethrough the I Amsterdam Card (the cruise is included in the card) and decided to book because it was the only company on the card with an open boat. Making reservations was easy online and the boat was easy to find. We essentially had a semi private tour because there were only 3 other guests on board. Mike and our Captain made it such a fun, safe, and enjoyable experience. Because it was an open boat we got to take amazing pictures and even got to touch the underside of the bridges for good luck. It sprinkled lightly for a few minutes during our tour but they have plenty of clear umbrellas on board. Check out Mokumboot! You won't regret it!

Highest possible recommendation and THANK YOU to the lovely Mike and Mariah for yesterday's canal…read morecruise. This open boat - the ONLY way to do this experience - carried us down the Amsterdam canals and it was the perfect way to wrap my trip to Amsterdam. Mike and Mariah are knowledgeable, courteous guides and they made the trip that much more pleasurable with their history lessons. Drinks are available and the first one is on the house (boat)! Will I ever have the chance again to sip white wine while cruising the Amsterdam canals? Maybe not, but thank goodness I got to do it once. Recommend using your I Amsterdam card for this experience (20 euro otherwise) and, don't worry, there's not a bad seat on the boat. Thank you very much, Mike and Mariah!

Skip those large canal boat rides and go with a small boat and personalized tour with a native of…read moreAmsterdam. Our guide Jan was a first-rate skipper, guide, and a great on board host. Filled with knowledge and unusual things to see along the way, Jan was as personal and friendly as you could ever hope for in a tour guide / skipper. This was truly one of the highlights of our time in Amsterdam. The boat was small, and comfortable for the 4 of us, we drank beer and wine while nibbling on small bites, as we toured Amsterdam from the water. I lived in Amsterdam for quite some time and had walked most of the canals Jan took us through, but I learned plenty on this boat tour. Jan is a native of Amsterdam, and skippers' tours every day. I would not hesitate to recommend Amsterdam Boat Center if you're looking for a unique way to see Amsterdam.

My family and I very much enjoyed our Amsterdam Boat Center canal tour earlier in August. There…read moreare many canal tour companies in the area to pick from and while this one is on the pricier side, it was a very nice experience and lasted 90 minutes. The boat itself is very authentic and was very comfortable to sit in. We cruised through numerous canals around the city while the captain (who also acted as our guide) talked about the canals, history of Amsterdam, and the buildings flanking the canals. The only drawback was the lack of microphone because the captain/guide was difficult to hear at times if you were sitting in the back and other passengers were talking.

On the 20 year anniversary of returning to this wonderful city, my husband and finally got to take…read morea canal tour which we would not have appreciated as teenagers! After reading the great reviews, I booked the last tour of the day and hoped to catch a little bit of sunset. It turned out that our walking skills were better than we anticipated and we got to the boat 39 minutes early. We were excited to find out that we could use our tickets on a boat that left a half and hour earlier. Thanks for the flexibility! Chris and Carrie were excellent hosts. They offered drinks for a nominal fee, colorful commentary about the history of the city and even let me drive the boat! Yeah, crazy right? Chris was such a great Captain that he even helped me steer straight through the canals like nobody's business. If you want to get a guided tour of Amsterdam without the mass tourist crowd and a completely open boat to take photos, this tour is for you. They will answer any questions you have and make sure you enjoy the trip. Thank you for the awesome experience!

Amazing Canal experience! Captain Duke is excellent with communication and his staff were…read moreexceptional! Very fun and informative, hands down the best choice after reviewing other cruises. After the cruise we went to meet up with friends that reside in Amsterdam and taught them a few lessons about the Dam that they didn't even know. See you August Flying Dutch Crew!!!