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    Lovers Canal Cruise

    3.0 (95 reviews)

    Lovers Canal Cruise Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Lovers Canal Cruise

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    Tiffany J.

    I purchased a ticket for a day trip on Viator and one of the activities that was included was a canal cruise. The ticket was good for two days and I was able to walk up to the ticket booth and choose a time that I wanted to go. I went on a Monday at noon. Lovers is not too far from Amsterdam Centraal. I arrived a few minutes before noon and was surprised that I was able to board (I figured the boat would be full by the time I arrived). The one downside to being one of the last to board was that I wasn't able to get a window seat. The boat is enclosed with glass. If you're able to get a spot next to the window, you can open it which makes for better photos. The windows weren't super clean so my photos didn't come out that great. The cruise was about an hour. You're given a headset that plugs into an outlet at the table. The recorded guide comes in a couple of languages. The captain of the boat occasionally pointed out different landmarks. It was cool seeing one of the narrowest buildings in the city (it's a meter wide). The cruise was fine, but it wasn't a highlight of my trip. There are a lot of canal cruise options in the city. If the weather is nice, opt for an open air cruise.

    My view
    Grace P.

    Was told the ship was overbooked. My husband and I could not sit together. Instead I sat next to a selfie obsessed couple that took up the window. My seat faced a wall and toilet. Audio headset did not work. I wish this could have been a better experience, one hour wasted.

    The departure point for the cruise.
    Jim W.

    This place was directly across the canal from our hotel and the central train station. It appeared that there were some other tour options just across the bridge from here also. I think there are more departure points (some for this company and some for others) at other spots also. This was convenient for us and the cost seemed in line with what other places were charging (between 15 and 20 Euros per person). I think there are options where you can get a cocktail / beer / wine on some cruise, but this wasn't one of those. There is ticket kiosk just off the bridge where they sell tickets to multiple different Amsterdam attractions, including the cruise. There was a short line when we arrived but it moved quickly. I think that, during peak hours, they have boats leaving every 15 - 20 minutes. There wasn't a need to check scheduling online, but they probably have one listed on a website. The tour lasted about an hour and covered several different areas. It was mostly a recorded narration (you got free, cheap headsets which you plugged in at your seat and selected the language by channel). The boat driver sometimes chimed in where there was no recording. We took this on our first afternoon in Amsterdam and were somewhat dazed and jetlagged. We might have gotten more out of it some other day, but the weather was nice. My only other observation is that these boats have sides with windows, but the top is mostly open (unless it is raining). If you have an interest in taking photos from the boat (assuming it is not raining), you might want to opt for a boat with no sides or roof for better field of vision. I did see other companies with that type of boat. It seemed sort of obligatory to do a canal cruise while in Amsterdam, and this company was more than adequate to check that off your itinerary.

    Brena E.

    A lot of the reviews are negative, but I thought it was fine. While an open boat with live commentary would be preferable, I didn't make those reservations early enough so did this instead. No one looked at the time on our tickets, so it didn't seem to be an issue if it's a really long line and you're concerned about missing your boat. There was one available right after the next one. Using the headphones for info was fine. It would be a bummer if you're not by a window though as you might be sitting by a stranger and awkward to reach over them for a picture.

    Doreen T.

    I had booked semi top down cruise via Klook.com, it was easy to find Lovers Canal Cruise just outside the Central train station. We were able to exchange for an earlier time slot at 930am, however the boat was not semi open. They said the semi open boats weren't going to operate that day anyways due to the weather condition. You are given small headphones to listen to some history and facts of Amsterdam during the hour ride. It was a relaxing and slow ride with good views of the beautiful canals. But I feel like you don't get much out of it since the captain just drive the boat without any interactions. We did have an near empty boat about 10 pp only at 930am departure, but the one after ours had many more customers.

    Michael M.

    We should have done our homework but the weather started to turn and we jumped at the chance to relax and take in the sights. The recording was hard to hear, it was a packed boat, and the windows were dirty so it was hard to take pictures, make sure you grab a seat facing forward that way you can take pictures outside the window

    Lisa A.

    I had a mostly lovely time on my evening boat cruise while i was in Amsterdam. The boat was a little stuffy and foggy because it was an exceptionally rainy and chilly day but overall i enjoyed the Captain's silly comments and the lights along the way. In retrospect i would have opted for the day cruise, although i enjoyed the light art installation and my rainy window photos, i would have loved more daylight views of the canal houses. Next time! I got my tickets through Get You Guide so it was relatively inexpensive (although i didn't check prices through the actual company).

    Terra S.

    Okay these guys are helpful and nice, though the tour not so great. It was pretty at night though. You get packed in like sardines so hard to see anything and half the time the headsets wouldn't work or only one of the earpieces would. We were sitting by some people who kept talking the whole time as well so that was annoying. Next time I go I want to do the other booze cruise or dinner cruise I found on Viator instead. You don't really pass by a lot of history places either. Just a few. I guess it's just for the view at night?

    Great experience.
    Stephanie K.

    I came by their ticket booth yesterday and asked some questions about the cruise. The guy selling tickets was so helpful and friendly that I knew this was where I would be going for my cruise. I didn't even buy a ticket yesterday but he was willing to tell me where some different places were that I was asking about. So appreciated. It is 14 Euro for a one hour cruise. The cruises go every half hour and left and arrived back punctually. The captain greeted me warmly as I got on the boat. I chose to sit in the back outside. Even though it was brisk outside, it was the perfect place to sit. The captain hands out headsets and then another guy came by and made sure passengers knew they could choose from many different languages. I loved that. I thoroughly enjoyed my cruise. It was great seeing the city from this vantage point. I enjoyed listening to the information offered. I would definitely recommend it and am so glad I went. Nice and comfortable boat. Super friendly employees. Great experience.

    Canal boat ride at dusk

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    2 years ago

    The captain of the 8:30pm from central was not at all likeable. Restroom was disgusting. All else ok.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Lovers Canal Cruise Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Lovers Canal Cruise

    I selected this one hour cruise as we were on a layover for a few hours in Amsterdam.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Hungry Birds - Our amazing guide, Charmaine!!

    Hungry Birds

    4.9(83 reviews)
    1.8 kmCentrum

    So there we were, in Amsterdam chatting with other folks from the hotel. They spoke about food tour…read moreand we've done them before as well so we decide to delve in. After a bunch of research we decide on hungry birds, and it was a good decision. Our guide for the tour was Anne, as you proved to be a little ball of positive energy that was totally appreciated. She handled controversial issues well, and introduced us to many of the tastes of the market. We tasted everything from fresh Herring to smoke deal to sought after, cookies and we seem to have a back door, no line access to everything. If you'd like to stop reading now is a good point but know that we are big fans of Angry Birds We met at the designated location, introduced ourselves to the other people on the tour and then Anne showed up. She arrived bearing cookies, and my wife and I had actively sought out these cookies just the day before as we had seen them on Instagram. We waited for 15 minutes in line to buy our Van Stapele cookies and here she was showing up with a fresh batch to share with us to get the party started. It was a great start. We then moved onto multiple quality tastes. My wife, ever the brave soul, volunteered to taste the whole fresh Herring that was offered to her, served in the traditional fashion of the seasonal run of the fresh Herring. So it arrived on a plate with onions and pickles, and Leah was taught how to hold the Herring by picking it up from its tail, adding the onions and the pickles and then taking a bite. Mind you the fish had been deboned and cleaned, but it looked every bit of a fish without the head. I volunteered to try a couple of bites as well and enjoyed it. This was at the Volendammer Vishandel, and there was no doubt about the fish being fresh as the place was very busy I don't want to go on and on and ruin your trip to the food tour and so I'll stop here but the combination of the energetic tour guide and the unique stories told made it a very quick four hour tour that I would encourage my friends to take.

    We loved this tour. It was so informative and so much fun. Anne was so wonderful and so much fun…read more You wont be disappointed.

    Photos
    Hungry Birds
    Hungry Birds
    Hungry Birds

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    Captain Dave Amsterdam - Photo from the boat, highly suggest the early morning tour for best photos

    Captain Dave Amsterdam

    5.0(22 reviews)
    1.5 kmCentrum

    This is one of the best tours you will have if you select it. There is a reason that Captain Dave…read morehas such superior reviews. He is interesting, fun, and generous. He is not looking at his clock to make sure we tourists are back and out of his hair. He will ask if he senses it is good timing to do a little extra. If the tourists are up for it....well so is he. The tour is personal and very informative. It includes a variety of drinks, including fresh juices & a delicious snack. If you are planning to take a canal cruise in Amsterdam...this has got to be the best.

    What a fantastic experience with Captain Dave Amsterdam!! We booked the holiday lights tour online,…read moreand easily found the pickup spot. I was with my husband and our 5 year old daughter, and we joined a few others, maybe 8. The boat was clean, large, warm and comfortable, and we were offered soft drinks, mulled wine, hot cocoa or beer/wine for our trip. The captain was so friendly and very knowledgeable, sharing so many facts about Amsterdam and the canals. The holiday lights were wonderful to see. At one point in the tour, he let our little one (the only child in the group) drive the boat, which was the highlight of her whole trip to Amsterdam. I recommend this company to anyone visiting Amsterdam who wants to see it from a different perspective than the typical tourist view. 10/10!!

    Photos
    Captain Dave Amsterdam - Driving the boat

    Driving the boat

    Captain Dave Amsterdam - Our boat had amazing history

    Our boat had amazing history

    Captain Dave Amsterdam - Beautiful architecture

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    Beautiful architecture

    Joy Ride Tours - Meeting Point:  Museumplein between the Museum Shop and the Cobra Cafe.

    Joy Ride Tours

    4.7(17 reviews)
    1.8 kmMuseumkwartier, Zuid

    terrible service personnel. went to the stated location for a tour and was told I needed to go to…read moreanother. biked there after confirming with personnel at the alternate location, they would be waiting. biked quickly and found the tour had left. ?? which direction, so we can catch up?? no idea where they go, the young man said. what about the promise to wait? they left. dont know. ok how about giving my money back since I had one of your staff members call ahead to MAKE SURE YOU WOULD BE THERE 10 min later as we biked quickly to your location. "no you can handle that with a third party, but we dont do refunds, generally..." what a stupid policy to offer a customer, even worse since this 20 something guy (dirty blond hair at the location under the highway), had a terrible attitude and no respect for an elderly couple. STAYED THERE AND MADE THEM WORK WITH THEIR THIRD PARTY PROCESSOR to get my money back. If that wasn't bad enough, three of the other employees thought it would be good to go after me with their excuses and random shots. Is there an adult anywhere around this business???

    Melissa was responsible for the most perfect day of our vacation…read more JoyRide offers you a full refund if you don't have an excellent time-- pretty high bar, I'd. But looking back on our tour, there was nothing that could have been improved upon. We met at 10:15 in the morning in a common location that is easy to find but not too busy at that time of day on a weekday. Melissa was friendly and helpful. The tour started in Amsterdam through Vondel Park and then took us to a boathouse community, past the 1928 Olympic stadium, through the Dutch countryside to a working farm where we got to see cows and how cheese is made (with plenty of samples) and saw a typical functional Dutch windmill. The tour was adventurous without being taxing, and Melissa could not have been more knowledgeable of friendly and truly catered to all of our needs. She was so great I wish we could have her as our tour guide on all of our travels. JoyRide exceeded all of our expectations and I would not hesitate recommending them to any of our friends!

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    Joy Ride Tours
    Joy Ride Tours
    Joy Ride Tours

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    Toms Travel Tours - Fun in the tulips

    Toms Travel Tours

    5.0(9 reviews)
    0.9 kmFrederik Hendrikbuurt, West

    My daughter and I recently took a trip to Amsterdam for our birthday celebrations. I cannot say…read moreenough about Tom's Travel Tours. Our guide, Joyce, took us to the Keukenhof where she filled our tulip tour with much interesting and fun information. She took us to an organic farm, several roadside tulip fields, and lunch in Bergen. Excellent guide. Our guide, Jacky, was so accommodating and fun taking us on our walking tour and food tour. She kept us moving but at a comfortable speed. We had a private canal cruise with Wim, who, also, was so knowledgeable and shared so much information along the way. It is so worth it to book a tour company and I highly, highly recommend Tom's Travel Tours. Thank you for the most enjoyable visit to Amsterdam!

    We booked three tours from Amsterdam: 3 hour walking tour Jordaan/Amsterdam, Guided visit to the…read moreVan Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum, Royal tour Delft and Hague; one tour from Gent: Elegant Ghent Tour; and one tour from Bruges: Charming Bruges. All were excellent. In particular, our Amsterdam guide, Joyce, had excellent in-depth knowledge that was particularly useful in the museums we visited with her: the Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Mauritshuis; and in the Royal Delft museum in the Royal Delft factory. She was able to go beyond what was written on the displays and give further context and meaning, as well as identifying optimum ways of navigating throught these sometimes crowded museums. Mieke in Gent was obviously well-known there: people kept on stopping and talking with her. And Hendrickx was very useful in Bruges.

    Photos
    Toms Travel Tours - Tulips and windmill

    Tulips and windmill

    Toms Travel Tours - Cycling in nature

    Cycling in nature

    Toms Travel Tours - Toms Travel Tours team (part of)

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    Toms Travel Tours team (part of)

    Lovers Canal Cruise - tours - Updated May 2026

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