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.

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.

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.

It was wonderful to cruise around the beautiful canals of Amsterdam while listening to an…read moreinformative audio guide about the city's history through the provided earphones. The tour was for 75 minutes. The best part was being able to open the windows on both sides to catch the cool breeze, sip a cold beer, and admire the breathtaking scenery. Seeing the weeping willows draping over the water and ducks swimming peacefully by made the atmosphere incredibly serene. Life felt so beautifully calm and quiet in that moment. A must-do when you visit Amsterdam.

After our late lunch at Brasserie De Joffres, my husband and I went to explore the city. One of…read morethe things that we were thinking of doing on our trip to Amsterdam was a canal tour, if time permitted. We walked through Vondelpark, and as we exited, we saw the Blue Boat Company. We went to see what time they offered tours, and they had an upcoming tour at 5pm, which was in about 20 minutes -- perfect timing! They also had snacks and drinks for purchase, and we bought a snack pack of cheese, crackers, and wine. The tour was 75 minutes, and you were given earphones so that you could listen to an audio recording in various languages of the scenery you were passing, although I didn't listen to the audio recording the entire time. All in all, a nice relaxing boat ride, eating cheese and drinking wine. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles]

These guys are the new boat on the block, so they're offering a hell of a deal. It was €15 per…read moreperson for unlimited beer and wine. Sure, the wine wasn't the greatest (or good), but sometimes you just need to relax and not try to get your money's worth in booze. The staff was super friendly, and it's more a booze cruise than a tour, so no PA and no tour guide, though Pam was awesome and more than happy to provide us with tips for exploring the city. Awesome way to kill an hour or so.

Looking for canal cruise? Would you like to drink a cold…read moreHeineken? Want to relax? Then go for a cruise with boatamsterdam. Nice people and nice team on a open ship. 1h, drinks included - 15 Euro

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!!!

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.

We had a tour in a boat for a maximum of 10 people. The tour was personal, boat on time, good…read morecommunication both around the booking and during the tour, a friendly well-informed guide / experienced skipper (Deep) who really knew interesting things to tell about the theme and the artworks of the light festival. Very nice to do, yourself or if you have guests in Amsterdam. In short, highly recommended, we will definitely book with Paping again next time.

This was one of the best trips I've had while travelling in a long time. Paap was such a friendly,…read morevibrant and whimsical guide who indulged me in all of my questions and offered amazing stories and anecdotes about a city and country that you can tell he truly loves. Paap made sure we felt taken care of at all times and truly showed us the best of the Amsterdam canals. The boat itself is so cozy and gives you panoramic views as you sail through the various canals. At the end, we got even more time than we signed up for (courtesy of the gracious and generous Paap), some wine, and a literal drop off in front of an amazing German restaurant. We love "uncle" Paap and would recommend him to any traveler and local alike. Thank you Paap and good luck on your amazing new adventure ahead!

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!