One ticket, valid for 24 or 48 hours, getting on and off at several stops along the canals.
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The Hop-on-Hop-off boat is less a sightseeing cruise than a means of transport: you buy a day ticket and get on and off at the stops, which sit close to the major museums — Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Hermitage, Centraal Station.
A full circuit takes about 100 minutes. Depending on the season the boats run every 20 to 45 minutes, less often in winter.
Boat-only tickets without a bus combination.
© Aswathy N / Unsplash
The boat-only ticket without a bus combination. A full circuit takes around 100 minutes, and the audio guide and guide also speak German.
Day ticket for the boat plus entry to the XtraCold Icebar on the Amstel. Only makes sense if you wanted to visit the Icebar anyway.
These tickets are also valid on the Hop-on-Hop-off buses. Useful if you want to reach destinations outside the canal ring as well.
Combined ticket for boat and bus, valid one or two days. Useful if you also want to reach destinations outside the canal ring — as a boat-only ticket it is too expensive.
The bus-and-boat combination from City Sightseeing. Which languages the recorded commentary covers is stated in the provider's product description.
The stops are at the major museums and landmarks: Centraal Station, Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum and Museumplein, the Hermitage or H ART Museum, and Prins Hendrikkade. The exact number and position of the stops varies by provider and season — you will find the current map with the provider in question, as it is adjusted more often than any printed listing could keep up with.
If you only want one trip: no. A classic canal cruise takes just as long, costs less and is rated better. The boat pays off if you are staying at least two days, visiting several museums along the route and would rather not walk between them. Bear in mind, too, that Amsterdam's centre is small — it is a 25-minute walk from the Rijksmuseum to Centraal Station, often quicker than waiting for the next boat.
Depending on the ticket, 24 or 48 hours from first use, not from the date of purchase. So you can start in the afternoon and carry on the following morning. The combined tickets with the Hop-on-Hop-off buses are valid on both over the same period.
The large operators run roughly every 15 to 20 minutes in high season, every 30 minutes in the off season. The Hop-on-Hop-off boats run every 20 to 45 minutes, less often in winter. Small boats with a live guide, by contrast, have fixed departure times, often only three to five a day — here you should reserve the slot you want.
For the classic cruise in the off season, not necessarily — you can walk to the jetty and buy a ticket for the next departure. In high season, at weekends and on public holidays you should reserve: the popular cruises regularly sell out then, and queues form at the ticket desks by Centraal Station. For all the smaller boats, for cruises with a live guide and for anything with food or drinks, one rule applies: book ahead without fail. These boats have twelve to thirty seats and are often full days in advance.
Most visitors are well served by the classic one-hour cruise — it is the cheapest and runs most often. If you want a bit more, take a small open boat with a live guide.
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