Your own boat with a skipper for your group — for couples, families, birthdays and stag and hen parties.
© Ronni Kurtz / Unsplash
On a private canal cruise you hire the whole boat, skipper included. You set the time, often the route as well, and nobody else is on board.
A word on pricing, because it easily misleads when you compare: some providers charge a fixed price per boat, others a price per person with a minimum number. Each tour below states which applies. For two people a boat price of 200 euros is expensive; for eight people the same price is cheaper than eight individual tickets for a cruise with drinks.
All private cruises come with an English-speaking skipper. One tour also offers German — it is marked accordingly below.
Classic boats with a skipper, priced per boat. You are usually allowed to bring your own snacks and drinks.
© Ronni Kurtz / Unsplash
The only private cruise in this selection with a German-speaking skipper. Fixed price for the whole boat, whatever the group size. The boat also enters small canals.
© Yiorgos Ntrahas / Unsplash
A classic canal boat, small and nimble enough for the narrow canals. Fixed price for the boat. Note: this ticket is neither refundable nor rebookable.
from €350
per boat, whatever the number of peopleNo cancellation possible
Check availabilityBooked via Tiqets
Private boat with drinks and a headphone disco on board — meant for celebrations, not for a quiet sightseeing round. Fixed price for the group.
For couples, with prosecco and snacks on board. These boats take two guests only.
© Jose Llamas / Unsplash
Just two guests on board, with prosecco, water, cheese and snacks. Either 45 or 90 minutes, bookable as an evening cruise too. Departure from Herengracht.
A romantic cruise on a saloon boat with sparkling wine and nibbles. The ratings are below those of the other private cruises — if the rating matters to you, choose one of the other private cruises.
from €36.45
per personFree cancellation up to 24 hours before
Check availabilityBooked via Headout
For larger groups and celebrations: a BBQ with your own chef, unlimited drinks or a beer cruise through the canal ring. Here the price is usually per person.
Two hours with a barbecue from your own chef on board, vegetarian dishes included, plus unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks. Price per person.
An hour and a half with prosecco on board, leaving from Oosterdokskade by Centraal Station. Price per person.
For larger groups: up to 35 people on board, with beer as you cruise. The obvious choice for stag and hen parties and team outings.
One and a half or two hours with drinks on board, snacks optional. The skipper speaks English and Dutch. Price per person.
The two-person boats are made for couples — expensive per head, but truly nobody else is on board. For families and small travel groups, a fixed-price boat for up to ten people is the cheapest solution, often less than individual tickets.
For stag and hen parties and company events, the cruises with beer or unlimited drinks are the right choice; here the price counts per person, and from about twelve guests it is worth asking the provider about a group rate.
For couples who want to be undisturbed, for families and small travel groups, for birthdays, stag and hen parties, small wedding parties and team outings. From about six people, a private boat with a fixed price is often no more expensive than six individual tickets for a cruise with drinks — and you decide the timing and how the trip runs.
In two ways, which makes comparison confusing. Some providers charge a fixed price for the whole boat, whether there are two of you or ten. Others charge per person, usually with a minimum number of people. Every tour on this site states which rule applies. On top of that the price often varies by day of the week and time of day — Friday and Saturday evenings are the most expensive.
One of the tours listed here offers German alongside English and Dutch; it is marked with the note “In German”. On the other private cruises the skipper speaks English, sometimes Dutch or French as well. As crews change, it is worth a quick question to the provider before booking if German matters to you.
On the private boats without catering this is usually expressly allowed — a picnic on board is part of the idea on these tours. On any cruise where food or drinks are included in the price, however, bringing your own is generally not permitted. What applies is set out in the terms of the provider in question.
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.
Compare all canal cruises