CANAL CRUISE
Drinks cruise
Wine and cheese, beer or cocktails on a small boat, mostly late in the afternoon and in the evening.
A drink on the water
A drinks cruise is an open or half-open boat with a bar on board, or drinks and snacks included in the ticket. Wine and cheese is the classic, but there are beer cruises, cocktail cruises and boats where you simply bring your own. Locals do the same thing in their own boats on every sunny evening.
It is more relaxed than a guided tour: there is a skipper who points things out, but the focus is the evening, the company and the view.
What you see
Usually the canals of the ring and the Jordaan, at an easy pace: the narrow side canals, the houseboats, and people on their own boats and on the terraces along the water.
Good to know
Canal boats share the water with everybody else, and the city asks for quiet on the canals at night. Expect a relaxed boat, not a party boat. Book ahead on summer evenings.
Before you go
- Many leave from the Prinsengracht and the Jordaan; check your ticket for the jetty.
- Book ahead for summer evenings.
- Bring a layer for the evening chill on the water.
What people say
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Tours and quests that pass here
These walks have a stop a few minutes from Drinks cruise. Free, on your phone, start any time.
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Start here if it's your first day. Why the houses lean, how the canals were dug, and what the Golden Age was actually built on.
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