Amsterdam Morning Canal Cruise

257 Ratings

Amsterdam

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Embark on an early morning Amsterdam canal cruise aboard a historic Dutch boat. Capture stunning photos with no other boats around and enjoy a unique, personal, and informative tour experience.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Captain Dave Amsterdam— The Official Canal Cruises - Come and join our award-winning ‘Best Boat Tour 2020 for Amsterdam’ and sail along the most beautiful parts of Amsterdam. We sail in a spacious boat with a roof that we open when the weather is nice.

Where others like to sail a fixed route and give standard comments, we like to sail on different routes and tell stories about the things we see and admire, with a lot of humor.

The cruise starts (and ends) on the dock at Prinsengracht 397.

What's Included

Award-winning Best Amsterdam Boat Tour
90-minute intimate canal journey
Engaging stories from a local captain
Convenient onboard restroom facilities
Complimentary tea and coffee
Comfort ensured with heating and extra blankets
Exclusive experience in a historic 1928 saloon boat

What's Not Included

Gratuities

Additional Information

We embark on our journey in the tranquil early hours, offering unparalleled photo opportunities with no other vessels in sight!

Most tours stick to a set path, offering generic commentary. We, however, pride ourselves on delivering exceptional, personalised, engaging, and educational trips. Our venture begins on the Canal Ring (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the adventure unfolds from there.

We’ve been cruising in a truly unique ship since 2021 - a 1928 former Dutch government boat that once catered to state leaders, mayors, and Dutch royalty. The vessel offers a cosy and accommodating atmosphere; it’s entirely electric, fitted with movable windows, a sunroof, an open rear deck, heating, and an onboard toilet (a true luxury).
In simpler terms: It’s the perfect vessel for canal exploration.

We’re honoured to have received the ‘Best Amsterdam Boat tour’ Award, earned the Badge of Excellence, and listed among the top-rated Airbnb Experiences!

We look forward to welcoming you aboard,
Captain Dave Amsterdam

P.S. If you’re looking for a monotonous script-reciting, repeatedly trodden path kind of tour, we might not be your best choice!

We always sit dry. The boat has sliding windows, a sunroof, and an open outer deck
Small Group Experience. We accommodate up to 12 guests
We have a heated boat and extra blankets to keep you warm
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Not recommended for travelers with acute intestinal problems

Location

Captain Dave Amsterdam— The Official Canal Cruises

Prinsengracht

Dock Prinsengracht 397, Boat name: Jonckvrouw. DO NOT use Apple maps! Getting here By tram: #2 and 12 stop Prinsengracht, #5, 7 and 19 stop Elandsgracht By bus: #N83, N84 and N88 stop Elandsgracht

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(257 Ratings)

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Kaydav1111

Jul 27, 2024

Great canal cruise - Great canal cruise - more expensive than the massive commercial tourist boats but well worth the extra money. Small group of 12 people and the captain (Dave),who is very informative and very funny. We booked the early morning cruise and had free tea/coffee/orange juice/water/beer etc as well as sugar bread. Lovely relaxing cruise with a local born and bred captain who knew the local area and its history really well. Beautiful boat too! Thank you

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Del_w

Jul 14, 2024

Amazing boat, incredible tour - We cannot recommend this tour enough! The captain was friendly and very knowledgable about the history of the city. He also gave us great recommendations for cafes, pubs, and activities. And the history of the boat itself is impressive! We would do this tour again in a heartbeat.

Review provided by Viator

Drew

Jul 12, 2024

Great morning cruise! - The cruise with Captain Dave, a small group, a nice boat, and going down the canals early in the morning with no traffic was just awesome. The morning cruise is the way to go and loved the small group atmosphere.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Tim_w

Jul 10, 2024

The best time - Captain Dave is extremely knowledgeable of the area and history. He answered so many different questions. He is a talented storyteller and entertainer keeping his guest's attention for an hour and a half. Captain Dave's boat is a beautful wood vintage vessel that has been lovingly upgraded to an electric motor so very quiet and no diesel smell. You will not be disappointed.

Review provided by Viator

520ainsliew

Jul 9, 2024

The absolute best canal trip in Amsterdam! - The absolute best experience, and one my family will remember for years to come! The morning is the best way to experience the canal trip and the boat is absolutely beautiful. We were grateful to have such a warm, friendly and informative guide in Jan.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Clare

Jul 9, 2024

Would totally recommend! - Jan was our captain and host for this brilliant boat tour. He was knowledgeable and full of interesting facts about the city he is proud of. He had funny stories to share and also deeply poignant and meaningful insights into the past and current culture. The boat is cosy and elegant with an interesting past itself.. There were hot and cold drinks and nice snacks to indulge in. The early tour was great to go on and set us up with recommendations for alternative places to visit afterwards. We're so glad we chose this tour. Thanks Jan 😊

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Elizabeth_h

Jul 6, 2024

Book this tour with Captain Tony! - The tour was perfect! Captain Tony was the ultimate tour guide. He is a 10th generation Amsterdam native and gave us a wonderful lesson on the history of Amsterdam. He also shared what it is like living in Amsterdam and had many dining and shopping recommendations. It was raining during our tour and it was a great way to see the city and to stay dry! Book this tour!

Review provided by Viator

Robotmuppet

Jul 4, 2024

Great canal cruise for families! - We loved Captain Dave! Very fun and easy cruise. Very informative. He was great with our two kids, ages 8 and 12. He even blasted some Taylor Swift for those of us in town for the Eras Tour.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Zachsx230km

Jul 3, 2024

Excellent early morning tour - This was an excellent experience. Going early in the morning, we had the canals to ourselves. Our guide was excellent. We learned a lot about the history of Amsterdam and the canals. The boat was cozy, quiet and very attractive.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Northstar02760983101

Jun 26, 2024

Captain Dave tours, just as sweet as the sugar bread! - Captain Dave is a very pleasant tour guide and boat host who will take you on a fun and interesting breakfast-time tour of the canals of Amsterdam. Much of the content of the tour information is around the canals and boats themselves, as well as the long Dutch history of managing the waterways of the region and reclaiming land from the sea. This makes sense to me; this is a "Captain Dave" tour and not a "Historian Dave" tour, after all. No one boat tour could ever do justice to the history of the entire city of Amsterdam - you are much better off doing a boat tour like Captain Dave's where you will focus on the canals and the kinds of things a boat captain would be interested to tell you about, then later you can do a walking tour to learn all about the houses and the history of the people of Amsterdam. Captain Dave served an assortment of breakfast drinks (both hot and cold) and some delicious sugar bread that went over well. It was an excellent way to start the day!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

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up to 12 guests

1 Adult