Amsterdam canals
Amsterdam canals are a magical way to see the city
There are few better ways to enjoy Amsterdam than boating along the Amsterdam canals. There are 165 canals in Amsterdam but the three main Amsterdam canals are the Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Prinsengracht.
The main canal ring is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, wrapping around the historic centre of Amsterdam. The canals come out from the centre like waves rather than long lines, reflecting how the city grew outwards from the centre.
Walking along the Amsterdam canals is one of the favourite past times of both visitors and residents. This is not a bustling busy streets filled with cars metropolis, but rather a much more relaxed city. The commute here is often voted the most relaxing in the world, so the visitor will be hard pushed to feel stressed making their way around.
Use our guide for tickets to canal cruises in Amsterdam.
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A brief history of the Amsterdam canals
Amsterdam is known as the Venice of the North with waterways that stretch for over 100 kilometres. More than Venice itself. Before the city was built the area was mostly classed as swampland. These swamps were drained creating individual islands surrounded by canals. As each island was formed the city grew outward.
Waterways are a common theme in Holland, often used as a means of transport, for irrigation and management as well as having a part to play in the city’s defence.
With so many islands and canals, the bridges in Amsterdam rapidly grew to number 1281 today.
Why do the canal houses lean?
As with any buildings near water, there is the likelihood of subsidence but the buildings that lean forward were designed to do this. This was to help the businesses or individuals on the top floors receive their large goods by winch, without the package swinging and hitting the lower floors on the way up.
How to use the Amsterdam canals for transport
Most visitors will look at the canals and opt for one of the many canal boat cruises available.
But, there are other ways to use the canal to get around Amsterdam:
Hop-on hop-off riverboats
These services allow you to use the boats as a way to travel around the city of Amsterdam. You can buy tickets for one day, 24-hrs and 48-hrs. The beauty of these riverboats is that you can just get on and off whenever you please, to discover all the attractions that Amsterdam has to offer.
The boats are regular, easy to find and simple to use. There are multiple providers of hop-on hop-off riverboats in Amsterdam, however we have noticed that since the pandemic it is harder to find tickets and more standard canal tour tickets are available instead.
Another Amsterdam hop-on hop-off option is the CitySightseeing bus. This takes you around the edge of the city and also includes an optional canal cruise too.
Water taxis
As stated previously most visitors will look for the hop-on hop-off style river boat for their exploration of Amsterdam canal. There are though other options to get from place to place by water. Much like Venice, Amsterdam has water taxis, though not the iconic gondola variety, rather a motor boat that carries up to 8 passengers and can be hailed directly at Central Station dock or booked in advance. This is a good way to travel if you are a group and want more flexibility than the set route canal cruise boats can offer.
Charter your own boat on Amsterdam canal
For total freedom it can be worth considering renting your own Amsterdam boat. You do not need a navigation license for some of the smaller boat types and they are easy to control and pilot yourself. Having a fun day out on the Amsterdam canal with family of friends is an incredibly memorable experience with ultimate freedom to just enjoy the scenery or stop at the attractions as you pass by.
You can also charter your own Amsterdam boats with a skipper or enjoy a private canal cruise:
Amsterdam canal – explore at your leisure
Amsterdam is synonymous with canals, they reach out throughout the city, taking you nearby to nearly every attraction.
They are one of the most relaxing ways to explore this beautiful city. The hop-on hop-off riverboats are the most popular for visitors, alongside the canal cruise tours that run during the day and into the evening.
There are though other options for using an Amsterdam canal to get you around the city, which can bring you added thrills, independence and memories from your visit.
If you want some freedom and less crowds then water taxis and chartering your own boat is definitely worth exploring.
Learn about all the other public transport ticket options in Amsterdam with our specialist page.
The most popular canal cruises in Amsterdam
With many canal cruise Amsterdam available with each one offering a fairly similar service it can be hard to decide which is the best one to take. We have selected three below that are the most popular and well liked canal tour Amsterdam offers. The 1.5hr evening canal cruise has over 10,000 positive reviews, so we feel if you take just one canal cruise Amsterdam this is the one to go for. For a daytime cruise the luxury cruise below is also a great choice and for a shorter Amsterdam canal cruise the City tour is perfect.
1.5-hour Evening Canal Cruise Amsterdam
A romantic trip around Amsterdam at night awaits. The waterways and houses are lit by thousands of lights, the skinny bridge is so beautiful at night, as is the Golden Bend. It is a perfect way to end an evening in Amsterdam or set you up for the night ahead.
