Our favourite ways to spend a day in Amsterdam, from a swim off the quay to a captain steering you through the canals. Every travel time is door to door from Kadans, the houseboat where your Boatsuite is: Central Station is 14 minutes by bike, the Rijksmuseum 27 minutes by tram 1.
You are sleeping on a ship, so you already know: from the water, Amsterdam is a different city. Quieter, greener, full of details you miss from the street. Here are three ways to get out there.
With a captain
Open boat, captain as your guide
Climb into a low open boat and let a local skipper do the steering and the storytelling. You glide under bridges, past leaning gables and houseboats, and hear the stories behind them.
Best for: first-timers and anyone who wants the stories behind the city
Duration
About 1 hour
From
€19.40 per person (Flagship Luxury Cruise)
Departs
Central Station, the Anne Frank House or the Rijksmuseum
Get there
Bike 14 min, or bus 43 / tram 26 to Central Station
Our tip: Do this on your first day. Afterwards you will recognise every canal you cycle along. On warm evenings, pick a sunset departure.
Skipper yourself
Rent your own little boat
No licence, no experience needed. You get a quiet electric sloop, a canal map and a short briefing, and then the canals are yours. Pack a picnic, set your own pace and moor up for a drink on the way.
Best for: couples and friends who like to explore at their own pace
Licence
Not needed
Boats
Electric sloops for 1 to 8 people, open daily 10:00 to 22:00
Departs
Canal Motorboats, Borneosteiger 8, about a 12-minute walk from Kadans
Our tip: Walk to the Borneosteiger and you are on the water within 15 minutes of leaving your suite. Pick up bread and cheese on the way and make it a picnic. Tourist tax is added per person.
Private
A private boat with your own skipper
Celebrating something? Book a whole boat with a skipper, just for the two of you or your group. Add bubbles and snacks, or go all in with brunch, pizza or dinner on board.
Best for: birthdays, anniversaries and proposals
Duration
2 to 5 hours
From
around €425 for a private 2-hour tour
Departs
Flagship: Oosterdokskade 8, at the Sea Palace by NEMO
Tap a point on the map for the website, phone number and directions.
Closest to the boat: Canal Motorboats at the Borneosteiger, about a 12-minute walk. Self-drive boats are not allowed on the open IJ, so they leave from the sheltered water south of the islands.
Further south (off the map)
Mokumboot de Pijp · Jozef Israëlskade, by Hotel Okura
The canal company we send our own friends to. Live guides, beautiful boats, a growing 100% electric fleet and more than 40,000 reviews on Tripadvisor. Book on their own website for the best price, and cancel for free up to 24 hours before you sail.
First day in townLuxury Canal Cruise1 hour · from €19.40A live guide, the classic canal ring and the stories behind the gables.Departs: Anne Frank House, Central Station or RijksmuseumRomantic eveningEvening Cruise1 hour · from €18.10Golden hour on the water, with bridges lighting up as it gets dark. Daily from 17:00.Departs: Anne Frank House or Central StationFor foodiesSaloon Boat with Cheese & Wine1 hour · from €28.20A classic saloon boat with a roof and big windows, so rain or shine works.Departs: Anne Frank House or Central StationWinterWinter Lights Canal Cruisefrom €27.28The Amsterdam Light Festival artworks from the water, with warm drinks on board.Departs: Central StationBig night outDinner Cruise2 h 15 min · from €119.95Three courses à la carte while the city glides by.Departs: Near Central StationJust the two of youPrivate boat with skipperRiverboat Cosy, up to 10 guests100% electric. Add a Prosecco or cheese package and make it your own party.Departs: Oosterdokskade 8 (Sea Palace)
Also handy: Flagship rents city bikes from €8.50 and runs bike and food tours, plus German and French guided cruises. Starting prices from flagshipamsterdam.com, October 2026.
Free: the IJ ferriesThe cheapest boat trip in town, and your bike can come too. The F1 leaves from our own island to Noord. From Central Station, the F3 crosses to Eye and A’DAM Lookout and the F4 to NDSM.
Winter: light art by boatDuring the Amsterdam Light Festival (26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027) you see the artworks best from the water. Choose a covered boat with warm drinks, or an open sloop with blankets.
Rules for your own boatKeep to the right and give way to tour boats. The open IJ and the harbour are off limits, music is not allowed and the skipper stays sober. Expect a card deposit and tourist tax per person.
Book aheadSpring, summer and weekends fill up fast, so reserve online. Most open boats have no toilet: go before you board.
Prices are starting prices, checked in October 2026, and can change. Tourist tax may be added.
You do not have to go far. KNSM Island and the old harbour islands around it are one of the most beautiful corners of Amsterdam, starting at your front door. More about the island.
Swim from our platformAt the back of KadansFrom the boatCross your deck and follow the boat to the back: our swim platform has a ladder straight into the harbour. Summer or winter: we swim all year, like many islanders.
Borrow our SUP boardsOn deckFrom the boatStand-up paddle boards and paddles are ready on deck. Paddle along the quiet harbour islands. Ask us and we help you on your way.
Dinner around the cornerPaon Bali, Café Kanis and De Zuid2 to 5 min walkBalinese to take away for dinner on your deck, a typically Dutch café, and a kitchen with Oysters & Bubbles one Friday a month. All within 5 minutes. Our dinner tips.
Sunset on your deckThe bow of KadansZero minutesThe best seat in the harbour. Pour a drink and watch the sky turn pink over the water.
The harbour islands walkKNSM, Java Island, Borneo-SporenburgOn foot from the boatWide quays, bold architecture and the famous red bridges over the water. A quiet loop that guests always love.
Drinks with a viewHotel Jakarta, Java IslandA short walkA sky bar with a view over the IJ, at the end of the next island. Perfect for an aperitif.
Cycle the IJ waterfrontAlong the water to Central StationBike 14 minThe easiest and prettiest way into the city: water on one side, cranes and ships on the other.
Maritime MuseumHet Scheepvaartmuseum, KattenburgNear NEMO, bike about 12 minFitting for a houseboat guest: centuries of Dutch seafaring, with a full-size replica of the VOC ship Amsterdam moored outside.
World-class art, one moving house and a few surprises. Tram 1 takes you straight to Museumplein without changing.
Our favourite museum
Our Lord in the Attic
Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder · Oudezijds Voorburgwal, old centre · Bike about 15 min
From the street it looks like an ordinary 17th-century canal house. Climb the narrow stairs and you find a complete, hidden church in the attic. Small, surprising and never as busy as the big ones. The museum we send every friend to.
Book the big ones before you travelThe Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum work with time slots and often sell out, the Anne Frank House weeks ahead. Book online as soon as your dates are set.
RijksmuseumMuseumpleinBike 19 min · Tram 1 27 minRembrandt’s Night Watch, Vermeer’s Milkmaid and 800 years of Dutch history in one magnificent building.Book a time slot online
Van Gogh MuseumMuseumpleinNext to the RijksmuseumThe largest Van Gogh collection in the world, from the Sunflowers to his letters. Look out for late openings.Book a time slot online
Anne Frank HousePrinsengrachtBike 18 minThe secret annex where Anne Frank wrote her diary. Small, quiet and deeply moving.Tickets sell out: book weeks ahead
Stedelijk MuseumMuseumpleinBike 19 minModern and contemporary art and design, with big temporary exhibitions.
NEMO Science MuseumOosterdokBike 12 minHands-on science in a green ship-shaped building. Climb to the roof for a free view over the harbour.
Eye Film MuseumNoord, by the ferryBike 16 min incl. ferryFilm exhibitions and screenings in a white building on the water, right across from Central Station.
H’ART MuseumOn the AmstelBike about 15 minBig international exhibitions in a historic building on the river.
STRAAT MuseumNDSM, NoordFerry from Central StationHuge street art and graffiti works in a former shipyard hall. Combine it with lunch at NDSM.
Dutch Resistance MuseumPlantageBike about 12 minHow the Netherlands lived through the Second World War, told through personal stories.
Skip the chain stores. Amsterdam’s markets and small streets are where the fun is.
Albert Cuyp MarketDe Pijp · daily except SundayThe biggest day market in the country since 1905: cheese, fish, flowers and fresh stroopwafels straight off the iron.
NoordermarktJordaan · SaturdayA farmers’ market around the church, with organic produce, cheese and that famous apple pie nearby.
DappermarktOost · daily except SundayA real neighbourhood market with stalls from all over the world. Closest to the boat.
The Nine StreetsBetween the canalsSmall boutiques, vintage, design and concept stores across nine little streets.
IJ-Hallen flea marketNDSM, Noord · one weekend a monthOne of Europe’s biggest flea markets in a former shipyard. Check the dates before you go.
Hungry for more?Bitterballen, rijsttafel, herring and our own favourites on the island.
The Netherlands is small. From Central Station you are in another world within half an hour.
HaarlemAbout 15 min by trainA compact old town with a huge church, hidden courtyards and great shopping. Amsterdam’s little sister.
The beachZandvoort or Bloemendaal, about 30 min by trainSand, sea and beach clubs. Perfect on a hot summer day, beautiful for a windy walk the rest of the year.
Tulip fieldsLate March to early MayEndless stripes of colour around Lisse. Go early in the season and on a weekday if you can.
UtrechtAbout 25 to 30 min by trainA medieval centre, canals with wharf-level cafés and the tallest church tower in the country.
Zaanse SchansAbout 20 min by trainWorking windmills and green wooden houses on the river Zaan. Very Dutch, very photogenic.
A few practical tips that make your days in the city easier. Arriving? Here is how to get to the boat from Schiphol, by train or by car.
Tap in, tap outTram, bus and metroPay with your contactless bank card or phone when you get on and off. No cash on board.
Handy appsOn your phoneGVB for trams and ferries, 9292 for all public transport, NS for trains and Buienradar for the rain.
Cards and cashPayingContactless payment works almost everywhere. Some small places do not take foreign credit cards, so a debit card helps.
City cardFor museum loversThe I amsterdam City Card gives free entry to many museums plus unlimited public transport.
Uber or BoltTaxiUsually cheaper than a regular taxi. Early flight? Pre-book TCA Taxi, the local Amsterdam taxi company, on +31 20 777 7777 or in their app. Taxi tips.
Ask usRenske and TimNot sure what fits your day, or the weather? Send us a message. We love helping you plan.
On two wheels
Rent a bike or a scooter
The closest option is a shared bike or scooter you unlock with your phone. Prefer a classic rental with a helmet, lock and advice? The rental shops are at Central Station, 18 minutes by bus 43.
Closest · shared bikesDonkey RepublicBikes and e-bikes via the app
Find a bike nearby in the app and unlock it with your phone
Park at a hub: the app shows the hubs closest to the boat
Pay per hour or day
donkey.bike ↗Closest · shared scootersCheckElectric mopeds via the Check app
From around €0.35 per minute
Register in the app first: 18+ and a driving licence
Helmet in the top case, park in the zones shown in the app
ridecheck.app ↗Closest · shared scootersFelyxElectric mopeds via the Felyx app
A separate company, with green scooters
Register in the app first: 18+ and a driving licence
Compare both apps: prices and the nearest scooter differ
felyx.com ↗Rental shop · Central StationMacBikeOosterdoksstraat 106, behind Central Station
City bikes and e-bikes, with lock
Daily from 9:00, until 17:00 or 18:00
Bus 43 or tram 26 to Central Station, 5 minutes on foot
macbike.nl ↗Rental shop · Central StationYellow BikeDe Ruijterkade 34B, water side of Central Station
