Cruise like a local in an open boat in Amsterdam
Location
Essentials
- Discover the smallest and hidden canals of Amsterdam
- Join a small group on an open boat
- Cruise on small, luxurious, fully electric boats
Practical info
Children
Child tickets for 3-12 year olds
Free entry for 0-2 year olds
Languages
With commentary in English by the skipper
Ticket information
Drinks available to buy on board, no alcohol is served to guests under the age of 18
Max 25 people per boat
Make sure to be on time, if you miss the cruise you will not get a refund
Tickets cannot be rescheduled or cancelled
More information
For questions about the product, please contact [email protected]
Getting there
Public Transport
Nearest stop to the Anne Frank House departure point is Westermarkt (tram 17).
The departure point near Central Station is in front of the station, across the street from Victoria Hotel.
About
Explore Amsterdam with cruise like a local
Amsterdam has over 100 kilometres of canals and rivers, which define the city. The regular big tour boats cannot reach some of the inner city canals because the canals aren’t wide enough for them. The smaller boats used by KINBoat on this Cruise Like a Local Amsterdam are open boats that are perfect for these waterways.
The smaller boats also have a lower capacity, so that there will be a maximum of 25 people on the boat, during this 60 minute boat trip through Amsterdam’s picturesque canal belt. This UNESCO World Heritage site is lined with the iconic merchant houses and was constructed during the 17th century, the golden age of the Netherlands. Your tour will take you through famous waterways such as the Prinsengracht, Herengracht and the Keizersgracht as well as those narrower in the Red Light District.
Unique small boat tours in Amsterdam
What makes this small boat canal cruise in Amsterdam different from other canal cruises? The open boats used for this cruise are environmentally friendly and completely silent as they are fully electric. These luxurious boats have either no roofs or retractable roofs to offer you unequalled views of the city of Amsterdam as well as a comfortable place to sit if it happens to rain.
The skippers know the city like no other and can tell you all you want to know in English, so feel free to ask questions. On board, you can order a drink without a crazy mark up, to really experience an Amsterdam canal cruise like a local would. As, especially on weekends, plenty of locals take their own boats out on to the canals with a drink and friends.
Book your tickets to Cruise like a local Amsterdam
With this Cruise like a local tour, you’ll visit hidden gems of the city while also seeing many of the city’s must-see sights. Why do other travellers recommend this canal cruise? The small group and the knowledgeable guide, make this small boat canal tour a much more personal experience than some other cruises.
To make sure you won’t miss out on this opportunity, book your tickets now. A cruise through the historic district is a must-do during your vacation in the Netherlands, for this one you can choose between departing from just outside the Anne Frank House or near Central Station.
Reviews
137 reviews
great Canal cruise for private group
We booked 37 people on the Kinboat for a private canal cruise in July 2026 for 90 minutes. We had to split into 2 boats but both boats had a great guide. Thanks for the great trip. We would definitely recommend you to our clients.
Funny stories
Funny stories,good tour. Captain Shown is a good guide. Recommend.
KINboat trip Amsterdam
Captain Nils gave us a fascinating and enjoyable tour of Amsterdam’s canals. He was friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining. Highly recommended!
Nice boat
It was a great experience thank you to the crew and the captain
Wonderful cruise
We happened upon this cruise company by chance whilst walking past them. We decided to hop on board and we are so glad we did as it was a fantastic cruise. The skipper was funny, friendly and informative. We had a wonderful hour relaxing, enjoying the beautiful scenery and learning all about the history of Amsterdam and its beautiful buildings.
Best Cruise with Captain Meander
Had the best canal cruise with Captain Meander! He was very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!
Short Amsterdam boat tour ride in family (May 2026)
Short Amsterdam boat tour I booked the tour last minute after reviewing several other similar options perhaps the algorithm got me. Departure was done with a small delay in front of Anne Frank’s house Our skipper, Jan (experienced Amsterdam resident) rather laid back. We started off the tour with some general info. Jan’s steering focus could be improved, at times he seemed to be more preoccupied about applying sunscreen (it was very sunny and hot during our cruise) or sipping water than necessary boat steering (according to me). The cruise in itself was smooth as one could expect. It is an easy and relaxed way to get to go around the city without having to worry about bicycles, electric scooters or cars cruising by you. Our captain offered general information about the city’s history and landscape during the cruise. He shared with those who wanted his extensive notes about the city (bars, restaurants things to do) and beyond which were highly appreciated.
Alex is the skipper
We were in our last day at Amsterdam and we found this cruise with our skipper Alex. He made the whole experience even more beautiful and he was also very informative about the city’s little secrets. Thank you very much Alex!!!
Fun time
Had a wonderful time, went with family friends and had a blast
Outstanding ride
Captain Michael was outstanding. He was so knowledgeable and gave us a great trip. We loved it. We would highly recommend it because it was a small boat and personal talk.
Family Fun!
My family and I took the canal tour on a gorgeous fall day, and Danyque was a fantastic guide. The tour left right on time, and she greeted everyone with a big smile as the boat pulled away from the dock. Throughout the ride, she shared fascinating historical and social commentary about the homes and architecture along the canals—and even gave us a quick Dutch lesson! She was also wonderfully patient with my 8-year-old, who was completely captivated by the houseboats and pointed out nearly every one, asking if that was a houseboat too! The tour was absolutely worth the time, money, and experience. I would highly recommend both Danyque and KinBoat.
Great
Nick was a very good and nice guide. I usually get seasick but I had no problem with this ride. The tour gave us useful information and was pleasant
Highly recommended experience
The cruise in the canals was a great experience. It was very concentrated in important parts of the city of Amsterdam. Our captain Dirk impressed us with his knowledge of history and his sense of humor. He made the cruise interactive and was willing to answer all of our questions. The boat is kept very clean and comfortable.
Great guide Dirk
I thougt the boat tour was very interesting and our guide dirk was very nice and told us many things about Amsterdam and gave us tipps where we schould go in amsterdam
Personalized Tour with Maria from KINboat
Open Boat Canal Cruise depart from Anne Frank House We had a wonderful time on the canals with our amazing canal boat captain and guide, Maria. I recommend KINboat because the boats are small and allow all passengers to enjoy a more personalized tour. No headsets, just a local who can share the history of Amsterdam as well as local flavor as to great food and music venues.
Wonderful experience
It was a lovely canal cruise and good value. We had the option to choose the open air boat. Even with a bit of rain half way, umbrellas were supplied and was thoroughly enjoyable. The captain, Sebastian was excellent - lots of fun facts/local knowledge
Excellent Tour with Luc!
We had a fantastic canal tour with Luc! He was super responsive to our questions and preferences. It felt more like a long conversation than a tour, in the best way possible! Luc took us down some of the smaller canals which were lush with plantlife, would highly recommend asking about this. Thanks again to Luc!
Great tour
Great tour, Anton was a lovely tour guide. I especially enjoyed his openness and humor. The route was also very well chosen. Thank you!
Fab boat tour
Luke was great! Hour long boat ride around Amsterdam, option to buy drinks on board. Lovely tour thank you Ravi and Tara!
Brilliant Tour
We had a great on the tour, Arthur was very pleasant and knowledgeable. The tour was interesting and full of information. Thank you so much.
Great Amsterdam canal boat tour.
We really enjoyed our tour on the Amsterdam canals and Rivers and thought that Steve gave an excellent commentary, he was very knowledgeable and very friendly. I would highly recommend this company.
Kin boat tour
Yesterday we went on a boat trip organized by Kin Boat. Our captain was named Luuc. We were very enthusiastic. We recommend it!
Great
It was extremely a fun experience for us, Luuc is the best, we enjoyed a lot! We will definitely do it again. Thanks too much Luuc !!!
Une douce croisière !
Thanks a lot to Dirk for his advices, explanations and humour, it was a very nice moment shared with kind people. Special thanks to Debby for the museum after the cruise.
Perfekt
The cruise like a local was perfekt !!! Open boat, nice captain Nemo telling about the buildings and history and a luxury boat. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great
Thank you for a nice tour, Niels was great and shower och talked about Amsterdam in a really good and funny way. We really had a lovely time 😊
Relaxing Canal Cruise
We loved it! It was a very relaxing way to view the beautiful canal houses. Floating slowly along the canals with blue skies and a boat driver that was knowledgeable and fun.
INCREDIBLE live Jazz canal cruise
What an amazing way to finish our trip in Amsterdam. Would HIGHLY recommend to those wanting to avoid the usual ‘booze cruise’ canal trips! Our wonderfully friendly skipper showed us her city from the water and our host, Andrea, was delightfully hospitable (& also a very talented double bass player)! The Jazz band were exceptional & truly made the relaxing 1.5hr canal cruise unforgettable.
Amazing small boat canal cruise
Our small boat canal cruise was amazing. Ward was an incredible guide, providing super interesting info, and keeping the passengers engaged. I would consider it a must while in Amsterdam; definitely recommend it! It made my trip so much better.
Excellent open boat 1 hr canal cruise
Nick was an informative, experienced, affable boat captain (a young man!). He was very knowledgeable and was able to answer random questions. Look for his boat (KINboat) on Prinsengracht in the canal near Anne Frank Haus.
Ward and the water tour
Best Tour ever we be learnt a lot of interesting Amsterdam facts!! Our tour guide Ward was amazing he was very intriguing and kept us entertained.
Awesome way to spend time in Amsterdam
Loved the guide and all his chats. His name was Ward and he was fabulous! He was super interesting and didn’t talk too much . Loved that he spoke English so well too .
Ward was awesome
Ward was an amazing guide, heaps of fun and full of interesting facts. Highly recommend!!!! Make sure you get WARD AS YOUR GUIDE…….he was awesome and he had good hair 🤙
Great views. Great tour.
Loved it! Walt was a great tour guide, and pointed out very interesting parts of Amsterdam! A great way to view the city!!
Friendly staff
Captain nick is such a kind man. All 5 stars should go to him and all the staff were really friendly too which is such a nice bonus.
Nick was great!
It was a beautiful day and we made a snap decision to take a boat ride and were able to get right in. Nick was a great captain ans kept us informed and entertained. Totally worth the money!!
Nick was a really good captain!
The experience was very interesting and the captain Nick was very prepared and funny. Me and my family really enjoyed it.
Canal tour of Amsterdam
Great boat tour of the canal with Nick He let my son steer which he loved Very informative I would highly recommend this tour.
Nice tour!
Fantastic canal tour with Ward! He's a super knowledgeable and hilarious guide we learned a lot and laughed even more. A truly nice and memorable way to see the city with friends. Highly recommend!
Interesting canal tour with kind guide
A relaxed and interesting guided tour of the canals. The boat is open, and comfortable. We did a standard tour no drinks included but available to buy. Me and teenage boys really enjoyed, would recommend
Great tour
Good telling and stories about Amsterdam and the canals. The captain Sebastian is a great guy and answers all questions with a smile.
Serene
Really enjoyed our trip, Rufus was an excellent host, fascinating info and stunning views of Amsterdam. We’re going shopping for a house boat now
Boat sightseeing
Amazing and very educational. Our captain, Klyde was truly welcoming and friendly!!! I definitely recommend visiting this attraction!
Would recommend
Clide was absolutely amazing telling us facts about Amsterdam as we went round,would definitely recommend this tour to others.
Wonderful canal boat cruise
Excellent canal boat cruise! Wonderful way to enjoy the canals and learn about Amsterdam! Captain Ward did a great job! Even on a chilly day, highly recommend!
Do this cruise. Fantastic!
Captain and tour guide - Valentine. Excellent tour! Open top and atmospheric. Did the tour with my girlie friends. Do this one.
It was super cool! Meditative experience🌹
Fantastic experience! Our Amsterdam boat tour with the guide Ward was both informative and enjoyable. He shared fascinating insights about the city’s history, architecture, and hidden gems that only a local would know. His friendly and engaging style made the tour memorable and fun. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Amsterdam who wants to see the city from a unique perspective!
Great tour
Decided to do a tour last minute and it did not disappoint. Maxim was our tour guide..very personable, shared facts about Amsterdam and also took photos for us. The open boat made it easy to see everything and snap some good photos. Definitely recommend!
First boat ride
It was such a nice and chill ride, the guide was called Antonio and he was so funny. Very useful and nice information was told as well as amazing views
Amazing
Ward was great. Friendly funny and nice. It was an amazing experience for us. I would definitely recommend this tour guide again for anyone wanting to visit Amsterdam and go on a boat ride.
