Outings are an essential part of everyone’s lives, and we all need some time off once in awhile. . Because it had been a long time since my family and I had gotten out, we finally made plans to take a private boat tour in Amsterdam.
We had ideas for exploring Amsterdam, but no plan for seeing all the places on our list. So I started searching for a way to make our journey smoother and more enjoyable for our family. In my search, I found this amazing Amsterdam private boat website with the best private canal cruise in Amsterdam. They offered a lot of great features on an awesome historic boat built in 1912. In fact, they were significantly better than other options, based on what they offered. I instantly booked a tour, and we all were at the pickup location at the required time. Well, let me just narrate for you my wonderful experience with this private boat tour.
A private boat tour in Amsterdam
We were picked up by their best boat, a classic saloon boat, “Undine“. The boat had a beautiful and well-built design. Though it was over 100 years old, the boat had been modernized to fit current requirements.
The interior of the boat was beautiful — just like sailing in a floating home. Just look at these features:
- Open deck
Our boat featured an open deck. My wife, kids and I had a great time sitting in the deck area, enjoying the cool breeze along with the gentle sound of the water. We even clicked pictures of the great scenery of the “City of Canals”.
My wife and I enjoying the sun deck with alcohol-free sparkling cider.
- Protection from the weather
Though it didn’t rain, I noticed that they had a full arrangement for keeping us safe from rainy weather. On the other hand, they also had a heated cabin for winter tours.
- Other amenities
I was really impressed by their hospitality as they had everything required on deck, including beverages, and blankets to keep us cozy.
As we were only four people, there was plenty of room for all of us. But the boat has a capacity of comfortably seating up to 12 people. Plus, if you are feeling uncomfortable inside the covered area of the boat, you can also open the windows for fresh air.
The view from the inside of the private boat
This private boat was truly beautiful and up to this point, we were just appreciating our lovely saloon boat and its details. But this was not all — there was a lot to explore in the city of Amsterdam.
View from the covered area of the boat
Why a boat tour is better in Amsterdam
- Greater ease and comfort
It’s always an option to explore the city of Amsterdam on foot. But why go on foot when you can explore the features of the city in a smooth classic boat? For comfort and ease, I was lucky to have chosen the Boatboys’ private boat tour.
- More accessibility
I came to know afterward that some of places we visited could only be seen by water. If we had taken a walking tour, we would have missed them altogether.
- Refreshments
When we started our journey of Amsterdam, we were offered a welcome drink. We had our children with us, so they also had an arrangement of soft drinks for them. Actually there was a variety of drink options available to us.
Attractive sights on our private boat tour
The sights we saw on our comfortable Amsterdam private boat tour were:
Flower markets and museums
Our guide was wonderful about pointing out the various popular markets and museums of the city. They could be easily seen from the boat.
Bloemenmarkt is the world’s only floating flower market and was founded in 1862. Visiting was quite romantic too, with my wife and I sitting on the deck looking at the beautiful flowers. There were many to choose from but I bought a beautiful tulip for my wife! In short, it was remarkable to see a flower market on the water.
Apart from the flower market, we also went to visit various museums that were easily accessible by the boat tour only. Some of them were:
Jordaan Neighborhood
After exploring the priceless beauty of the flower market and museums, we arrived in Jordaan. The Jordaan neighborhood is a place where you can get something to eat or do some shopping. We enjoyed a good meal here and explored the cafes and shops.
Apart from that, there are also some museums in the neighborhood. We went to visit museums such as Jordaan Museum, Electric Ladyland, and the Anne Frank House.
The tour also offers a visit to the Van Gogh Museum featuring the largest collection of work by Vincent van Gogh.
Skinny Bridge
Till now, I had only heard about the bridges of Amsterdam. The moment became a reality when our boat arrived at the Magere Brug, aka Skinny Bridge. It is said to be one of the most romantic bridges in the city of Amsterdam. We saw various young couples there, and my wife and I even took pictures on the bridge.
It was even better after our boat passed under the bridge. It was beautifully lit, and the view was priceless.
Light Festival
A lot of things fell into place for me on this boat tour. The local Amsterdam light festival was also a magical thing to encounter on the trip. All the shops and landmarks around the water were well lit.
It looked like Christmas! The best thing about the festival was the light art created by the selected artists from around the world.
Seven Bridges Amsterdam
The Reguliersgracht canal passes through three canals in the city named Herengracht, Keizersgracht & Prinsengracht. I was just aware that the view of the bridges on these canals was awesome. But, you never know the beauty of something until you see it yourself.
The canals connected to Reguliersgracht are the best spots for viewing boats passing by. But, for us, the heartwarming view was the seven bridges view. The Reguliersgracht is the best spot for seeing all seven bridges at once. We saw it at night when all of the seven consecutive bridges were lit.
Point of 7 bridges Amsterdam
In addition, there was also a spot where we saw 15 bridges. The bridge from where you can see this view is the Brug van 15 Bruggen. We saw exactly 15 bridges from where Reguliersgracht joins Herengracht.
All these were highlights of our private boat tour of Amsterdam!
Benefits of a private boat tour of Amsterdam
Considering my overall experience, it was pretty awesome as this private canal cruise trip offered me and my family many advantages:
- Ease of traveling — The best thing about a private boat tour is the comfort of the boat. With everything we needed right on hand, it also reduced the hassle of walking on foot in a city built for navigating by water.
- Visiting so many sights: Unlike some of the on-foot travellers, my family and I were able to easily visit all the popular attractions in less time. Plus, we were able to explore many additional spots we couldn’t access any other way.
Other than this, there are other benefits of a private boat tour of Amsterdam by Boat Boys. The staff is extremely friendly and your guide will fill you in on every tourist spot. We also learned a lot about the city of Amsterdam.
Final Words
In a nutshell, I can say that our overall private boat trip in Amsterdam was great. We were at the right location in minimum time and able to see everything we wanted to. An on-foot journey may look a bit more cost-effective to you in the beginning, but the journey by boat is more likely to be the best choice for you. You will get what you pay for.
Thank you to Robert, the guest author of this post, for sharing his experience on a private guided boat tour of Amsterdam with you, my readers! I can’t wait to see Amsterdam now…
A boat tour like this is still on my bucket list!