Cruise on the canals of Amsterdam: tickets, prices, times

Are you going to visit Amsterdam on a trip to Holland? Cruise on the canals, one of the wonders of the capital.

It is the Venice of the North of the Netherlands. The Amsterdam canals, symbol of the city and its wealth, integrate the essentials of the journey as they are part of the daily life of the premises. Witnesses of a story, faces of a heritage, they offer a true cultural journey through time. Explore the city on the water the time of a cruise thus promises to discover Amsterdam from another angle and enjoy a unique heritage.

So what is the history of these canals to which Amsterdam owes today the nickname of Venice of North? How do we discover them and especially how to enjoy this unique experience? Discover everything you need to know to make a cruise on the Amsterdam canals.

History of Amsterdam Channels

It's almost ancestral, and yet. Unlike the collective imagination, the city of Amsterdam is one of the youngest in Europe. Born in the Middle Ages, it is created from a new dike ( dam in Dutch) on the Amstel: a geographical situation that very quickly projected the city in the Dutch golden age.

Little by little, Amsterdam dresses with a large fleet and becomes a high place of trade (especially with the East and West Indies) and accosting where many migrants and refugees from all over the world like those of the Catholic Inquisition come to look for some freedom. To welcome these arrivals, defend the city but also allow the ships to accoster, the maritime traffic to flow and the land to drain, the city then begins the construction of canals powered by the waters of the Amstel. A long work, which will last more than a century (XVIe/XVIIe) and give birth to the famous belt of Amsterdam at 100 kilometers of canals dressed in over 1200 bridges!

In the image of illuminators, these channels follow the path of the sun, then naturally illuminating all the dwellings that border them. Prinsengracht (Prince Channel), Keizersgracht (canal of the Emperor), Herengracht (canal of the Lords) and Singel draw the four main channels of the belt and connected between them by secondary channels just as charming as Brouwersgracht or Leliegracht . Style, Baroque and Neoclassical side of Art Nouveau and Renaissance: a splendid painting with an unusual journey that in 2010 integrated the canals of Amsterdam into the UNESCO World Heritage site, especially thanks to the monuments surrounding them like the ones house of Anne Frank .

Today, the canals of Amsterdam testify to the most beautiful riches of the city. From bridges, to small perpendicular streets and to their typical shops, they invite travellers to explore the history of Northern Venice during a cruise or a bike ride.

What to see and what to do on the Amsterdam channels?

To visit the Amsterdam canals, there are many possibilities. And for cause, the number of bridges to be discovered through the walk is not missing, just like the monuments, residences and other treasures of heritage that go along or surround the different routes.

Whatever it is, the walk on or on the canals promises a full discovery experience, from history to city culture. To guide you a little bit in this visit, here are the most popular channels to make a cruise on the Amsterdam canals: they can be used as a route, steps or passages.

Singel Canal

It is one of the first channels to discover from the city centre. At its construction in the Middle Ages, the Singel Canal was chosen to designate the doves of the city; a defender in sum from the Ij River to the Amstel and surrounded by the oldest bridge in Amsterdam, Torenslui . Passing through the Singel Canal, you will discover the Flower Market the city, famous for its tulips.

Canal Herengracht

Right after the Singel Canal, Herengracht or channel of the Lords hosts among the most beautiful houses of the city. It was on the edge of the latter that the bourgeoisie of the time lived. Today, the show is quite breathtaking: the facades are splendid and dressed in special hotels that make it all the charm. An architectural discovery in sum, which remains among the favourites of travellers. Through water, bridges Leidsestraat and Vijzelstraat and the Botanical Garden promise in turn to enrich these pretty discoveries.

Keizersgracht Canal

More imposing on all channels by its width (31 meters), the canal Keizersgracht or the Emperor’s canal pays tribute to Maximilian of Austria. It is here that the homes that at the base were not intended to be accessible by boat! Also, that the warehouses of the city were installed in 1620, the famous warehouses of Greenland now transformed into luxury apartments.

Rode Hoed (the red hat), the head office of Amnesty International, Homomonuation (monument in tribute to homosexuals who died in concentration camps during the Second World War), Dylan Hotel or the Maison Marseille (first museum of the country dedicated exclusively to photography) are also to be seen during your cruise.

If you come to visit Amsterdam in winter, you should know that access to the Keizersgracht canal is closed in case of frost. When the ice is thick enough, the locals pick up boats against ice skates! On this occasion the “Emperor race” is organised, to see and to do so if the weather allows you.

Canal Prinsengracht

Like the Emperor’s canal that pays tribute to a historical personality, the Prinsengracht Canal owes its name to Guillaume I, Prince d’Orange. Located on the outside, it is the longest part of the city that starts at the Licorne lock to the Amstel. If the locals like to sail there as a row, the visitors are not on the left side discovered! L’ Unicorn Lock (family lock that protected the city of the sea), Maison d’Anne Franck , churches, coffee Papeneiland (one of the oldest cafés in Amsterdam), the narrowest house in the city, Péniche Museum , coffee Fles (appreciated for his beer), Orphelinat Wallonien... There is only one!

Places of interest along Amsterdam canals

• The Pont Maigre (MagereBrug)
• The Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam
• The Heineken Experience Museum
• The Théâtre Royal Carré
• Typical streets like Berenstraat WolvenstraatReestraat Hartenstraat and Runstraat Huidenstraat
• The nine streets for shopping: Negen straatjes

How to visit the Amsterdam canals?

Access

Because of its unavoidable and unmistakable aspect, the cruise on the canals of Amsterdam is legion in the city. Thus, you will have no trouble finding a point of boat. Along the way Central station , Damrak and Rokin , or side Stadhouderskade are the main starting points for dozens of companies that share the market. As a whole, the place depends on the company you choose to make a cruise on the Amsterdam canals.

To reach these starting points, you can (according to where you are located) opt for public transport (bus, metro, tram) or put you on the bike, the most popular means of transport (and among the pleasant pus) of the city!

The different cruises

We are already talking to you above, there are several ways to discover the Amsterdam canals and the riches that surround them. That said, even if the bike and walk can be an additional option to visit the surroundings from one end to another, the cruise has the coast and remains the simplest and most enjoyable way to discover the Amsterdam canals.

• If most companies offer a simple walk audioguides included in the ticket, others specialize in the cruise dinners or cocktails-believers : an extra service for sure, a higher rate.
• Gastronomy lovers will be able to enjoy a tasting wine-fromages or even pancakes aboard specialized boats that offer to discover the culinary culture of the city through the historic cruise.
• To enjoy the surroundings of the canals during your walk, you can also choose the "Hop-On Hop-Off Boat", flies boats also equipped with audioguides that mark 8 stops: the perfect alternative to be able to enjoy the main museums and places to be missed (possibility to buy tickets for the steps you want once on board).

You will have understood that the type of cruise you choose will depend above all on your desires and what you are looking to live in terms of experience.

Timetables and rates for a cruise on the canals of Amsterdam

HORARI

On average, departures of shuttles or fly boats for a cruise are made every 20/30 minutes for a walk 1h to 1h30 . Hours that can of course vary depending on the selected company but also on the season during which you travel. For this, we advise you to inform you directly with the company of your choice and to consult online or on-site, the information useful to your cruise.

RATES

In terms of prices, the price for a simple cruise on the Amsterdam canals varies between 10 and 15€ . The ticket also included audioguides Available in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Turk, Indonesian, Korean, Hindi, Hebrew and Arabic.

Note that with the “ I Amsterdam City Card ", you have the opportunity to enjoy all public transport of the city for 24 hours. With this pass, you also benefit from a free fly-boat cruise to choose from the companies Canal , Gray Line or Holland International .