Amsterdam Canal Ring (Grachtengordel)

The Basics

The district’s major canals are the Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht. From east to west, the major radial canals are the Brouwersgracht, Leidsegracht, and Reguliersgracht. The Canal Ring can be navigated on foot, by bike, and, of course, boat. A canal cruise is an excellent introduction to the UNESCO-listed canals, as glass-topped boats provide the best views of the city’s main sights. Options include hop-on hop-off boat tours and themed canal cruises that serve food and wine.

Things to Know Before You Go

A number of cruise departure points are set along the famous canals, and tours are available in several languages.
Lined with beautiful historic buildings (“canal houses”), the Canal Ring can serve as helpful visual guidepost for getting your bearings.
The Canal Ring circles some of Amsterdam’s most important sites, including the Red Light District, the Anne Frank House, the Jewish Quarter, and the Museum Quarter.
Barges, powerboats, Frisian skutsjes (sailboats), and rowboats ply the canals at all times of day and night.
The Canal Ring is accessible for wheelchair users, as are many of the boats which sail around it.

How to Get There

The Canal Ring is located right in the center of Amsterdam, and is easy to reach on foot from most major destinations in the Dutch capital. Amsterdam's winding, cobblestoned city center can easily throw off your sense of direction, and the canals will always orient you back in the proper direction.

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When to Get There

Because it’s part of the Dutch capital city’s landscape, as well as a mode of transportation and commerce, the Canal Ring is always open. The best times of year to enjoy a canal cruise are during the fine-weather summer months, and in the Christmas and New Year holiday season, when you can take an evening cruise during the Festival of Lights.

The History of Amsterdam's Canals

Built in the 17th century, the canals of Amsterdam were developed in the pursuit of growing the city beyond its bounds. Now, they're as quintessentially Dutch as Edam and tulips and have been UNESCO-recognized since 1999. Enjoy the canals at their festive best during the annual King's Day celebrations, when floats take to the water with performers and revelers.

Recent reviews from experiences in Amsterdam

This boat tour is worth it!

Margaret_O, Sep 2021

The Ultimate Amsterdam Canal Cruise - 2hr - Small Group - Exclusive Boat

Our captain was informative & entertaining. Snacks & drinks were generous & Dutch fare. Very relaxing.

Sorry we could not make it

Laura_B, Sep 2021

My flight from London was cancelled. We are not coming now. If possible, please cancel both of these tours for me. We will not be coming. Thank you for understanding.

Amsterdam canal cruise

Tom_T, Sep 2021

Rubin was our boat captain and gave us wonderful tour. Very knowledgeable. Tour was a full two hours long and we saw lots of historical buildings. Highlight of the day.

Exceptional tour!

MaryAnn_W, Jul 2021

Private 1-hour Amsterdam Canal Tour

Absolutely wonderful tour! Friendly, interesting and knowledgeable captain! Great way to learn more about Amsterdam and its unique architecture and geography. So relaxing!

Steve was the tour guide and did an...

gthrsctt, Jul 2014

Amsterdam Canal Cruise - 1 hr with Audioguide

Steve was the tour guide and did an outstanding job . He actually went over and beyond the time allowed . He warned about pic pockets , your personal safety in crossing streets etc . He picked out a lot of key sites that ordinarily , would have been overlooked . Tour well worth the time and money mature couple USA.

Great time!

Samuel_V, Sep 2021

My wife and I really enjoyed the 2 hours. Wish is was longer but still got to see a lot. The views were amazing and it was all you could drink from the minute you got on the boat. There was 5 guess on the boat.

Wet canals

donaldr728, Oct 2019

Good coverage with well selected commentary that allowed for time to look at and assess the scene. Well paced!

Amsterdam in Aug

Stacey_W, Aug 2021

Loved the small group aspect. We had an issue and looked as if we couldn't make the night scheduled and they were very attentive to our situation.

Very Nice and Comfortable...highly recommended.

Karl_B, Aug 2021

On a weekend stay in Amsterdam after a river cruise, our first choice was to see the city from the Canals. It was a great choice and this tour was excellent. The boat was comfortable (and Eco-friendly); the guide amiable; and the wine and snacks a nice touch as we viewed this beautiful city. A bit more info and/or anecdotes from the guide regarding what we were viewing could have improved the experience...but with that said, I would still recommend this tour company.

The best boat tour!

Gianna_C, Aug 2021

Mark was a lovely and knowledgeable skipper. The snacks and alcohol were fantastic & the tour was beautiful. Not rushed and very comfortable. Definitely recommend as it was a great way to relax and see Amsterdam. Mark has funny and chill vibes and you won’t regret spending two hours with him :)

Very relaxed and informative

Ronald_T, Aug 2021

A nice and relaxed canal cruise. This one is slightly longer than the usual ones, which brings you to places other cruises wont. Some nice nibbles and an open bar only highten the ambiance.

It was nice to be able to cruise...

Michael B, May 2008

It was nice to be able to cruise leisurely around Amsterdam, taking in some of the sights. The timing of our trip just before sunset gave us the best of day and night. Our captain was very friendly, the audio guide was great although a little tedious listening through 4 languages.