Amsterdam Canal Cruise: Historic Salon Boat

Join Captain Jack on an all-inclusive Amsterdam canal cruise with a maximum of 8 guests. Enjoy luxury, drinks, snacks, and intimate conversations while exploring the city’s canals.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Amsterdam Canal Ring - All cruises are personally captained by the owner of the Drift Away.
    Departures are from Singel no.7, and the cruise concludes at the same location.
    There is no fixed route; the cruise is customized based on guests’ preferences.
    The unique design of the Drift Away allows access to Amsterdam’s narrowest canals and the ability…
What's Included
  • Snacks
  • Extensive open bar
  • Local beers, top shelf liquors, soft drinks, hot drinks
  • Specialty G&T with local gin
Additional Information

Discover the iconic canals of Amsterdam on a delightful cruise aboard the historic salon boat, Sophie, established in 1911. This intimate experience, limited to 12 guests, offers a cozy and personalized journey.
Your host and guide for six days a week is Amsterdam native Boudewijn Metzelaar, affectionately known as “Captain Bow.” On Saturdays, one of his…

Location
Singel 5
Singel
Singel 5 is an adres. “Hotel Canal View” is located here. The departure point is INFRONT of this adres marked with 6 black morning poles with white caps along the canal. !!There is NO SIGN at the departure point itself at the moment due to zoning restrictions!!
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(453 Ratings)
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Kellysp7543mv
Aug 3, 2025
Wonderful - We had a wonderful experience with our captain John. He was very accommodating and friendly. We enjoyed our private tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cynthia_w
Aug 1, 2025
Even better than advertised! - Fabulous! Totally worth it. John is super nice, very knowledgeable about Amsterdam and charismatic. The boat could certainly hold more than 12 so it’s nice that he only takes 12. Lots of room to spread out. You can sit outside or inside. There’s a bathroom. Full bar and some snacks (nuts, crackers and cookies). It started to rain and it was seamless for him to get us all inside the boat. We took this ride at 5 pm which was perfect since we had a busy walking day so it was a great way to wrap up the day. We had an issue getting to the boat as some roads were closed. It was easy to communicate with him via the app about it and he was very responsive.
Review provided by Viator
Marcia_w
Aug 1, 2025
Great small boat tour, with light snacks and drinks. - Our boat captain was amazing! He was full of information about the area, the city, and the canals. Tour was both interesting and relaxing. Nice to be able to sit outside and come inside when it rained. It was wonderful to cruise along the canal with 8 new people and a great tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
Maddyravel
Aug 1, 2025
Awesome! - Amazing canal cruise. Captain was welcoming and the boat was beautiful. Great experience. The location for boarding was convenient and the tour took us through some amazing Dutch scenery. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ryan_l
Jul 31, 2025
One of the best things we did in Amsterdam - Great storytelling and entertaining tour with just the right number of participants! We highly recommend this experience.
Review provided by Viator
Susan
Jul 30, 2025
Fabulous way to experience the canals of Amsterdam - We learned about Bow's Journeys from a friend we met on a river cruise. Our tour provided so much more than we bargained for! John was entertaining and informative. He related the history of Amsterdam as well as sharing about living in Amsterdam today. The boat was beautifully maintained, and we were treated to first-class drinks and snacks. The 90 minutes flew by! If I could, I'd give this tour 6 stars.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebeccabz7861ie
Jul 29, 2025
9PM cruise in July - Perfect time and setting to see the city, led by Captain John - Captain John was great. Very hospitable and a great guide. The drinks and snacks on board were spot on. Evening 9PM cruise was the perfect time to see the city, including the sunset. And the weather was pleasant at that time, too. The boat was beautiful and cozy. Our family of 4 (including 2 kids, ages 12 & 14) made up half of the passengers on board. The other couples were friendly, and we enjoyed engaging with each other and John as we sipped on aperol spritzes, learned about Amsterdam and soaked in the sites. Thanks for a wonderful experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Matthewstolworthy_s
Jul 28, 2025
A beautiful tour on a beautiful boat with a Captain fantastic! - The boat was beautiful, the facilities were exceptional, the drinks delicious and the captain was fantastic. We had a beautiful evening touring the canals of Amsterdam (the beautiful warm sunny evening helped). Captain John was a great guide with lots of knowledge and great jokes too. We really had a memorable experience and would strongly recommend this to everyone. The boat even has a toilet on it too!
Review provided by Viator
Cindy_c
Jul 28, 2025
Smooth ride, great cruise - John was an excellent captain and great bartender. He was very knowledgeable on local history and current culture in Amsterdam. The ride was smooth and super fun. Boat was fabulous for cruising Amsterdam’s charming canals.
Review provided by Viator
V4718udannc
Jul 27, 2025
Great experience. - CaptainJan was knowledgeable, gracious and funny. The Sophie was a beautiful, comfortable boat and it was nice to have drinks on board. Great tour and well worth it. Much better than the larger boat we went during our last visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $69
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).