Amsterdam Light Festival: Luxury Canal Boat Cruise

Experience the Amsterdam Light Festival from a luxury canal boat with an onboard bar. Cruise along the illuminated canals, enjoy a drink, and learn about the light installations.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Amsterdam Light Festival - Experience the Amsterdam Light Festival like the locals do, by boat! During this festival during the dark days, the city is illuminated by the most beautiful works of art.
What's Included
  • Covered canal boats for a comfortable experience
  • Warm blankets to snuggle under
  • Hear all about the exciting stories behind the art as told by your crew onboard
  • Our bar is always stocked with a dazzling variety of drinks and snacks
  • Great 360° view through our large windows
  • Cruise along the most beautiful light artworks
What's Not Included
  • Snacks and other drinks than the welcome drink are available
  • Gratuities (for the team on board)
Additional Information

Admire the Amsterdam Light Festival from another angle on this canal boat cruise. See the city’s famous canals illuminated by the glow of the unique installations and enjoy a drink as you take in the views.
Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Amsterdam Light Festival and cruise past the spectacular illuminations on a luxury canal boat. Treat…

Location
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 230
Oudezijds Voorburgwal
Departure location: Oudezijds Voorburgwal 230, 1012 GK Amsterdam, Netherlands. Directions: Close to Dam Square at the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky dock. It is only a 5-minute walk from Dam Square. You can recognize our crew, onboard and at the dock, by their white polos and red jackets.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.3
(203 Ratings)
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Mrspolecat
Dec 2, 2024
A magical evening! - The host and captain of the boat were friendly and entertaining, with a good knowledge of the history of Amsterdam and the light displays of the Amsterdam Light Festival. Our glasses were kept topped up and the boat was comfortable and cosy with pillows and blankets to keep us cosy and warm. From time to time, the host got his guitar out and entertained us with songs which added to the magical atmosphere of the evening. We were told by staff at our hotel that this was the best cruise company and they did not disappoint. Will definitely book with them again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bozobendeguz
Oct 24, 2024
Sofia and Janine did a great job! We loved it - Janine and zofia made our trip SO fun! Definitely worth the hour of entertainnment and booze. Beautiful weather, gorgeous views and great fun facts.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kdbf1975
Jan 25, 2024
Worth booking! Do it now. - My family of 4 thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. The captain, Thomas, did an excellent job maneuvering through tight spots and bringing us all around. Our hostess, Sara, was very enjoyable to listen to. She was informative and humorous, making the tour that much better. The only downside was that I specifically booked Friendship because of their "open-air" boats. I wanted no windows in the way of my views. Unfortunately, though, when we arrived, the boat was very much so closed (large windows but windows nonetheless, and only one round window out the "roof" which was wet and you couldn't really see through). This did make it so views were obstructed and definitely less of them. However, first, Sara did encourage people to get up if they wanted a clear picture (and she even opened the door for me once so I could get just that). Second, to be fair, it was January, and the weather was iffy (rain possible) and cold. We were happy to be warmer inside even though I did miss the views from what would have been over my head (full 360 views). If the weather is good, I'm sure they'd stick to the open-air boats; however, you just may want to confirm this before your arrival if it is important to you. Regardless, this cruise was the highlight of our Amsterdam trip! We will definitely be recommending it to anyone heading there.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Abbiem975
Jan 25, 2024
10/10 Experience - I cannot recommend these guys highly enough! We chose this company from an Instagram recommendation and do not regret it one bit. We did the Festival of Lights trip which was absolutely fantastic. The host onboard (I'm so sorry I didn't catch your name) worked relentlessly to ensure all on board had a memorable trip, which we did. The boat was comfy and warm, excellent drinks and very informative. We got to see parts of Amsterdam we would never have seen on foot. Thank you to all! Book your canal trip with confidence with Friendship Amsterdam.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_c
Jan 14, 2024
An amazing must do during Amsterdam Light Festival - This tour exceeded my expectations. The tour operators were very knowledgeable about the area and the Amsterdam Light Festival. Despite the rain and the cold, we were very comfortable and enjoyed the banter between the two guides.
Review provided by Viator
Oliver_m
Feb 27, 2024
Art to make you think with a boozy drink! - The joining instructions were simple and easy to follow, and the team met us at the location and were very welcoming. They helped us on to the boat, which was cosy with blankets and a fully stocked bar. The boozy coffee certainly helped to warm us from the inside and is recommended. The tour itself was interesting with a few facts about the area thrown in for good measure on the way. We would recommend this company for a light festival in the future, and should we find ourselves in Amsterdam at any other time of year, we would use them for a normal tour.
Review provided by Viator
958elliew
Jan 21, 2024
Wholesome but not as good as what expected - Was a cute and wholesome canal trip however lights were such a let down and were overhyped. I’d just book a normal canal tour for cheaper next time. Hosts were nice though
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tomck3379fp
Apr 2, 2024
Poor experience - Unfortunately not the best experience. The operator had hugely overbooked (or allowed additional walk-ons) and as a result, there wasn't enough seats. We had to climb over a table and sit on the shelving at the back. It was really awkward when the operator was asking everyone to 'squeeze in together, in solidarity' and no-one was budging because there was nowhere people could go. As we were sat at the very back, the tarp kind of material wasn't very clear looking out at the various light festival exhibits. The waitress was very friendly, chatty and provided a good service. Overall a waste of money, sorry to say. My feedback to the operator is to avoid cramming people in like that.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
868aleksandran
Jan 19, 2024
Underwhelming - Our cruise got rescheduled 3 times, and in the end we got suggested a shorted cruise than was originally planned. The boat ended up being an open one, and we got extremely cold by the end of the cruise so the boat was definitely not a "luxury" experience as promised. On top of that, a crew member didn't make it clear from the start that the drinks were not included in our ticket, so having to pay in the end came in as an unpleasant surprise. The guides were nice but nothing more, didn't really add to the atmosphere.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aleksandaru2024
Jan 24, 2024
OK as a boat trip but not for the light festival. - In a 90-minute journey we only passed 5 sculptures. In addition, we were rebooked onto a different, earlier boat without consulting us, for which we were then too late.
Review provided by Tripadvisor