Haarlem Canal Cruise: Scenic Spaarne River Journey from Mill to Mill
4.4
23 Ratings
Haarlem
Embark on a scenic canal cruise along the Spaarne River in Haarlem. Discover the beauty of Dutch windmills, historic landmarks, and charming houseboats. Suitable for all ages.
Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Molen De Adriaan Museum - In 1778 the Amsterdam businessman Adriaan de Boois bought an old defense tower. He received permission from the city of Haarlem to build a windmill. Adriaan built his windmill on top of the old Goê Vrouw tower. As a result, the mill blades rise high above the Spaarne and catch every breeze possible.

On 19 May 1779 the Adriaan smock mill is put into use. For years Adriaan de Boois ground tuff, a sort of volcanic stone, into trass. Trass is a special additive added to mortar to make walls waterproof.

  • Waag - The building was designed by Lieven de Key around 1597 and is built with Namense steen from Namur, Belgium. It is the only building in Haarlem that was built this way, and was designed in its day as a landmark that befits an authority. The weigh house masters needed to be able to judge the correct measure of a shipload of grain that was delivered in Haarlem. Inside the large cast iron balance can still be seen. The location of the weigh house was strategically located where the Spaarne river joins the beek, a small canal that according to tradition was used to carry fresh water from the dunes to serve the brewers of Haarlem. Haarlem was known for its beer brewing in the 15th-17th centuries. A large wooden crane operated by wheels driven by manpower was used to hoist the grain on ships into the Waag building and back into other ships or carts for further transport. The wooden crane can be seen on most historic pictures of the Spaarne up until 1872.
  • Teylers Museum - Teylers Museum is an art, natural history, and science museum in Haarlem, Netherlands. Established in 1778, Teylers Museum was founded as a centre for contemporary art and science. The historic centre of the museum is the neoclassical Oval Room (1784), which was built behind the house of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst (1702–1778), the so-called Fundatiehuis (Foundation House). Pieter Teyler was a wealthy cloth merchant and banker of Scottish descent, who bequeathed his fortune for the advancement of religion, art, and science. He was a Mennonite and follower of the Scottish Enlightenment.
  • Heemstede - Heemstede formed around the Castle Heemstede that was built overlooking the Spaarne River around 1286. Before 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy. During the 14th century, a village formed near the castle, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times in this period. A resident of this castle was Adriaan Pauw, who bought it in 1620. In 1653, Bennebroek split off from Heemstede, becoming a separate fiefdom.
  • Spaarne - The Spaarne is a river in North Holland, Netherlands. This partially canalized river connects the Ringvaart to a side branch of the North Sea Canal. It runs through Haarlem, Heemstede, and Spaarndam.

The historic canals of Haarlem’s moats are connected to the Spaarne. A lock at Spaarndam separates it from the North Sea Canal.

According to Sterck-Proot, a historian, the name Spaarne probably comes from Spier, which means reed in old Dutch.

What's Included
  • On-board WiFi
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • All fees and taxes included
  • On-board restrooms
Additional Information

Set sail on the scenic Spaarne river and uncover the stunning outskirts of Haarlem city centre.

Take pleasure in the majestic Mill to Mill boat journey on Haarlem’s river Spaarne. Navigate off the conventional routes in Haarlem, and during your voyage, get mesmerized by the quintessential Dutch windmills - a treat to every traveller’s eyes. Not just grown-ups, even kids find these water-side marvels fascinating.

Our experienced boatman guides you from Haarlem city centre past noteworthy landmarks like Mill the Adriaan, the Waag and Teylers Museum. Post this, you will proceed towards Heemstede, enjoying the sight of picturesque houseboats on your way. The journey continues past the renowned ‘’Unicorn’’ mill, where you can admire the lush greenery and grand houses lining the Spaarne.

Our skilled crew has been navigating Haarlem’s canal waters for years, ensuring a satisfying sailing experience.

During summer, we navigate through Haarlem using open and semi-open boats, while in winter, we sail in comfy and warm, covered boats.

Location
Spaarne 11A
Spaarne
The tour starts at our floating Boathuys! Check in, buy tickets or get a drink, its all possible.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.4
(23 Ratings)
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Scotlanddutchy
Nov 26, 2023
Haarlem Mill to Mill cruise. - We had a great trip with smitje canal cruise. We decided to do the longer Mill to Mill tour. We booked ahead and were warmly greeted on arrival. The captain was friendly, knowledgeable and very entertaining. We also had beers and snack along the way. I would definitely recommend this trip as an alternative to Amsterdam.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y5469sychristines
Nov 4, 2023
Fun tour on a rainy day - Very friendly service. Good coffe and beer on board. Nice tour on a rainy day! Liked it. Infos on German, English an Dutch. Toilet on board and at the ticket store.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Silas
Aug 14, 2023
Haarlem canal boat trip - Lovely, really nice apple pie with cream and coffee, chilled open boat ride, nice captain with interesting factoids, good way to orientate for exploring later
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shadrachfly
Aug 7, 2023
Good times - Great trip! We had our own seat and table, it was nice that the boat was covered due to the rain. We were able to go out nqck on the deck and take some nice pictures. The captain was nice, he accommodated with us english speakers. Would do it again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dik
Aug 6, 2023
Great guided tour with lots of stories about the history of Haarlem - Great stories and good views of a lot of the iconic buildings and sightings of Haarlem. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_m
May 15, 2023
Lovely boat trip . - Lovely boat ride ,good commentary and very peaceful ,would recommend ,staff lovely and helpful . Would definitely do again .
Review provided by Viator
St2of4
Aug 21, 2022
Great activity, interesting facts about Haarlem. - The actvity itself was great. Nothing to complain about. Booking through get-your-guide didn't offer the family ticket, so we paid for 2 families 24€ too much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurenjo
Oct 28, 2022
Narration of tour lacking. - This was a nice way to spend an afternoon in Haarlem. Our captain, though, spoke mostly Dutch, with a little English thrown in. He kept apologizing…Still this should not hold you back. Good value.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorene_a
Oct 23, 2023
Watered down cruise! - Getting off. It was difficult to understand the person who was speaking, it was boring monotone difficult to understand his accent & Im a veteran ESL teacher and often the things he mentioned we had passed or they were just not visible.
Review provided by Viator
Geraldine
May 11, 2023
Not worthwhile. It was boring. - Almost noting told during the tour by the captain. A little audio, but the captain himself did not say much. Not worthwhile. It was boring. There is so much to tell about the history etc. I live in Haarlem, and took a friend to show her around. I told her more during the tour. But that is of course not normal if you book an event.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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