Amsterdam: Canal Tour

What better way to orient yourself in this city of canals than to take a boat trip? We queued for our ticket shortly after arriving in the city, having to wait only about ten minutes for the boat to arrive, the previous tourists to disembark, and us to start finding a seat. Don’t agonise over which side of the boat to sit on, because you will get decent views of the city from either side. After we’d settled, the captain had to make a series of delicate maneuvers to turn the boat facing the right direction. It was hard to hold back the spontaneous applause, despite the fact that the guy had done this several hundreds of times before.The guided tour offered a commentary of the major sights in an unhurried and not overly intrusive manner. The boat weaves its way up and down the Amsterdam canals, cautiously proceeding over the many junctions. After a time, it gets a little difficult to decide whether or not you’ve passed down a canal earlier, as even the waterside houses take on a very similar appearance. Many exude wealth and would be able to tell fantastic stories of the days when Amsterdam was a thriving trading port. Marvel at the amazingly high windows as posh houses rub shoulders with grand warehouses and gaze on the extravagant façades of many of the houses.

There are so many bridges (over 1,200 in total), and their design features differ greatly. The “standard” arched is by far the most common and I guess the most inconvenient, as it prohibits two boats passing under at the same time. I’m not sure what the protocol is, but I did detect that the “driver” of one other vessel incurred the wrath of ours. The grand ornately carved multi-arched bridge that stands proudly over the canal and the utilitarian specimen under which we could hear the rushing of tyres as cyclists pedalled furiously over them. We glimpsed the famous Magere Grug (“skinny bridge”), and I was moderately disappointed to hear that this was a 1960’s replica of the 1670s bridge. Realistically, I knew it couldn’t be the original, but I would have like it to be. It is fascinating to watch the raising mechanism at work, if you get the chance.

At one point we ventured out to sea—the water became much choppier and there were signs of industrial Amsterdam. We sailed past “The Amsterdam,” a colourful replica of an 1854 clipper. This is part of one of Amsterdam’s many museums but we were just happy to view and photograph it from our boat. Quite close to here was the impressive liner like building that is NEMO, an interactive science museum. What inspiration to integrate a building into the watery surrounds!

We enjoyed the trip but not sure how it helped orient us. It seems to me Amsterdam is confusing to sail through and to walk round. We were constantly lost!

Taking a boat cruise of the canals of Amsterdam seems to be the ultimate tourist experience. It is fun, a great way to see the city, and I’ve taken one on every single trip I’ve made to this city. Both the night and day cruises are worth it but if time or money is limited take a late afternoon cruise that ends in the dark and you can get both experiences squeezed into one.

There are several companies vying for your custom with most located in close proximity to the Central Station. Prices and routes are basically the same but I have always been more satisfied with the blue boats of Holland International – now part of TUI – than with others. Boats have see-through roofs, which apparently fog up fast when it is rainy. Commentary on virtually all boats is via pre-recorded tape in several languages – Dutch, English, German, French, and Spanish. This is of course great if you understand all five – no need for note taking or guidebooks, you’ll know the history of Amsterdam by heart at the end of the tour.

The tour takes around an hour and includes a trip through the harbor and of course various canals. Highlights include seeing the Magere Brug - a narrow double-leave drawbridge across the River Amstel, and to see the gables of the stately homes in the wealthier areas. Another highlight is the point where you can see seven round arch bridges spanning a narrow canal. This is best seen at night when lights light up the curves of the bridges.

Depending on the route you may also pass by the Anne Frank Museum where there always seems to be a queue and the Westerkerk with the glittering crown of Emperor Maximilian at the top of the steeple.

An interesting alternative to a boat tour is to take the Museumboat – this boat covers most of the same route from the Central Station but allows you to get off at five points along the way: Anne Frank Museum, Museum quarter (Rijks and Van Gogh Museums), Bloemenmarkt (Flower market), Waterlooplein and Maritime Museum. A day ticket allows for unlimited trips. The journey will take much longer than the tram but will be more interesting.