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Amsterdam Night Canal Cruise?

My wife and I will be arriving in Amsterdam around 6pm for a short layover, then departing the following day around noon. My question is, would people recommend doing a Night Canal Cruise that night we arrive as a good way to tour a good amount of the city with our limited time? I've read very mixed reviews on some people highly recommending the night canal cruise and some saying it was a waste of time of the audio guides can be a little cheesy. Any suggestions on if we should book the tour would be great. And if not, then does anyone have any suggestions on how we should spend our one night in Amsterdam? Thanks!

Just a note, the next morning, we plan on waking up nice and early, and walking the streets (Anne Frank House, Museum District, etc).

Posted by
9110 posts

Go for it! Amsterdam is beautiful at night and the cruises are very scenic and relaxing. You're under no obligation to use the audio guides, if you find the commentary too cheesy take off the headphones and just enjoy the scenery.

Posted by
16895 posts

Agreed that Amsterdam is beautiful and a boat tour will be the easiest way to get a big dose of it, especially if you're tired after a trans-Atlantic flight. The Anne Frank house is open until 22:00 on Saturdays and every day in July and August. The Van Gogh museum is open until 22:00 on Fridays.

Posted by
11294 posts

I agree with the others, and I'll just add that the lines for the Anne Frank House can be insanely long, so going either late in the evening or first thing in the morning is the way to go.

Posted by
9 posts

Try a canal cruise with live commentary rather than the audio!

Posted by
9110 posts

Tours with live commentary are a rare breed these days as there are a lot more non-english speaking Asian tourists . The trend is to provide multi-language audio-guides to appeal to a more diverse selection of customers.

Posted by
74 posts

How safe is it for a solo female traveller to take the Night Canal Cruise?

Posted by
21142 posts

I'd say very safe. Take a dinner cruise. Very enjoyable and "live" commentary in Dutch, English, French, and German as necessary for other passengers.

Posted by
161 posts

I have taken the cruise at night by myself as a woman--it was lovely.

Posted by
7 posts

Can anyone recommend a specific night cruise that's best or are they all the same?