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Best Smaller Boat Tour Suggestions

We are looking for a boat tour to take with our two adult sons around Amsterdam. Would be nice to have a smaller boat and not a super large one. Maybe have drinks and appetizers on board.

Can't wait to hear your suggestions.

Posted by
11056 posts

Do you mean a canal boat? They aren't terribly large but there are some smaller ones. www. thosedamboat guys.com may appeal to you.

Posted by
2281 posts

hey tildy
we took this private canal cruise with rederijdejordaan.amsterdam. there were 4 of us with drinks and appetizers, gorgeous views along the canals, beautiful day and great boai pilot reinhard. about a 2 hour tour. we had a fabulous day.
aloha

Posted by
62 posts

On Airbnb, I saw a description/reviews for Captain Dave's Cruise Like a Local canal tour. I also had heard raves about the Cruise Like a Local tours in several Amsterdam travel videos on You Tube. It is a bit more $ than others but they offer drinks, snacks and a small group experience, going in scenic small canals for 1.5 hours with narration. I signed up for the 8:00 am tour because the canals are supposed to be quieter then but they offer tours other times during the day too. For the 8:00 am tour, they substitute pastries, juice, coffee for the drinks. I go in mid-September and will report back. Good luck.

Posted by
10344 posts

Again, none of the canal boats are large, because they have to be limited to a size that will navigate the canals, which are not enormous.

Posted by
44 posts

Hi All,
We have been back for a while and I am finally getting around to posting from our trip. We did the Those Damn Boats Guys tour and had a great time. We waffled back and forth on renting a private boat for our family due to the fact that tourist are allowed to smoke on the boat. We decided against renting our own boat and just went for it. We met new people from all walks of life. What a fun introductory experience of Amsterdam. We all shared wine and snacks and yes we did have patrons that chose to smoke on the boat. We just sat in a separate area and it was fine. We have some silly memories from the trip and the people on the boat. The tour was well done and we approve. Very organized and thorough. If you do not like or are uncomfortable with others briefly smoking marijuana on the boat do not do this tour unless you reserve your own boat for ten people which is an option. The company is very open and honest about their policy so just know that most likely if you book with them and you do not reserve your own boat, there is a high (no pun indented) that people will be imbibing in the flower.

Posted by
7453 posts

Well regarding size, to be fair, I think you could class the most common boats into the large class in that they hold 50-100 people in what I compare to an impersonal tourist bus; compared to what many would consider "small boat" tours that run from 2 to 20 and more intimate and interactive with the guide. The smaller boats are also much more liberal with bring your own drink/food, unless it is a "cater for a price" deal.

I was intrigued by "Those Dam Boat Guys" as well, unfortunately weather interfered.