We recommend booking in advance. Last-minute booking is possible too —we close the gate just before departure. You can pay online when you book, or pay cash on board. Check our calendar for live availability.
Last-minute often works —we only close the booking gate just before departure. If a slot is full, please look for another time or day. Check the calendar for live availability.
Times outside the fixed schedule can only be offered as a private cruise.
Maximum 12 guests per boat. For groups over 12 we can use both boats together, for a maximum of 24 people in total.
We do offer group options, but for larger groups a private charter is often the best choice —the boat is yours for up to 12 guests, on your own schedule. Private cruises are booked directly with us (not via Airbnb or Viator/Tripadvisor). See our private tours or contact us for a tailored quote.
Rebooking requests are subject to availability and aren’t guaranteed, and each reservation can be changed once.
Changes more than 24 hours before departure: please use the ‘Change booking’ link in your confirmation email. Changes within 24 hours: contact us at +31 20 320 2040 (call or WhatsApp) as soon as possible.
Please note: Captain Dave Amsterdam isn’t liable for issues related to your arrival, including flights, traffic or parking.
No problem —rebooking to the correct date or time is free if there’s space. Use the ‘Change booking’ link or contact us.
You can cancel your cruise free of charge up to 24 hours before departure, using the “Change booking” or “Cancel booking” link in your confirmation email. Cruises depart on time to respect all guests, so please arrive early —no-shows and late arrivals are non-refundable.
If Captain Dave Amsterdam cancels the cruise for any reason, you may reschedule or receive a full refund.
Want extra peace of mind? Add Trip Protection for full flexibility: cancel for any reason up to 1 hour before departure and receive a full refund, minus the cost of Trip Protection and any processing fees.
Your boarding location is Prinsengracht 397, right next to restaurant Verlan —on the canal side, behind the parked cars. Simply follow the Google Maps link in your confirmation email, or type “Captain Dave Amsterdam —The Official” into Google Maps.
The boat arrives about 5 minutes before departure. 👉 No boat yet? You’re in exactly the right place —just relax and wait.
For the Winter Festival of Lights evening tour (26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027) we meet at a different location —please check your ticket for details.
There’s no sign of ours at the spot —simply look for restaurant Verlan at Prinsengracht 397 , and you’ll find us boarding right beside it, on the canal side behind the parked cars. The boat arrives about 5 minutes before departure , so if it’s not there yet, you’re still in exactly the right place.
The easiest way is the direct Amsterdam Airport Express (bus 397) from Schiphol (stop B17) to its final stop, Elandsgracht —about 30–35 minutes, every ~10 minutes (€6.50 one way). From Elandsgracht it’s a 5–8 minute walk to Prinsengracht 397. You pay on the bus: simply tap your contactless bank card, credit card or Google Pay on the card reader when you board bus 397. Important —don’t forget to tap the same card or device again when you get off .
Prefer the train? Amsterdam Centraal is about 15 minutes away, then a short tram ride or a 20–25 minute walk.
We don’t provide transport, but we’re easy to reach on foot, by bike, by public transport or by taxi. Parking a car in the centre is hard and expensive, so public transport or a taxi is usually easiest (taxi +31 (0)20 – 777 77 77; Uber can be unreliable here). If you’d still prefer to come by car, your best option is Q-Park Europarking (Marnixstraat 250) —from there it’s about a 9-minute walk to the boarding point at Prinsengracht 397.
Yes and no —it depends which boat you’re on. On the Jonckvrouw luggage is usually no problem; the smaller James Bond has less room. Let us know in advance which boat you’ll be on.
Please call or text us as soon as you know, and we’ll do our best to help. Our cruises depart on time out of respect for all guests and their busy schedules. Late arrivals and no-shows are non-refundable, so please arrive a few minutes early.
The tour ends back where you boarded, at Prinsengracht 397.
The tour normally ends at Prinsengracht 397. On a private tour drop-off can be more flexible (e.g. Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Central Station), but it’s not always possible —it depends on the route and timing. Let me know your preference and I’ll see what works.
Tipping is quite common in the Netherlands and always appreciated if you enjoyed your time with us —but it’s entirely up to you.
Most canal tours in Amsterdam last 60 minutes on a fixed route. Our group tours take a relaxed 90 minutes along flexible routes —real time to settle in, enjoy your drink and soak up the city. Want the boat to yourselves? A private tour runs from 90 minutes to 6 hours, fully tailored to you.
With us, every minute is about the experience. Drinks are self-service —usually one person in the group looks after them —so you help yourself to a coffee, tea or drink whenever you like, with no pausing to check tickets, serve or settle the bill. Check out our tours and find your perfect cruise.
There are three kinds of canal tours in Amsterdam, and we chose the most relaxed one for you:
Public tours leave from the busiest hubs (Central Station, the Anne Frank House area) with large groups on a fixed route, mostly 60 minutes and hustled from the streets. Shared tours —ours —are booked in advance for a small group, 90 minutes, authentic tour, so you step straight aboard at a calm, central spot: restaurant Verlan, Prinsengracht 397. Private tours give you the whole boat for your own group.
That’s why you’ll find us on a beautiful, peaceful stretch of the Prinsengracht —calm, personal and genuinely local.
We cruise with a minimum of 4 guests on a shared tour —usually no problem at all. We’ll always keep you posted, and if a tour can’t run and another time doesn’t suit, you’ll receive a full refund.
Iconic landmarks like the Anne Frank House, the Westerkerk, the Skinny Bridge and beautiful 17th-century canal houses. Our tours feature 4 flexible routes, so you’ll also experience the Amstel River, parts of the UNESCO-listed canal belt and hidden gems throughout the city. At Captain Dave we’re not just about the sights —we’re real storytellers, bringing the history and charm of Amsterdam to life as we cruise.
The canals are beautiful year-round, with something special in every season. In spring and summer we open the glass sliding windows and roof, or you enjoy the outer deck. In autumn and winter, the cosy heated salon keeps you warm and comfortable —magical during the Festival of Lights.
Our boats, the Jonckvrouw (Royal Lady) and James Bond, are perfectly suited to every season.
Yes, we offer both private and group tours. Our Jonckvrouw (Royal Lady) is licensed for up to 12 guests and can be booked exclusively for your group or as part of a shared tour.
Our group tours run daily: Early Morning Canal Cruise at 8 and 8:30 AM, Morning Canal Cruise at 10 AM and 10:30, and Cruise Like a Local at 2, 2:30, 4, 4:30, 6, 6:30, 8 and 8:30 PM. Private tours are perfect for special occasions, corporate events or a fun day with family and friends —contact us for a customised experience.
Our tours are guided live by a real captain and storyteller —never a recorded audio guide. The main language is English, and we also speak Dutch; some captains speak additional languages.
To enjoy the captain’s stories best, we recommend sitting in the salon. Prefer the back? Just ask for a speaker so you don’t miss a thing.
The light artworks are best after dark. The festival has only late afternoon/ evening tour times so you cruise when the lights are on. Note: the festival evening tour meets at a different point – see your ticket.
The Light Festival cruise is about the light art and follows a special route, after dark. The regular tour is in daylight and focuses more on Amsterdam life, history and culture.
Tours on the hour usually sail on our flagship, the Jonckvrouw (Royal Lady) —a covered saloon boat and a registered Sailing Monument. Half-hour departures usually use the James Bond, an open former water taxi with 360° canal views. Both give you the same relaxed, high-quality cruise.
In Amsterdam you’ll come across a few kinds of boats.
An open sloop is wonderful on a perfect sunny day, right out in the open air.
A sloop with a fixed plastic canopy does keep the rain off, but it also closes you in —the plastic can flap in the wind, it gets stuffy in both sun and rain, and you can’t really see the city through it.
A saloon boat —like our Jonckvrouw and James Bond —gives you the best of both worlds: crystal-clear glass windows you slide open whenever you like, a sliding roof you open when the sun is out and close if a shower passes by, an outer deck to sit outside, a warm heated salon in winter, and a proper toilet on board. Real views, fresh air when you want it, warm and dry when needed —relaxed and cosy, rain or shine.
It’s all about status and authenticity.
‘Varend erfgoed’ (sailing heritage) is the umbrella term for every historic ship over 50 years old —and there are many of them.
‘Varend Monument’ —like our Jonckvrouw —is a protected mark, awarded only to ships that are especially authentic and culturally valuable, so only a select few qualify. The status even follows the ship’s upkeep and is reassessed when it changes owner, which keeps that group small and special.
The Jonckvrouw is listed in the Register Varend Erfgoed Nederland (RVEN) and recognised by the national maritime-heritage federation (FVEN).
Our boats are built for all weather. The Jonckvrouw and James Bond both have a solid sliding roof, so we cruise rain or shine, and a heated saloon keeps you warm in autumn and winter. In spring and summer we open the windows and roof, or you enjoy the open decks. We only stay in for severe or unsafe weather —and then we reschedule or refund you.
Yes —both our boats have a basic toilet for quick stops (number 1 only, please!). Save number 2 for before or after the trip, so you can fully enjoy the cruise.
Yes, there’s a good speaker (Harman Kardon) – you can play your own music, and you can ask for a speaker at the back so you don’t miss the captain’s stories.
Yes, we have life jackets on board for your peace of mind. They’re there if you’d like one —wearing one isn’t required during the tour.
A maximum of 12 guests plus 1 captain —cosy, with plenty of space.
There isn’t one bigger boat —for groups over 12 we combine both boats (the Jonckvrouw and the James Bond) for a maximum of 24 people in total.
Yes! The (Early) Morning cruise includes complimentary coffee, tea, orange juice and Frisian sugar bread. The Cruise Like a Local includes drinks —Heineken, Affligem, wine, soft drinks and Spa water (a 20cl prosecco is a lovely €7.50 add-on).
It’s all self-service, so help yourself whenever you like —usually one person in the group looks after the drinks. On private tours you can pre-book refreshments.
Private cruises: Basic Drinks Package 9 p.p. per hour or Premium 12.50 p.p. per hour. Shared cruises have drinks included, with prosecco and mimosa as paid add-ons. The Morning and Light Festival private cruises have their own packages.
On shared group tours, no —but drinks are included (see above). On private tours you can bring your own for a €20 per hour corkage fee. Have a dietary need? Bring your own snacks and just let us know beforehand.
Glasses and a corkscrew are available (handy if you bring your own wine on a private tour). Snacks can be ordered with your booking.
We don’t serve a full meal on shared tours —in the morning we offer sugar bread, and in the afternoon Pringles and peanuts.
If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies (such as gluten-free/coeliac or a nut allergy), you’re very welcome to bring your own snacks. Just let us know in advance.
Yes, we’re happy to serve alcohol, while keeping things relaxed and enjoyable —no booze cruises here.
Not on board —cruise with us first, kopstoot or shot of Jenever afterwards! Stepping from a boat onto the quay after a stiff kopstoot or shot isn’t the steadiest moment, so it’s safer to enjoy one on solid ground. Amsterdam has wonderful spots for it, such as Wynand Fockink, De Drie Fleschjes and Proeflokaal A. van Wees.
(A kopstoot is a beer with a shot of genever.)
Our boats are non-smoking, for everyone’s comfort and safety. Only if the whole group agrees, you may sit outside and smoke with the door closed.
Yes —only on private boat tours, not on shared cruises. Pets of all sizes are welcome, including larger well-behaved dogs. We cruise with you on the James Bond, our open boat, which is ideal for four-legged guests. Please always tell us in advance so we can book you on the right boat.
No need to worry on a shared cruise: pets are only allowed on private boat tours and sail on the James Bond, so on shared cruises you’re kept comfortably away from animals.
Yes —everyone on board needs a ticket (we have a permit for 12 guests). We offer discounts for children aged 3–10. Bringing a baby or infant? Please contact us in advance.
We cruise with a small group, so we like to keep an eye on the number of babies and infants joining a shared cruise. Please contact us in advance and we’ll let you know what’s possible.
hildren are very welcome; a foldable stroller can come along.
Unfortunately not —boarding involves steep stairs. If you have limited mobility, please contact us in advance so we can talk through what’s possible.
Yes, we keep a lost & found. Call us and we’ll let you know the next time we’re at the dock, with a pick-up window. We can’t mail items, but we’ll make collecting them easy.
We’d love that —you can leave a review via Google or Tripadvisor. Thank you for sharing your experience!
