Amsterdam canal cruise
photo: Lovers

Did you know that the first canal cruise in the history of Amsterdam took place in 1621? Queen Elisabeth Stuart was welcomed in a parade of decorated boats with thousands of people on bridges and canal sides cheering the Queen of Bohemia.

Nelson Mandela in Amsterdam
Nelson Mandela in 1999 – photo: nieuws.tpo.nl

Treating VIPs to a cruise on Amsterdam’s famous canals became a tradition as Winston Churchill, the Beatles and Nelson Mandela followed her example.

EURO 1988 Netherlands victory Amsterdam
Dutch football team victory ride in 1988 – photo: rederijkooij.nl

After the Netherlands won the European Football Championship in 1988, the team with captain Ruud Gullit and top scorer Marco van Basten sailed through Amsterdam’s canal while a massive crowd of orange fans cheered them on during their victory ride.

No longer exclusively for VIPs, canal cruises are now the most popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands. Canal tours in Amsterdam attract more than 3,25 million passengers each year.

There is so much to discover so plan your cruise right now!
Check out these amazing cruises:

Day canal cruise
Hop on – hop off cruise
Floating Dutchman
Pizza cruise
Dinner cruise
Candle light cruise
& more cruises