Winter lights on the canals
The best Amsterdam Light Festival canal cruises
Heated boats, half-open boats with blankets, live guides, and cruises with glühwein or unlimited drinks. Here are the six we would book for Edition 15, with honest advice on whether you see every artwork, what is included, and how to stay warm.
See our 6 picks
The best Amsterdam Light Festival canal cruise is a 75-minute evening trip on a covered or heated boat. Our top pick is a small electric boat with a live skipper, from €24. Edition 15 runs from November 26, 2026, to January 17, 2027. The lights are on daily from 4:30 to 11 p.m., and cruises leave every 30 minutes between 4:30 and 9:30 p.m. Walking the route costs nothing; the festival app with the map and audio guide costs €7.99.
- 6
- tours compared
- from €22
- lowest price per person
- ★ 4.5
- best rating (2,016 reviews)
- 6 of 6
- free cancellation
Our 6 picks for a Light Festival cruise
Our top pick first, then the rest by number of reviews. The two with lower ratings come last. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.
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from €24 per person Our top pick 75 minutes 4.5 (2,016) reviews on GetYourGuide
Light Festival cruise with drink and snack option
A silent electric boat with a local skipper who speaks English and Dutch, plus a digital guide in 8 languages. The boat is half-open or covered, chosen on the day by weather, with blankets. Unlimited drinks and a welcome snack are options.
Best for Most visitors
Check availability: Light Festival cruise with drink and snack option on GetYourGuide -
from €22 per person 1 h 30 min 4.1 (523) reviews on GetYourGuide
Light Festival cruise with a live guide
A heated electric boat with live commentary in English and Dutch, an audio guide in 3 languages and a brochure in 5. At 1.5 hours, it is the longest trip here. Drinks are sold on board.
Best for Visitors who want a live guide and a longer route
Check availability: Light Festival cruise with a live guide on GetYourGuide -
from €27 per person 75 minutes 4.3 (420) reviews on GetYourGuide
Premium cruise on a covered historic ship
A heated historic ship with a guide, a toilet and roasted nuts on the table. Unlimited drinks, unlimited glühwein or a bottle of Prosecco are options. Coffee, tea and extra snacks cost extra.
Best for Visitors who want a cozy, heated boat with a toilet
Check availability: Premium cruise on a covered historic ship on GetYourGuide -
from €24 per person 75 minutes 4.0 (86) reviews on GetYourGuide
Covered cruise with glühwein and a stroopwafel
A covered electric boat with blankets. Every ticket includes one glühwein or tea and a stroopwafel. A skipper speaks English and Dutch, and a digital guide covers 8 languages. It may be canceled in bad weather.
Best for Visitors who want a hot drink in the base price
Check availability: Covered cruise with glühwein and a stroopwafel on GetYourGuide -
from €22 per person 75 minutes 3.5 (1,395) reviews on GetYourGuide
Heated boat from Damrak
A heated boat with an audio guide, from Damrak 22. The title promises hot chocolate, but the list of what is included names only the cruise and the audio guide. Food and other drinks are sold before boarding.
Best for Visitors who want a heated boat near Centraal
Check availability: Heated boat from Damrak on GetYourGuide -
from €45 per person 75 minutes 3.9 (185) reviews on GetYourGuide
Cruise with drinks and a Dutch waffle
A big boat with its own bar, for up to 100 people. Drinks and a Dutch waffle are included, and a skipper takes your questions. Extra drinks, snacks and tips cost extra.
Best for Groups who want drinks included
Check availability: Cruise with drinks and a Dutch waffle on GetYourGuide
Amsterdam Light Festival cruises compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Boat and guide | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Festival cruise with drink and snack option | €24 per person | 75 minutes | Half-open or covered; live skipper | Most visitors | The best rating on many reviews, 4.5 from 2,016, with a live skipper and up to 28 people. |
| Light Festival cruise with a live guide | €22 per person | 1 h 30 min | Heated; live guide | Visitors who want a live guide and a longer route | A live guide and the longest cruise, rated 4.1 from 523 reviews. |
| Premium cruise on a covered historic ship | €27 per person | 75 minutes | Heated historic ship; guide | Visitors who want a cozy, heated boat with a toilet | The comfiest boat here, rated 4.3 from 420 reviews. |
| Covered cruise with glühwein and a stroopwafel | €24 per person | 75 minutes | Covered, blankets; live skipper | Visitors who want a hot drink in the base price | The only pick with a hot drink and a snack in every ticket, rated 4.0 from 86 reviews. |
| Heated boat from Damrak | €22 per person | 75 minutes | Heated; audio guide | Visitors who want a heated boat near Centraal | Its rating is lower than the others, 3.5 from 1,395 reviews, so we list it last. It is an official-partner boat with an audio guide. |
| Cruise with drinks and a Dutch waffle | €45 per person | 75 minutes | Big boat with a bar; skipper | Groups who want drinks included | The priciest here, with a lower rating of 3.9 from 185 reviews. It does include drinks and a waffle. |
Light Festival cruise with drink and snack option
€24 per person75 minutes 4.5 (2,016)
Details
- Boat and guide
- Half-open or covered; live skipper
- Who it suits
- Most visitors
- Why we picked it
- The best rating on many reviews, 4.5 from 2,016, with a live skipper and up to 28 people.
Light Festival cruise with a live guide
€22 per person1 h 30 min 4.1 (523)
Details
- Boat and guide
- Heated; live guide
- Who it suits
- Visitors who want a live guide and a longer route
- Why we picked it
- A live guide and the longest cruise, rated 4.1 from 523 reviews.
Premium cruise on a covered historic ship
€27 per person75 minutes 4.3 (420)
Details
- Boat and guide
- Heated historic ship; guide
- Who it suits
- Visitors who want a cozy, heated boat with a toilet
- Why we picked it
- The comfiest boat here, rated 4.3 from 420 reviews.
Covered cruise with glühwein and a stroopwafel
€24 per person75 minutes 4.0 (86)
Details
- Boat and guide
- Covered, blankets; live skipper
- Who it suits
- Visitors who want a hot drink in the base price
- Why we picked it
- The only pick with a hot drink and a snack in every ticket, rated 4.0 from 86 reviews.
€22 per person75 minutes 3.5 (1,395)
Details
- Boat and guide
- Heated; audio guide
- Who it suits
- Visitors who want a heated boat near Centraal
- Why we picked it
- Its rating is lower than the others, 3.5 from 1,395 reviews, so we list it last. It is an official-partner boat with an audio guide.
Cruise with drinks and a Dutch waffle
€45 per person75 minutes 3.9 (185)
Details
- Boat and guide
- Big boat with a bar; skipper
- Who it suits
- Groups who want drinks included
- Why we picked it
- The priciest here, with a lower rating of 3.9 from 185 reviews. It does include drinks and a waffle.
- Most listings give no group size. The top pick takes up to 28 people; the waffle cruise up to 100.
- None of the six picks you up. The piers are in the booking tips below.
- All 6 offer free cancellation.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Light Festival boat tours in Amsterdam: how to choose
Choose a heated or covered boat if you feel the cold, and a live guide if you want the stories behind the art.
Four picks have a live skipper or guide: the top pick, the live-guide cruise, the historic ship and the glühwein cruise. The Damrak boat uses an audio guide.
The festival says most canal, historic and partly open boats are heated. Every boat has life vests, in child sizes too. Strollers are usually not allowed.
Will you see every artwork? Listings promise “all” of them, but give different numbers, so we print none. Routes differ by company, and official partners fly festival flags.
Visiting outside the festival weeks? Our Amsterdam canal cruise guide compares the day and evening cruises.
Amsterdam Light Festival tickets: what you pay for
You need no ticket to see the art. You pay only for a cruise or the app.
The Light Walk app, with the route map and an audio guide, costs €7.99. It is free to download, and a few printed maps are at information points. The walking experiences start in mid-November 2026.
The six cruises on this page cost from €22 to €45.
| Cruise | Included | Extra or optional |
|---|---|---|
| Top pick (from €24) | Live skipper, digital guide, blankets | Unlimited drinks and a snack (option) |
| Live-guide cruise (from €22) | Live guide, audio guide, brochure | Drinks (sold on board) |
| Historic ship (from €27) | Guide, heating, toilet, roasted nuts | Drinks, glühwein or Prosecco (option); coffee and tea |
| Glühwein cruise (from €24) | One glühwein or tea, a stroopwafel, blankets | Unlimited drinks (option) |
| Damrak boat (from €22) | Heated boat, audio guide | Food and drinks (shop before boarding) |
| Waffle cruise (from €45) | Drinks and a Dutch waffle | Extra drinks, snacks, tips |
Walk the Light Festival route or take a cruise?
Walk if you want it free and flexible. Cruise if you want it warm and seated.
The walking route is about 4.5 km (2.8 miles) and takes roughly 1.5 hours. There is no time slot: walk any time the lights are on. A cruise takes about 75 minutes.
Christmas canal cruises and the Christmas lights
The festival runs right through Christmas. Most museums and attractions close on Christmas Day, so a cruise is one thing you can still do.
Whether boats sail on December 25 is up to each company. Check the date picker on the listing.
New Year’s Eve canal cruise: go early
On December 31, the festival closes at 9 p.m. Book an early slot so you see the lights on.
Tips for Light Festival cruises
Dress warm
Near Amsterdam, December averages 6.9 °C (44 °F) by day and 1.9 °C (35 °F) at night. January is 6.2 °C (43 °F) and 1.2 °C (34 °F).
Be at the jetty early
The festival asks you to arrive 15 minutes before departure. You can change your booking up to 24 hours before.
Know your pier
Top pick: Stationsplein 18. Glühwein cruise: Prins Hendrikkade 33A. Damrak boat: Damrak 22. Historic ship: Singel 359. Waffle cruise: Oudezijds Voorburgwal. Live-guide cruise: Badhuisweg 4, so check the route there before you go.
Expect a slow route
Busy canals can make cruises run late, say the top pick and the historic ship. Seats are not reserved on the top pick.
Bring ID, and mind nuts
The historic ship asks for ID. The top pick’s snack may contain traces of nuts.
Cancel for free
All six cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Light Festival cruises: questions and answers
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More Light Festival cruises, live
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