Pizza Canal Cruise Amsterdam

Centraal Station pier and the start of the cruise

The cruise starts from a pier on the Damrak waterfront, directly opposite Amsterdam Centraal Station, the neo-Renaissance terminal of 1889 that stands on artificial islands in the IJ. This is the arrival point for most trains, trams and ferries in the city, so the pier is the easiest canal boat departure to reach after a day of sightseeing. Check-in takes place in the café at the pier, where the host takes your name and guides you to your table.

Families and groups who choose different pizzas can make separate bookings under the same name and we make sure you sit together. Departure is at 18:00, which makes this one of the most practical dinner cruise options in Amsterdam: early enough for children, late enough to see the canal houses in evening colours. Arrive 15 minutes early to settle in before the boat casts off.

Brouwersgracht and Keizersgracht

The first part of the route follows the Brouwersgracht, often voted the prettiest canal in the city, lined with former warehouses whose wooden shutters and hoist beams survive from the 17th century, and with houseboats moored along its quays. It marks the northern edge of the canal ring, where the Jordaan meets the centre, and is quieter than the main canals.

From there the boat turns into the Keizersgracht, the Emperor's Canal, the widest of the three great canals, laid out in 1615. Its merchants' houses show almost every gable style of the Golden Age, from stepped to bell-shaped and neck gables. After about 30 minutes of cruising, the boat makes a short stop so the crew can bring the freshly baked pizzas on board, and dinner is served at your table while the canal houses glide past.

Herengracht and the Nine Streets

The Herengracht, the Gentlemen's Canal, was the most prestigious address of the 17th century, and its finest stretch, the Golden Bend, is lined with double-width mansions built for wealthy merchants and bankers. The whole Grachtengordel, the ring of canals around the medieval core, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, and an Amsterdam canal cruise is the best way to see why: the houses were designed to be admired from the water.

Between the Herengracht and the Prinsengracht, nine short side streets, De Negen Straatjes, cross the canals like the rungs of a ladder. They are packed with independent boutiques, vintage shops and small cafés and are one of the most popular shopping areas of the city. From the boat you see them through the bridges, and they are an ideal place to stroll after the cruise.

The Amstel and the Magere Brug

The route reaches the Amstel, the river that gave Amsterdam its name, and passes the Magere Brug, the Skinny Bridge. This white wooden double drawbridge has crossed the river in various forms since the late 17th century; the current version dates from 1934 and is still raised by hand for passing boats. In the evening it is outlined with hundreds of small lights and is one of the most photographed views in the city.

The river is wider here and the boat moves at a gentle pace, so it is a good moment to finish your pizza, enjoy the ice cream and take photos. On the banks you will see grand 19th-century buildings and the long Amstelhof, a 17th-century care house that is now a museum. In the darker months the bridge is often already lit when the boat passes.

Nieuwmarkt and De Waag

On the way back towards the station, the cruise passes Nieuwmarkt, a lively square on the edge of the medieval city. At its centre stands De Waag, built in 1488 as one of the city gates and later used as a public weigh house and as a meeting place for guilds, including the surgeons who held anatomy lessons in its tower room. Today it is a restaurant and a well-known landmark.

The square hosts a daily market and an organic market on Saturdays, and is close to the small Chinatown along the Zeedijk. After passing Nieuwmarkt, the boat returns to the pier opposite Centraal Station, about 75 minutes after departure, so you are perfectly placed for a tram or train, or for an evening walk through the old centre.