All cruises are captained by myself as the captain/owner of the Drift Away. We depart from the Singel no.7 and we will return to this location at the end of the cruise. I do not offer a fixed route, depending on your wishes as guests I will tailor the cruise to you specifically. Due to the custom design of the Drift Away we have access to even the narrowest canals of Amsterdam and are able to pass even the lowest of bridges. If you do not have any preferences I will put together a route which will give you an overview of the canal belt, a few of the small less travelled canals, the Amstel river and the eastern maritime area. As a born and raised ¨Amsterdammer¨ I have a wealth of knowledge about Amsterdams history, culture and the Dutch way of life in general. I love sharing with you about my hometown in an easy going manner, with a good sense of humor and the typical Dutch straight forwardness!
We will pass through the pitoresque district the Jordaan. The name of the Jordaan finds its origin in the French word Jardin, meaning garden. Many of the streets in the district are named after flowers.
The former warehouse of the Admiralty of Amsterdam features the Maritime Museum. We will also pass by ¨De Amsterdam¨ an enormous replica East India Trading Company ship.
Former tower part of the defense wall surrounding Amsterdam, converted in the 1600 to a clock tower. Features also in a painting by Rembrant van Rijn
We will pass the most famous prostitution district in the world, you will learn the practical features of the usage of red light in the world of prostitution.
The most famous bridge out of the thousands Amsterdam features, why is it famous and who build it?
Tax used to be based on the width of your residence facade. We will pass the smallest house in Amsterdam to show you the builders disdain for paying tax.
One of the oldest canals where all beer was brewed back in the golden age
Old tower which was briefly used as the republics mint.
We absolutely enjoyed the canal cruise from start to finish. It was excellent. Lots of interesting information about Amsterdam appreciated the warm blankets drink drinks, and on board bathroom. And also captain John
I could not have asked for a better experience !!!! They far exceeded our expectations. In my personal opinion they should be charging way more for the cruise. Our captain Fons was so knowledgeable and amazing personality. This cruise with Bows journeys should be high on your list of experiences in Amsterdam 💕🥂
I had such a wonderful time on the canal boat tour with John! He was incredibly knowledgeable about Amsterdam’s history and shared so many interesting stories and insights along the way. Beyond that, he was genuinely fun, personable, and an absolute pleasure to spend time with. The open bar and snacks was a hit! I joined five other ladies for the cruise and we all had a wonderful time. I can't recommend him and Bow's enough!
This was sooooo much fun! Fons, our captain, was engaging, very, very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. He related well to all the different people who showed up for the tour; teenagers, couples, seniors, etc. We saw a different view of a beautiful city and learned a lot about Amsterdam's history. Do you know why all the buildings are narrow and tall? You'll find out. There were snacks and drinks and we all had a good time. I highly recommend this company!
You absolutely must enjoy this experience! Our guide was informative and personable. Blankets were provided when it got chilly, as this was an evening tour for us. When the tour was over, my phone would not work. Our guide went above and beyond when he booked an Uber for us and walked us to the meeting point. Hands down-superior service!
This was an amazing tour. I would recommend this to anyone going to amsterdam. The guide was knowledgeable, funny, and accommodating. We learned so much and have no negative notes. 10/10
We had a fabulous canal cruise with Mark as our captain. The boat is beautiful, the evening light cruise was a wonderful experience made even better by Mark’s ability to explain both the history of Amsterdam as well as what we saw along this cruise. Easily a highlight of our 4 days in Amsterdam. We cruised with a full boat if 12 people. A perfect experience in every way. Book this company with confidence and you will not be disappointed!!
Bow’s Journey was an incredible experience and the highlight of our trip to Amsterdam! The boat, Sophie, was charming and comfortable. The bar and snacks were plenty and delicious. Our guide, Mark, was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and navigated the canals with confidence and safety. We would recommend Bow’s Journey to anyone interested in an engaging canal tour with personality. For a touristy activity we did not feel like tourists at all!
Above and beyond tour in terms of what we wanted to see and very accomodating with an unexpected shower. Fonz was our guide and was simply fantastic.
This was a great introduction to Amsterdam for our first visit. Our guide, John, was great! He was polite, patient, knowledgeable and interesting. We will highly recommend this to anyone
My friend and I really enjoyed this cruise. The boat is small, and we only shared with 9 other people so it was very intimate. There was plenty of room for us all to sit outside on a sunny day, Drinks and nibbles were provided. The seats were comfortable. Our captain gave us a great commentary all along and was sure to point out the “Kodak” spots. This was so much better than a large cruise I had taken years ago where the commentary was provided via a headset similar to a Hop On/Hop Off bus. Be sure to book direct with the operator.
We were looking for something other than a large boat with a crowd of people...a more personal tour. There were just six of us for our trip and it was exactly what we wanted. Our Captain John and Marc were so very friendly and knowledgeable about the city and made the trip most enjoyable. Drinks and snacks were available and offered generously! The boat was very comfortable and suitable for days when the sun doesn't always shine too! We would recommend Bow's Journeys 100% if you're looking for a personal and friendly service. Thank you John!
Very relaxing evening tour at 19h00 with Captain Jan and his kwerky sense of humour. Less boat on canals, comfy boat, only 6 of us on board, nice wine and soft jazz and the stories of Jan. Great!
This was an amazing small group boat tour. John our captain was informative and personable. It was a cozy relaxed vibe. Would highly recommend!
We went back and forth on which company to choose, but ultimately decided on Bow’s after reading a quote on their website: «People don't want to be passengers, they want to be guests» And that’s exactly the experience you’re getting! 90 minutes flew by onboard beautiful Sophie with our captain Fons. He combined hospitality, knowledge, wit, warmth and humor wonderfully. If you don’t mind paying a little bit extra to ensure you’ll get a 10/10 memorable experience – Bow’s your choice! (Also: bar, snacks and toilet was great)
This was such a lovely experience! We did the 7 PM tour so started when there was still some light and ended with a lovely canal lights tour. Our guide Jan was excellent and the small group experience was incredible. It was a great first night to our trip!
Bow was our captain and his cruise was amazing! He took us away from the touristy spots and showed us another side of Amsterdam. His easygoing manner made us feel at home as he gave us information and answered questions about life in this city. Included drinks were a nice bonus. Our canal cruise couldn’t have been any better!
Completely enjoyed this relaxing 1.5 hours, which passed so quickly! The captain was informative, sharing details about Amsterdam, and also suggested other points of interest we might visit while in the city. I was looking for a low-key (translation: non-touristy) tour, and this was perfect.
We had a great time on our cruise! We got a beautiful fall day. The captain was engaging and knowledgeable and described unique elements of the city.
Phenomenal experience. Fokkel was an amazing Guide and gave us a truly personal experience on the cruise, complete with educational facts about Amsterdam and plenty of funny jokes to go along with it. We had zero complaints and would recommend this cruise to EVERYONE visiting Amsterdam!
Captain Fokko was a Michelin 5 star experience! Incredibly knowledgeable about Amsterdam at a “Jeopardy” level. His depth of local trivia was captivating. When you add his hearty Dutch humor, you have the full cruise package. The Boat was a vintage “woody”, expertly maintained bow to stern. Like sight seeing in a Rolls Royce! There are a lot of options to cruise the canals. If you want the best, choose Bow’s Journeys and Captain Fokko!
Got lucky and had only 2 other travelers. Boat was clean and comfortable with a nice selection of complementary snacks and drinks. Captain Jan was very friendly and shared a lot of information and stories. Trip was a solid 90 minutes. This was much better than the canal tours in Bruges and Ghent, but more expensive of course.
What a magical evening on the water . Our cruise started at 7pm so we got the transition from daylight, to sunset and seeing Amsterdam light up beautifully at night. Captain Fooko on the Sophia was a great host knowledgeable and humorous, and the small group setting was great. Highly recommend!
Captain Jan was exceptionally charming with comprehensive knowledge and stories in a relaxed and light-hearted atmosphere. The docking instructions and directions were excellent. We were served a variety of items from an open bar with unlimited drinks and snacks for the duration of the 90 minute cruise. I would recommend the small group tour (max 12p) experience. The crowd size was smaller and more intimate than others we passed during the tour and we had the best beer while on board. Our experience was top shelf.
Highly recommend this canal cruise!! Especially if you’re traveling solo or with a small group. Captain John was very kind and knowledgeable and knew so much about the city! The boat can fit up to 12 in cushioned outdoor seating (with some additional covered seating if needed). The price included unlimited drinks (nearly full bar) and there’s a bathroom on board - hard to get any better than that!
Boat was very comfortable. Our captain, John, was excellent. Knowledgeable, interesting, passionate about his task of informing us with accurate facts and an obvious love for Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
We had a small group of 8 on the boat. We left a few minutes late due to the previous tour running a little long so John kept us a little later and gave us the full tour. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and history of Amsterdam. One think I had not even thought of when I booked it was having a restroom on board, which the Sophie did and we were glad we had ot for a 1 1/2 hour tour. I would highly recommend Bow’s and our tour guide John.
We had an amazing time! Fonzie was so personable, friendly and knowledgeable! The intimacy of a small group sipping cocktails and laughing; it didn't feel touristy at all. We didn't want the excursion to end and could have done another 90 minutes. 10/10 would recommend!!!
I have done many canal tours in the past, and this by far was the very best I have ever done. Bow was amazing, as was his canal boat. We all had an amazing time, and would give my highest recommendation for this tour!!! Thanks for an amazing time
Very enjoyable small group canal cruise experience. Bow was a very knowledgeable, informative, and personable guide. Lots of interesting information delivered with ease and some humor. I'd highly recommend this tour, and suggest booking directly with Bow!
Lovely experience! Bow, the owner, was our Captain. You can tell he knows and loves Amsterdam. He shared a lot of information and answered all of our questions as we cruised the canals. It was laid back and quite enjoyable. Drinks, snacks, and blankets were plentiful. Ten people on our outing. Book direct if you can!
This was a great experience! It's a lovely smaller boat so a smaller group. There was quite a lively bunch on board that evening and Captain John did a great job with everyone! Very fun and informative. Highly recommend this tour for a more interactive, personal cruise.
5-star experience! Such a nice way to discover Amsterdam. The boat is beautiful, the captain very knowledgeable. Me & my friend took our 12yo daughters & we all had a really good time! Highly recommended if you are looking for something different!
Fantastic experience - a highlight of our visit to Amsterdam. Captain Fonzie was delightful, entertaining and very knowledgeable about the city and canals. Boat is beautiful. Cocktails and snacks were great - as was the small group we did the tour with. Highly recommend!!
We had a great experience on this small-group canal tour. Our captain was fantastic—very knowledgeable about Amsterdam, fun to talk with, and made the entire trip enjoyable. He took great care of everyone throughout the tour, including keeping us supplied with drinks while we relaxed and enjoyed the canals. Having a captain who is from Amsterdam made the experience even better. He knew the city, its history, and the canals extremely well and shared plenty of interesting information without making it feel like a scripted tour. It was relaxed, personal, and a lot of fun. Great boat, great atmosphere, and an excellent captain. Highly recommend!
The perfect boat, vibe and experience. 90 mins is the sweet spot. Highly recommend, especially on a non rainy day.
Absolutely perfect canal cruise, small boat, great captain, excellent bar. I didn't want a big boat bus tour, found this one and couldn't be happier with the choice. Relaxing, informative, and fun, on 12 max. Feels like being on a friend's boat.
Fantastic cruise with a great host! Lots of local knowledge (he was a local), plenty of drinks and some snacks as advertised. No complaints at all...
Four of us booked a shared cruise on the Sophie and were fortunate enough that it ended up being a private cruise. John was our captain and he was so fun and informative! We sipped cocktails and wine while learning so much history of the city and seeing the beautiful buildings from the canals. We loved it so much that we are booking the same canal cruise with John later in the month when our sons join us for a few days. We would highly recommend Bows Journey!
An amazing tour, great boat, beautiful scenery and our guide Young was fantastic keeping us entertained the whole time - highly recommended.
We highly enjoyed this tour. It was very fun. The small group size was very intimate and our captain, John, was very personable. The drinks were plentiful (try the gin & tonic) as was the conversation with other passengers and the captain. We explored the many canals and learned more about Amsterdam history and culture. We highly recommend. The check-in point was about about a 15 minute walk from the Dam transit stop.
Fonzie was fabulous! Wonderful evening tour. Full bar, snacks, and pure entertainment. Intimate with a small amount of people. So very informative. Highly recommend! Great start to our visit in Amsterdam! So very glad we chose this particular cruise!!
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening cruise. It was one of the only ones I could find that actually stayed out long enough to see the lighted buildings and bridges, which was beautiful. Having only 12 people onboard was lovely, and the open bar was well utilized! Highly recommended!
What a great way to finish our first day in Amsterdam. Silently cruising around with the lights of the city and bridges to guide our way. Fascinating incites from our captain, oh and a fully stocked free bar. What's not to like.
it was a cute 100 year old restored boat with a fun captain. The boat even had a usable toilet. For a small boat it had a well stocked bar. I will definitely cruise with them again
Very nice. A bit hard to understand operator but he was filled with info. Wine cocktails and soft drinks offered. He was very nice full of info. We would recommend for sure.
We had a cruise with Fonz today. He was great . This tour is so much better than the giant cabal boats. Much more personalized experience. I would highly recommend this company. We all agreed it was a highlight of our trip. We’ve been all over Europe on this trip this was our 4th canal cruise, and by far the best one
What a fantastic cruise through the canals!! My daughter and I boarded at 9pm and I can’t recommend enough doing the tour at night!! The city is bright, you see the gorgeous homes and busy nightlife! Our Captain, John, provided the history and then some on all things Amsterdam. He made our cruise so enjoyable! It was an extra bonus that we were the o ly 2 people on the tour that night! I’ll do this tour again when I return! Thank you!
Fantastic canal cruise. We did both the day and night cruises, loved them both. Relaxed, informative, humorous, such an amazing experience. Thank you! If there is only one thing you do in Amsterdam, it'sa canal cruise with Bow's Journeys.
Amazing! We totally enjoyed the tour and Captain John was entertaining and full of very interesting facts. We did it first thing, and it was a great introduction to Amsterdam. Can’t recommend it enough.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email