Ultimate Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise - Official Partner

Our tour was simply amazing, a must for everyone coming to Amsterdam who wants an intimate, fun, and knowledgeable experience of the city! Oliver was amazing!!

The Light tour was so much fun! The guides were knowledgeable, entertaining, and very nice. Seeing the lights and learning more about the festival was really cool. Plus the boat we were on was enclosed and heated which was appreciated since it was quite cold out. The open bar (which included beers, wines, non-alcoholic drinks, and gluhwein) also helped with the cold lol. Highly recommend this tour!

The boat trip was the highlight of our visit. The boat was beautiful, the staff was knowledgeable and helpful and the views were incredible. We highly recommend it.

Our nighttime canal tour on the Lucy was a true gem - mostly because of our Captain and the Lucy herself - both exceeded our expectations. The Light Festival itself left a little to be desired but that's a minor compliant - the trip itself was a fun and unique experience for us. I imagine that any day or night outing on the Lucy through the canals is a trip worth taking - much different and more personal than the larger tour boats.

The captain was amazing. She showed us all the sites, unlimited drinks on board which is so unexpected for this price. Love Amsterdam, created the best atmosphere.

This was one of the best things we did in Amsterdam. Really liked the intimate setting of only 16 people on the boat with all drinks included, I had 3 glasses of mulled wine which made the experience feel so festive. We had a nice selection of cheese, crackers, grapes, olives and nuts which went lovely with the drinks. We had Micha (Captain Mouse) who was a great host with comedian personally. As we passed other boats crammed full of people we knew we had made the right decision booking with Pure Boats. If you are reading this and undecided on what boat to book on, hopefully this will make your mind up as I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

The crew was amazing! However, the lights were not great. The lights were not very festive. The light sculptures were more modern interpretive art rather than holiday fun. There were not that many lights. It was not impressive at all. It was difficult to take good pictures because of the glare on the windows and because the boat was low and you mostly saw the wall of the canals. Again, the crew was amazing and very friendly and informative.

The Light - and Art in Light festival was extremely limited. It was more a night “rondvaart”, than an Inspiring Light Festival. The tour guides were mixed. The Dutch guy knowledgeable and calm, the Eastern European lady extremely basic in her knowledge and throwing disrespectful cliches about Dutch culture and hysterically annoying

Took an amazing late night light festival cruise on a dark Wednesday night in December. Wasn't sure what to expect as we've never done a shared cruise before, but no need to be everyone was so warm and welcoming. The snacks were delicious and the drinks went down well too. There were other groups onboard, including some fun locals who kept us all smiling. The captain was Micha and he had lots of information and a few cheeky jokes too.

Amazing crew,boat,tour everything was perfect! Highly recommend! You will love it. This was the perfect activity for the first day in town.

A wonderful cruise on a beautiful boat with a very friendly and extremely knowledgeable captain - I highly recommend this cruise

A friend recommended Pure Boats and from the moment I booked they were communicative and friendly. I would absolutely take tour again. Everyone had a seat and there was plenty of room to move around. Captain Mischa was a fun, knowledgeable tour guide who made me and my family feel welcome from the very beginning of the cruise. The boat was spotless and laid out with as much food and drink as you could want! We loved the Pfernoten and the Gluwein as well as the cheese, crackers and fruit. Check their Instagram there’s always a discount code!

Had a really nice time on this cruise, the service was good and very informative. we had Virginia and Fintan and they were super lovely

Our private boat tour of Amsterdam was an unforgettable experience, combining stunning sights, fascinating history, and plenty of fun. Cruising through the city’s iconic canals—part of a UNESCO World Heritage site—we passed landmarks like the Anne Frank House, the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge), and the historic canal houses that date back to the 17th century. Our guide, Oliver, was exceptional—knowledgeable, engaging, and full of interesting facts about Amsterdam’s Golden Age, trading history, and quirky local traditions. He even pointed out hidden gems and lesser-known stories that we’d have missed on a larger tour. The boat was comfortable, with drinks and snacks provided, and the private setting made the whole experience feel relaxed and personalized. We could ask questions, stop for photos, and even choose parts of the route. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a deeper, more personal look at Amsterdam while enjoying a fun, scenic ride through one of Europe’s most charming cities.

Oliver was great! Excellent tour. Fascinating and informative history about Amsterdam. Great cheese and wine. Thank you for a wonderful time!

The boat cruise was amazing! The host was friendly and knowledgeable, made sure we always had drinks and answered any questions we had! Lots of drinks to choose from and the snack board was lovely! The boat was heated and covered, also comfy and had blankets available. 10/10 can’t recommend enough!

The canal tour was very nice and the lights were beautiful on the canal. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and the drinks plentiful. I’m a professional travel advisor who takes tours all around the world. My issue was the lack of communication regarding the meeting point. We were told (email) location of 106- where we got on the wrong boat for a private tour and were told to walk to the office to find out where our boat was docked. This took place 10 minutes prior to the boat leaving. We were 45 min early waiting at the wrong location- no email, no communication of a change. The girl at the office instructed us if the new dock - which was a 5 minute sprint so we wouldn’t miss the boat. We made it, but needless to say- stressed once embarking on the tour. They definitely need better communication if the location is going to be changed or proper instructions to check in at their office prior to your tour.

We had a wonderful and intimate evening aboard Pure Boats for the Festival of Lights. We learned some history and saw some great architecture. We loved the lounge-vibe with wide variety of snacks, beer and wine included. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend! Thanks for making our trip to Amsterdam memorable.

We did our second Amsterdam light show tour with Pure Boats. It was excellent in an old Heineken boat, and the staff was very welcoming, joyful, and very informative. We definitely recommend Pur Boats. The departure point is right in the center, on the pleasant Herengracht canal.

Amazing experience. The boat was stunning and the food and drinks were excellent quality. Our hosts were wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly.

This was such a wonderful experience! Rick and Lisa were super knowledgeable about the city. The boat was beautiful, the snacks were delicious and the wine was plentiful. A truly special experience - not the touristy experience you see with many boat tours, this was cosy, romantic and elegant.

Rick was an amazing guide! Super knowledgeable and friendly! Had a ton of helpful tips about the city and place to go. The tour was really nice and a relaxing way to see the city and with curated snacks and drinks, I can’t recommend enough!!

Did the evening cruise. Will was an excellent captain. The boat only holds around 15 people so made the cruise very relaxed. Cheese and wine (or other) supplied throughout the cruise. Great experience for our first trip to Amsterdam. Only thing I would change is the passenger loading. A bit of a free for all when should be first there, first on, etc. Maybe some ropes guiding you to the boat to make this more fair.

Fantastic trip - captain Stuart was amazing - very knowledgeable and the experience was fantastic- can’t recommend highly enough

Captain John gave an amazing tour along with historical insights. The food was a delicious addition with local beers and cheeses

The boat was amazing and Captain Sean was fantastic!!! Great food, drinks, fellow passengers and VIEWS!!! We thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hour cruise and half the boat were Swifties!

A fantastic way to spend two hours in Amsterdam! Our guide was great...chill, funny, and educational. Highly recommend!

We decided to schedule a private 90 minute canal tour for our first night in Amsterdam and we were NOT disappointed. Justin was very knowledgeable and skilled at maneuvering the canals. I wish we had gone a little later so that we might see the city lite up but otherwise, the trip was perfect. I highly recommend this tour.

We had a wonderful tour despite some rain. The boat was toasty warm. The guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. The light exhibits themselves were ok but seeing Amsterdam this was was unique and delightful. We sampled beers we were not familiar with. Overall, would do again!

We LOVED our cruise with Pure Boats! The boat itself was beautiful and a lovely atmosphere with candles and flowers. The snack and drinks were all high quality and plentiful. The boat was covered, so we were warm and even though it was a small group tour, we all had plenty of room. The captain was awesome, told us so much and answered all of our questions. Definitely book it, it was one of the highlights of our trip!!

We really had a fantastic time on this tour. I go on a boat tour almost every year, but this is such a different experience than most tours. The atmosphere on the boat with the snacks, lights, everything is done so well. Also the passion of the captian, in our case Robert, was amazing. Thank you Robert for your passion and your care. Even though our tour was English (my parents and I are Dutch) it was very easy to follow so even for Dutch people doing a tour in their own country, definitely can recommend it.

Fantastic experience. Excellent value. Our tour guide was wonderful and added the perfect amount of historical and local knowledge and tidbits. The boat was lovely. The small group was perfectly intimate and the drinks and nibbles excellent.

We loved Pure Boats! It was a unique way to see not only the city but also view the Light Festival, which we really knew nothing about prior to the tour. Our guide, Will, was so much fun and full of knowlege. The snacks and mulled wine were a lovely addition!

Beautifully prepared boat, nice captain and very pleasant journey. It was cosy and warm, perfect fit for a rainy, cold day.

My wife and I watched the competitions’ boats and knew we had chosen well by going with Pure Boats. The seating area was nice, enclosed in clean and clear plastic (very easy to see through), and was heated. The food was a selection of cheeses, dips, breads, and nuts. There was a large selection of wines and beers to drink along with water and sodas for those who didn’t want alcohol. The entire boat ride was a fun and luxurious experience…if only the Christmas lights had been better. NOT at all Pure Boats’ fault! Amsterdam decided the theme for 2023 would be Artificial Intelligence (which is ironic because that’s who must have dreamed up such a theme). The displays were boring and, by themselves, would not have been worth the money; but, Pure Boats made it all worthwhile. Would definitely doit again.

We loved this cruise. The captain was incredibly knowledgeable of Amsterdam history and knew so much about the light festival theme and the individual installations. I learned so much on this cruise!

The experience was below expectations. The tour was named "Amsterdam Light Festival" but the guide barely talked about that. Rest of comments during the trip were only for the people next to him, difficult to follow for the rest. Moreover, he should take into account that not everybody has English as mother tongue so he should speak more slowly and to the totality of passengers. Drinking beer while he was driving the boat was also an inappropiate behaviour. The boat is nice, drinks are ok and the scenery of the tour wonderful.

I liked the tour very much, the staff was nice and informative, the boat was great, warm and stable, the mulled wine was tasty, and the nibbles were very pleasant. Unfortunately, it was snowing, but we were able to see all the works of art without being cold. Thank you for a nice evening!

The Pure Boats canal cruise was one of the highlights of our visit to Amsterdam. The staff and "captain/guide" were very friendly and helpful. They did everything to ensure we had a good time...informative, good snacks, and plenty of beverages. The boat itself was lovely. There were four of us and we would all recommend Pure Boats for your canal cruise.

We had a beautiful night in Amsterdam. The weather was fabulous, the food and drinks great and our guide was perfect. Would take this night tour again over and over.

An incredible cruise around Amsterdam on the Canal. The weather was fabulous, the vibe was great and the tour guide (Rik) was really knowledgeable about Amsterdam and so hospitable. We felt looked after and had an incredible experience. I'll definitely recommend the ultimate Amsterdam tour if your are in Amsterdam and looking for something off the tourist path and yet still have an authentic canal cruise experience.

Lovely evening cruising the canals and learning a bit about Amsterdam. There were lots of drinks, cheese was lovely and the boat was very nice. Great night. Thank you mouse!

Loved our time on this beautiful boat for the light festival. Our capitain was funny, informative and gave the tour that local feel we looking for. 10/10 would highly recommend

The smaller boat had a lovely relaxed feel to it. They were very generous with the drinks and the snacks were nice. The skipper was pleasant and knowledgeable. All in all a cheery, sparkling experience despite the bad weather. Having an electric boat was great too as it was very quiet and the skipper was able to get us close to all the light features.

We had a wonderful evening! The guide was knowledgeable, engaging, hospitable, and funny! The wine and beer flowed freely, and the platter of cheese, cookies, fruit, etc. was delicious. The boat was warm and comfy. We enjoyed talking with the other guests as we cruised the canals of Amsterdam. Definitely highly recommend!

We had a fantastic time aboard the Pure Boats vessel. Our skipper was amazing at guiding us around the incredible Light Festival, and he gave us lots of insights as we went around the canals. There was an open bar stocked with every drink imaginable, as well as a delicious food platter with fresh, local produce for us to try. All while riding in a heated, comfortable boat which even had a loo on board. This trip is 100% worth value for money and THIS IS A MUST DO IF YOU ARE IN AMSTERDAM!

A great time on board! The guide was very knowledgeable & hospitable, ensuring all felt engaged and welcome to the cruise. Will definitely do again!

Was great, very cozy and our captain was very knowledgeable and funny. Definitely recommend it . Sadly i forgot his name for the shoutout :(

The Pure Boat experience is exactly as described on their website. A small immaculately presented wooden boat with comfortable seating and central heating which kept us snug and warm on a cold wet December evening. There were 11 guests on our cruise but it wouldn’t have seemed packed even at capacity (?17). The open bar offered a range of good quality wines and interesting beers as well as soft drinks which were accompanied by a generous board of cheeses, biscuits, nuts, etc. Our guide/skipper was very knowledgeable and tailored his commentary to our interests. Possibly the best canal cruise in Amsterdam.