Best Amsterdam Light Festival Cruises 2026–2027: Boat Types Compared

To get the most out of the Light Festival, plan the evening in three parts:

1. Late afternoon (16:30–17:30): Grab a stroopwafel or hot chocolate near the Nieuwmarkt or in the Jordaan as it gets dark. The artworks switch on at 16:30 every evening.

2. On the water (from about 17:30): Board your cruise once it's properly dark. The artworks are designed around reflections in the water and the arches of the bridges, which is why seeing them from a boat is the highlight of the festival.

3. After the cruise: Walk across the lit-up Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) or warm up with Dutch comfort food (stamppot or fondue) in a brown café along the Prinsengracht.

Big covered shared boats (from about €27.50, 25 to 30 guests, 70 to 75 minutes): the cheapest way onto the water. All have a roof, but only one of the five is heated, so dress warmly. Four of the five include drinks or a snack, from hot chocolate to unlimited drinks.

Small heated shared boats (about €37 to €64, 10 to 24 guests, 75 minutes to 2 hours): all six are heated and covered, and five include drinks. Smaller groups, a skipper you can talk to, and the longer trips go further along the route.

Private boats for 6 to 12 guests (about €300 to €495 for the whole boat, 75 minutes to 2.5 hours): every one of them is heated. Many are historic saloon boats such as Diana, Lucy, Geertje and Schollevaar. Two of them serve a private dinner on board (about €475 for up to 8 guests).

Large private boats (20 to 36 guests): two covered 30-seat boats (about €390 to €400, not heated) and Stan Huygens, a heated saloon boat for up to 36 guests (about €1,020). Made for company outings and big birthdays.

The large glass-roofed tour boats of the big fleets aren't on BoatLocal; you book those on their own websites.

Each operator's own site only shows its own boats. On BoatLocal you see the independent operators' Light Festival boats side by side:

It depends on which shared boat you compare with. Against the big shared boats (about €27.50 to €32 a seat), a private boat at about €300 only pays off from about 11 people. Against the small heated shared boats (about €37 to €64 a seat), a private boat is already cheaper per person from about 5 to 8 people, depending on which one.

A private boat also means the boat to yourselves, your own departure time, your own music, and on some boats your own drinks. The Light Festival page has a slider that works out shared against private for your exact group size, with live prices.