Neighbourhoods & Routes
Hidden Canals of Amsterdam: Secret Routes by Boat
Amsterdam has more than 100 kilometres of canals, but most tourists see only the famous three rings. Away from Herengracht and Prinsengracht, the city has quieter stretches, working boat yards, neighbourhood canals, and the hidden waterways of De Pijp, Oud-West, and the Plantage district. A private boat with a knowledgeable captain can take you to parts of Amsterdam that appear in no standard tour. BoatLocal's private boats are the best way to explore these routes.
The Brouwersgracht: Amsterdam's Most Beautiful Canal
Ask Amsterdam residents to name their favourite canal and Brouwersgracht (Brewers Canal) wins consistently. Running along the northern edge of the Jordaan and connecting to the IJ harbour, it was originally lined with breweries and warehouses that have since been converted into the most sought-after private homes in the city.
Brouwersgracht is at its best at the junction with Prinsengracht: houseboats, converted warehouses, and a view west to the harbour that on a clear day extends to the windmills of the Westergasfabriek area. It appears on few standard tours because it requires navigating away from the main ring — exactly the kind of detour a private captain will make without being asked.
The Amstel and Its Side Canals
The Amstel river runs south from the ring canals, and where it passes through the city it is flanked by the Nieuwe Prinsengracht and the Plantage Middenlaan canal system. This is genuinely quieter than the ring — fewer tour boats, less commercial activity — and the Amstel widens significantly south of Waterlooplein, giving a sense of open water within the city.
The Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) over the Amstel is one of Amsterdam's iconic landmarks — a white wooden drawbridge first built in 1691, rebuilt in 1934, and still raised for tall boats. Approaching it from the water is very different from seeing it as a pedestrian. A few hundred metres south, the Amstel passes the Theatre Carré and the houseboats moored along the Weesperzijde — the kind of lived-in, un-touristy Amsterdam that visitors who stay on the ring canal circuit never see.
The Eastern Canal Ring: Reguliersgracht and Utrechtsestraat
The canals east of the main ring — Reguliersgracht, Utrechtsestraat, and the small connectors between them — are navigable by small boats and much less trafficked than the western ring. Reguliersgracht is famous for the Seven Bridges viewpoint, but the canal itself is worth exploring beyond that one spot: it runs south through a quiet residential area rarely covered by standard tours.
The Kloveniersburgwal, which marks the eastern edge of the historic centre, was the first major canal dug in the 14th century — predating the Golden Age ring by 200 years. It has a different character from the ring canals: wider, with more institutional buildings (Trippenhuis, the former armoury at Kloveniersburgwal 29, is one of the grandest private houses in Amsterdam).
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Browse Canal CruisesFrequently Asked Questions
- Which Amsterdam canals do tourist boats not go to?
- Most tourist boat routes skip the Jordaan's smaller canals (Bloemgracht, Egelantiersgracht), the Amstel south of Waterlooplein, the Brouwersgracht, and the eastern residential canals. Private boats on BoatLocal can navigate most of these on request.
- Are there canals in Amsterdam that are off-limits to boats?
- Some very narrow historic channels in the Jordaan are too shallow or too narrow for most motorised boats. The main ring canals, the Amstel, the Brouwersgracht, and most other canals are open to licensed small craft.
- Can I request a specific route when booking a private boat?
- Yes. Private boat bookings on BoatLocal allow you to discuss the route with your captain before departure. Most captains are happy to customise based on your interests — hidden canals, architecture, the harbour, or a combination.
