There’s something magical about gliding in a quiet boat along the canals of Amsterdam, watching the city pass by, seeing the buildings, the bikes and the people from a different perspective, while sipping a drink and laughing with friends. It’s even more magical when that boat ride happens after dark, when the lights reflect onto the water, the ripples carrying them in a kind of dance around your boat.
Last weekend I had the chance to enjoy one of these rides, when I went to visit the Amsterdam Light Festival from the water. The Amsterdam Light Festival is a yearly event that illuminates the city’s canals and streets with light installations, from November until January. This year it started on 27 November and runs until 18 January 2026. It’s one of those things people look forward to each year, because it’s a welcome distraction during the dark winter days. You can experience the festival on foot or by boat, and this weekend I chose the latter.
The weather was about as good as you can hope for in winter: not too cold, no wind and no rain; a perfect night to be out on the canals in an open boat. I met my friends in the Westerdok area, where we picked up our boat from Eco Boats Amsterdam, a boat rental company that works exclusively with electric boats. The company also operates under the name Canal Motorboats, which is part of the same organisation. I like that their boats are electric: you can enjoy the canals without polluting them, and they are quiet, something you especially notice in the smaller boats, when you’re closer to the water. At Eco Boats you can rent various types of boats, depending on what you’re looking for: larger cruise boats with a skipper, private tour boats, and boats you can drive yourself, both open and covered or partially covered. They also run special cruises for events like the Amsterdam Light Festival, King’s Day, Pride, SAIL, and more, but you can just as easily rent a boat for a relaxed afternoon with friends or even a small romantic picnic on the water.
We had one of the smaller open boats (called the Prinsen boat), the kind that doesn’t come with a skipper, but you drive yourself. The staff prepared the boat for us, gave us blankets and a map, plus a guide to the Light Festival artworks, and then we were on our way. I found the whole process very straightforward and relaxed.
For a while after we set off, the canals were so quiet and peaceful, and we enjoyed the city lights and the gentle sounds of the water and the water birds (it turns out they go to bed quite late, as a few were still roaming around). When we reached the Light Festival route, the atmosphere shifted, and suddenly we were surrounded by other boats, big and small, each at a different point in their journey.
I love seeing the light artworks from the water. I don’t mind braving the cold and being in an open boat, because it gives you a clear view of the installations and lets you see them from different angles. It felt like a treasure hunt, discovering one artwork after another, and only reading about them in the guide after a small contest of trying to interpret them ourselves. Sometimes our ideas were close to what the guide described, other times not at all, but that’s the beauty of art. It speaks to each of us differently.
We grumbled a little about the brightness of The Sun, a piece by studio Zenisk that uses more than eight hundred lamps to mimic solar activity, and then stared in awe at the complex patterns shifting on the NEMO Museum in Fracture Point by Filip Roca. We had diverging opinions about Whale Fall at the Maritime Museum (I liked it), and we all agreed that Metamorfaunes was a piece we would love to see on the canals permanently, while the Swans was voted the most beautiful piece of this year.
The sail was smooth for the most part. There were a few spots where traffic jams formed and some larger boats tried to overtake us, but we had glühwein to keep the mood cheerful and snacks to munch on while watching the less patient boats push their way forward; though we may have muttered a few unkind words under our breath. Our small boat did its job perfectly: easy to manoeuvre and happy to take its time.
When we reached the end of the route, on the way back, it almost felt like we should whisper rather than talk normally. Keizersgracht and Brouwersgracht, two beautiful canals, were unbelievably peaceful. The water was almost like a mirror, and our electric boat barely made a sound, just the soft splash of water against the ripples. At night, the bridges are outlined with light bulbs tracing their arches, creating a kind of gateway effect that reflects onto the water in the most beautiful way. This city is magical indeed.
What made this experience really special for me was how it matched the way I like to explore Amsterdam: independently, slowly, quietly, and from unexpected angles. Being on the water, gliding past the familiar streets and bridges I’ve walked so many times, let me notice details I usually miss on foot, like the way a reflection dances across a canal, the soft sounds of the city at night, the rhythm of other boats moving alongside us. It was the kind of evening that makes you feel present in the city, without hurrying or checking off sights, just soaking in its moods and stories.
I can already imagine doing this again during the day, maybe in a warmer season, and adding plastic fishing as an extra activity. Eco Boats partners with Plastic Fishing to help keep the canals clean, and you can take part while you’re out on the water: using a small net to collect floating plastic and handing it in for recycling at the end of your ride.
Experiences like this remind me why I keep falling in love with Amsterdam, even after so many years. Seeing the city from the water, floating under the reflected light, makes everything feel softer: the winter, the crowds, even the familiar streets. It’s a different way of being in the city, one that invites you to slow down, look closer, and simply enjoy where you are.
Practical info
- Eco Boats Amsterdam has two locations: one in the Westerdok area (city centre — from where we got our boat), and another one in Amsterdam East. Book ahead if you’re visiting during the Light Festival, as it gets busy. If all their boats are rented out, check out their twin company, Canal Motorboats, which also operates only electric boats.
- For the boats that you drive yourself you don’t need a driving licence. Just some common sense and basic knowledge like: stay on the right, the big boats have priority, etc. Check here more boating rules.
- If you don’t feel like driving yourself, you can rent a boat with a skipper, which offer also other advantages like quizzes, silent disco, etc.
This article was written in collaboration with Eco Boats Amsterdam. As always, all experiences and opinions are my own.
Stay tuned for more and follow Amsterdamian on Instagram and Facebook for more stories about life in the Netherlands. Please share this post if you liked it!
Check out my photo book: Amsterdam Through the Seasons!
Love what you’re reading? Support my work with a small donation.
