When in the centre of Amsterdam, there are a whole line of different canal tours that you can choose from. Some have themes (primarily alcohol), some do not have any prices listed and you need to use a QR code, and others are just set up ready to take you out on the water. We specifically picked an un-themed tour that had a price listed, called Rederij Plas, which felt like one of the older canal tours on this side of the water.
We were able to walk right up to the booth, grab two tickets, and enter the boat. These tickets actually doubled as post cards, which is a very neat thing to do with tickets – each one was different as well. There was plenty of seating on the boat! As soon as we were settled, a very kind man came along offering to sell us some drinks, which we ended up not grabbing. These drinks are only for sale before the boat starts moving – which is worth noting! There is a tray in front of you that you can put your drinks and items on.
Rederij Plas then takes off, after a short warning telling people not to take calls on the boat or to talk loudly. Now, I am going to be up front, I didn’t love our tour guide. Dann says it’s his humor maybe, but to me, he just seemed extremely grumpy – like someone who hates his job. And, I do not think touring is something you should do if you hate your job! He spent some time complaining about tourists; people who want to document their holidays, complaining about technology as a whole.
There was an audio tour on the Rederij Plas, which said historical things about the buildings around us and the canal, but he often interjected to complain about the way that garbage is currently collected in Amsterdam. He said house prices were too high, gave tips on how to purchase a house boat and then complained about the government making them live on the water. It was just an odd experience – and there was SO many complaints about tourists.
Some of the things the tour guide said weren’t true at all – like that there was a cat sanctuary on the water that you needed to book tickets to go into (you do not, you can just show up) but other things were good suggestions for tourists. He talked about his favorite places to eat along the canal, which we tried and were good, along with places to avoid as they over-charge as it’s a touristy area. Overall, it was just a lot! He did speak several languages, sort of going in and out of each one, which made it a little tough to talk amongst ourselves, but we did enjoy the view from the canal and hearing about the buildings when he did decide to let the tour speak about them.
The view around the canal was beautiful, it was very good for seeing new things we wanted to go and do the next day. I just wish our tour guide was more upbeat and focused on the history of our tour, instead of on his own personal issues with the world and place he lives and works. It was still a lovely boat ride, but I might try a different one next time we are in the area.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!