Table of Contents
- Eco Boats Amsterdam — Self-Drive and Skippered, All Electric
- The Self-Drive Fleet: Prinsen, Amstel, Heren & Keizers Boat
- The Public Canal Cruise Boats
- Barbarella
- Drinks & Dining Cruise Boats: Wine Tasting, BBQ, Cocktail, Beers & Bites, Pizza and Tapas
- Saloon Boat (50) & Saloon Boat (75)
- What Guests Actually Say
- Frequently Asked Questions
Eco Boats Amsterdam runs two very different kinds of trip out of three locations in the city: boats you drive yourself, no licence required, and boats where a skipper does the driving while you enjoy the ride. Every vessel in the fleet is fully electric, in line with Amsterdam's own push to get diesel engines off the canals.
This guide covers the boats available through Alle Travel and the wider Eco Boats fleet, grouped the way the operator itself groups them: four self-drive boats named after Amsterdam's own canals, a handful of themed private boats with a skipper, and the open sloops used for the public guided cruise.
Eco Boats Amsterdam — Self-Drive and Skippered, All Electric
Eco Boats Amsterdam is run by a team who, per the operator's own About Us page, worked for other Amsterdam boat rental companies for years before deciding to get their own permit and build the fleet themselves. The current self-drive and public-cruise boats are brand new, built in 2022. The company has a sister business, Canal Motorboats, running under the same ownership.
Sustainability is the core pitch: every boat in the fleet is 100% electric, which the operator ties directly to Amsterdam's own plan to remove diesel engines from the canals entirely. Renters also get free access to "plastic fishing" gear — nets and bags to pull litter out of the water while sailing — and the private skippered boats can add a silent disco or an onboard quiz as extras.
On Tripadvisor, Eco Boats holds the maximum 5.0 rating, and one review roundup by Things To Do In Amsterdam notes it's recommended by 99% of travellers who've reviewed it.
Locations: Amsterdam Central Station (Stationsplein 18) for the guided canal cruise; Amsterdam city centre (Zandhoek 22, Westerdok) for the Prinsen and Keizers self-drive boats; Amsterdam East (Daniël Goedkoopstraat 1) for the Amstel and Heren self-drive boats.
The Self-Drive Fleet: Prinsen, Amstel, Heren & Keizers Boat
Dutch names: Prinsen Boat, Amstel Boat, Heren Boat, Keizers Boat
All four self-drive boats are named after Amsterdam's own waterways: Prinsen after the Prinsengracht, Heren after the Herengracht, Keizers after the Keizersgracht, and Amstel after the river the whole canal ring branches off from. Together those three canals and the Amstel form the historic core of the city's UNESCO-listed canal belt — so in a sense, you're sailing on a boat named after the very water you're sailing on. No licence or experience is required for any of them; each comes with a steering wheel, a canal map, and a briefing before you set off, per the operator's own rental page.
The four boats split across two locations, and capacity and price both scale with size:
| Boat | Capacity | Location | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amstel Boat | 7 | Amsterdam East | €50/hour |
| Prinsen Boat | 8 | Amsterdam city centre | €50/hour |
| Heren Boat | 10 | Amsterdam East | €60/hour |
| Keizers Boat | 12 | Amsterdam city centre | €60/hour |
Cruise types: Self-drive canal exploration, no captain or licence required.
Capacity: 7–12 passengers depending on the boat.
Minimum rental time across the self-drive fleet is two hours, though the operator recommends three if your schedule allows. Every self-drive boat is open (Eco Boats can supply umbrellas for light rain), comes with seat cushions, life jackets, and a route map, and includes free plastic-fishing gear on request. On top of the hourly rate, Amsterdam's mandatory city tourist tax (currently around €2.60–2.70 per person) applies to all boat rentals in the city, not just this operator's.
- Propulsion: 100% electric
- Year built: 2022
- Licence required: No
- Minimum rental: 2 hours (3 recommended)
- Included: Route map, cushions, life jackets; free plastic-fishing kit on request
- Extra city tax: ~€2.60–2.70 per person, citywide requirement
The Public Canal Cruise Boats
Alongside the self-drive boats, Eco Boats runs a guided public canal cruise on its own open electric sloops, departing from directly opposite Amsterdam Central Station. These boats aren't individually named in the way the self-drive and private boats are — per a detailed review by Things To Do In Amsterdam, they seat up to 30 passengers, run on cushioned open bench seating, and are covered in winter to keep the cold and rain off. A skipper narrates live, and there's also a digital guide booklet available in seven languages (Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese) for anyone who'd rather read along. There's no fixed route — the skipper adjusts on the day depending on traffic on the water — though cruises reliably pass through signature stretches like the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht.
Pier: Amsterdam Central Station, Stationsplein 18.
Cruise types: Guided sightseeing cruises with a skipper, running daily year-round from 10:00 to 22:00.
Capacity: Up to 30 passengers.
- Propulsion: 100% electric, open sloop
- Guide: Live skipper narration + digital guide booklet in 7 languages
- Weather protection: Covered in winter; cushions and blankets available
- Capacity: 30 max
- Operation: Daily, year-round, 10:00–22:00
Water tours on the public canal cruise boats
You can sail on these boats on the following cruises listed on Alle Travel:
- Eco Canal Cruise with Digital Guide & Drink Option
- Amsterdam Evening Sunset Canal Cruise (Without a Drink)
Barbarella
Type: Classic saloon boat
Barbarella stands apart from the rest of the private fleet by name and by style — she's Eco Boats' classic salon-style boat, seating up to 12 passengers, and the closest thing in the fleet to the vintage wood-panelled salon boats that have cruised Amsterdam's canals for decades (a boat type documented elsewhere as a distinct Amsterdam tradition, separate from Eco Boats' own newer sloops). Where the other private boats are named for the occasion or menu on board, Barbarella is named for the boat itself.
Pier: Confirmed at booking, typically Amsterdam city centre.
Cruise types: Private charters with skipper — birthdays, small corporate groups, intimate celebrations.
Capacity: Up to 12 passengers.
- Type: Classic saloon boat
- Propulsion: 100% electric
- Capacity: 12 max
- Best for: Small private groups wanting a classic-style boat rather than an open sloop
Drinks & Dining Cruise Boats: Wine Tasting, BBQ, Cocktail, Beers & Bites, Pizza and Tapas
Six of Eco Boats' private skippered boats are named for the food or drink theme of the cruise rather than for the hull itself — much like Barbarella, these are open or semi-covered private boats with a captain, sized for mid-to-large groups, and the specific vessel used on the day depends on scheduling. Day-to-day scheduling in this capacity range also draws on a handful of standard boats that carry their own names — Emilia, Aminah, and Ariana among them — though most bookings simply go out on whichever available boat (up to 30 people) fits the group size, without the name being part of the booking. Per the operator's own private boat page, groups can add extras like an open bar, catering, a silent disco, or an onboard quiz to any of these.
Boat Capacity Theme Wine Tasting Boat 25 Guided wine tasting on board BBQ Drinks Boat 28 Onboard barbecue with drinks Cocktail Boat 28 Cocktail-focused private cruise Beers & Bites Boat 30 Beer tasting with snacks Pizza Drinks Boat 30 Pizza and drinks cruise Tapas Drinks Boat 30 Tapas-style catering with drinks Pier: Confirmed at booking, depending on group size and date.
Cruise types: Private skippered cruises with themed food and drink packages — corporate events, bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, group celebrations.
Capacity: 25–30 passengers, depending on the specific boat.
- Propulsion: 100% electric
- Skipper included: Yes
- Capacity range: 25–30 max
- Add-ons: Open bar, catering, silent disco, onboard quiz
Saloon Boat (50) & Saloon Boat (75)
At the top of the fleet sit two large saloon boats, licensed for 50 and 75 passengers respectively — the biggest private charter options Eco Boats offers, aimed at large corporate outings, weddings, and big-group celebrations.
Pier: Confirmed at booking, depending on group size and date.
Cruise types: Large-format private charters with skipper — weddings, corporate events, large celebrations.
Capacity: 50 or 75 passengers.
- Propulsion: 100% electric
- Skipper included: Yes
- Capacity: 50 max / 75 max (two separate boats)
- Best for: Weddings, large corporate events, big group bookings
What Guests Actually Say
Reviews on Tripadvisor consistently single out individual skippers and guides by name — Bas, Igor, Mike, Alfred, Jack, and others come up repeatedly, usually praised for local knowledge and a relaxed, chatty style that the quiet electric motors make possible (one reviewer noted you can actually hear the water against the hull instead of an engine). Several reviews mention the self-drive option specifically: one visitor comparing Eco Boats to a competitor chose it for having more availability, and called the booking and payment process smooth from start to finish. Complaints are rare and tend to be minor — a boat running a little late from the previous booking, or the electric motors' modest top speed — rather than anything about cleanliness or service.
Eco Boats is only one of several operators running electric boats on Amsterdam's canals. For other fleets and options, see Alle Travel's guides to Starboard Boats Amsterdam and Flagship Amsterdam Boats, or browse the most popular boats in Amsterdam across all operators. For the full range of Amsterdam canal cruises available through Alle Travel, see the canal cruise catalogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a boating licence to rent a self-drive boat? No. Eco Boats' self-drive boats (Prinsen, Amstel, Heren, Keizers) require no licence or prior experience — you get a briefing, a canal map, and GPS-equipped support before heading out.
Where do the different boats depart from? The guided public canal cruise leaves from Stationsplein 18, opposite Amsterdam Central Station. Self-drive boats leave from Zandhoek 22 in the city centre (Prinsen and Keizers) or Daniël Goedkoopstraat 1 in Amsterdam East (Amstel and Heren). Private skippered boats are confirmed at booking depending on group size.
Are all Eco Boats vessels electric? Yes — every boat in the fleet, from the smallest self-drive Amstel Boat to the 75-person Saloon Boat, runs on electric power only.
Which boat should I book for a large group? For 25–30 people, the themed drinks-and-dining boats (Wine Tasting, BBQ, Cocktail, Beers & Bites, Pizza, Tapas) are built for exactly that. For 50 or 75 people, the two Saloon Boats are the largest private charter option.
Can I rent a boat and bring my own food or drinks? On the small self-drive boats, yes. On the large 30-person private boats, food is allowed but drinks are arranged by Eco Boats — this changes on event days like King's Day and Gay Pride, so it's worth checking current rules before booking around those dates.
Is there a cancellation policy? Eco Boats' listings note a full refund is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience's start time; cancellations made later than that are generally non-refundable.