Those Dam Boat Guys

First things first, if this is your first trip to Amsterdam, a canal tour is helpful and interesting. The next item of interest is that there are many outfits doing boat tours. I was encouraged by a friend to look into “Those Dam Boat Guys” so I paid a bit more than the standard glass window tour and went with TDBG and was glad I did. Our guide was personable and knowledgeable. He combined humor with facts and was not just phoning it in. He found out our interests and altered his tour on the fly to meet our needs with close up views of the museums that we requested. The boat was cozy and for boat people like us, nicely natural and in touch with the surroundings. He showed us pictures and maps and also allowed us to ask questions. If you just want to sit on a hard wooden seat and look through a window with a headset in your ear, then go for the larger boats elsewhere. But for a very personalized experience with a closer to Amsterdam look from a local, try TDBG. I knew immediately when I got on the boat that this was going to be a truly unique tour catering to our group alone, and it didn’t disappoint.

If you are planning a canal tour on your visit to Amsterdam (and lets face it, it would be criminal not to see and experience this great city from the water!), I cannot recommend these guys highly enough! They are a little less formal than the majority of the higher-profile, somewhat impersonal, tour companies, but the whole experience is second to none. You'll probably have a maximum of 6/7 people on one of their small boats, and the captain/guide will provide hot water bottles and blankets if the weather is cold. Our "captain" was a local young man called Piet, who was endlessly entertaining, extremely knowledgeable and very personable, equally interested in his passengers, and encouraged us to ask as many questions as we liked. We were very fortunate to be visiting whilst the Amsterdam Light Festival was on, which added an amazing extra twist to the whole experience. The nearby Cafe de Knoop (just around the corner from the boat docking point) is owned and operated by TDSM, and I can highly recommend a quick drink and snack before or after your tour. All in all, I think you'd struggle to find a better canal tour experience in 'Dam.

We had such a nice tour with Those Dam Boat Guys. Our guide, Mark, was a delight and did causal Q&A as we traversed the canals of Amsterdam. The cruises are small (ours was 9 plus the guide), and they book up fast. I would highly recommend this for anyone traveling to Amsterdam. We did the evening cruise, and it was magical.

It was a great tour. I took it Monday morning and it was very low key. The guide didn’t have a script prepared but was ready to answer any question we had (he was very knowledgeable and had lived in the city his whole life). I would highly recommend, especially if you are A) the type who likes to see stuff and ask about it or B) the type who prefers smaller groups. The office also has a very cute cat that you can pet.

@kplusds We came across these guys on YouTube and HAD to book a tour! We did the night time tour to view the light art installations along the canals. It was beautiful! Having a personal guide telling stories and cracking jokes is WAY better than the “other guys” where you plug in a headset and listen to an old recording. This is absolutely a MUST do if it’s your first time or 10th time in Amsterdam!

Amazing boat tour! The views of Amsterdam from the water are something else - definitely one of the best ways to explore the city. Our guide, Michael from the Jackson 5 (you’ll get the joke when you meet him), was super chill, funny, and set a great vibe on board. It’s a 90-minute ride with small groups (around 8–9 people), so it feels personal and relaxed. The boat had a great atmosphere, and even with the typical “bi-polar” Dutch weather - sun, clouds, and rain all in one trip - it was still a blast. Michael was well prepared with both sunscreen and umbrellas, so we were covered either way. Respect 😎 We went last minute in July, 10:00 AM, and still managed to get a spot for two - but it’s probably a good idea to book in advance if you’re on a tight schedule. Highly recommend if you pass the vibe check. ✌️

Hats off to Salim, our hilarious, entertaining guide, an Amsterdam native who shared his deep knowledge of the city's quirky and fascinating history during a canal cruise through the Amsterdam Light Festival. TDBG are a fresh, innovative company, much more engaging than your average commercial tour company. It was a chilly, damp night but they provided blankets and hot water bottles... we were comfy, cozy, learned a lot and laughed a lot as well. Highly recommend!

My partner an I had an absolute amazing boat tour with Those Dam Boat guys. The 90 Minutes were filled with good stories, nice tips, cool info and lots of fun and laughter. I especially liked that the in comparison smaller boats, made me feel much more as part of the experience. The skipper was super fun to talk to and showed us some great spots, especially for the evening Golden Hour we had our slot in. The people at the office were super nice and helpful too! We could buy some drinks (super tasty, like so tasty that we actually went to the office again two days later just to get a nice drink) and bring them in a cooler on the boat. And you know the cherry on top: There were two cats at the office!