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Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise 2024-2025

AmsterdamAmsterdam Light Festival Cruises

Top things to do in Amsterdam

What is the Amsterdam Light Festival?

The Amsterdam Light Festival (ALF) offers a unique chance to see a fusion of art and technology. Renowned artists come together to create mesmerizing light installations showcased along the historic canals. The festival creates a warm atmosphere during the winter months, usually from late November to January, making it an ideal time to experience the city's hospitality and culinary delights. The Amsterdam Light Festival, held annually from late November to January, showcases dazzling light art by national and international artists along the city's canals and center. This annual art festival has been taking place at the heart of Amsterdam since 2012. From several hundred submissions, only around 20 of them are displayed along the canals. The theme for the 13th edition in 2024-2025 is 'Rituals.' The festival has now come to a close.

Why take an Amsterdam Light Festival cruise

Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise
  • Scenic beauty: Booking a canal cruise is the most picturesque way to experience the city's iconic Light Festival. It offers a unique vantage point to look at the installations and other historical landmarks along the waters with a sweeping 360-degree view of the art installations.
  • Guided cruises: Most canal cruises include an audio guide or a live guide who shares anecdotes and stories about the city's landmarks. You can listen to them while floating along the waters.
  • Evening ambiance: The Amsterdam Light Festival begins at 5pm and continues until 11pm. In addition to the art installations, you can also experience the illuminated city, making for a memorable experience.
  • Family-friendly: A canal cruise is suitable for all ages, making it an ideal family activity that everyone can participate in. You can enjoy the art installations from a warm space. You can also rush back inside in case it rains.

Things to know before you book your Amsterdam Light Festival cruise

  • Book your tickets before November to avail yourself of discounted prices on your Amsterdam Light Festival cruise.
  • The cruises are not wheelchair accessible. If you or someone you are traveling with has mobility issues, consider booking an Amsterdam Light Festival cruise with Blue Boat.
  • Discounted tickets are available for children between the ages of three and eleven. Infants under the age of three can travel for free.
  • You can cancel your Amsterdam Light Festival cruises 24 hours prior to the experience and you will get a full refund.

Your Amsterdam Light Festival tickets explained

amsterdam light festival tickets

Standard cruises

  • Book a standard 75-min or 90-min cruise with a multilingual audio guide in Dutch and English.
  • See over 27 light artworks in a heated boat with an open deck and free Wi-Fi onboard and board from Anne Frank House, Hard Rock Cafe, or Central Station.

Recommended tickets:

  • Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise
  • 1.5-Hour Amsterdam Light Festival Evening Cruise from Hard Rock Cafe
amsterdam light festival tickets

Cruises with unlimited drinks

  • Go on a 75-min Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with a German audio guide. 
  • Enjoy unlimited drinks, including beer, wine, and soft drinks.
  • These heated boat cruises with an open deck also have a local host to guide you and point out important installations along with insights about each.

Recommended tickets:

  • Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with a German Audio Guide and Unlimited Drinks
amsterdam light festival tickets

Cruises with snacks and drinks

  • Go on a 75-min cruise with an English-speaking guide or a multilingual audioguide in English or Dutch.
  • You can also choose between a luxury salon boat or a closed boat.
  • Choose between drinks & snacks or wine & local cheese.

Recommended tickets:

  • Amsterdam Light Festival Luxury Cruise with Unlimited Drinks & Snacks Option
  • Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with Cheese and Wine
amsterdam light festival tickets

Walking tours

  • Go on a guided 2-hour walking tour with an English, French, German, or Italian-speaking guide and see the light installations from Dam Square to Nine Streets. 
  • These tours also offer hot chocolate and a local treat, complimentary winter hats, and a rain poncho in case of rainy weather.
  • These tours are also wheelchair and stroller accessible.

Recommended tickets:

Amsterdam Lights Winter Walking Tour

Amsterdam Light Festival: 13th edition

Throughout history, rituals have aided people in coping with various types of transformations, such as moving from one season to another, from one stage of life to another. Light has always been a significant element in many rituals, symbolizing energy, joy, and vitality. Fireworks are used to welcome a new year, candles to remember the arrival of a savior, and midsummer fires to celebrate the solstice. Light adds an element of mysticism and sanctity to a ritual that no other element can. Moreover, rituals bring people together and create a sense of unity among them. That's why the 13th edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival which coincides with 750 years of Amsterdam includes light, art, and the collective spirit, encouraging us to celebrate these rituals and traditions.
The festival has wrapped up for now, but don’t worry—you can experience the 14th edition later in 2025!

What to see at the Amsterdam Light Festival

The Amsterdam Light Festival is organized with installations of artworks that are created especially for the festival. Along with all that, special education projects in which primary students and Breitner Academy take part, are installed. The artworks are displayed in public spaces all over Amsterdam near the canals, making them easily accessible.

amsterdam light festival canal cruise

Permanent light art installations

As the festival spreads from the Sloterplas to the city district South, several light art installations displayed on the different editions of the Amsterdam Light Festival also find their place in the permanent collection. It includes works of artists like Tijdmakers and collaborators like Uilenstede University Campus.

amsterdam light festival canal cruise

International light art collection

The light art displayed at the Amsterdam Light Festival is too good to be stored away once the festival is over. So to ensure that they receive their due recognition, most of the light artworks become part of an international collection that is temporarily displayed all over the world, managed by the Light Art Collection, illuminating cities, and exhibitions worldwide.

amsterdam light festival canal cruise

Nieuw-West project

This is the current project of the Amsterdam Light Festival, in which the area of Amsterdam Nieuw West will see a major change as it gets redesigned as the Municipality of Amsterdam. It will also find an installation of permanent light art, with several other artworks finding their place in public spaces in the near future.

Views from the Amsterdam Light Festival: Edition 13

amsterdam light festival tickets
amsterdam light festival tickets
amsterdam light festival tickets
amsterdam light festival tickets
amsterdam light festival tickets
1/5

Rush Hour

This new light artwork by OSSO encourages visitors to find a quiet calm in this work when we live in a world of constant pace of movement.

In Bloom

This artwork by the multidisciplinary artist Wilhelmus Vlug is a celebration of blooming. Just as flowers mark moments of both joy and sorrow, so does art. 

Solstice

The UK-based multidisciplinary design and fabrication studio, Studio Vertigo, was inspired by the sun’s elliptical path when creating this masterpiece.

The Little Match Girl

This artwork was part of ALF’s annual education project from Edition 10. This piece was created in collaboration with 1,000 primary school children from Amsterdam, shedding light on the harsh realities of child poverty.

From Twente With Love

This installation from Edition 5 is back! A blend of robotics and nature by Randy van Lingen and Vanessa Evers, you can touch the art and watch the lights dance at your fingertips.

Know before you go on an Amsterdam Light Festival cruise

Timings
Facilities
Rules
Visitor tips
Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise

Amsterdam Light Festival: Daily from November 28 to January 19, 2025

Opening hours: 5pm to 11pm

  • Amsterdam Light Festival Evening Cruise from Hard Rock Cafe: 5pm to 9pm | 90 mins
  • Amsterdam Light Festival Luxury Cruise with Unlimited Drinks & Snacks Option: 4:45pm to 9:45 pm | 75 mins
  • Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with Cheese and Wine: 7:15pm & 9pm | 75 mins
  • Amsterdam Lights Winter Walking Tour: 3pm | 2 hours
  • Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with a German Audio Guide and Unlimited Drinks: 5:30pm & 7pm | 75 mins
  • A live English-speaking guide is available on the Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise, Amsterdam Light Festival Luxury Cruise with Unlimited Drinks & Snacks Option, and the Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with Cheese and Wine. 
  • An audio guide in English and Dutch is available on the Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise, 1.5-Hour Amsterdam Light Festival Evening Cruise from Hard Rock Cafe, and Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with Cheese and Wine, while a German audio guide is available on the Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with a German Audio Guide and Unlimited Drinks.
  • Unlimited drinks, including beer, soft drinks, and mulled wine, are available on the Amsterdam Light Festival Luxury Cruise with Unlimited Drinks & Snacks Option and the Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with a German Audio Guide and Unlimited Drinks.
  • Although the boats are heated, blankets are available on the Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with Optional Drinks if you want to admire the view from the open deck.
  • Pets, with the exception of guide dogs, are not allowed on the cruises.
  • Adhere to safety guidelines provided by cruise operators for a secure and enjoyable experience.
  • Smoking is not permitted on any cruise.
  • Outside food and beverages are not allowed onboard the cruise. You can, however, purchase snacks at the operator ticket counter before boarding.
  • If you plan to take a walking tour to view the art installations, make sure to wear comfortable, closed shoes, as it is a 6.5 km walk along the canals.
  • Keep the Festival of Lights route map handy to make the most of your visit.
  • Dress warmly, layer up, and bring a coat for comfort during the chilly winter.
  • Arrive at least 15 minutes before to facilitate a smooth boarding process and make the most of the canal cruise. This will also let you score the best seats on the boat.
  • Utilize the bilingual audio or live guide for insights into the artworks and an enriched experience. Engage with the crew for additional insights and recommendations.
  • Photography is encouraged, and the illuminated art pieces make for stunning pictures. Just make sure to have a good camera or phone with low-light capabilities.
  • Evening cruises, especially on weekends and holidays, can get quite busy. For a more relaxed experience, consider booking a cruise earlier in the week or during off-peak hours.

Departure points

Centraal Station

  • By bus: 305, 314, 347, 397, 41
  • By train: IC, ICD, SPR
  • By metro: 52, 54
  • By light rail: 12, 14, 17, 2, 4

Starboard Dock

  • By metro: Lines 52 and 54
  • By tram: 4 and 14

What happens to the artworks after the Amsterdam Light Festival?

Light Art Collection is a subsidiary of Amsterdam Light Festival, which has been responsible for creating light art installations for the festival since 2012. After each Amsterdam Light Festival edition, a major part of the artworks are added to the Light Art Collection every year and are displayed temporarily all over the world.

Frequently Asked Questions about Amsterdam Light Festival cruises

How can I enjoy the Amsterdam Light Festival?

Tourists and visitors can enjoy the light festival in several ways. You can either choose a walking tour or book an Amsterdam canal cruise. It is a long walk, around 6.5 km. If you have limited mobility or toddlers, and infants with you, it is best to book a canal cruise. Not only are you in a warm space, protected from the rain, but you can also enjoy free Wi-Fi and multilingual audio guides on a canal cruise.

Can I bring my kids on the Amsterdam Light Festival cruise?

Yes, the cruise is family-friendly and a great way to introduce children to art and culture. Kids will love the colorful light displays, and some cruises even offer discounted family tickets.

What if the weather is bad?

The cruise operates in most weather conditions since the boats are covered and heated. However, in case of extreme weather, the cruise might be canceled, and you will be offered a rescheduled time or a refund.

Can I rent a private boat for the festival?

Yes, several providers offer private boat rentals for groups. This option is perfect for corporate events, family gatherings, or anyone looking for a more intimate experience. You can email the cruise operator to book your cruise directly.

What types of boats are used for the festival cruises?

The boats are typically glass-topped enclosed or semi-open electric boats, offering panoramic views of the light installations while keeping passengers warm and dry.

Is the cruise suitable for solo travelers?

Definitely! The Amsterdam Light Festival cruise is a fantastic option for solo travelers looking to explore the city’s culture and art scene in a relaxed and scenic setting.

Do I need to tip the crew at the end of the cruise?

Tipping is not mandatory, but if you enjoyed the service, a small tip for the crew is always appreciated.

Can I buy souvenirs related to the Amsterdam Light Festival during the cruise?

Some cruises may have small souvenir shops near the departure points. Alternatively, you can find festival souvenirs at local shops near the departure points.