Amsterdam Waterland: Guided Canoe Tour & Picnic Lunch

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/25

Duration5h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN · NL

Mobile ticketAccepted

Paddle through Old Holland's reed-lands and stop for lunch on an island

You paddle a canoe through Waterland's reed-lands and villages in a group of up to 10, stopping halfway for a picnic lunch on an island. The tour includes a local guide, round-trip transport from Amsterdam, two beverages, and a life jacket. You need to be a moderate swimmer and comfortable with wet clothes; the whole experience takes a few hours and leaves from Amsterdam Noord.

Step-by-step itinerary

Canoe tour with picnic in Waterland

Bus ride to local village
Walk to village house
Introduction and drink
Canoe trip in nature preserve
Picnic on island
Stop at village house
Bus ride back to Amsterdam Noord

The Experience

What does a canoe tour 15 minutes from Amsterdam actually look like when you're not in the city anymore? You start with a 10-minute bus ride out to Waterland, then walk to a local village house where your guide meets the group — maximum 10 people — and you get a drink before heading to the water. The canoes fit two or three people each, and you're paddling through a nature preserve that doesn't feel like it's near a major city at all. Reed-lands stretch out, birds are loud, and the air smells like plants and water in a way that makes you realize how much of Amsterdam is actually built on top of something else.

Halfway through the paddle, you pull up to an island for a picnic lunch. It's not fancy — the guide brings food that works for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diets if you've told them in advance — but sitting in the middle of the water eating is the kind of thing that sticks with you. You're still paddling, still moving, but you're stopped long enough to actually notice where you are. After lunch, you paddle back toward the village house, stop there again, and then it's the 10-minute bus ride back to Amsterdam Noord. The whole thing takes a few hours, and you've left the city without leaving the city.

Life jackets are provided, and the guide expects you to be able to swim and have at least moderate fitness — this is paddling, not floating. Wear clothes that can get wet and dirty; shoes especially will take it. If it's warm, bring water. If it's raining, bring a rain coat. The group size keeps things manageable, and because it's a local guide leading a small group through a place they know, you get the kind of detail about how people actually live in Waterland that you wouldn't get from a bigger tour.

What’s included

Your day includes round-trip transport by public bus to and from Amsterdam Noord, a 10-minute walk to the village house, an introduction and welcome drink, canoe use (shared with one or two others), a guided paddle through Waterland's reed-lands and villages, a picnic lunch on an island (with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options), a second beverage, a life jacket, and the local guide throughout. You'll also make a stop at the village house on the return before heading back to the city.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Wetlands Safari

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to paddle through Dutch countryside without arranging your own transport or figuring out where to eat — the small group size and local guide mean you're not just seeing Waterland, you're understanding how people live there.