For my quick weekend in Amsterdam, the first thing I wanted to do was get a lay of the land as they say, in this case, similar to Venice best to go by boat.  So I started searching for an Amsterdam canal tour.  Staying at the Hotel Pulitzer  which is located along the canals, I had the opportunity to see the city with their private boat tour on “The Tourist” rather than the many public canal tours available but obviously for a higher price.  The 1920’s hotel boat is quite fancy (at least to me who knows nada about boats) with teak, brass, marble, leather and fresh flowers onboard.  It’s claim to fame is that Winston Churchill toured the city onboard in 1946!

The canal tour departs daily at 5pm (17:00) with an added tour time on Sundays.  It is a bit pricier than the alternatives at 38 Euro, but to me, with limited time, I appreciated the small private Amsterdam canal tour and didn’t think twice about the cost. There were eight guests onboard with room to move about from front to back.  You could also just sit inside on the white leather seats with a drink from the minibar and watch the world pass by.  How much more relaxing can that be?  No strangers to sit next to you, no stopping at every stop to let people on/off – just a continuous 75 minute tour of the city’s canals.

You should make reservations in advance with the hotel – you do not need to be a hotel guest to experience the city via “The Tourist”.  The Pulitzer hotel concierge has a fantastic Facebook page with recommendations, updates and all things Amsterdam  so even if you aren’t staying there, definitely follow them and get good tips to plan your stay. No visit to Amsterdam is complete without a canal cruise, “The Tourist” is a bit of a luxury that only a few get to experience so, if you can afford it, definitely add it to your itinerary.