The undisputed number one celebration in Amsterdam is Kingsday. This is the annual birthday party of our king, William-Alexander of Orange. Hence, we all dress up in orange. The festivities already start the night before, with lots of parties outdoor and in cafes, clubs and other venues. On Kingsday the streets are full of people selling their personal stuff, food and drinks, live music, DJ’s, activities for kids, and so on.

The canals are full of celebrating people too. All sorts of boats -from small private boats to large dedicated party boats with loud music- gather on the canals and move slowly from one nice spot to the other. You can rent a boat for Kingsday at Boats4rent. The rate for a full day is € 349 excluding €2.50 p.p. tourist tax (pick up between 10 AM and 12 PM and return between 4 PM and 6 PM). Book your Kingsday boat rental now (27th of April).

Over the years the annual Gay Pride has evolved from an extravagant medium size and very gay oriented event to the second large mainstream celebration in Amsterdam. The highlight of the festivities – that last for a full week – is without a doubt the intense and impressive Canal Parade. It consists of some 80 party boats celebrating diversity and respect. All boats that want to participate in the actual parade have to register way in advance and have to go through a tough selection process.

However, getting front row seats to see the parade pass by is actually quite easy. Just rent a boat for the day of the parade, leave on time and obtain a good spot along the route of the parade. The rate for a full day is € 349 excluding €2.50 p.p. tourist tax (pick up between 7:30 AM and 10 AM and return between 4:30 PM and 7 PM). Book your Gay Pride / Canal Parade boat rental now (first Saturday in August, full day option).

If you’re into classical music, don’t miss out on the Prinsengrachtconcert. This is an open air concert in front of the Pulitzer hotel on Prinsengracht, the most famous canal in town. It’s always on TV, though it’s best enjoyed live. The concert is free of charge and you may bring your own food and drinks.

Unfortunately, you cannot go to the concert with our rental boats. You can try to get a spot on another boat, on the VIP terrace or on or the street. Or try to become friends with one of the locals living opposite the Pulitzer hotel… For more info check out the website of the Prinsengrachtconcert.

During the winter months (end of November-end of January) parts of the Amsterdam canals transform into a large open air gallery. On display are dozens of light art installations by artists from all over the world.

At Boats4rent we offer the opportunity to rent your own boat and fully enjoy the Amsterdam Light Festival. With our open boats you can effortlessly explore the canals and sail past the enchanting light artworks. Our boats are suitable for groups of up to 6 people, and you do not need a boating license.

Renting a boat during the Amsterdam Light Festival offers numerous advantages. More information about this can be found on our page about the Amsterdam Light Festival at Boats4rent.

The Amsterdam canals are not only used by boats. Some areas are even good for swimming. Once a year a city center route of 2 kilometers is blocked for the Amsterdam City Swim. Therefore you cannot enter the swimming route by boat. This challenge is actually a fundraising event to fight the terrible ALS disease, which I’m sure you know from the Ice Bucket Challenge.

You can actually participate in the City Swim yourself if you’ve raised a certain amount of funding. Alternatively, you can support the swimmers from the side of the canals. And also good: you can fund yourself! For more info check out the website of the Amsterdam City Swim.

SAIL Amsterdam is one of the most impressive maritime events in the world. It takes place every five years. Millions of visitors come to admire the so-called tall ships and other classical sailing ships from all over the world and to experience our maritime heritage.

Our small rental boats are not allowed in the event area, but you can enter for free by foot. Or you can book a tour on one of the larger Amsterdam tour boats.  For more info check out the website of SAIL Amsterdam.