RIVER & CANAL CRUISES
Reviewed, compared and ranked by the people aboard.
The 15 most popular historical tours, compared side by side. What you see from the water, how long you are aboard, what it costs and which operator to book, so you can pick your boat in a couple of minutes.
A narrated Mississippi River paddleboat cruise from New Orleans to Chalmette Battlefield, with guided stops and optional onboard food.
Most Popular“The food was amazing, and the service was wonderful; everyone was so helpful. It was a fun tour that offered a lot of history. The tour guide was great!! I would recommend.”
Heated Amsterdam canal cruise past Anne Frank House and the Jordaan, with open photo deck and stories in 7 languages. 75 min.
“Great little trip around the canals of Amsterdam. The weather had improved and we were able to sit outside at the very back of the boat.”
1-hour Amsterdam canal cruise from Anne Frank House with UNESCO Canal Ring views, bridges, and landmarks for $18.71. English narration.
“The canal tour showed Amsterdam off to its best. The captain was informative and friendly and provided interesting tidbits about the city. I thoroughly recommend this tour.”
Cruise Krakow’s Vistula River for 1 hour with historical audio, passing Wawel Castle, Old Town views, Kazimierz, and Kościuszko Mound.
“2nd river cruise in a year with Vistula different boat this time still an excellent informative trip 1 hour l recommend book before you leave home for convenience for yourself, very comfortable boat medium size comfy cushioned seating excellent Captain and commentary throughout again very inexpensive trip well worth it”
Luxury canal cruise from Leidseplein with short VR scenes of 17th-century Amsterdam, English audio guide, and one drink. 1h15.
“Great experience. It was a beautiful boat, great tour seeing all the highlights in the canals and the VR was very cool!”
One-hour narrated Sacramento River cruise from Old Sacramento, passing Tower Bridge and I Street Bridge, with family-friendly history and snacks.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our Historic River Cruise down the Sacramento River in California. The tour guide was wonderful in describing everything along the way and gave a nice overview of the river and areas history. We definitely recommend this tour.”
One-hour narrated Sacramento River cruise with Tower Bridge and Old Sacramento, family friendly, and strong value for the time.
“My grandchildren really enjoyed it! Great way to entertain the family on a hot summer day!”
Cruise Gouda’s canals on authentic barges, hear lively skipper stories, and pass the Museum Harbour’s monumental ships in 75 minutes.
“Niet in het donker varen, want dan zie je niks. De opstapplek en de aanvangstijd waren foutief gecommuniceerd.”
Crown Jewels at the Tower, small-group history, and a Thames River cruise to Westminster. Fast, focused, and great value.
“Patrick was a terrific guide. He’s very knowledgeable, spoke in a tone and style that was very easy to understand, and is very personable. The history is fascinating and the architecture is fabulous. We would go again if there was time because there is so much to learn”
A 3-hour eco cultural tour from Cairns Marina with a Trinity Inlet river cruise, Mandingalbay Yidinji welcome, bush walk, and light morning tea.
“Our morning tour was moved to the evening which turned out to be great! I strongly value the visit by boat to the indigenous tribal area. The brief lecture with examples of indigenous art was well worth the time! Thank you!”
Skip-the-line Tower of London, Crown Jewels and optional Opening Ceremony, then a Thames cruise and royal history walk to Westminster.
“the instructor guy was the best had great stories about the history of who was kept in the towers and eventually tortured it beheaded. very good laminated photos of the historical figures to out a face to a name also crown jewels so we knew what to look for great tour would definitely recommend it”
10-hour Malacca day trip from Kuala Lumpur with hotel pickup, Peranakan lunch, historic sights, and a 40-minute river cruise.
“Fab and fun trip with guide Yoga and driver Vjay to malacca . Great points of interest and knowledge shared. Highly recommended!”
A 75-minute luxury Amsterdam canal cruise with Dutch or English audio and a 17th-century VR experience at 7 stops.
“We vonden het helemaal super! Aardige ontvangst fijne warme boot en interessant om er eens door "een andere bril" naar te kijken”
Cruise Amsterdam’s canals on a small historic boat with a personal art historian guide, plus coffee and drinks, for up to 10 people.
“This was not disappointing to say the least. We were able to take in so much about the city but also had a wonderful guide who was a college student that had such great knowledge about things but also a humor and candor that was quite entertaining in our inquisitive quest to understand our different…”
Private Seine cruise with an English captain guide: Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Pont Neuf, Île de la Cité and bridges in 90 min.
“We had a great time and the boat captain was very friendly and shared a lot about Paris during our trip. His boat was very nice and well taken care of.”
Pick a canal city, a famous river, or the kind of cruise you want to be on.
