We had booked a 90 minute private canal tour with the company that we had used in 2018 with the kids. We had a great experience then and hoped for the same this time.

The boat docks near a hotel, the Andaz which seems to be the 21C of Amsterdam. I popped in for a quick restroom stop before getting on the boat.

Floris gave us an overview of the history of Amsterdam but I took no notes so I don’t have much to share. The synopsis it’s several hundred feet below sea level, build on peat, canals were made over years and years as city grew, it’s a UNESCO world heritage site, people are given tax breaks who live in houses along the canal to help offset maintenance cost, it’s expensive as shit to live here, there are no more spaces for boats along the canal for people to live, that’s about it.

Lots of pics upcoming….

Overall the tour was meh. We had paid for a charcuterie board that we never got (we are going to email and ask for a refund), and the unlimited drinks weren’t necessarily that (not that that’s a huge deal.) It just didn’t have the same level of energy and fun as 2018. Maybe we needed the kids for them to bring the energy.

Oh well, you win some you lose some.