A programme that works for a group
| When | Activity | Duration | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1, afternoon | Arrival, walk in the centre and dinner | 3 h | Gentle start |
| Day 1, evening | Canal cruise with drinks | 1 h 30 | The highlight, with no rule to break |
| Day 2, morning | Late breakfast or brunch | 2 h | Recover |
| Day 2, afternoon | Beer tasting or brewery visit | 1 h 30 to 2 h | An easy group activity |
| Day 2, evening | Dinner, then bars around Leidseplein or Rembrandtplein | 4 h | Where you can go out without special rules |
| Day 3 | Market, bike ride or museum before leaving | 3 h | Souvenirs, a soft landing |
The highlight: the cruise with drinks
This suits a group best: you sit down, see the city, and nobody has to deal with street-drinking rules. The cruise with an optional unlimited drinks package starts at €22.92 (4.5 out of 5, 27,061 reviews); check what is included before paying, because the drinks version costs more than the headline price. The saloon boat with optional cheese and wine starts at €18.52 (4.6 out of 5, 31,849 reviews). A private boat with a host and champagne costs roughly €375 to €500 per boat for the open version, or €235 to €264 for the private option; check the total for your group on the listing. The full comparison is in canal cruise: which offer? and how the boats work is in canal cruises in Amsterdam.
Beer, pub crawls and nightlife
- Beer tasting: the Heineken Experience is the classic visit; for small breweries see craft breweries in Amsterdam.
- Pub crawl: resellers list routes of about 3 hours for groups of up to 20 people, with drinks or shots included. Prices and ratings vary by organiser: a crawl with a boat ride was listed at around €49 per person at one reseller, price to be checked. Read the reviews and what is really included.
- Where to go out: Amsterdam at night describes the areas. Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein concentrate bars and clubs, but they are also street-drinking ban zones: drink on a terrace or inside.
- Beer bike: banned in the centre since 1 November 2017, so it is no longer an option for a party in the old town.
Rules to know before you go
- Street drinking: banned in 42 zones, including almost the whole historic centre; €110 fine, even for an open can in your hand. Details in drinking or smoking in the street.
- Red Light District: no photos of the windows, no group tours in front of the windows, bars closed at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights with no entry after 1 a.m. See Red Light District rules.
- Groups and guides: outside the Red Light District, a guided group of 5 to 15 people needs a licensed guide, between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- The city's message: since 2023 the "Stay Away" campaign has targeted visitors who come mainly to drink; a loud or drunk group can end up with a fine.
- Cannabis: banned on the street in the Red Light District and on the Dam (€100); see coffee shops. Nitrous oxide is banned.
- Costumes: nothing forbids a group T-shirt, but avoid provocative outfits in residential areas and at the door of museums and bars.
- Getting back: as a group, preferably by taxi or night tram; see getting home at night and scams and safety.
Budget and booking
| Item | What we found (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Cruise with optional drinks | from €22.92 per person |
| Saloon boat, optional cheese and wine | from €18.52 per person |
| Private boat with champagne | €235 to €500 depending on the option |
| Pub crawl with boat | around €49 per person (to be checked) |
| Accommodation | not covered here: see where to stay in Amsterdam |
"From" prices depend on the date, group size and options. Book the cruise at least a week ahead for more than eight people, and allow for the tourist tax (details). For the whole-trip budget, read Amsterdam travel budget.
Going further
For nightlife, read Amsterdam at night; for the street rules, alcohol and cannabis in the street.
