When booking an Amsterdam Light Festival package, five questions are really worth asking in advance: what is included, how many people can join, when is the best time to book, what is the difference between a shared and a private cruise, and what food and drink options are available on board? The answers to those questions largely determine which package suits your group best. Below we answer them one by one, so you know exactly what to look for.
What exactly is included in an Amsterdam Light Festival package?
What is included in an Amsterdam Light Festival package depends greatly on the type of cruise you choose. With most packages, boat rental, a professional skipper, and crew are included as standard. Catering, drinks, and a festival surcharge are often listed separately or can be added as an option.
It is wise to carefully check what is included in the price when booking. With fixed packages, catering is usually already included. Think of luxury snacks, a hot and cold buffet, or a multi-course dinner. Drinks are sometimes charged on consumption, sometimes offered as an open bar. With custom packages, you put the package together yourself, which gives more freedom but also requires more preparation.
Also pay attention to additional costs that are not always immediately visible. At the Amsterdam Light Festival, a festival surcharge and a VMR entertainment tax apply, which are calculated separately. Always ask about these when booking, so you are not faced with any surprises.
With us, the packages for the festival are clearly structured. The price per person includes boat rental, skipper, crew, and catering. Drinks can be added as an open bar or charged on consumption. The festival surcharge and entertainment tax are listed separately, so you have a complete picture of the total price in advance.
How many people can join on a boat tour during the festival?
The capacity of a boat during the Amsterdam Light Festival varies greatly per provider and per type of boat. Smaller sloops or electric boats often accommodate 8 to 12 people. Historic salon boats and larger vessels can take groups of 30 to more than 100 people on board.
For group outings, company drinks, or Christmas dinners, it is advisable to check in advance whether the boat suits your group size. Many providers have a fixed maximum capacity per boat. Some operators can combine multiple boats for large groups, so everyone can still cruise together.
Do you want to visit the festival as a couple or with a small group of friends? Then shared cruises are a good option. Do you want to stay together as a larger group and put together your own program? Then a private boat is the logical choice.
With us, groups of up to 60 people can be accommodated on one boat. For larger groups, we combine multiple boats so everyone can participate together. The boat is always tailored to your group size, so you do not pay for space you do not use.
When is the best time to book a Light Festival cruise?
The best time to book an Amsterdam Light Festival cruise is as early as possible, preferably at least four to eight weeks before the desired date. The festival attracts large numbers of visitors and the most popular evenings, such as weekends and the period around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, fill up quickly.
The Amsterdam Light Festival takes place annually from late November through mid-January. That is also the period when many companies plan their Christmas drinks, Christmas dinner, or end-of-year party. The combination of the festival with a group activity on the water is popular, which means availability in December decreases quickly.
Are you booking for a company outing or a group of more than 20 people? Then it is certainly advisable to start planning in September or October. This gives you the most choice in dates, boats, and packages. If you wait too long, you risk the desired evening already being fully booked.
Want to know more about the exact dates of the festival this year? On our page about the Amsterdam Light Festival dates you will find up-to-date information about when the festival takes place in 2026.
What is the difference between a shared and a private cruise during the festival?
The main difference between a shared and a private cruise during the Amsterdam Light Festival is who else is on board. With a shared cruise, you share the boat with other visitors you do not know. With a private cruise, the entire boat is reserved exclusively for your group, with no other guests on board.
A shared cruise is ideal for couples, individual visitors, or small groups who want to experience the festival without having to rent an entire boat. You cruise with others, there is a guide on board, and you follow a fixed route past the light artworks. This is the most accessible and affordable way to see the festival from the water.
A private cruise gives you much more freedom. You decide the program, the catering, the drinks, and in many cases also the boarding location and the route. The boat is entirely for your group, making it perfectly suited for company outings, Christmas dinners, birthdays, and other group activities where you want to celebrate something together.
At Rederij De Nederlanden we offer both options. For small groups of up to 6 people, Shared Tickets are available from €32 per person. The cruise lasts 75 minutes, follows the official festival route, and departs three times a day. For groups who want the boat to themselves, Private Cruise Packages and Custom Private Cruises are available.
What food and drink options are available on a Light Festival boat?
The food and drink options on a Light Festival boat range from simple snacks to a fully served multi-course dinner with a chef on board. Which options are available depends on the provider and the chosen package. Not every boat offers the same possibilities, so it pays to compare this carefully in advance.
With fixed packages, catering is usually already included in the price per person. Think of a drinks cruise with luxury snacks, a buffet package with hot and cold food, or a dinner cruise with a three-course menu. With custom packages, you put the catering together yourself based on your wishes and budget.
Drinks are arranged separately with most packages, either via an open bar or on consumption. Winter drinks such as mulled wine or hot chocolate are popular during the festival and are offered by various providers.
With us, you can choose from multiple catering formats on board. The packages range from a Drinks & Bites Cruise (1.5 hours, from €47.50 per person) with luxury snacks to a Walking Dinner Cruise (2 hours, from €132.50 per person) where guests can move freely and network while multiple small dishes are served. In between there are options such as a hot and cold buffet, an Italian buffet, and a classic Dinner Cruise with a three-course menu and a chef on board. The full boat is always reserved exclusively for your group.
How Rederij De Nederlanden helps with your Amsterdam Light Festival package
Whether you want to organize an informal drinks reception, an elaborate Christmas dinner on the water, or a fully customized corporate event: we have a suitable package for every group and every budget. Here is an overview of what we offer:
- Private Cruise Packages: fixed packages with a clear price per person, including boat rental, skipper, crew, and catering. Suitable for groups from 15 people who want to book simply and completely.
- Custom Private Cruise: a fully customized private cruise where you choose the boat, catering, drinks, entertainment, and boarding location yourself. From €250 per hour, minimum 2 hours. Ideal for larger groups or groups with specific wishes.
- Shared Tickets: for couples, individual visitors, and small groups of up to 6 people. A 75-minute cruise along the official festival route, with an English-speaking guide, from €32 per person.
- Heated and covered historic salon boats, so the weather is no obstacle.
- More than 150 possible boarding locations in Amsterdam.
- We are an official partner of the Amsterdam Light Festival.
Want to know more about our options for groups? Check out our Amsterdam Light Festival groups page or contact us for a no-obligation custom proposal.
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