How to Combine Dinner With the Amsterdam Light Festival

  • Thomas van Loon
  • 🕐 6 min leestijd

You can combine dinner with the Amsterdam Light Festival by choosing a dinner cruise on the water, where you eat while sailing past the illuminated artworks. This is by far the most popular way to combine food and festival in one evening. But there are other good options too, such as dining at a restaurant near the route and then walking or sailing past the artworks yourself. In this article, we discuss the different ways to make it a complete evening out.

What options are there for eating during the Amsterdam Light Festival?

There are three practical ways to combine food with a visit to the Amsterdam Light Festival: dining at a restaurant along the route, bringing food or buying it along the way, or eating on board during a canal cruise. Which option suits you best depends on your group size, budget, and how you want to experience the festival.

Eating at a restaurant along the route

The Amsterdam Light Festival route runs largely through the Jordaan, along the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht. In these neighbourhoods you’ll find a wide range of restaurants, from cosy eateries to more formal establishments. A convenient approach: dine first and then explore the artworks on foot or by boat. Or do it the other way around: view the light artworks first and then enjoy a relaxed dinner somewhere. The Jordaan and the Nine Streets are both great bases, with plenty of variety in cuisine and price range.

Combining food and festival on the water

The most efficient way to combine food and the festival is a dinner cruise. You sail past approximately 20 light artworks on the official route while eating and drinking. This means no separate blocks in your evening, and you enjoy both at the same time. This is especially popular for groups, as it combines activity, food, and drinks in one place without everyone having to book a restaurant separately.

What is a dinner cruise during the Amsterdam Light Festival?

A dinner cruise during the Amsterdam Light Festival is a canal cruise where you eat on board while sailing past the illuminated artworks on the Amsterdam canals. The cruise typically lasts two hours, and catering varies by operator: from a hot buffet to a served three-course dinner with a chef on board.

What sets a dinner cruise apart from a regular canal tour is that food and drinks are fully integrated into the experience. You don’t need to make a separate restaurant reservation, and you won’t miss a single artwork because you’re sitting inside somewhere eating. The boats are covered and heated, so you’re comfortable even in winter.

At Rederij De Nederlanden you can choose from several catering options on board, depending on what suits your group. The Dinner Cruise offers a three-course dinner with a chef on board, from €129.50 per person. The Walking Dinner Cruise is a more informal variant where guests can move freely and network while multiple small dishes are served, from €132.50 per person. Both options are available as a private cruise during the Amsterdam Light Festival, with the entire boat reserved exclusively for your group.

How do you plan a private dinner cruise for a group?

You plan a private dinner cruise for a group in three steps: determine your group size and preferences, choose a suitable package or put together a tailor-made cruise, and book early because the period around the Amsterdam Light Festival is busy and popular time slots fill up quickly.

Start with the practical details: how many people are there, what is the budget, and do you want a fixed price per person or full flexibility in catering and timing? For groups with specific wishes regarding the boarding location, the menu, or the structure of the evening, a Custom Private Cruise is the most flexible choice. If you have a group that simply wants to arrange a complete evening without too many decisions, Private Cruise Packages with a fixed price per person are more practical.

Good to know: with a private cruise, the boat is reserved exclusively for your group. There are more than 150 possible boarding locations in Amsterdam, which makes logistics considerably easier. The boats are covered and heated, so winter weather is not a factor. Also keep in mind a festival surcharge and VMR entertainment tax, which are calculated separately.

Want to know more about the options for the Amsterdam Light Festival with a group? On that page you’ll find an overview of all options for larger parties.

Which package suits your group or occasion?

The right package depends on three factors: group size, occasion, and desired atmosphere. For an informal team drinks event, a package with snacks and drinks is sufficient. For a Christmas dinner or client evening, a three-course dinner is more appropriate. Below is an overview of the fixed packages at Rederij De Nederlanden:

  • Drinks & Bites Cruise (1.5 hours) — luxury snacks, from €47.50 pp. Suitable for drinks receptions and informal team outings.
  • Art & Lights Buffet (2 hours) — hot and cold buffet, from €84.50 pp. Suitable for corporate outings and group dinners.
  • Italian Buffet Cruise (2 hours) — Italian buffet, from €89.50 pp. Suitable for festive gatherings.
  • Dinner Cruise (2 hours) — three-course dinner with chef on board, from €129.50 pp. Suitable for Christmas dinners and business dinners.
  • Walking Dinner Cruise (2 hours) — multiple small dishes, chef on board, free to move around, from €132.50 pp. Suitable for networking and client evenings.

Do you have a larger group or specific wishes that don’t fit within a fixed package? Then a Custom Private Cruise is the logical choice. With this option, you put together the catering, drinks package, timing, and boarding location yourself.

Travelling as a couple or with a small group of up to 6 people and want to book flexibly? Then Shared Tickets are a great option: a shared 75-minute cruise along the official festival route, with an English-speaking guide, three times a day, bookable directly online from €32 per person.

When is the best time to book for the festival?

The best time to book for the Amsterdam Light Festival is as early as possible, preferably several months in advance. The festival runs from late November through January and attracts many visitors. Popular evenings such as weekends in December and the period around Christmas and New Year’s Eve fill up fastest.

For groups, booking early is especially important. Not only because popular time slots fill up quickly, but also because you’ll have more choice in boarding location, boat, and catering. If you wait too long, you risk your preferred date already being taken. For corporate outings and Christmas drinks events, organisers in practice often start booking for December as early as September or October.

Check the current dates of the Amsterdam Light Festival to see when the festival takes place in 2026 and which evenings are available.

How Rederij De Nederlanden helps with dinner during the Amsterdam Light Festival

We are an official partner of the Amsterdam Light Festival and provide private cruises along the full festival route, with catering and drinks on board. Whether you want an informal drinks reception or a fully catered Christmas dinner, we have a suitable option. Here is what we concretely offer:

  • Private Cruise Packages with a fixed price per person, including boat hire, skipper, crew, and catering — easy to book and clearly priced.
  • Custom Private Cruise for groups with specific wishes: your own choice of catering, drinks package, boarding location, and timing, fully tailored to your needs.
  • Shared Tickets for small groups of up to 6 people who want to book flexibly and directly online.
  • Covered and heated historic saloon boats, so the weather is never a concern.
  • More than 150 boarding locations in Amsterdam for maximum logistical flexibility.
  • The entire boat is exclusively for your group on a private cruise — no other guests on board.

Would you like to book a dinner cruise in Amsterdam or find out more about the options for your group? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help you with a suitable proposal.

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