There’s no better way to enjoy Amsterdam than by boat

Let’s celebrate the end of the season on Amsterdam’s beautiful canals. We will cruise on a refurbished lifeboat that is now a modern electric Dutch “sloep”, hosted by Van Plaggen.

Be ready for some fun — we’ll arrange drinks, snacks and music to get you dancing. Bring your most sustainability minded friends and join us for a great afternoon out on the water.

• Pick-up and drop-off point here
• Cruise will be two hours
• Drinks and snacks included

Transition to electric boating in Amsterdam

As the city’s most popular tourist attraction, boats are a big business in Amsterdam. Over 320 boats take four million passengers through the city’s iconic canals each year. Change is afoot though, and the local government has set the ambitious goal of banning diesel engines from the city’s waterways by 2025 as part of the effort to combat climate change.

The transition of commercial vessels is already moving ahead, with 75% of the 550 navigating the canals now qualifying as emissions-free. Meanwhile, when it comes to Amsterdam’s other 12,000 recreational boats, only an estimated 5% are emissions-free.

To help push along the move to electricity among smaller boat owners, the city is working with contractors to install 100 boat charging stations. In addition, a new floating battery terminal for electric boats has just launched at the Port of Amsterdam.

Our friends at Van Plaggen refurbish old lifeboats and turn them into modern electric Dutch “sloeps”, giving these outdated boats a sustainable new life. The electric motors are quiet and do not emit CO2. By helping boats switch to electric motors, Van Plaggen is getting Amsterdam ready for a greener future.