Stromma Pedal Boat Rental Amsterdam – review

One of the most novel – and energetic – ways to experience Amsterdam’s picturesque canals and waterways is on a Stromma pedal boat cruise. It’s an opportunity to explore the beauty of the city in a different way, at your own pace, taking in all the sights on land and water.

While there are many great canal tours in Amsterdam, on a pedal boat you’re close to the water, have a full view of your surroundings, and you get to play “captain”, fully in control of your route. It’s also great exercise, and since it uses no fuel or electricity, it’s one of the most eco-friendly ways to cruise through Amsterdam.

In this piece, we’ll explain more about what you can expect from the Stromma pedal boat cruise, give tips, and highlight the places of interest you can see along the way. Since we reviewed a pedal boat experience ourselves by doing it, you can also jump straight to our review.

– Use our exclusive Stromma.com promocode ‘THINGSTODO20’ and get 20% online booking discount! –

The Stromma departure point at Rijksmuseum. Here you can also buy tickets, drinks, snacks and souvenirs.

The pedal boats lined up.

What is a pedal boat?

A pedal boat, also known as a paddle boat, is a self-propelled watercraft equipped with pedals, similar to those found on a bicycle. There are usually two seats in the front and two at the back, with the front passengers doing the pedalling, and propelling forwards or backwards.

There’s a simple steering mechanism that controls the direction of the boat. On the Stromma boats, you steer with a handle. Pedal boats are typically made from durable, lightweight materials such as plastic or fibreglass so that it’s easy to manoeuvre and buoyant.

Overview of Stromma pedal boat Amsterdam

The Stromma pedal boat ride lets you navigate Amsterdam’s canals at your own pace. Each of their boats can accommodate up to four people, making it a suitable activity for couples, families or small groups of friends.

The boats are easy to operate and you don’t need any prior boating experience or a licence to ride. In fact, children who have a swimming diploma and can reach the pedals are allowed to ride the boats too.

On each boat you’ll find instructions, and rules to follow.

What you need to know

• Departure points: There are four locations that you can leave from – Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein, Keizersgracht and Anne Frank House. Your choice will depend on what’s convenient, and what area or landmarks you want to see. To guide you, have a look at the map below of each departure point, and discover what’s nearby. Top spots include the Jordaan neighbourhood, the Red Light District, Hermitage, Westerkerk, the Blue Bridge, the Skinny Bridge and more.
• Duration: You can rent the pedal boats for a minimum of one hour.
• Booking: It’s advisable to book online or at one of the Stromma offices in advance to ensure availability.
• Instructions: There are instructions affixed to each boat, and a Stromma team member will brief you before you leave on safety and operational guidelines.
• Snacks and drinks: You can take some snacks and soft drinks with you, and there are also refreshments for sale at the Stromma ticket office at the departure points.
• Choose your shoes wisely: If you’re pedalling at the front, consider wearing open shoes as there might be some water on the boat floor.
• Follow canal etiquette: Be mindful of the other boats and follow basic canal rules. Stay to the right and yield to bigger boats.

Whatever your departure point, you’ll get beautiful views of the city.

While pedalling, you can see wonderful buildings, along with neighbourhood life.

It’s fun to be so close to the water, and have unobstructed views all around.

Our experience

We left from Rijksmuseum, and it was a great choice because we explored parts of the city on water we hadn’t before. Since most boat rides leave close to the Amsterdam Central Station area, it was lovely to be in a different part of the water.

Being so close to the water is fun, and even though you’re still doing some “work” with pedalling, it’s still very relaxing. You don’t need a lot of coordination or fitness to pedal, but it’s useful if both passengers in the front are pedalling as it can be hard work with only one pair of legs.

We were initially worried we might get lost or not get back in time, but it was really straightforward, and after half an hour from leaving, we simply turned around and made it back in time.

We loved the flexibility and being able to control our route and timing, and enjoyed watching all kinds of boats close by, along with the gorgeous sites around us. I would have loved the opportunity to pedal for longer, even for half an hour.

It’s an experience I can easily repeat, and I’d be keen to try out the Keizergracht and Anne Frank House departure points. There are also incredible-looking Stromma pedal boat rides in Utrecht, which last 1.5 hours.

The scenery from a pedal boat makes for beautiful pictures – and memories.

Beautiful Rijksmuseum

Depending on your route, you’ll likely go under several bridges

On sunny days, a pedal boat is one of the best places to be – don’t forget the sunscreen!

Pedal boats have been a popular mode of transport in Amsterdam since 1984.

– Use our exclusive Stromma.com promocode ‘THINGSTODO20’ and get 20% online booking discount! –