The 15 Best Haarlem Tours & Boat Trips

1.Sightseeing Canal Cruise through the City Center

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 762 reviews · 50 min · from $19Our pick

See Haarlem from its canals on a 50-minute Smidtje cruise, with a Dutch, English, or German-speaking skipper and audio guides in five languages. You pass De Adriaan windmill, Teylers Museum, Jopenkerk, the Frans Hals Museum, and old bridges from a covered, heated, or semi-open boat.

“Stunning city and wonderful historical stories. The guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Definitely recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Sightseeing Boat Tour with Snacks and Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 398 reviews · 1h 15m · from $34

See Haarlem from a small covered boat with guide Mo, or Mohammed, at the helm. Over 75 minutes, you pass Teylers Museum, Molen de Adriaan, St. Bavo, Jopenkerk, and other city sights while enjoying drinks, cheese, crackers, and snacks. The tour runs in English and Dutch, with a full refund available up to 24 hours before departure.

“Lovely relaxing way to see Haarlem from the water. Guide was very informative. Snacks and drinks were lovely.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Guided Highlights Canal Cruise on Open Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 363 reviews · 50 min · from $20

Join guides such as Frederique, Peter, Mees, or Warden for a relaxed 50-minute cruise from Windmill De Adriaan. Your quiet electric boat follows the Spaarne and Haarlem’s canals past museums, bridges, and old buildings. Commentary is in English and Dutch, with German sometimes available. Drinks and snacks cost extra.

“Ease of finding the meet point. knowledge of guide. relaxed atmosphere of the tour. charge a greater tour fee unable for free soda and waters but still charge for alcohol drinks.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.50 minutes Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 272 reviews · 50 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Cruise Haarlem’s canals for about 50 minutes with a skipper and audio guide in English. You’ll pass Teylers Museum, De Adriaan windmill, Central Station, Jopen Church, and the Frans Hals Museum. Boats may be covered and heated, and the group size is limited to 40 people.

“Excellent boat tour that gave us an overview of the city. We were able to navigate the city with better ease.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Haarlem Open-Boat Canal Cruise with Live Guide (Electric Boat)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 233 reviews · 50 to 55 minutes (approx.) · from $22Top rated

Meet your captain at Papentorenvest in central Haarlem for a relaxed 50-minute electric-boat cruise. Your English-speaking guide shares local history, points out notable buildings, and answers questions as you pass through the canals and along the Spaarne River. The open boat has cushioned seating, a toilet, and drinks available for purchase on some sailings.

“Relaxing trip with a fun knowledgeable crew who answered all the questions. Burt was great. Crew served wine and none alcoholic drinks”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Windmill ‘De Adriaan’ Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 197 reviews · 1 hour · from $9

Climb through Haarlem’s De Adriaan windmill with a live English or Dutch guide. You’ll study working parts, models of Dutch mills, grinding stones, and flour-making equipment before stepping onto the 12-meter gallery above the Spaarne. Guides such as Fred, Jan, and Michiel are known for clear explanations and good humor. Expect steep stairs and no elevator.

“My husband and I loved our tour of the Windmill. The man on the phone (also at the check in desk) was very friendly and kind. The guide was kind, friendly and gave us so much information. We left knowing so much more about windmills and what they were used for. The view of Harleem from the top is amazing too. Highly Recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Dutch Windmill & Spaarne River Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 152 reviews · from $20

Spend 1.5 hours cruising Haarlem’s Spaarne River from the boathouse opposite Teylers Museum. Your skipper guides you past De Adriaan, the Unicorn windmill, the Weighing House, Amsterdamse Poort, and old city buildings. Choose a semi-open or covered heated boat, use the multilingual audio guide, and buy snacks or drinks on board.

“the friendly boat's captain, Al had to move us from our boat because the engine was overheating. he kindly arranged for another boat to take the group of us onto the windmill. great service😃”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Frans Hals Museum Entrance Ticket with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 79 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Use one ticket for Haarlem’s Frans Hals Museum and HOF Frans Hals Museum, seven minutes apart in the historic center. See six Civic Guard paintings by Frans Hals, old masters, modern works including Mondriaan, and the current Maarten van Heemskerck exhibition. An audio guide is available in Dutch, English, French, and German.

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Private Haarlem Canal Cruise with Captain (Electric Boat)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)

Cruise Haarlem’s canals for about 90 minutes in a private electric boat with your own captain. You’ll pass Molen De Adriaan, see the city from the Spaarne and central waterways, and hear local tips from captains such as Allard, Boris, Joost, Floris, or Willem. Groups of up to 15 share one boat.

“We had a wonderful time during our boat tour through Haarlem! Our captain was very friendly and made the whole experience even more enjoyable. He made sure everyone was comfortable and had a great sense of humor. The ride was smooth, relaxing, and offered beautiful views. Highly recommended, thank you for a memorable trip!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.De Adriaan Windmill Tour + Open Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 66 reviews · 1h 40m · from $28

Start at Windmill De Adriaan for a 30-minute guided visit and a 360-degree balcony view. Then board a cushioned, open 100% electric sloop for about 50 minutes through Haarlem’s canals and along the Spaarne. An English-speaking guide and captain share local stories. The tour begins and ends at the windmill.

“interessant en leuke mensen. voor koude dagen, als gisteren, adviseer ik om dekens te verstrekke n”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Self-Drive Private Electric Boat Rental

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 59 reviews · 2 hours

Take the wheel of a private electric boat from Industrieweg 7 in Haarlem. A local host gives you a safety briefing, map, and route tips before you cruise historic canals, open water, and nearby nature. The boat seats up to 12, has soft cushions, and lets you bring your own food and drinks.

“Hat super viel Spaß gemacht und das lenken hat man nach paar Minuten raus . Es gibt für das Boot Parkplätze , wo man es abstellen kann um sich einen Kaffee oä zu holen .”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.The rise of Haarlem: Culture, History, Art and Architecture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $55

Walk Haarlem with guide James through the Grote Markt, medieval lanes, hofjes, windmill views, museums, and WWII stories. This two-and-a-half-hour English tour covers about 4 km in a group of no more than six. It suits history, architecture, art, and photography lovers, but Sunday hofjes visits are not possible.

“Small group tour ended up being a private tour and it was excellent. We’ve done several tours on our European tour this year and this one was definitely the best. Our guide was very detailed, knowledgeable and articulate. Highly recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Guided Food Tour Haarlem (4-8 guests) – Old City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $106

Start at 10:30 am near Grote Houtstraat and follow a local guide through Haarlem’s old center, including Grote Markt. You’ll visit six tasting spots for coffee, sweets, cheese, herring, fries, beer, and other local bites. Guides have included Daan, Dan, Rene, and Susanne. The group is limited to eight people.

“Our food tour with our guide Rene was a great experience. We got to see a lot of things in the city that we had not seen before. our group was small six people so we felt like we were all friends by the time we left. Lots of small tasting bites in different places. And Rene was very knowledgeable about the history of Haarlem. Chocolate, cheese, beer,fries,herring…. what more could you ask for?”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.City Highlights Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 32 reviews · 2 hours · from $25

Walk Haarlem with an English-speaking local guide, visiting Grote Markt, the Spaarne, Amsterdamse Poort, historic hofjes, and the Corrie ten Boom area. You’ll hear about Haarlem’s beer and tulip traditions, meet figures such as Frans Hals and Corrie ten Boom, and get practical local tips. Manuel has led the tour for some bookings.

“It was nice experience. The guide was knowledgeable and willing to give more information about the city. I liked the city even more after the tour. The only thing was the weather - it was cold and windy”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Haarlem Highlights Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 26 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

Ride through Haarlem’s old center with a Dutch or English-speaking guide from Bike Tours Haarlem. In two hours, you’ll pass churches, canals, windmills, a former city gate, and lesser-known streets. Bikes are included, groups are limited, and guide Marino has earned praise for lively explanations.

“De gids was niet heel enthousiast.. ik had er meer van verwacht”

Check availability →Read our full review