kanaal in Alkmaar met op de achtergrond een brug

On the water in Alkmaar

Alkmaar is at its most beautiful from the water! Rent a boat, take a pleasant canal cruise or enjoy a day trip by ship. Here you will find all the information you need to plan your adventure.

bootje op het water bij de gewelfde stenenbrug in Alkmaar

Sailing in the centre of Alkmaar

Alkmaar is bursting with beautiful canals. The city can therefore be admired perfectly from the water. Would you like to take a canal cruise or would you rather sail yourself? Here you will find all the information about sailing in Alkmaar. Keep your camera ready!

Sailing yourself

Canal tour

Lean back and enjoy all the beauty Alkmaar has to offer from the canal boat. Alkmaar is famous for its low bridges; so mind your head! Between April and October, a boat departs from the Mient every hour.

Alkmaar Cruises

Alkmaar Cruises organises full service boat trips in Alkmaar. Get in the ship Amalia and sail to the Zaanse Schans, the Broeker Auction or to Amsterdam.

Alkmaar Sloop network

The sloop network is the alternative to the well-known water almanac, allowing you to plan an interesting boat trip with your sloop quickly and easily.

El Kombi Sup

If the weather is nice you can explore Alkmaar by paddle boarding! And, as you’re paddling while standing on a board, you can also remove litter from the water. At El Kombi, fun & sport is effortlessly combined with sustainability.

Pedal boats

You can even cycle over the water in Alkmaar! Rent a pedal boat at King's Inn. Fun to do with the children!

twee personen in een bootje op het water

Sailing together – Check the rules

Do not sail faster than 6 km per hour. Only in the canals is the maximum speed 9 km per hour.
Respect the age limits; do not operate a fast motorboat if you are under 18.
Do not play amplified music after 8:00 p.m.
Do not race or sail dangerously.
Do not swim in dangerous places.
Keep the water clean.
Do not drink alcohol when operating the boat, you are also a traffic participant on the water.
Keep as much as possible to the right (starboard) while sailing.
Give priority to larger boats, such as the canal boat.
Stay in the boat while sailing.
Do not enter gardens or meadows.

5 x Sightseeing from the canals

Huis met de kogel (House with the cannonbal)

The “Huis met de kogel” is one of the best known houses of Alkmaar. This house has this name due to the canonball that flew through the house when the Spaniards tried to invase the city. The “Huis met de kogel” is also one of the last two houses made of wood in Alkmaar. It’s definitely worth the effort to take a picture.

Waaggebouw

Say cheese, say Alkmaar. Alkmaar is known for its traditional old Cheese markets at the Waagplein and the iconic Waaggebouw. Nowadays the Cheesemuseum and the Alkmaar Tourist information office (VVV) are located in that building but from the end of March till the end of September a part of the building is still being used for the Cheese markets on Friday. A nice place to visit for the whole family.

Accijnstoren

400 years ago this was the most important building in Alkmaar. This building was used as a taxhouse for all the goods that came into the city. Nowadays this tower is still in a beatifull state and it’s one of the main buildings that can be seen from the water.

Molen van Piet (windmill)

You can see this eyecatcher from miles away. The molen of Groot, or how the locals like to call it “Molen van Piet”, is owned by the family Piet for four generations. This miller is still grinding grain. From the water you can find the perfect angle for a great picture.