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A houseboat in the old center

Houseboat in Amsterdam, 9-minute walk to Dam Square

Photo gallery for A houseboat in the old center

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Room
Room

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 250.2 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Outdoor space
  • Kitchen
  • Free WiFi
  • Water view

Explore the area

View map
Amsterdam, NH
  • Place, Rembrandt Square
    ‪6 min walk‬
  • Place, Dam Square
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Place, Anne Frank House
    ‪17 min walk‬
  • Airport, Amsterdam (AMS-Schiphol)
    ‪19 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 2)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Common area 1

1 King Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

A houseboat in the old center

Back in the 1600s ! : Your houseboat is moored with its South view on one of the most romantic and peaceful canals, surrounded by a XVIIth century architecture and the Carillon of Zuiderkerk (1614) painted by Claude Monet (1874).

The houseboat is for 2 guests with a king size bed 2m/1m80 with its overhead window for watching stars, surrounded by a paintings gallery and its large Louis XV mirror reflecting the South windows over the canal.

You will appreciate being located in the historical area of Nieuwmarkt, 5 minutes walking distance from Central Station or 40 meters from the metro station 'Nieuwmarkt', close by the tram lines 2, 4, 11, 12, 14 and 24, and the metro line 52 at Rokin station.

The hull (Praam type) and the original structure were built during "La Belle Epoque" in 1898, making it one of the oldest boats in Amsterdam. The last renovation took place in 2010 for the hull doubling and 2019 for the house but respecting its historical charm.

Two times, the City Hall of Amsterdam gave to the boat the price of the most beautiful garden of the center.

Wifi by internet cable.


Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Free WiFi
Outdoor space
Water view
Parking available

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Adults only
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Gather used towels
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Return the keys
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock
Property Registration Number 0365 8743 6423 4DHF NHHE

We should mention

A car is not required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Amsterdam

Located in Amsterdam City Centre, a neighbourhood in Amsterdam, this houseboat is near theme parks and on the waterfront. Van Gogh Museum and Amsterdam Museum are cultural highlights, and travellers looking to shop may want to visit The 9 Streets. Looking to enjoy an event or a game? See what's going on at Ziggo Dome or Johan Cruyff Arena. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
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Map
Amsterdam, NH

What's nearby

  • Rembrandt Square - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Dam Square - 8 min walk - 0.8 km
  • Rijksmuseum - 17 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Anne Frank House - 17 min walk - 1.5 km
  • Leidseplein - 18 min walk - 1.6 km

Getting around

  • Nieuwmarkt Station - 4 min walk
  • Rokin Station - 8 min walk
  • Schiphol Airport (AMS) - 38 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Restaurant De Palmboom - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Lagom - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪De Sluyswacht - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Samrat - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Pastorie Bar - ‬3 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is A houseboat in the old center pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at A houseboat in the old center?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at A houseboat in the old center?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at A houseboat in the old center?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is A houseboat in the old center located?

Located in Amsterdam City Centre, this houseboat is within a 10-minute walk of Rembrandt House Museum, Dam Square and Rembrandt Square. Amsterdam Museum and The 9 Streets are also within 15 minutes. Nieuwmarkt Station is only a 4-minute walk and Mr. Visserplein Stop is 6 minutes.

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

8.4/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

8.6/10

Listing accuracy
Rating 10 - Excellent. 149 out of 198 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 28 out of 198 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 12 out of 198 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 198 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 7 out of 198 reviews

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Christine K.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy
The boat is excellently located, close to all the surrounding neighborhoods and walking distance for everything we wanted to do. Check in and out was simple. Owner was extremely responsive whenever I reached out. The boat furnishings are very eclectic with limited seating. Many of the chairs are close to falling apart. There is also poor lighting (very dim) except for the bathroom (very well lit). Despite these things we made the most of it and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Seat is falling out.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

John S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Bohemian stay

Great location and atmosphere, as pictured, easy of sights and shopping
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

lisa r.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A Dreamy and Down-to-Earth Slice of Amsterdam Life

Staying on this houseboat in the heart of Amsterdam was nothing short of magical—and wonderfully real. Every morning, we woke to the soft ripple of canal water, the sound of street cleaners doing their rounds, and the occasional curious coot peeking in. At night, the romance of the city came alive through our windows, with golden reflections dancing across the water and canal cruises gliding by like living postcards.This is true Amsterdam living—historically rooted and vividly alive. The boat itself is an eclectic, cozy tiny home with all the essentials for a comfortable stay. It’s modest but thoughtfully equipped, with quirky charm and a sense of creative soul. The location couldn’t be more central—you’re tucked right into the rhythm of the city, yet still feel like you’re in your own floating haven. If you’re looking for an experience that’s both romantic and refreshingly real, this houseboat is it.
Stayed 13 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christian W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice little Houseboat

The houseboat was right in the middle of central so you could basically walk to every spot. It’s also in a nice quiet area. Sometimes tour boats go by the window which was a bit odd but other than that amazing place.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Wayne G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Canal Houseboat

Don't expect hotel amenities, but it was a fun adventure and we enjoyed our stay.Great location, close to many sites. Good restaurants within walking distance. Managers very helpful.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Dona R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Canal boat in Amsterdam

I was really excited to see what it would be like on a canal boat. One of the first things that happened was a pair of swans floated by. Pretty cool. The location of the boat was in the middle of everything. A great jumping off point to tour the center of Amsterdam. I enjoyed my accommodation and exploring the city.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Annie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect home away from home

This houseboat was there r for my short stay in Amsterdam. It’s central location was key and it had all of the comforts of home. Couldn’t ask for more.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alyssa Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

So much personality!

We loved our stay on this houseboat! The host made the check in process easy and helped us figure out transportation there. We have never seen a place like this before. There is such unique decor inside, we were discovering new fun decorations after four days of staying there! The location was also great, we able to walk to most of the places we wanted to go to. It’s about five minutes from the Red Light District and there are a lot of great shops and restaurants nearby. This was one of our favorite accommodations we’ve ever stayed in because of its uniqueness!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Barbara B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing canal boat experience.

The location for walking was great. Each day 7 swans swam by plus ducks. Few boat tours cruised by and it’s fun to wave at them or raise a glass of wine to toast them. Fun times. Very comfortable bed too. Thanks for a very pleasant stay.
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Marjorie W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unique stay in Amsterdam

What a wonderful experience! The canal boat was a great way to stay in Amsterdam. Swans greeting you in the morning, the spring tulips in bloom… It was just what I had hoped.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Josef S.

Great place, very central and a nice experience.

We had a fabulous time in Amsterdam and staying on the houseboat made it so much nicer. The location was extremely central. The houseboat experience was a first for us but will not be the last. We will be back.

8/10 Good

Elizabeth P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic opportunity to experience living on a canal boat

Owner met us for check in. The houseboat is small, but very charming. We enjoyed his music collection while watching out the windows at boats going by in the canal.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

6/10 Okay

William

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The owner was extremely kind and provided great information about the surrounding area, also allowed us early entry. The location is terrific, as was the overall cost. The Houseboat, while a unique experience, was not without its problems. The existing online interior pics do not accurately reflect the current condition of the houseboat. The interior is more like a museum of the owner's artifacts and collections - everywhere, and much more clutter today than on the pics. The furniture is actually torn, tattered, or unusable. There is no place to store clothing or suitcases. The lighting, while eclectic, is inadequate. The bathroom with its slanted center floor tiles and drain could be challenging for some, and without any storage area. The positives and negatives kind of offset each other, hence the OK rating. We would look for a more upgraded houseboat if we had to do this over again.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Collette P.

Fabulous Houseboat of Amsterdam!

Lionel was wonderful! He did our walk through and gave us tips of great restaurants and the close museum and Metro. We enjoyed the eclectic but cozy atmosphere of the houseboat and the quiet canal it is on. It is close to everything. We certainly recommend this comfortable venue.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Nick P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We loved it so much we had to return

We wondered whether a second visit to this houseboat would be as enjoyable as the first but our concerns were unfounded. This really is a lovely place from which to explore Amsterdam. Central and yet very peaceful. The houseboat itself is lovely and the short canal it’s situated on is beautiful. Loved our time here so much we can’t rule out a third visit some time in the future.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Taylor K.

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Check-in

Couple stay in house boat

Overall great location and price. My husband suffers from allergies and it wasn't transparent there was a cat that lives there when guests aren't there. Also would have appreciated more flexibility and conciseness of the check-in process since we were internationally traveling there from the states and unable to check-in earlier upon a red-eye early morning arrival then we had to meet in person which was very long and interactive.
Stayed 8 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Megan S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Not what the pictures led us to believe but absolutely lovely

So to everything and so cute and quaint. Would totally love staying here again someday! Felt really bad when we realized we left some cheese in the refrigerator when we were in a hurry to get out. Wanted to leave it as perfect as it was when we got there.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

April V.

A lovely houseboat in central location

A cozy, Bohemian houseboat for the authentic Amsterdam experience! Very Central location-- we were able to walk or easily take a tram to all the sights-- the Van Gogh Museum, the Botanical Garden, Albert Cuyp Market, Centraal Station, great restaurants, etc. The galley kitchen and bathroom are typical for boat living, and perfect for a couple. The canal is part of many of the tour boat routes, but not too busy in the evening. We slept well and comfortably at night. I would recommend to friends and family visiting Amsterdam.

4/10 Poor

Birgit Q.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness

We left a day early.

Everything was very crowded. It smelled old and musty. The inner cover of the bedding had stains so we took them out. The bathroom was clean. Good for an adventure vacation. It rained on Friday and if it had continued to rain we would have left. We only went to the houseboat to sleep and shower. By the way, the houseboat is for sale. We left a day early..
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Andrew P.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

AP

Great location. Interesting and eclectic. A good fun base from which to explore AMS, with a Metro stop close by. Only hand towels provided. Not a problem for us - but clients should be aware that used toilet paper is not put in to the wc, but deposited in to the bin that is provided.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Maggie M.

Amazing! Perfect Location!

This was an amazing place to rent! Lionel met us at the property, showed us how everything works, answered any and all questions we had! Great guy! The house boat was comfortable, inviting, had everything you will need! We cooked dinners at home a few nights. Location was within walking distance to top sights! Close to bus pick up or a hop on hop off stop. The bed was so comfortable and had a sky light over it. Lionel thank you for sharing this very special place with us! Hope to be back again! I would highly recommended staying here!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

Greg R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Location in Central Amsterdam

This houseboat is located on a quiet canal, just a short walk from many of the sights of Amsterdam. Within minutes are many restaurants and stores. Dam Square is located about ten minutes away, Amsterdam Central is a 15 minute walk. The Amsterdam tram system stops less than five minutes from the Houseboat. Lionel does a great job keeping in communication with you during the renting process, greeting you and being available during your stay. If you are interested in trying a houseboat in Amsterdam, we would recommend that you give Lionel’s houseboat a try.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

8/10 Good

GILL W.

A quirky houseboat

Loved this houseboat. Unique style and well equipped. Some would say it was cluttered, but no problem for us. Very old boat, but this gave it great character. Situated very close to Amsterdam centre and could walk easily to places further afield. Lovely to waken each morning to little noise and swans and ducks. Just a shame that there were some issues with plumbing, which Lionel kindly fixed, albeit at 4.45 a.m! If this had been ok I would definitely have given this review 5*
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

L L.

MAGIC

We had a magic 3 night and day stay in the houseboat. The location couldn't be better - very close to everything you'd want to see, but off a small canal which is quiet and peaceful. A lot of fun and a different experience from the hotel room! Lionel was very accommodating, friendly and helpful, forthcoming with local advice on restaurants and insider tips. He recommended going to the Van Gogh Museum late on Friday night which was accompanied by music - a nice change from the usual experience!. The boat was clean, safe and had everything we could want for a great stay, providing a charming and cozy retreat for a unique stay while in Amsterdam.We will have life long memories of relaxing on the large comfortable bed as other boats gently pass by and the church bells weaved their song into our dreamlike existence. We love Amsterdam even more as a result of our stay there.

8/10 Good

Lori S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sweet and quirky

I really enjoyed staying on a Canal. I wanted an adventure but not of the wild red light district variety. Just something different. Well this was perfect for that. The space is very quirky, lights all over the place, a ships style bathroom which means the bathroom itself is the shower to save space… Tapestries cover the walls, funny little art objects. It was most unusual and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Boat tours do pass right by, but only a few in the afternoon. The canal is narrow and the street very quiet and peaceful. The one thing in the listing that is a bit misleading is that there is no outdoors space to enjoy. There's a small table with wired chairs, not very comfortable and not at all private. so Expect to spend your entire time sitting inside the boat and looking out the giant window at the water and the ducks and the occasional boat.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

About the host

Hosted by Your Host

Host profile image
As your host, my dearest wish is for you to enjoy your stay and feel at home in your houseboat.

Why they chose this property

To live in a houseboat in the 'Old Center' of Amsterdam but in the residential part : 'East side'.

Why Live In A houseboat ? : I understood that a flat is too noisy, as the walls are too thin with buildings on pilotis in Amsterdam. A barge is too steep-sided.

Houseboat is an unique experience and one of Amsterdam symbols, with its 2500 units spread over 165 canals, being the subject of an UNESCO World Heritage nomination.

Living on a boat has a price, that of permanent maintenance, including painting, wood treatment and corrosion, punctuated by regular visits and docking the boat at the shipyard without forgetting the specific taxes.

What makes this property unique

You are tucked away on your own island in the middle of town.

Your houseboat is not merely an impersonal and soulless rental property, as I prefer to welcome my friends and guests in a friendly spirit rather than dealing with business customers.

Languages:

English, French
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