pleased we did this fun thing we got to see a lot more than expected and enjoyed the canals we traveled a lot further than planned as well the distance you travel will depend on how good your legs are at peddling
This was a fun way to see Amsterdam and enjoy the water without the busy-ness of an organised canal boat tour. The location was easy to find and we were given (brief) instructions on how to navigate the waterways and the "rules of the road". Also received a paper map, but honestly this was far less detailed than the map on the app - worth ensuring you have data available and use the app for confidence in your route Slightly disappointing that only 2 people could pedal - this made it hard work for those 2, and we didn't want to risk a switch over mid-canal! We had booked for 90 minutes so followed the longer route, weren't sure how long it would truly take and were back in about 65 minutes so we could have taken a little longer to take photos and just enjoy being on the water
Its a very nice experience but its tiring a bit so if your not a sporty couple it will be tiring other than that its very cool to try it out!
Review for Pedal Boat Rental only- It's a good activity, but be prepared to have to receive absolutely no instructions when you get there. We were provided with a map that did not include canal numbers or route names, so we had to figure that out ourselves with our phone GPS and told to grab the boat and have fun. No clear instructions on how to use the boat, safety instructions or tips, how to undock it or anything. On our own but we winged it, it was all pretty straight forward. I expected at least some type of oversight by the dock to let me know I wasn't doing anything crazy. All in all it was a good time, it was just a bit stressful realizing that I would get charged if i got lost and ended up in the wrong dock turns out it would've been pretty easy if i hadn't had brought my phone with me.
We picked up a boat in the singelgracht canal for 90 minutes giving the young lad running the kiosk 50€ and nothing else(30€ rental and €20 deposit, no id). They included a map that was unintelligible to any non sea faring society. Bravely, we proceeded to leave the busy singelgracht canal towards central amsterdam. The boat was a complete pos, and steered worse than a pallet jack on cobblestone. But we made due. We continued up the busy canal system, getting stuck in a few spots on the way, nearly being sunk by dozens of 60ft canal cruise boats who dont care about your little pedal boat, and being entertained by lovely amsterdam with its garbage filled canals and snooty dutch people. The sun sure was beating down hard that day, and we were working our butts off on this little pos boat. By the third bottle of wine and fifth blunt in the sun we were 90 minutes in, completely lost, and nowhere near any rental location. Being drunk and blunted, we decided to park the boat in the red light district... or so we thought. We gathered our stuff and went off for more green. 60 minutes later we couldnt find the friggin boat. Thank god they dont ask for id cuz we had no idea where we left that stupid pedal boat. So in summation, dont drink and smoke too much on the pedal boats, but if you do, they know you wont get far so the deposit is reasonable enough you dont reallly need to return the boat.