Neighbourhoods & Routes
Canal Cruise: Anne Frank House to the Rijksmuseum
Two of Amsterdam's most visited cultural sites — the Anne Frank House on Prinsengracht and the Rijksmuseum on the Museumplein — are connected by one of the most beautiful canal routes in the city. Starting on Prinsengracht, a boat passes Westerkerk, turns south through the Keizersgracht and Herengracht Golden Bend, and arrives at the Leidsekade near the Rijksmuseum. The route is about 3.5 kilometres and takes 40–60 minutes. BoatLocal private boats can do this route door to destination.
Starting Point: Prinsengracht and Westerkerk
The Anne Frank House sits at Prinsengracht 263, at the edge of the Jordaan. From the water, you can see the narrow façade and the courtyard extension where the annexe was hidden. The building does not look remarkable from outside — which was precisely the point. The Westerkerk, the Protestant church whose bells Anne Frank wrote about in her diary, rises immediately adjacent. Its tower, called Lange Jan, is the tallest church tower in Amsterdam at 85 metres and visible from most of the ring canals.
Leaving Prinsengracht heading south, the route passes a concentration of houseboats and then the 17th-century Leidse Poort area. The canal widens slightly near Leidsestraat, one of the main shopping streets that crosses the canals at this point.
The Golden Bend and the Museum Quarter Approach
Turning east onto Herengracht between Leidsegracht and Vijzelstraat, you enter the Golden Bend — the most prestigious stretch of canal in Amsterdam. The double-width mansions here include the Museum Van Loon and the former Heineken House (now the mayor's official residence).
From Herengracht, the route connects south through Leidsegracht and onto the Singelgracht — the outermost canal of the ring system, used historically as a city boundary. The Rijksmuseum sits on the Museumplein immediately south of the Singelgracht. The museum's location, backing onto the canal, was chosen in 1885 partly because of its visual connection to the water: the rear of the building has a water-level perspective that few visitors see.
What to See Along the Way
Between the Anne Frank House and the Rijksmuseum, on this route you pass: Westerkerk (tallest church in Amsterdam), the Nine Streets shopping area (Negen Straatjes), the Spiegelstraat antique gallery district, the Golden Bend, the Leidseplein entertainment area, and the back of the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum.
The route passes through three of the four main ring canals: Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht (briefly, via connector canals), and Herengracht. It also gives you the clearest view of the shift from Jordaan residential canal to the wider Golden Age merchant canal.
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Browse Canal CruisesFrequently Asked Questions
- Can you see the Anne Frank House from the water?
- Yes. The Anne Frank House at Prinsengracht 263 is visible from the canal. You can see the narrow street-facing façade and the warehouse extension. The hidden annexe where the Frank family lived is in the interior, not visible from the water, but the building exterior and its canal context are clearly visible.
- Is there a water entrance to the Rijksmuseum?
- The Rijksmuseum does not have a public water entrance, but the museum backs onto the Singelgracht canal. Private boats can moor nearby on the Singelgracht or the Leidsekade and walk to the museum entrance from there.
- How long does the Anne Frank House to Rijksmuseum canal route take?
- The direct canal route is about 3.5 kilometres and takes 40–60 minutes on a small electric boat. If you include stops, detours into the Jordaan, or time at the Golden Bend, allow 90 minutes to 2 hours.
- Do shared canal cruises cover this route?
- Most ring canal shared cruises pass both landmarks as part of a larger circuit. For a dedicated Anne Frank House–Rijksmuseum route with a knowledgeable captain, a private boat from BoatLocal gives you full control over pace and stops.
