Utrecht

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Set sail in Utrecht

The city's famous Utrecht canals form a scenic loop with double-dock canal sides and wharfs perfect for a canal boat holiday. The double docks are home to vibrant cafe culture, boutique hotels, interesting museums and beer bars that spill out onto the cobbled banks. Hire a boat trip from the centre of Utrecht and sail along the ornate Oudegracht, or hire an electric boat or sloop in the quaint hamlet of Harmelen to experience the greener side of Utrecht and its idyllic waterways.

Hiring A Boat In Utrecht


Most of Utecht’s rental boats are simple pleasure crafts with very little needed in terms of experience, making it easy enough for almost anyone to rent a boat, even those without a license. Skippered options are best for informative tours that take you to the core of the city, coloured by the local knowledge of the skipper, while your spacious boat makes for a perfectly relaxed, languid boating experience, passing through verdant parks and past Utrecht's most iconic sights, accentuated by soft pillows and refreshments.


Rental periods are generally by the hour and a circular boat tour of the city’s main sights is effortlessly completed in less than a day (with time for photos and lunch), but there are cabin cruisers and houseboats for those wanting to extend their voyage to the river and the countryside.

Explore Utrecht By Renting A Boat


Utrecht’s car-free city centre is a pleasure to explore by boat, with canals circling many of its most iconic sights, brushing against its bustling cafe culture and sailing into its suburban parks. The 900-year-old Dom Tower, Holland’s highest and oldest church tower (it was separated from the Gothic Cathedral of St Martin by a tornado in the 17th century), is visible across the city, making it an iconic needlepoint with which to freely navigate Utrecht’s neighbourhoods. Sail along the Oudegracht to see the tower up-close and climb the 465 steps to the top for views of the gabled rooftops, and, on exceptionally clear days, the church spires of Amsterdam.


The central Oudergracht eventually connects to both the Kromme Rijn and the River Vecht. In the daytime, sailing the lush greenery of the Kromme Rijn gives access to the Rhijnauwen woodlands that separate Utrecht and Bunnik. Finish with an early evening cruise along the River Vecht to see the villages dressed in ambient light for the evening, a sublime appetiser to a waterside dinner back on the Oudergracht.


Celebrations abound on King’s Day, with festivals and markets draping the streets, canals and people of Utrecht in orange all across the city, but the year-round Lumen festival is perhaps even more intriguing. Every day from sundown to Midnight, Utrecht’s streets, canals and attractions are bathed in an alien-like fluorescence, with art installations in windows, sparkling light shows illuminating the lantern of the Dom Tower, and neon uplighting lending a new, after-dark atmosphere to waterways and bridges across historic Utrecht.

Best Areas To Hire A Boat In Utrecht


Utrecht’s compact city centre is a pleasure to explore from the tree-lined beautiful canals, but there is even more to see along the river Vecht and the iconic Hollandse IJssel that connects Utrecht to Gouda.


Utrecht Centrum


There are numerous boarding locations around Utrecht Centrum with options to rent everything from canoes to app-based electronic motorboats, but most rentals begin on the Oudegracht, a perfect starting point for touring the leafy canal rings around the city centre.


Catharijnesinge


Quieter Catharijnesingel, between the train station and the old town, is essentially a 900-year old moat that was filled in as a road until 2020 but is again open for boats and swimmers. A lovely spot for a canal cruise - you'll find a peaceful stretch of parkland and some of Utrecht's modern architectural projects here, such as the Hoog Catharijne shopping centre rising from the ruins of Vredenburg Castle.


IJsselstein


A major commuter hub, charming IJsselstein is best used as a base to explore Utrecht and the bucolic waters of the Hollandse IJssel. Hire a motor yacht and sail along the river to see the historic churches and the remnants of the ruined castle poking up from the belly of the old town, and if time permits, visit iconic Gouda — *home of the cheese* — via the antique streets of Oudewater.


Harmelen


Just outside of Utrecht, Harmelen offers a scenic entry point to the nature reserve at de Kievit, and a perfect starting point for sailing to Woerden and the sublime ‘Green Heart of the Netherlands’.


Oud-Zuilen


From the historical heart of Oud-Zuilen, it’s possible to sail either through the canals of Utrecht’s richly adorned city centre, or further north to the stunning, tranquil lakes of Loosdrecht.


Maarssen


Maarssen provides a perfect base from which to explore the 17th-century estates of the Dutch Golden Age and the pretty countryside along the River Vecht. Quieter than Utrecht, this part of the river flows along picturesque villages marked by traffic lighted draw bridges and colourful gardens filled with dutch floras.

Types Of Boats To Hire


Rental boats in Utrecht are mostly pleasure crafts and boats small enough to easily navigate the canals of the historic city centre, but larger options, as well as cabin cruisers for exploring the rivers and lakes of Utrecht, are available in the suburbs.


Loungeboats


These cosy, full electric motorboats, stuffed with pillows in place of seats are ideal for small groups looking for an affordable, relaxed boat in which to cruise Utrecht.


Cabin Cruisers


Cabin cruisers generally have enough space for small groups and families, with cosy living quarters including small kitchens and in some cases, onboard showers, making them suitable for longer trips. In Utrecht, the best place to hire one is Harmelen or along the River Vecht.


Dutch koolvlet


These classic ‘koolvlets’ have been overhauled with electric engines and are available from central Utrecht to Oud-Zuilen. And while quite basic in terms of features, they are well-suited to small groups looking for a laid-back cruise through the leafy suburbs.


Sloop


A variety of single-masted sloops are available in Utrecht, including skippered Piet Hein Sloops — inspired by Norwegian fishing boats, and self-skippered classic sloops perfect for couples and families.

Do you need a licence to hire a boat in Utrecht


As per Dutch law, a boating license is only necessary if you plan on renting a boat that can exceed a speed of 20 kilometres an hour. Therefore, most boat rentals in Utrecht won’t require a boating license.


For everything else, a small watercraft licence (Klein Vaarbewijs) is required, while non-residents will need to provide an ICC (International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft).

Best Times To Hire


The convivial waterways of Utrecht lend themselves particularly well to exploration from May to September, and while July and August tend to be the warmest months, they’re also the wettest with ten days of rain per month. This makes the shoulder seasons of late spring and early autumn an ideal time to visit, as the busy crowds have thinned to a relative trickle, and the weather is often slightly dryer than in high summer.


Boat hire is available year-round, though you'll find fewer covered options as in nearby Amsterdam.

How much does it cost to hire a boat


Utrecht’s pleasure boats start at €70/ hour in the city centre, with dynamic fees for longer rentals, though some smaller sloops are available for a minimum of three hours for - €100. Electric motorboats tend to be the most economical option, particularly when hiring for longer periods. And renting outside of the city centre is often best if you intend to sail into the countryside, as prices tend to be considerably less in Oud-Zuilen and Harmelen.

Regions in Utrecht

Boat rental in Utrecht