Travel back in time to the 17th century while sailing through Amsterdam
Amsterdam VR Time-Travel Canal Cruise into the Golden Age
Travel back in time to the 17th century while sailing through Amsterdam
4,9
Rating
Every 30 min
Frequent Departure
Duration
Every 30 min
Step aboard Stromma’s VR History Cruise and watch Amsterdam shift between centuries as you sail. You’ll start by soaking up the city as it is today, the shimmer of canal light, the close-up views of gabled houses and arched bridges, while the onboard commentary draws you into the stories about the rich history of Amsterdam. Then, at key locations, you’ll slip on VR glasses and the view transforms. The same canal you’re floating on becomes 1650s Amsterdam in full 360° view; bustling waterfronts, historic buildings rebuilt with striking accuracy, and scenes of daily life unfolding where modern streets stand today. When the headset comes off, the magic hits twice as you’re looking at the real-world buildings and shorelines again. Able to compare past and present in the exact same spot.
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Date
Adult
Child (4-12)
Babies ride free
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More Information
Climb aboard Stromma’s Virtual Reality History Cruise and let the canals carry you through Amsterdam's past and present. The boat glides smoothly over the water as the city slips by at eye level, with brickwork and window frames close enough to study, bridges arching overhead, reflections trembling in the canals. With the onboard audio guide, every corner you pass gains a backstory, turning a beautiful view into a living timeline of the city’s rise and character. At selected spots, you’ll put on VR glasses and the scenery around you changes in an instant. Still seated in the same place, you’re suddenly surrounded by Amsterdam in the 1650s: busy piers, ships and waterfront activity, and canal-side buildings reconstructed with historical precision. These animated moments are tied to your real position on the route, so when you lift the headset, you’re looking at the present-day canal again. Able to compare what survived, what vanished, and what evolved, right where it happened.
What to expect
The experience lasts 75 minutes in total, including about 15 minutes of VR delivered through 7 separate animations. Before the first animation the onboard host will explain how to use the VR glasses and give an introduction for this historic tour. Most of the cruise is enjoyed without the headset, so you can relax, take in the real city, and then “drop into” the past when the next VR chapter begins. Audio is available in Dutch, English and Spanish for both the VR experience and the onboard audio guide. After 75 min you return to the same location you departed from having seen the city in the 1650s and in its current state.
Departure location
This cruise departs from our Rijksmuseum location at Stadhouderskade 520 (right across from the Rijksmuseum on the canal).
Good to know
- Please arrive 15 min before departure so the host has enough time after check in to explain the proper use of the VR glasses
- The boat can hold up to 50 guests which makes this an ideal experience for families and groups of friends.
- The cruise lasts 75 min and includes 7 VR animation moments each lasting around 2 min
- The cruise is appropriate for kids 6 years and older
- For sensory sensitive people or people with epilepsy the stimuli from the audio and visuals from the glasses can be triggering. Therefor we would advise sensory sensitive people and people with epilepsy to go on a different cruise.