I stayed in a houseboat in Amsterdam for four nights.
The houseboat cost $2,802.55 after taxes and fees, or roughly $700 per night on Airbnb.
Even though it was on the pricier side, it was worth it to live like a local for a few days.
One of the first things you notice about Amsterdam when you visit is that there are canals everywhere, and in many of those canals are houseboats.
When I took a trip in April 2024 with my parents to visit my brother studying abroad, I knew I wanted to stay in a houseboat for at least part of our trip since houseboats are so distinctly Dutch.
The Dutch have lived on boats as early as the 17th century. As the Washington Post noted, the Netherlands is "waterlogged" — one-third of the country is below sea level, and efforts to drain water from the land date back to the Middle Ages.
The New York Times reported there are about 10,000 houseboats in the Netherlands, and 2,500 of them are in Amsterdam. The space in an Amsterdam canal alone — that is, without a boat — costs nearly $500,000.
And houseboats themselves are only getting more expensive. Real-estate agent Jon Kok told the Times in 2019 that the prices of houseboats had increased between 30 and 40 percent in the five years prior.
Over the course of 10 days in Amsterdam, I stayed in two Airbnbs. Our first was inside an apartment on land, and our second was a houseboat, which cost around $700 a night after taxes, cleaning, and service fees.
Our first Airbnb, which we stayed in for five nights, cost $2,442 in total. It was nice but not too different from the many other Airbnbs I've stayed in.
While more expensive, the houseboat was a completely new experience for the four nights. I've never taken a cruise, so this was the first time I've ever slept on the water. I was nervous about potentially getting seasick but decided the uniqueness of staying on a houseboat outweighed the potential nausea, which I thankfully didn't experience.
Here's what it was like to stay in an Amsterdammer's houseboat.
Our houseboat was located on a canal filled with others just like it.The exterior of our houseboat.
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To reach the boat, I had to walk down stairs, which had railings and anti-slip mats. At night, I used a flashlight to see where I was going.The steps.
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When I walked in, I made a right turn down a hallway to the main living space. It was split between a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room. The main living space.
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The kitchen may look simple, but it was packed with space-efficient appliances. It reminded me of a tiny home.The kitchen appliances.
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The washing machine/dryer was hidden in the first cabinet. It wasn't big, but since I was there for just a few days, I didn't have much laundry.The washing machine.
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Next to it was the dishwasher, which was also compact, but got the job done.The dishwasher.
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And finally, there was the mini-fridge, which was a good size for leftovers. On the other side was the oven.The mini-fridge.
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Next to the kitchen area was this large table, which was directly in front of the huge windows that looked out onto the canal and other boats.The dining area.
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One of the boats across the canal had a back patio, and one of its inhabitants waved to me through the window in the morning.The view.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
I also got to say hello to some local wildlife, which swam up to the window. You can see a ladder as well — my host said swimming in the canal was possible, but it wasn't warm enough yet.Swans outside our window.
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This houseboat had two real bedrooms, but the host lives in the boat full-time, so his room was off-limits. Instead, I slept next to the dining area.A sleeping area.
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It meant my "bedroom" doubled as the living room, with a couch at my feet. I couldn't complain, though — the space was large.The living room.
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At first, the boat felt so steady that I couldn't believe it was actually on the water. But over the weekend, I felt it gently moving up and down. It might not suit a person who gets seasick.The couch.
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A hallway led to the rest of the boat. The first door is the primary bathroom.The hallway.
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The bathroom had a tub, shower, and large vanity. It would've been roomy for a house, let alone a boat.The primary bathroom.
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I appreciated the double sinks and huge mirror.The vanity.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
There was also a skylight in the ceiling for some natural light.The skylight.
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The host warned that the bathroom could get steamy and recommended opening this porthole to let some air in.A porthole in the bathroom.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
There were also built-in shelves for linens.The linen shelves inside the bathroom.
Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider
Next to the bathroom was the other bedroom. It also had huge windows overlooking the canal.One of the bedrooms.
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The bedroom had a wardrobe and a dresser for storage.The dresser and wardrobe.
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One of the windows in the bedroom was practically on top of the neighboring boat. As a result, my parents usually kept the shades down.The view outside the bedroom.
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You might have noticed something was missing from the bathroom: a toilet. It was in a separate bathroom on the opposite end of the boat.The other bathroom.
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This bathroom had just a sink, mirror, and toilet, but it meant someone could use the toilet while someone else was showering.The mirror inside the bathroom.
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Here's the view of the back of our boat. You can really see how long it is and how close it is to other boats. They look like horizontal apartments.The back view of the houseboat.
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This houseboat was deceptively large and made me feel connected to the water.The view from the houseboat's living room window.
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I recommend staying on a houseboat, even if for only a night or two. It was a brand-new experience for me and made me appreciate Amsterdam's canals in a new way.
