Rederij Schuttevaer

Who they are

Schuttevaer is a family boat company based in the centre of Utrecht, at Oudegracht 85, which has been showing the city from the water for more than 65 years. Its boats leave from the Oudegracht, next to the Viebrug, and tour the historic centre along the canals. It has a second jetty at Hoog Catharijne, reached by lift from the shopping centre, near the central station and several car parks.

The fleet

It sails with ten boats, all electric: two sightseeing boats, six for groups of different sizes, including four small fluisterboten or silent boats, and two open launches, the Dolfijn and the Stil. The covered boats have heating and a public address system, so they also sail in cold or rain; on the Oudegracht, moreover, there is hardly any swell even when it blows hard. Not all the boats have a toilet: if you need one, let them know beforehand.

What it offers

The two regular tours of the city, of one hour and of an hour and a half, can be booked for any day of the year, also in winter, and come with a GPS audio guide in eight languages, Spanish included, which you listen to on your own phone with headphones. Over the boat's speakers it plays in the three most common languages among the passengers, normally Dutch, English and German.

They also organise a one-hour tour in an open launch with a drink, routes along the Kromme Rijn towards Bunnik, cruises with breakfast, lunch or dinner with partner restaurants and, at Christmas, a trip with Christmas stories told on board and a winter tour with mulled wine for groups of 25 or more. They hire out boats for parties and groups, with or without catering, and sell a combined ticket with a museum and gift vouchers.

Bookings and conditions

Book on their website. Children under four travel free, with a baby ticket that secures them a seat; ages 4 to 12 pay the child rate and from 13 the adult rate. Cancellations carry a cost: 25% if cancelled more than a month in advance, 50% up to a month before and 100% in the last fourteen days; cancellation insurance is the traveller's responsibility. If a storm prevents sailing, which is very rare, they get in touch using the booking details. At the Oudegracht ticket office you pay by card or in cash; at the Hoog Catharijne kiosk, by card only.

Accessibility and dogs

None of the boats is wheelchair accessible; for people with reduced mobility who do not depend entirely on a wheelchair they have an information document. Dogs board free, but cannot enter Hoog Catharijne: to board there you must go round along the path to the quay.