Boats, Beer and Underground Tours in Utrecht

The best activities in Utrecht fall into four groups: time on the water, time underground, a long climb, and a good beer. Each is described below with the figures you need to plan it. Euros are the currency, and nearly every business here prefers a card or phone to cash.

Climb: the Dom Tower

Only a guided group may go up, and the way up is a staircase of 465 steps. Tickets cost 13.50 euros for an adult, 8.50 for students, over-65s and children aged 4 to 12, and nothing for ages 0 to 3. Departures run every day between 10:00 and 17:00, apart from King’s Day and Christmas Day. Reserve in advance on the official Dom Tower site . Bags and tripods must be left in the free lockers at Domplein 9.

Underground: DOMunder

Beneath Domplein you follow a 75-minute route lit by your own flashlight, which sets off audio when held near the walls. The story runs from a Roman fort of about 47 AD through the medieval bishop’s palace to the storm of 1674. The price is 14.50 euros for adults and 10 for children and students, and the organisers advise a minimum age of 8. Book at domunder.nl .

Afloat

Utrecht offers three ways to be on the water.

  • Canoe the canals. Kanoverhuur Utrecht, at Oudegracht aan de Werf 275, rents canoes from the wharf and also leads guided canal trips. Look at its site for the days it is open: kanoverhuurutrecht.nl . The circuit of Oudegracht and Singel measures about 6 km and passes 16 old bridges.
  • Paddle the Kromme Rijn. De Rijnstroom, Weg naar Rhijnauwen 2, charges 8 euros an hour for a single kayak, 13 for a double, 15 for a Canadian canoe, 13 for a rowboat that takes five and 12 for a SUP. You must reserve online and pay by card. The estates of Amelisweerd and Rhijnauwen lie upstream.
  • Hire an electric sloep. No boating licence is needed. Greenjoy asks from 30 euros an hour with a two-hour minimum, while Sloepdelen offers 12-seat boats for 75 euros an hour plus a 150 euro deposit.

Rederij Schuttevaer, at Oudegracht 85, sells canal cruises of one or 1.5 hours from 18.50 euros (schuttevaer.com ).

Drink: the beer trail

The cellar of Stadskasteel Oudaen, Oudegracht 99, holds a working brewery, and tastings and tours are reserved through oudaen.nl . Elsewhere, Café Olivier (Achter Clarenburg 6) is a Belgian beer bar in a church from 1860 that was once kept hidden, and De Drie Dorstige Herten (Lange Nieuwstraat 20) is another good stop. Brouwerij Maximus at Pratumplaats 2A and Brouwerij De Leckere at the Werkspoorfabriek pour in their own taprooms.

What is not here

Utrecht stands on flat river clay, so expect no whitewater, no mountain bike descents and no natural cliffs. Climbers go to Klimmuur Utrecht, and boulderers to Energiehaven or Sterk.

Water safety

Do not swim in the Oudegracht or Nieuwegracht. The city prohibits swimming in shipping lanes and near bridges and locks. Strijkviertelplas, Voorveldse Polder and Haarrijnseplas are the official swimming spots, listed on the city’s website . The lower wharves lack railings, so be careful on them at night.

Read more: Outdoor Activities in Utrecht covers more time outdoors.

Booking help

Tickets for canal tours and city experiences are listed on Viator .