Amsterdam canal tour tops list of world’s best travel experiences

Experiences in Hawaii, Dubai, Florida, Peru and Iceland all made the top 10

The Netherlands' Amsterdam Open Boat Canal Cruise took the top spot (TripAdvisor)

An open-air Amsterdam canal boat tour stocked with refreshments has been crowned the world’s best travel experience by TripAdvisor.

The reviews website today announced the winners of its Travellers’ Choice “Best of the Best Things to Do” Awards, which analyses thousands of reviews and ratings from users to rank the most raved-about.

TripAdvisor examined the best food experiences, nature and outdoor activities, pop culture tours and bucket list experiences among 11 categories.

The £17-a-head “Amsterdam Open Boat Canal Cruise” won the day with a five-star rating and nearly 10,000 reviews, 9,964 of which were rated “Excellent”.

Second most loved was a Red Dunes desert experience involving quad biking, sandsurfing, camels and a barbecue, in Dubai; third place was scored by a tour of the island of Oahu’s North Shore in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, the winner of the top UK experiences category was a high-speed Thames River RIB cruise in London.

A Reykjavik Food Walk in Iceland topped the list of world’s best foodie experiences, while Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia church was crowned world’s best attraction based on reviews data.

Somerset’s Roman baths attraction, in Bath, was voted the best sightseeing stop in the UK, with 22,262 ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ reviews out of 23,559.

Two hot air balloon rides made the top 15 experiences: a Luxor-based balloon ride over Egypt, and a Turkish adventure in Cappadocia.

Kate Urquhart, general manager of experiences at Tripadvisor, says: “Today, I’m thrilled to announce the winners of the 2022 Travellers’ Choice Things to Do Awards, celebrating the past year’s most amazing tours and activities.

“From a luxurious food-filled evening to a long-haul trek, there is something for every traveller on this list. Tripadvisor offers an unparalleled platform to find and book things to do, so check out this year’s winners to discover the tours and activities travellers say you can’t miss!”

Red Dunes' Quad Bike, Sandsurf and Camels tour was listed second in the world’s best experiences (TripAdvisor)

World’s top 15 travel experiences

1. Amsterdam Open Boat Canal Cruise
2. Red Dunes Quad Bike, Sandsurf, Camels & BBQ desert experience from Dubai
3. Tour of North Shore and Sightseeing on Oahu, Hawaii
4. Natural Pool & Indian Cave Jeep Safari, Aruba, Caribbean
5. Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve and Tampa Bay Area, Florida
6. Classic Inca Trail Trek (four days/three nights) to Machu Picchu, Peru
7. Reykjavik Food Walk, Iceland
8. High-Speed Thames River RIB Cruise in London
9. Rafting in Rio Jacare Pepira by Wild Canoe Territory in Brotas, Brazil
10. City & Beatles Tour by Blue Route, Liverpool
11. Renaissance & Medici Tales walking tour in Florence, Italy
12. Hot Air Balloons Ride in Luxor, Egypt
13. Cappadocia Balloon Ride and Champagne Breakfast, Turkey
14. Little Havana Food and Walking Tour in Miami
15. Half-Day Mojave Desert ATV Tour from Las Vegas