Day Trip Guide to Giethoorn: The Dutch Venice

Have you seen photos of places that almost looked unreal you swore you had to visit sooner rather than later? I have seen photos of the fairytale looking village of Giethoorn in The Netherlands on many travel
websites over the years. Of course, we made room for it in our itinerary while in the area. Known as ‘Dutch Venice”, read on for this Giethoorn day trip fro Amsterdam.

Where is Giethoorn?

Giethoorn is located about 55 miles and an hour and 20 minutes by car from Amsterdam in the Overijssel province. It was a beautiful drive through the countryside on the way here. This historic village has been around since the 13th century.

Its name originated when the first settlers of farmers and refugees discovered hundreds of wild goat horns (gietehorens), that died from a flood, in the marshland. The settlement was called Geytenhoren. Somewhere along the way, the name was shortened to Giethoorn.

The village is surrounded by a natural reservation called De Wieden and was near the National Park Weerribben-Wieden. Giethoorn is part of the area’s vast canal system, waterways and miles of trails.

Giethoorn Village

Many of the houses in the village are only accessible by boat, bike or on foot. There are no roads to get around, only canals. It is often called the “village without roads”. So, how was this historic town built?

In addition to discovering the wild goat horns, the first settlers also found an area with large amounts of peat moss. Peat is decomposed plant material mixture that has built up in waterlogged areas.

It became a valuable energy source when dried before coal usage. Thus, Giethoorn also became a settlement of peat harvesters.

Ponds, canals and lakes formed when the settlers extracted, cut and transported peat. The settlers built farmhouses on these small peat islands using the reeds found around the area for the roofs.

The wooden bridges were built to connect the islands. The locals used flat-bottomed punter boats along with the pole to help move it along to cruise the shallow canals.

Our Giethoorn Boat Tour

Visitors have a couple of options to get around the canals of Giethoorn. There is the one-hour guided tour on a covered boat or rent your own boat for a do-it-yourself (DIY) tour.

We wanted to go on our own pace so we rented one of the boats. No license needed.

Renting the boat

A few vendors lined the canals from the main road and near the visitor center and cultural center. The prices were quite reasonable and varied depending on the type of boat and size.

We opted for the “whisper boat” or Fluisterboot which was a punter boat with a silent electric motor attached. These were quite popular so as not to disturb the residents and make it easier for visitors to get around.

It was about 25 euros per hour and had a steering wheel to ease navigation. It can accommodate between 3-6 people. There were also wooden punter boats which had no motors. While gondolas are associated with Venice, Italy, punter boats are associated with Giethoorn.

My husband was our boat driver/navigator most of the time. The boat vendor gave us some directions, a map and a route to follow for the best way to see the village.

It was quite easy to operate the whisper boats. The vendors gave a little demo, and made sure we were comfortable navigating.

He said one hour should be enough time and it actually was enough even going at a minimal speed. The boats were very stable and the water was very shallow at 3.3 ft. (1 meter).

Boats could be rented for longer periods in case visitors wanted to stop at some restaurants and shops. Boating routes varied from 4 km to 14 km. Minimum rental during the high season is two hours.

Follow the long Canal

We followed the long canal, lined with restaurants and some lodging, for about five minutes and made a left once we reached the church alongside the canal. This took us to one of the main “streets” of Giethoorn where both sides were flanked with centuries old thatched-roof houses with beautiful yards.

One of the first things we noticed while cruising was the silence. All we heard were the birds chirping and some ducks quacking on the side canals. There were no nearby roads or cars going through the village so there were no car traffic noises or honkings. Since it was low season, there were also hardly any boats.

It was easy to see why tourists flock here during warmer months when the trees are filled with leaves and the yards are covered with flowers. Our early springtime visit still had many bare trees and not many
blooms.

But, it still looked so charming. It almost looked like a fairytale village.

Giethoorn Small lake

We passed by this windmill missing its sails which was a landmark given to us ensuring we were going in the right direction. Our canal route eventually took us to a small lake.

There was no one around here during the entire time we were passing through. It was almost eerie.

My 13-year-old son even had the chance to quickly navigate the boat. It was so relaxing cruising this open area surrounded by reed beds and some islands.

We sailed past small islands that looked uninhabited. I can only imagine what it would be like during the busy season when there is a lot of activity here.

The Reserve Area

The old village of Giethoorn is just a small portion of this vast reserve area. Boating is quite popular here with 56 miles (90 km) of canoe trails and several vendors renting boats of all types.

There is also over 3.7 miles (6 km) canals in the routes. It has become a year round destination for water and nature lovers and even in winter for ice skating on the canals.

We turned back into the old village using a marker from the lake. More quaint houses greeted us including this one with the pink curtains. There was almost a sense of tranquility living here detached from roads and despite the tourists gawking at your house.

Living in Giethoorn

The whole village was so picturesque it was hard to stop taking pictures. The 18th and 19th century houses with their thatched roofs and various personalities really made this village stand out. We saw many homeowners working on their well-manicured yards, planting and occasionally waving to us.

There are about 2,600 residents in the village. Almost 180 wooden footbridges connected the neighbors and the islands. The bridges were another added charm.

While Giethoorn may take some effort and time to get to from Amsterdam, it isn’t quite a hidden gem anymore. It’s been featured often on Instagram and surprisingly very popular with Chinese tourists. About 350,000 Chinese visit this quaint village annually.

We only saw a few tourists during our time here in late March. But, please keep these numbers in mind and doing a day trip to Giethoorn if you’re here during the peak summer months.

It may not be as tranquil and you may not have the canals to yourselves. It may be worth looking into staying here overnight to see Giethoorn after the day trippers have left.

Other Things to do in Giethoorn on a day trip

We walked to the village using the main route of Binnenpad after our cruise which we highly recommend. It gave us the opportunity to see some of the houses closely. There are some sidewalks to walk or bike around the village.

Giethoorn actually had a few restaurants that ranged from traditional Dutch to Chinese and Italian. There was even the 2-starred Michelin Restaurant Lindenhof.

Some were along the main canal by the boat rentals. Though, some of them were still closed for the season during our visit.

You can time your cruise and visit to end around lunchtime. We ate at Restaurant De Grachthof in the center of town and near the church.

It had a large terrace on the canal great for people watching. Unfortunately, it was too cold during our visit to sit outside. It was a great place to relax and enjoy some Dutch specialties like homemade prawn croquettes and bacon and cheese pancake.

If you have more time to explore, these are some interesting museums in Giethoorn worth visiting here.

• Museum Giethoorn “Het Olde Maat Uus” is located inside an old and typical Giethoorn farmhouse. It gives visitors an insight into what life was like here a century ago. The exhibits show rooms and traditional costumes plus informational sessions on how peat was extracted.
• Museum de Oude Aarde has a vast collection of minerals, fossils and gemstones.
• Histomobil is an interesting museum with a wide array of cars, carriages and motorcycles.
• Schreur shipyard shows how a traditional Giethoorn punter boat is built.

Tips for Visiting Giethoorn on a Day trip from Amsterdam

Getting Here: Although, the most convenient ways to visit Giethoorn is by renting a car or joining a group bus tour, it’s also possible to get here via train and bus. Though, it’ll take awhile.

By Train/Bus: Check 9292.nl for the best route from Amsterdam Central Station. Take the train from Amsterdam Central Station to Steenwijk. Take bus 70 to bus stop Dominee Hylkemaweg. Go towards the restaurant across the street. Bus 70 departs only once or twice per hour. Approximate travel time: about 2.5 hours

Driving. We were really glad we rented a car and drove to Giethoorn for a lot of flexibility. It was an easy drive along the highways to get here. Free parking was plentiful along the cultural center and the Spar Supermarket. Use Eendrachtsplein 4 8355 DL Giethoorn as an address.

Book a Day Tour. There are some guided tours from Amsterdam to Giethoorn. Compare the cost of the tour with the cost of public transport or a rental car. The tour can save some time and will be much more convenient.

More Day trip to Giethoorn tips

Rent a boat. This was a wonderful way to see Giethoorn at your own pace. We really enjoyed doing our own DIY tour. But, the vendor did tell us that during their summer peak season, boats run out fast. Come here early or reserve your rental boat in advance through zwaantje.nl. They also offer a boat tours app with audio/video information and an offline GPS. Canoe rentals are also available.

Go on a Boat Tour. One hour guided cruise tours are readily available. The boats are covered and also heated to keep visitors dry and warm in case of rainy weather.

Rent Bikes. There were also bike rentals next to the boats. Visitors can explore Giethoorn along some of its paths but also the nearby areas on the outskirts of town.

Get there early. Other than the boats running out, we were told it also gets really crowded later in the day and as tour buses arrive.

Get some provisions. Take or buy some drinks and picnic items with you on your cruise. You can opt for a longer cruise and stop at some of the islands for a picnic.

Be respectful of the residents. Please ensure you or other tourists don’t trespass into their private properties. Sadly, many people ignore the many posted signs.

*Have you visited Giethoorn?

---

The World Is A Book contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links or any of the product links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

• Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam / Arena Boulevard – We stayed for four nights at this hotel. Located about 15-20 minutes by train from the airport and the central area, it is a convenient location and a great price point. It is located right by the Arena train stop with restaurants and an IMAX theater nearby. We enjoyed the complimentary buffet breakfast and the spacious rooms.
• DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Amsterdam Centraal Station– Several friends have stayed at this hotel and recommend it. Located near the Centraal Station and within walking distance to the heart of Amsterdam and its many attractions. Its SkyLounge offers great city views. Of course, they have the delicious and famous chocolate chip cookies.
• INK Hotel Amsterdam – MGallery – A friend was looking at this hotel and brought it to my attention. I would love to stay here next time. It is housed in an old newspaper building and the rooms look so neat. The hotel looks so interesting. It is also located in a great central location with a tram stop outside and within walking distance to many attractions.

Pin it for later!