giethoorn netherlands tour

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a boat floating down a canal in Giethoorn, Norway

A boat plies a canal in Giethoorn, a Dutch village built on small peat islands without roads or cars.

Visit the charming Dutch village where cars aren't allowed

There are no roads in Giethoorn, the picturesque hamlet known as the "Dutch Venice."

In the tiny Dutch village of Giethoorn, the tranquility is almost dreamlike. That is, until you remember why it's so quiet—there are no cars. In fact, there’s no way for cars to get around, because there are no roads. Locals and visitors to Giethoorn navigate in whisper-quiet ways: by bike, boat, or foot. In this hamlet—a collection of small peat islands connected by bridges—there's not much to do except slip into solitude among thatched-roof farmhouses and footbridges crossing the maze of canals.

The village’s name harkens back to the 13th century (an era in which it seems to have settled). The story goes that its original farmer-settlers discovered a collection of horns belonging to wild goats thought to have died in the Flood of 1170 . “Goat horn,” or “Geytenhoren,” was shortened to Giethoorn, and the name stuck. Centuries post-flood, water continues to define the village's living history and landscape.

In nearby De Weerribben-Wieden National Park , wildlife enthusiasts hike wetlands and reed beds home to otters, black terns, great cormorants, and egrets. You can traverse by waterway on rowboats and canoes, of course, or by the many hiking paths. Without motor noise pollution, the sounds of nature bring the scenery to life for all the senses.

Related: 30 wild and beautiful places in Europe

Travel tips

Jan Brouwer , a Your Shot photographer, recently captured the serenity of Giethoorn along a stretch of the canal called Binnenpad, which Brouwer recommends as a particularly stunning area to view the village’s bridges and homes. To appreciate the golden hours of the day , set your alarm for 6 a.m. and head out to take photos along the canal before boats get on the water. Or, wait until after 6 p.m. when visitors tend to disperse. This alone makes the case for staying a night in one of the abundant local bed-and-breakfasts and avoiding day-tour-circuit congestion.

You can get to Giethoorn by a combination of train and bus. To avoid crowds, opt for the months of April, May, June, or September, and keep in mind that weekday visits may be best. Though this “Dutch Venice” feels quite removed from capital city of Amsterdam , it's only about 75 miles away. And a two-hour journey is well worth the feeling of traveling back in time.

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Meet Giethorn , a Dutch tour operator with offices in Giethoorn and Amsterdam. Our specialty lies in organizing day trips from Amsterdam to various Dutch cities. We do this for groups of 2 to 29 people. We also mediate with local entrepreneurs for the best price on the spot.

Giethorn tours

Amsterdam to giethoorn.

Giethoorn tours

Amsterdam to giethoorn .

Standard 29 person bus
Luxury 21 person bus
9 person minibus

In Giethoorn

Private boat tour.

Boat rental
Local guide

March-Oktober

November-february, amsterdam to the tulips.

Tulip tours Holland

Amsterdam to tulipfields , at the tulipfields.

Lunch at tulipfield
Explanation by a bulb farmer
Photography workshops
20th of March to 5th of May ( tulipfields )

Oktober-March

Tuesday ( greenhouse )
Thursday ( greenhouse )
Saturday ( greenhouse )

Amsterdam to windmills

Dutch cities tour

Amsterdam to dutch cities , visit dutch cities of.

Zaanse schans (windmills)

Giethoorn in the Netherlands

About this dutch water village.

Giethoorn is known worldwide for its waterways, bridges and cute houses. For these houses, thatch is used as roofing. Giethoorn is best known for the fact that there are no cars in Giethoorn. That's at a time when some people sometimes have up to 2 cars difficult to visualize. It is useful to know that 1 million tourists come to Giethoorn every year out of a population of less than 3000 people. The expectation is that those visitor numbers will only increase in the future.

Visit Giethoorn

Giethoorn is an authentic village and not an amusement park . Giethoorn is open 365 days a year. You do not pay an entrance fee if you want to visit our village. Parking is also free almost everywhere.

Best time to visit Giethoorn

According to our visitors, June and July are the best time to visit Giethoorn. Monday is indicated as the preferred day . The weekends and the European summer holidays are usually experienced as busy. The European summer holiday runs from mid-July to the end of August.

One of the things to do in Amsterdam is a visit to Giethoorn. Meet Giethoorn through our Dutch tour company Giethorn . We bring people to Giethoorn all year round. The 3 owners of this company live and work in Giethoorn. As residents of this beautiful Dutch village, we have a lot of knowledge about Giethoorn. We organize trips to Giethoorn from Amsterdam for groups of 2 to 29 people. We go for the unforgettable experience and assume that you know how to get your friends excited for Giethoorn at home. Lunch and boat tour are optional.

Mini bus (Transport up to 08 people)
Luxury tour bus (Transport up to 21 people)
Regular tour bus (Transport up to 29 people)

Boat rental Giethoorn

To really discover our village, you need a boat to sail around and feel like a local. Boat rental Giethoorn also rents boats in Giethoorn. We rent a number of boats for every budget. The smallest and cheapest boat is of the type 'whisper boat'. These are suitable for 2 to 4 people and the costs start at € 17.50-20.00 per hour. You can also rent a slightly more comfortable sloop from us. These are for 4 to 8 people and the costs start at € 27.50 per hour. It is also possible to rent a canoe or a supboard.

For a fee, we also sail around with our customers. For these private cruises in Giethoorn we use a luxury boat . The boats from Giethorn can accommodate 2 to 12 people. As a customer you will come to beautiful places, where the average tourist will never end up.

Photoshoot in Giethoorn

Optional is a photoshoot led by a well-known instagrammer .

Tulip fields Netherlands

About the tulips in the netherlands, dutch tulips.

In addition to clogs, mills and cheese, the Netherlands is known for its tulips. Our country is known worldwide for its cultivated tulip. Partly for this reason, the Netherlands is one of the most important exporting countries of tulips and tulip bulbs. From the third week of March to the first week of May, the tulips bloom outdoors. Our tulip fields are big crowd-pleasers. In the Netherlands, tulips are grown in a greenhouse from October to March for export and Dutch shops.

Tulipfield in Volendam

Volendam will be one attraction richer from 2023 . In addition to the Dijk van Volendam, Volendam will then have its own tulip field. For the first time in Dutch history , there will be a tulip field in Volendam in 2023. Actually, the soil in Volendam is normally not suitable for tulip growth at all. Especially in combination with the Dutch weather, it can get quite soggy in the Katwoude polder. But with the new bulb planting technique of bulb farmer Mike Zwart , there will be a real tulip field in Volendam in 2023. Volendam is only 15 minutes by car from Amsterdam.

Achterdichting 1, 1145 PX Katwoude

Visit the Dutch tulips with Giethorn

From amsterdam to various dutch tulip fields.

Other popular things to do in Amsterdam is a visiting a Dutch tulip field. From the third week of March to the first week of May Giethorn organizes on a daily base a tour to a tulipfield in Netherlands. We do this for groups of 2 to 29 people. We will take you to a tulip field. Once there, a tour with a real tulip farmer starts in the tulip field. Have you ever had lunch in a tulip field? After the tour we will have lunch in the middle of the tulip field. After lunch, photos can still be taken of tulip field.

Regular tour bus (transport up to 29 people)

from Amsterdam to a tulip greenhouse

The tulip fields give the Netherlands colour from the beginning of April to the beginning of May. This is about a period of one month. Outside this period it is also possible to enjoy the Dutch tulip. Tulips are also grown in so-called tulip greenhouses from October to March. We organize a tour to a tulip greenhouse in Netherlands for groups of 2 to 29 people. Giethorn , will take you to one of those tulip greenhouses. You will be given a tour by a tulip grower and you can pick your own tulips.

Tour bus (Transport up to 29 people)

Tulip photoshoot

About some famous dutch cities, zaanse schans.

The Zaanse Schans is an area in which the Dutch 18th and 19th centuries are brought to life . The Zaanse Schans is a unique part of the Netherlands, full of wooden houses, mills, barns and workshops. A day out at the Zaanse Schans in Holland is educational and fun at the same time. You have to see this:

Various windmills
Bakery museum
Clogs workshop
Cheese factory

Volendam, the most famous Dutch fishing village of the Netherlands. The perfect place for anyone who wants to discover the authentic Netherlands. Volendam is within cycling distance of Amsterdam. Tourists come from all over the world te see the costumes and fishing boats in the harbor of Volendam. You have to see this:

Fishing boats in the harbor
Dress yourself up in local costume
The many authentic wooden cottages

Marken is a former island that in 1957 connected to the mainland of Holland by a dyke work. This former fishing village has been a tourist attraction for over a century. Marken's traditional costume , which can be called striking, has contributed to this. Characteristic for Marken are the wooden houses on wooden stilts . The houses in Marken are on stilts to prevent wet feet at high tide. You have to see or do this:

Marken's traditional costume
Dutch wooden houses on stilts
Eat a some fresh "Haring" (saltwaterfish)

Dutch cities tour with Giethorn

From amsterdam to some famous dutch cities.

Other popular things to do in Amsterdam is making a tour to various Dutch cities. Meet these authentic Dutch cities through our Dutch tour comany Giethorn. We visit the Zaanse Schans-Volendam-Marken in one tour.