Giethoorn is a magical town in the Netherlands one of the best day trips from Amsterdam. This charming place is unlike any other place in the Netherlands and a must-visit when in Amsterdam. If you are looking for a peaceful and fairy-tale-like place that seems too perfect to be real then Giethoorn is for you!
Although Amsterdam is an amazing city with a ton to see and explore, it is often a good idea to get outside of the Amsterdam bubble and see more of the country. There is so much beauty in the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam and Giethoorn is a prime example of this. This Giethoorn travel guide covers everything you need to know about this magical town to help plan your adventures.
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What is Giethoorn
Giethoorn is a small town in the Netherlands known for its lush green grasses, thatched-roofed houses, and boat-filled canals. This idyllic village is similar to Venice in the number of canals that weave their way through the town. In fact, there are over 170 small wooden bridges in Giethoorn creating pathways over the waterways.
Giethoorns beauty and magic attracts people from all around the world. People are eager to see such a unique place to explore it for themselves. Giethoorn offers a welcome escape from the crazy streets of Amsterdam with its calm and peaceful vibes. In Amsterdam, you are bombarded with sounds and sights, while in Giethoorn you can simply enjoy the sounds and sights of nature.
Now that you know a little bit about this charming village, let’s start planning a visit.
How to get to Giethoorn from Amsterdam
Getting from Amsterdam to Giethoorn is not the easiest journey and there are a few ways to get there.
By Car: Renting a car is the quickest and most convenient way to travel to Giethoorn. There are various car rental companies in Amsterdam where you can rent a car for about 70€ for the whole day.
By Public Transportation: Taking public transport is quite a long journey from Amsterdam that takes around 2 and a half hours each way. With public transport, you will take a train and a bus to get to Giethoorn. You will find the prices for trains and busses really add up totaling to around 80€ round trip.
By Tour: There are tour busses that will take you from Amsterdam to Giethroon and provide you with some time to explore. This is a great option if you are not comfortable with driving and want to save some money by skipping public transport. Below are some tour options
Read More: One Day in Amsterdam
Things to do in Giethoorn
Rent a Boat
The main thing to do in Giethoorn is to rent a boat. Since the village is made up of a maze of canals and no roads, this is the main mode of transportation. By renting a boat you can admire the stunning and unique city in the most Dutch way possible!
You can choose to join a canal cruise where an employee is in charge of driving the boat and bringing you around the canals of Giethoorn. Or you can rent your own boat and navigate the canals on your own accord. Both options are great and there are about 10 boat companies located in Giethoorn to choose from.
Just beware that Giethoorn gets pretty busy in the summer months and renting a boat in advance is highly suggested.
Go cycling
Giethoorn is still a Dutch city through and through and no Dutch city is complete without a thriving cycling culture. In Giethoorn you can rent a bike and cycle around the quaint village, enjoying its beauty from the land. There are cycling routes around the village and it even intersects with the national park.
Explore the village by foot
Giethoorn is a great place to walk around and explore at your own pace. Unlike with a boat, on foot, you can stop as you please and take photos on the old bridges and within the scenery. Just be sure to respect the people’s properties while on foot and don’t trespass.
Eat at a Canal Side Restaurant
After some time exploring you will likely work up an appetite. Luckily, Giethoorn has a few canal-side restaurants that are ideal for dining in. Finding one of these to sit in for a drink and a bite to eat is the perfect way to finish off a day in the village.
Where to stay in Amsterdam
Travel Insurance
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This guide covers everything you could ever need to know when visiting Giethoorn. A visit here is the perfect day trip from Amsterdam to offer you a unique and charming escape.
If you do have time to visit Giethoorn you're going to need to know what to do while you're there so you can make the most of it. You don't need longer than a few hours. If you have a full day you can have lunch on a canal and stay for a cold beer and watch the boats go by.
Enjoy this wonderful walking tour through picturesque Giethoorn. Walk past the beautiful thatched-roof farm houses with their lovely hydrangeas and watch the boats and the water from the characteristic wooden bridges. Go for a walk through Giethoorn.
Giethoorn gets crowded with visitors, especially Chinese tourists. The influx of Chinese tourists who visit the village outnumber foreign visitors by 75:1 each year. Tourists come in hordes all year round. During peak season, renting a bicycle or puntera is becoming more and more difficult.
A nice walk through the village is a real must-do. Walking along the Inner Path, the Langesteeg and the Zuiderpad you can take beautiful pictures of Giethoorn. There are cute thatched houses on both sides of the village canal.
Most tourists normally arrive around 11.00AM and leave our village around 17.00PM. To avoid the crowds you can also try to arrive around 08.00 AM or after 17.00PM and have the village for yourself.
Tourism has an influence on the old traditional town. The village, still only fully accessible by boat, is one of several places commonly known as the Venice of the North or Venice of the Netherlands. Giethoorn has 176 bridges.
Giethoorn is a cute Dutch village in the Netherlands. There are no roads in the village center. So, instead of using cars and roads, the locals and tourists of Giethoorn village use mostly waterways to transport themselves in Giethoorn village. Therefore, a comparison with the Italian Venice is often quickly made.
It's about an hour and a half drive from Amsterdam, and is known for being very pretty as it contains very few roads and much of the village can only be reached by foot or boat. There are many canals and bridges (more than 180 bridges) which only adds to its picturesque charm.
How deep is the water in Giethoorn? The canals in Giethoorn are only about a meter deep. Giethoorn has survived over the centuries and is home to just under 3,000 people.
The best way to reach Giethoorn is to fly into Amsterdam and head to Zwolle. You can take the train from Amsterdam to Giethoorn and rent a car when you get there, or simply obtain a vehicle from the get-go and drive the whole way.
If you are travelling from Amsterdam Central station, you need to take a train to Zwolle station and then change at Zwolle to the bus № 70. Your final destination is Busstop Dominee Hylkemaweg in Giethoorn if you want to reach the sometimes crowded village center.
Giethoorn can also be reached by Dutch public transport. The only downside is that there is no train station in Giethoorn. This means that you will have to take the bus from Zwolle station or Steenwijk station to Giethoorn. Use 9292 nl planner to find the shortest route to Giethoorn village.
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.
How long should I spend in the Netherlands? Depending on your budget and travel preferences, you should spend at least 10 days in the Netherlands. You'll also need three or four days for visiting the city of Amsterdam.
7–9 days, add: Rotterdam and Leiden (day-trip from Haarlem or Delft), or more day-trip towns north of Amsterdam (Alkmaar and Hoorn/Enkhuizen) 10–11 days, add: Arnhem (for the two first-rate museums nearby) and either Utrecht or more time in Delft to day-trip to The Hague.
Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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