Giethoorn

Giethoorn village, the most beautiful and fairytale village in the Netherlands. The Dutch village where the inhabitants can only sail around, walk or cycle to transport themselves. Every year, 1 million people visit Giethoorn. Partly for this reason, we as a group of residents created this website. So, you can visit our village well prepared.

Giethoorn village in Netherlands

Small introduction

We would like to introduce our village to you as locals. Our small village, is located in the Northeastern part of the Netherlands, approx. 85 mins drive from Amsterdam, our capital city. Yearly around 1 million people from all over the world come to visit our town of ''no roads'', this puts Giethoorn in the top 10 attractions in the Netherlands. Our village is of course well known in the Netherlands but also far beyond. This means it would be difficult to name a country, where nobody from that country, has not visited the Dutch ''Venice of the Netherlands''.

Village of Giethoorn

The part of our village that most (foreign) tourists will see when they visit us is called: ''Giethoorn village''. This part of our village contains hand-dug canals and all small islands which are inter connected by 176 bridges to the mainland. In fact, on all these islands, there are houses (farmhouses) which are built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A walking/cycling path named: 'Binnenpad' runs right trough this area. Tourist shops and restaurants (which are well represented) are interspersed with typical Dutch houses with thatched roofs.

 

Village of Giethoorn
Thatched roof house in Giethoorn

Dutch village without roads

Giethoorn village has no roads in the center. So of course, no roads means also no cars. Visitors and residents of Giethoorn village need to park their car outside the village at special car parks. This car-free area is the commercial heart of our village. You can rent whisper boats, board a guided cruise or visit a museum here, along with lots of choices of restaurants and cafes.  This cycling/foot path known as the 'Binnenpad' is like walking on to a film set. 90% of our visitors only come in this part of our village.

What do most people do in Giethoorn?

Boat rental in Giethoorn

Rent your own boat

The best way to experience our village is by boat. All about the boat rental options. Boat rental adress: Kerkweg 35 in Giethoorn.

Rondvaart Giethoorn

Take a canal cruise

Discover our village in a tour boat. Take a seat and let the skippers tell you everything about our village.

Private guide in Giethoorn

Private boat tour

Hire a local to show you the best places in our village. No traffic jams. Discover our village with your own guide.

Discover the canals by boat

Rent a boat in Giethoorn

Rent a boat in Giethoorn
Rent a boat

To really discover our village, you need a boat to sail around and to feel like a local. You can rent a boat at 1 of our 25 different boat rental companies. The cheapest boats are the 'fluisterboot' type. These are suitable for 2 to 4 people and the costs start at €25 per hour. For a little more comfort, there are open sloop boats for rent. It is also possible to rent a canoe or a sup board.

Canal cruise

Rondvaart Giethoorn
Canal cruise

The guided cruise boat tour takes about 1 hour and follows the tourist village route, through the narrow canals and under the bridges. Most skippers who sail on these tour boats, speak several languages spoken by the skippers. The prices of these cruises vary from €10 to €15 per tour per person. The prices depends partly on the season.

Private boat tourPrivate boat tour in Giethoorn

This is private guided boat tour in an open sloop boat for groups up to 12 persons. Costs per hour starts at €120 for a small group. You will sail through the Venice of Netherlands in an old Dutch sloop boat. Your private skipper will guide you through our village. During the boat tour your captain will tell you all special things about the Dutch Venice.

Download the Giethoorn sailing route-app

Sailing route-app Giethoorn Village

Of course we couldn't stay behind in Giethoorn. For years you received a paper sailing route when you rented a boat in our village. Hundreds of thousands have been given over the years when sailing a boat in our village. Now that sustainability is becoming an increasingly important theme, we have developed the Giethoorn sailing app, especially for visitors to Dutch Venice. Download the app for the most common sailing routes of our village. The app has been available for download since 2023.

Sailing routes on your phone

Scan or click on the QR-code for the sailing-app

Each boat rental company has a unique QR code. Request this QR code from your boat rental company. Scan this QR code with your phone for the sailing routes of your boat rental company.

Sailing app for everyone

Every boat rental company in Giethoorn can contact us to use our app (free). There are no costs attached to this. This way, each boat rental company can create its own sailing routes. You can register at info@giethoornvillage.com

First experiences of the users

Most of the users of the sailing route app indicated that the sailing experience has improved since using the app.

Telephone number

06-33399923

Address

Kerkweg 35, 8355BJ Giethoorn

24 boat rental companies 

Boat rental Giethorn

Bootverhuur Arendshorst

Dames van de jonge

De Harmonie

Fanfare

Geythorn

Giethoorn bootje huren

Grachthof

Koppers 

Kruumte

M.S. van den Heuvel

Otterskooi (Dwarsgracht)

Pergola

Smit Giethoorn

Smits Paviljoen

Zuideinde

Zwaantje Giethoorn

What else to do?

Walking

Walking in Giethoorn

Walking in GIethoorn
Average day in our village

It is allowed to walk on the cycle path in the center of our village. There is no separate bike and walk path in our village. So, the bikepath is also used as a bike path, so pay attention. The walkway runs parallel to the village moat of our village. From the footpath you have a nice view of the houses that stand next to the village canal. Each house also has its own bridge. Through these bridges, the inhabitants get to their homes. The bridges of the inhabitants are private property. It is therefore not the intention that the tourists stand on the bridges for the better view or for taking a photo.

Cycling

Cycle in Giethoorn

cycling
Cycling in our village

It is allowed to Cycle on the bikepath in the center of Giethoorn. This bikepath is also used as a Foothpath, so pay attention. This cycle path runs parallel to the village moat of our village. From the Bikepath you have a nice view of the houses that stand next to the village canal.

National park Weerribben-Wieden

Giethoorn is located in Weerribben-Wieden National Park. Miles of cycle paths are available here. Check out our cycling in Giethoorn page for details. Bikes can be hired in our village.

Supping

Supping in Giethoorn

Sup board action
sup in Giethoorn

It is allowed to sup on the waters in Giethoorn. The village moat is 4 km long. It's great to paddle through here with a sup board. Do bend down by the bridges. Ever get cheered on, during a sup trip? Well in Giethoorn the other tourists just stand to cheer you on when you come along with your sup board. Moreover, the nature around our village also gives enough sup possibilities. From the village moat you have a nice view of the houses that stand next to the village canal. Look here for an extended sup adventure in Giethoorn. It is possible to rent a sup board with paddle in our village.

Iceskating

Iceskating in Giethoorn

Iceskating in giethoorn
In the winter of 2018

Iceskating in Giethoorn, that's been a while. The last time you could skate in our village was in the winter of 2018. Of course we know the village of Giethoorn from all that water, those cute houses with thatched roofs and all those bridges. You probably know the pictures on social media, with all those boats sailing through our village. But what is it like in the winter in Giethoorn? When can you even skate in our village? Well, in February 2021 we could skate again in our village.

How to get to Giethoorn Netherlands?

With touroperator Giethorn

Giethorn tours

Amsterdam to Giethoorn
Amsterdam to Giethoorn

Meet Giethorn, a Dutch tour operator and boat rental company in Giethoorn, with offices in Giethoorn and Amsterdam. Their specialty lies in organizing fully catered day trips from Amsterdam to Giethoorn village. They do this for groups of 2 to 21 people. A pick-up service at your hotel in Amsterdam is included. In addition, we also mediate with local entrepreneurs for the best price for our customers, on site. This allows us to offer a sharper price than the competition. A selection of our daytrips:

  • Tulipfields tours
  • Volendam tours
  • Zaanse schans tours
  • Photography tours
Amsterdam to Giethoorn

Daytour by bus

Giethorn tours
Giethorn tours

This is a day tour to Giethoorn from Amsterdam is for groups up to 21 people. Costs per person where around the €99 in 2023. Pick-up at your hotel in Amsterdam around 10.00 A.M for a bus tour with Giethorn. Guided cruise in our village included. At 16.00 P.M the bus leaves back to Amsterdam. At 18.00 P.M you are back at your hotel in Amsterdam.

Private tour

This private tour from Amsterdam to Giethoorn village is for groups up to 8 people. Transport from Amsterdam to our village is done by tour company Giethorn in a mini-bus. Costs per mini-bus where around the €450 in 2023. Pick-up at your hotel in Amsterdam around 10.00 A.M for a private tour from Amsterdam to Giethorn by mini-bus. Boat tour is not included. At 14.00 P.M the mini-bus leaves back to Amsterdam. At 15.30 P.M you are back at your Amsterdam hotel.

Boat tour with private captain
Private guide in Giethoorn
Private captain

A private guided tour in a sloop boat is for groups up to 12 persons. Costs per hour will start in 2023 at €120 for a small group. You will sail through the Venice of Netherlands in an old Dutch sloop boat. Your private captain from Giethorn will guide you through our village. During the boat tour your captain will tell you all special things about the venice of Netherlands. In combination with a private tour from Amsterdam to Giethoorn discounts are possible.

By train

Netherlands by train and bus
Giethoorn by train

By train to NS trainstation Zwolle

Travel to NS train station Zwolle. There you can take bus nr 70 from Zwolle to Giethoorn.

By train to NS trainstation Steenwijk

Travel to NS train station Steenwijk. There you can take the bus nr 70 or bus nr 270 from Steenwijk to Giethoorn.

By car

Parking
Giethoorn parking

Google, The location of one of our parkings for your exact location to park your car. Remember that, parking inside this Dutch village is not possible. From the parkings it is approx 5 minutes to walk to the village. Most of the parkings in our village are free of charge.

Where to eat ?

Restaurants in Giethoorn

Restaurants are well represented in our village. Most restaurants cater to the Dutch visitor. However, there are also restaurants that specifically cater to the foreign tourist. Conclusion, tastes too over.

Burgers & grill

Brasserie de Pergola

d'Olde Smidse

Dames van de Jonge

De Harmonie

De Kruumte

Eetkamer van Giethoorn

Grachthof

Grand cafe Fanfare

Het wapen van Giethoorn

Het Zwaantje Giethoorn

Hollands Venetie

La Piccola Venezia

Otterskooi

Pergola

Restaurant 't Binnenhof

Ristoranta Fratelli

Smit Giethoorn

Smits Paviljoen

Resort Venetie

Snackbar Geythorn

Steakhouse 

Vishandel Gerrits  & de Boer

Witte hoeve

Cities next to Giethoorn

We live in a social media era. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to wait for your turn to get that perfect picture of that roof thatched house. As everyone knows, it is vitally important to impress all your social media friends your holiday photos. For this reason, the village of Giethoorn is the our favorite of all the picturesque Dutch villages. Get inspired by our instagram account.

Useful tips for your visit to Giethoorn 

Petrol station

Gas and Service Station in Giethoorn

In our village you can refuel at an Avia gas station. This is also the only gas station in our village. For both cars and boats you can go here for fuel. There is also a kiosk at the gas station. You can also refuel here 24 hours a day.

Opening hours kiosk
  • Monday to Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
  • Sunday 10:00 - 17:00
Telephone number

088-1344000

Address

Beulakerweg 137, 8355AG Giethoorn

Supermarket

Plus supermarket

There is only one supermarket in our village. This Plus supermarket is located close to the centre of our village. You can park in front of the supermarket. Please note that this parking lot is a blue zone. Don't forget to put down your parking ticket (blue card). tip: look for offers in the Plus folder.

Opening hours supermarket
  • Monday to Saturday 08:00 - 20:00
  • Sunday 09:00 - 19:00
Telephone number

0521-361234

Address

Eendrachtsplein 4  8355DL Giethoorn

What don't we have in Giethoorn

No coffeeshop

There is no coffeshop in Giethoorn. This nearest coffeeshop is located in Steenwijk. Steenwijk is 10 minutes by car from our village.

No airport nearby Giethoorn Netherlands

Our village has no airport. So, the focus should be on Schiphol airport or Eindhoven airport. Travel from there by car, train or bus to Giethoorn.

No Mac Donalds

There is no Mac-Donalds in Giethoorn. This nearest Mac Donalds is located in Steenwijk. Steenwijk is 10 minutes by car from our village.

Top-12 nicknames of Giethoorn

Canal village

Dutch Venice of the Netherlands

Dutch water village

Little Venice

Geithoorn 

Giethoorn Netherlands

Giethoorn village

Giethorn

Giethroon

Venice of the North

Village without cars

Village without roads

Residents giethoorn are not racist

Giethoorn racist?

At the beginning of 2022, it came out via the Dutch TV program 'Zembla' that a (Turkish) family from Giethoorn was being bullied. Through that same TV program it came out that this family, was discriminated against and terrorized by a number of local youths. This is not justifiable! The day after the TV broadcast, the young people in question apologized to the (Turkish) family. It was also suggested in the media that everyone in Giethoorn would be racist. This is absolutely not true!

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