Giethoorn Village, Netherlands - Day Trip from Amsterdam

Giethoorn is one of the most underrated locations in Europe. Nestled in the central-eastern part of the Netherlands in the Overijssel province, this beautiful tourist destination is known to have just waterways as means of transport, is called the Venice of Netherlands.

There is some debate about who were the earliest inhabitants of Giethoorn in AD 1230. While it is known that a certain group of fugitives from the Mediterranean were the first to find the village and inhabit it, the local guides state that a group of Franciscan monks were the early dwellers.

Giethoorn first sprung to mainstream focus when the comedy movie ‘Fanfare’ by Bert Haanstra was shot here. Though initially, it was completely a car-free zone or pedestrian precinct, few cycling paths eventually came into existence. But mostly all transport is done across the water through the canals. Other than this, people just walk along the sides of the canal, en route to a restaurant, a bar, or just plain sight-seeing.

Giethoorn Canals

The unique thing about Giethoorn canals is that they are just one meter deep, even though they deceivingly seem deep. They were formed by the unearthing of peat, which is a buildup of partially spoilt vegetation. There are 170 wooden bridges in Giethoorn and more than 6 kilometers (4 miles) of canals.

Quite like Cesky Krumlov, Giethoorn is also a favorite with Chinese tourists. While the local inhabitants of Giethoorn are limited under 2650, there are 250,000 Chinese visitors arriving at Giethoorn each year! One of the reasons is that local businesspeople in Giethoorn have contacts with China.

Giethoorn History

The first lot of people, the fugitives who settled in Giethoorn, began working as peat harvesters. Due to cutting peats, lakes and canals were created, and the local inhabitants began building wooden houses and bridges to navigate on the waters.

Goats also have an important role to play in the formation of this village. The locals initially called it, Geytenhorn meaning ‘goat horn’ due to the abundance of goat population at one point in time. Sadly, the large populace was wiped out due to the 1170 St.Elisabeth floods.

The locals would transport peat along the canals, by plying the typical Giethoorn boats, called punters – these are narrowboats that traverse along the waters, with the help of long poles.

Fast forward to the 21^st century, the wooden bridges, the houses, and the punter still remain. But as the village grew as a preferable tourist destination, electric and tour boats also became commonplace.

Why Giethoorn is a beautiful place worth visiting (Instagram wonder)

If simplicity is beautiful, then the picturesque Giethoorn would be a testimony of that statement. The only way to move around is by using boats across the beautiful canals or walking on foot along the pavement or over the wooden arch bridges.

With beautiful farmhouses with a thatched roof that date back to the 1700s lining along the canals, you are transposed into a bygone era. With no cars allowed in the village, Giethoorn is one of the least polluted places, one could walk into.

Apart from walking and sailing, the only other option is cycling, which is nowhere as common as the other two means of transport. Since the population is less than 2650, you are at absolute solitude, here.

You can spot quite a few ducks, geese, swans along the water. If you are lucky, you might also find a deer or two. You truly fall that you are in the lap of nature when you are in this village town.

How to get to Giethoorn by a private tour

The Dutch village is a far-cry, both literally and figuratively, from Amsterdam. One can take private tours by cars courtesy a tour guide, but it can work to be expensive. The benefit however is that you can have a planned, leisurely trip with detailed information given by your tour guide at every step of the way. You will save on your waiting time at train stations and bus stops.

You can choose a private tour to Giethoorn, where you are picked from your hotel and get personalized service by a professional guide. The service includes a 1-hour boat tour as well as a hotel drop-off too. You are a part of a small group that hops into a luxury van. You save on time, get to enjoy the scenic drive and of course, avail a free 1-hour boat tour. Additionally, you benefit from the expertise and knowledge of the tour guide, with friendly banter and humor thrown in. Usually, the trip duration is for 9 hours.

How to get to Giethoorn by public transport

You can also plan a trip to Giethoon by using local transport as well. It can take an estimated 3 hours to reach Giethoorn, one way, taking into consideration, the train and bus journey, and the waiting time. Giethoorn doesn’t have a train station, so you have to get down at a train station nearby, and then take a bus. First, you have to take a train or tram and arrive at Amsterdam Central Station, from your place of origin. Here are some routes that you can take –

You can take an Intercity train from Amsterdam Central Station which goes in the direction of Almere Centrum (journey duration -20 minutes). Then, you have to take another intercity train from Almere Centrum to Steenwijk Station (1 hour and 10 minutes journey). Then once you are at Steenwijk Station and walk towards Bushalte Station Steenwijk (Bushalte means – bus stop), which is just 3 minutes walking distance from the station. You have to take Bus number 70 from Bushalte Station and ride for 15 minutes towards Bushalte Dominee Hylkemaweg, Giethoorn.

Take a Sprinter train from Amsterdam Central towards Zwolle and get down at Kampen Zuid (journey duration -1 hour and 25 minutes approx.) Then walk for 3 minutes and come to Bushalte Station Kampen Zuid. Take Bus 674 from this bus station and come to Bushalte Centrum Hasselt at Overjissel (journey duration 21 minutes). Then from here, take Bus number 70 towards Bushalte Dominee Hylkemaweg, Giethoorn

You can take an Intercity train from Amsterdam Central Station towards Almere Centrum ((journey duration -20 minutes). From Amsterdam Centrum, take a train which goes towards Groningen, and get down at Zwolle (journey duration – 40 minutes). Then you have to walk 3 minutes and take Bus 71 towards Bushalte Centrum (22 minutes ride). From Bushalte Centrum Hasselt, take another Bus no 70 towards Bushalte Dominee Hylkemaweg, Giethoorn (duration 27 minutes)

You can take an Intercity train from Amsterdam Central Station towards Heerlen or an ICE train going towards Basel, and get down at Utrecht Centraal (journey duration 28 minutes). Then take another intercity train from Utrecht Centraal to Steenwijk Station (journey duration 1 hour and 20 minutes). Then walk for 2 minutes and come to Bushalte Station, Bus Stop Steenwijk. Take a 70 number bus from this bus stop and in 15 minutes, you should arrive at Bushalte Dominee Hylkemaweg, Giethoorn

One need not be confused about which train to take, because the 9292 app is apt enough to help you take the right train with information on what train to take at a given point of time, which platform it arrives, duration of the journey, stops in between and arrival information of buses.

Please be known that the first train from Amsterdam Centraal towards Giethoorn (more precisely towards train stations) starts at 6.38 in the morning (with arrival at 8.34 AM), and the last train is at 4.38 PM in the evening with arrival to Giethoorn at 6.39 PM. It makes sense to leave from your hotel, earlier in the day, if you want to enjoy your Giethoorn trip. Please remember that these times are scheduled to change depending on the time and day you visit; please check with 9292 app for more information.

Also remember, buses come once in half an hour when you alight from the train station. You can get information on the arrival time of the bus from the 9292 app. The last bus (Bus number 70) from Bushalte Dominee Hylkemaweg leaves at 6.39 PM, so make sure you are at the stop before that time, if you want to come back to Amsterdam using public transport, on the same day.

Things to do in Giethoorn

Take in the beauty of the place – Of course, nothing beats the boat-trip, we are coming to it in a bit. But walking along the narrow footpaths along the canals and checking out the naturally idyllic beauty, the lovely wooden houses and swanky restaurants and cafes, while taking pictures for Instagram is almost a reflex thing to do. The walking route along the canals and over the bridge spans across 4.7 kilometers.

Boat cruise – Since Giethoorn is a canal paradise, a boat tour is a done deal. Check out the beauty of this lovely village from the waters and yes, again, take a million pictures for posterity. The guide steers the boat and tells us stories about how Giethoorn came out and little known trivia that makes the journey interesting. You can check out the boat trip in the video below.

Rent a canoe – If you believe you can navigate your way through Giethoorn canals, rent a red whisper boat or canoe and sail along.

The Old Farmhouse Museum – Museumboerderij ‘T Olde Maat Uus is a museum that showcases the history of people who lived in Giethoorn since the past 100 years. You can check out how people built this village, by cutting peat and making the punters (small boats). The little museum is located on the walking path along the canal. Along with the rooms dedicated to the history, artifacts and farmhouses, you can also see a short movie that talks about how Giethoorn evolved since its discovery. It is open, Saturday through Monday – 11 AM to 5 PM.

De Oude Aarde – This is a beautiful museum and shop showcasing gemstones, jewelry, minerals, fossils, diamonds, rocks and souvenirs from different parts of the world. At this point of time, the entry cost is 4 euros per person. It is open from 10 AM to 5 PM

De Weerribben-Wieden National Park

If you stay in Geithoorn for more than a day or if you have time left (assuming you arrived early in Giethoorn), you can take a car or bike for 10 minutes, or even use a kayak or motorboat, and reach the idyllic, peaceful De Weerribben-Wieden National Park, nestled in a village called Sint Jansklooster. This is a huge park often avoided by tourists and exudes an invigorating, natural charm. You can also take a two-hour boat trip, so that you can club De Weerribben-Wieden National Park, along with Giethoorn.

The park abounds in beautiful lakes, canals and has vast acres of green, natural landscape housing a diverse variety of fauna, and beautiful butterflies.

Giethoorn Boat Tours

As mentioned, the best way to experience Giethoorn is by boat. You will find a lot of boat tour companies affiliated with cafes and restaurants. So when you book a boat tour (the big covered tour boats) that carry 20 plus passengers and a guide, you may find yourself waiting at one of their affiliated cafes or restaurants till the boat comes in. The boat ride is usually for an hour or 90 minutes. Experienced tour guides do a fine job explaining about the village in English and Dutch.

You can also rent boats to use on your own, they can be Fluisterboot (electric whisper boat) or Slopen (long boats), canoes or the traditional Punter boats, the wooden boat with no motor.

Giethoorn Restaurants

Apart from experiencing the beauty of Giethoorn through boats or simply walking along the bridges and walkways, the village is known for its restaurants serving delicious food.

Here are some of our recommendations, based on value for money

Ristorante Fratelli – It serves delicious Italian food at a good price. We recommend their majestic looking Margherita Pizza, pasta, and the yummy lava cake. The pasta we had was Chicken Alfredo Sphaggeti Pasta, and the Marghaerita was a 4-cheese pizza (meaning comprising four different types of cheese). The location is also good, with a big terrace, right next to a bridge near a canal, and so is the customer service.
De Sloothaak – Known for its Dutch cuisine, it is recommended for fish lovers, pork schnitzel and Bolognese spaghetti.
Geythorn – It serves Dutch cuisine at reasonable prices. Recommended meals include goat cheese sandwich, schnitzel, burger with eggs and ice creams.
Restaurant de Rietstulp Giethoorn – Also winning a thumbs-up for customer service, this one is known for its Hamburger, pork tenderloin, fries and mustard soup.
Vishandel Gerrits & De Boer – It is recommended for Dutch and European food, especially the seafood variety. This small place with affordable pricing is known for its fish and chips.
De Witte End – For the ones who want to taste traditional Dutch dishes, this is your zone.
Grand Café Fanfare – Known for Dutch, French and European cuisine, Grand Café Fanfare is recommended for its beer, beef burger, sandwiches, lamb knuckles, and French onion soup.

Going to Giethoorn – ticket prices

The total one-way journey fare with a public transport chip card and no discounts, on average; comes to 26.45 euros (varying between 25 euros and 28 euros depending on the route you take).

People normally carry an OV-chipkaart for discounted travel on public transport in the Netherlands, wherein they check-in and check out the chipkaart card at the beginning and end of the journey. So, If we dissect the cost for the Almere Route (mentioned above) with the chipkaart option, then -for trains, the fare breakup is

Amsterdam Centraal to Almere -3.90 euro (second class) 6.36 euros (first class)

Almere station to Steenwijk Station -12.66 euros (second class) , 20.63 (first class)

The bus ticket from Steenwijk to Giethoorn is 1.95 euro

Thus, the total cost for the trains in the second class is 16.56 euros and 26.99, for the first class.

The prices are subject to change. You can also check the prices from 9292 app, the best public transport planner for the Netherlands. The 9292 app also includes journey-fare breakup, you can book tickets through the app too.

Giethoorn Pronunciation

‘G’ is used very subtly. a strong ‘H’ sound is more prominent to make the word sound ‘Heethoorn’ The emphasis is on the back of the throat when you say ‘GHeethoorn.

Giethoorn in Winter or Summer?

This is an all-season destination with different versions of beauty in the summer as well as winter. Of late, the snowfall has reduced; when we went in December 2019, there wasn’t much snow but the weather was pleasant and chilly. Of course, you have to wear layered clothing, and darkness sets in by 3.30 PM. But then the little village of Netherlands looks absolutely beautiful in its cool avatar.

The summer brings in resplendent greenery, there is pleasant sunshine and you are at liberty to take clearer pictures because the daytime is longer.

The cheapest way to go to Giethoorn

While guided tours may save some time, they are expensive. DiscoverHolland.com runs various offers and tie-ups from Dutch National Railways and boat companies, to keep your travel well within budget. According to the special offer, you can get e-return ticket to Giethoorn, which covers train, bus, and boat-ride, all for a nominal amount. While we went for €26.00 or 26 Euros per person in 2019, it shows up as 29 Euros for 2020. The prices are, of course, subject to change. Having said that, it is still a fantastic deal for a low price, wherein you can enjoy a leisurely travel to Giethoorn.

When you book with DutchHolland.com, you will get voucher codes to download your train tickets and a PDF of the boat ticket, in your email. You have to click the link for the train ticket and put in the voucher-code, after which the cost of train ticket is nullified. Do check out our Giethoorn video.