Giethoorn Netherlands

Great place for families, couples or even for traveling alone. Idyllic nature with iconic man-made canals and beautifully decorated houses. There are plenty of restaurants for snacks or meals and owner-led shops with self-made art or food. Make sure to rent a boat (40€ per hour) and enjoy the sights from the water. There is a lake connected to the canal system which shows great wildlife (mainly birds). If you book a boat trip early in the day (ca. 9:30 am), the canals aren't so busy and you get a better impression of nature and non-tourist life!

one of the most unique experiences you can get in Netherlands. It’s reasonable to stay there for a night since it is a bit far. Definitely worth the visit, though. It is small and cozy, you can finish visiting the surroundings in a day.

Our extended family group of ten people from three generations had a super four days here, taking full advantage of the boats and bikes for hire, as well as the lovely restaurants and bars.

Great and quick service with adequate prices. We didn’t even have to book in advance. The boats are in good condition and the owners were very friendly. There is an already set up map, which you could easily follow via an app provided by the boat rental. The only downside was that it took a bit longer on the open lake to get to the village, but that’s still fine on a good sunny day.

Although the weather wasn't perfect this beautiful little village with its picturesque, fairytale landscape, was. With my fiancé driving the little electric boat through the swan filled lake and streets of water surrounded by beautiful houses and gardens, I definitely felt like a princess. We booked a 2 hour self-guided boat ride, using the maps in the application provided and it was perfect. No expensive tour guide or excursion package necessary. Definitely a must-see if you are in the Netherlands.

When you come to the Netherlands, this is the most heard and must-go place. You will feel like in a fairy tale with the boat trip you will take . Excursions by boat , canoe or tours are affordable . It is disappointing to come here and leave without getting on . There are many beautiful houses and museums to visit around. It was very surprising that the restaurant prices were affordable in such a beautiful place. Even in another country , you will find very bad prices in such beautiful places . This place deserves all the praise. It's a dream place. We will come again.

Such a great place to visit, we went during the week so wasn’t crowded and it was a great decision so we had a great tour in the canals and enjoyed the view

Honestly, words do not do justice when describing such a beautiful place. This place is worth visiting if you'd like to see a glimpse of a beautiful green landscape accessible with waterways via small canals. Kudos to the municipality and the people living their who are taking care of the God given nature so wonderfully.

There are plenty of rental boat agencies, restaurants and b&b homes. There's also a Plus supermarket to get your stuff incase you've forgotten something during your trip to this beautiful village.

Last but not least, indeed a place to visit during the summer in the Netherlands.

We drove to this address to rent a boat in order to see Giethoorn. The owner is absolutely welcoming, easygoing and helpful. The rental boats are in good condition, well maintained and reliable. We recommend this place to anyone looking for have great time seeing Giethoorn (aka “Dutch Venice”). As for the destination itself - we accidentally peeked a time when the weather is nice and not crowded. It’s astonishing destination, plenty of landscape to see and local people are super friendly. Take your time and enjoy when visiting here!

A small, beautiful, tidy village in north- west of Netherlands which is famous for its eye catching mode of transport which is only boat.

It is a must visit village of NL and is crowded with toursits especially during the summers.

There are different type of boats which can be taken on rent and hourly rate for them is different. Your can't rent the boat after 5., And it is better if you can reach in time.and rent the boat. There is ample parking space and most of boat owners provide that.

Wonderful Venice in Holland!!!absolutely recommended for families and especially for those who want to experience the other aspects of the Netherlands. Take a tour around the IJsselmeer and enjoy the marvellous Dutch historical ports and not only the overcrowded masses in tourist hotspots. Enjoy and good luck.

Very beautiful village can be accessible only by water canals. Rental boat is the best way to explore the village. Visit on a sunny day for best experience.

This is a must do for a traveler. Venice is a city with canals. Giethorn is a village with canals. May be the only one of its kind in whole world. Landscapes are magical. Either side of village canals have home gardens and green lawns creating a unique scenery. There are bridges over canals to reach houses located either side. First reach Giethorn museum. Then you will be in the most scenic area to enjoy. Lot of restaurants to eat.
Special thing about Giethorn is that you can hire boats (electric) to ride along the canals in your own. There are 1 hour and 2 hour rides. The route will be explained and a map will be given. How to ride the boat too will be explained. It’s easy. Go for it. There are lot of other self driven boats along the canals and never hesitate to add this experience. Taking boats around Giethorn museum is better. EUR 25 for 1 hr and 40 for 2 hrs in May 2023.
Please be mindful when taking public transport to Giethorn. Take the train to Steinwijk (via Swolle) if coming from Amsterdam. Return ticket costs around EUR 50 per person. Then bus 70 goes to Giethorn from steinwijk. Bus will drop you by the grand canal parallel to Giethorn museum. After getting off, cross the road and walk towards Giethorn museum to reach scenic village area. Buses are not frequent. Not even every hour as I understood. Timing in the bus stop too are changing time to time and not reliable. Don’t wait till evening to go back.
Bus stop to get down from No 70 bus is

(52.7218177, 6.0776268)

Charming, quaint place to visit! Plenty of places to hire a boat. Definitely recommended for a nice day out

Beautiful village and breath taking scenery. Crowded in the weekends especially during summer. Worth the visit.

One of the best places I have ever visited
Amazing
Picturesque
Houses , canal, everything looks out of a fairy tale
Can be quite crowded but still worth visiting
We went with travel company
May be a good idea to travel with travel company if you are going gor first time

One of the prettiest places we have ever been to. We rented a boat and the ride was very beautiful. It was quite crowded but still very nice.

Must visit this place, nice establishment with lake inside. Will enjoy the boat ride yourself. Best to visit in summer but would be crowds. Better visit in April.

Very beautiful village built along the canals. Suitable for a walk or a boat trip. Very crowded on the rivers during the day.

It's picturesque and quite sleepy!