Giethoorn Netherlands — Attraction in Steenwijkerland

5/5 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Giethoorn, a charming village in the Netherlands, and I must say, it was a truly unforgettable experience! The highlight of my trip was the lovely boat trip through the village's picturesque canals.

As we glided through the serene waterways, I was struck by the village's unique charm. The thatched-roof cottages, the vibrant flowers, and the quaint wooden bridges all blended together to create a sense of enchantment.

Our boat mr Robert Lagendijk was knowledgeable and friendly, sharing interesting facts and anecdotes about the village's history, culture, and daily life. We even got to see some of the local wildlife, including ducks, geese, and even a few curious rabbits!

The boat trip was incredibly relaxing, and I felt my worries melting away as we drifted through the peaceful canals. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, with the sunlight casting a warm glow over the entire scene.

One of the things that really stood out to me was the village's commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. The electric boats were a great touch, and I appreciated the efforts to preserve the village's natural beauty.

Overall, I would highly recommend a visit to Giethoorn and a lovely boat trip through its picturesque canals. It's an experience that will leave you feeling relaxed, inspired, and connected to nature.

Pros:

Picturesque canals and charming village scenery Knowledgeable and friendly boat captain Relaxing and peaceful atmosphere Commitment to sustainability and environmental protection Unique and unforgettable experience

Cons: None!

Tips:

Be sure to book your boat trip in advance, especially during peak season. Bring a camera to capture the stunning scenery and charming village life. Consider visiting during the shoulder season (April-May or September-October) for smaller crowds and more relaxed atmosphere. Don't forget to try some of the local cuisine, including the famous Dutch pancakes and cheese!

Recommendation: If you're looking for a unique and unforgettable experience in the Netherlands, Giethoorn and its lovely boat trip are an...

Complete waste of time and commercial, greedy overrated non-sense. You will simply waste a day of your precious few days visiting Amsterdam. Just walk around Amsterdam city centre and you will be much better off than this huge disappointment.

You waste a day by visiting as it is very far from Amsterdam and definitely is not worth the visit. There is nothing great and definitely no village and plenty of cars ("car free!"). There seems to be a few made up garden variety "houses". Most of the greedy businesses there are out to get the people's hard earned money particularly boating; It is a useless waste of time and badly managed. They will charge 100 euros for a boat that is 30 euros few meters away in another place; Particularly The instructions Google maps shows lead you to a "Giethoorn Village" that is not even in the made up village way outside with one guy trying to fleece the people with his over priced boats. That is don't follow Google maps instructions particularly the walking part at the end. If you take the public transport, the last legs of the journey have buses/trains that are once an hour; We had to wait for a 10 mins bus ride for 50 mins in the rain. When you are in the boat and it starts to rain, you are completely screwed. You will get totally drenched by the time you can get back and there are no arrangements for this given that how common is this for Netherlands weather even in summer. When we got back there was no one even to tie our boat back. We jumped over the water from the boat and did it ourselves. They literally took the money and ran away.

In summary, stay away from this place due to shady, scamming and unprofessional "businesses" completely ruining your day. Even sleeping in your hotel is better...

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...