Giethoorn Village in the Netherlands is the ultimate fairytale escape and one of the most unique places I’ve been. If we haven’t met, I’m Gina, and I’m a solo traveler who considers herself a city girl at heart…but Giethoorn completely pulled me out of my usual rhythm in the best way. This quaint little village made me slow all the way down, trade traffic for canals, and fall in love with a quieter, storybook side of travel I didn’t see coming.
I took a guided tour from Amsterdam to Giethoorn, and it was the best way to explore the city. In this post, I’ll recap my tour, including what we did, my favorite things, where I ate, and more. If you get to the end and have any questions, or are still unsure if Giethoorn should be on your travel list, use the Contact Me form at the bottom or message me on Instagram!
Intro to Giethoorn
Giethoorn is a small, car-free village located in the northeastern province of Overijssel in the Netherlands. Instead of driving, visitors get around on foot, bike, or via small boats on the canals, earning this town the nickname “Dutch Venice.” After seeing videos of the adorable cottages, romantic wooden bridges, and people riding through the water, I knew Giethoorn was absolutely going to be a stop on my Netherlands trip.
Can You See Tulips in Giethoorn?
I squeezed in a visit to Giethoorn during my trip to the Netherlands for tulip season. However, Giethoorn is NOT a great place to see tulips in the spring. Aside from seeing rows of tulip fields out the bus window and the occasional tiny flower bed in the village, there are no tulips here. It’s giving fairytale vibes instead…but hey, we can work with that.
- Fun Fact: “Giethoorn” was named after settlers found hundreds of wild goat horns (“gietehorens”) in the mud upon arriving to the village. Peep the goat statues and trinkets throughout your visit!
Getting to Giethoorn from Amsterdam
TBH, getting from Amsterdam to Giethoorn is the biggest reason I opted for a guided tour that included transportation. I was not about to endure the stress of figuring out where to park, especially as a solo traveler! Like I mentioned, Giethoorn is a car-less village, so you have to park at designated parking lots outside the town if you decide to rent a car and drive.
The bus for my tour departed from the Noord metro station, which is about a 4 minute ride from Amsterdam Centraal. It took about an hour and 15 minutes for us to get to Giethoorn.
If you don’t do a guided tour, you’re also able to travel from Amsterdam to Giethoorn via a train/bus combo route that takes roughly 2 – 2.5 hours:
- Take the train from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Steenwijk Station (1.5 hours)
- Then, take a bus from Steenwijk to Giethoorn – either line 70 toward Zwolle or line 270, the Giethoorn Express.
- Exit at the Hylkemaweg stop to reach the Giethoorn city center (about 6 miles/10 km).
Spending the Day in Giethoorn Village
Take a Giethoorn Canal Cruise
I’m gonna go ahead and call it: taking a canal cruise in Giethoorn will be the highlight of your day trip. While the canal cruises in Amsterdam are just downright impressive with all the Dutch architecture, Giethoorn feels like you’re in the middle of a fairytale. The canals are much more narrow here, and they’re flanked by quaint Dutch cottages, lush greenery, and – in warmer months – blooming flowers. It’s AMAZING.
The canal cruise was the first thing we did as soon as we got off the bus, and it really sets you up to be able to explore the town on your own later. I felt like I recognized a lot of the buildings I walked past and had a decent idea of where I was after our cruise was over.
During our cruise, we rode in a covered boat with a skipper so none of us had to worry about playing boat captain. However, some people in our group didn’t sign up for the canal cruise option, and ended up having to rent their own boat! Be sure to read ticket options carefully.
If you choose to visit Giethoorn without a guided tour, or you would rather rent your own boat instead of going on the group canal cruise, this website gives you more info on renting a boat. You can rent a wide variety of boats in Giethoorn, from whisper boats to open-air sloops. If you or someone in your party feels comfortable driving a boat, this would be a really fun option because you would get a better view and be able to take better photos. TBH, I wish I could have experienced Giethoorn in a quaint open-air boat, but there was no way I was attempting to drive one by myself for the first time!
Seeing Bovenwijde Lake
Bovenwijde Lake is located right next to Giethoorn Village and is one of the spots tourists like to explore via boat. Our skipper took us out on the lake in our boat tour, and it was quite the contrast to the narrow canals. Be sure to watch for swans as you’re floating by!
Indulge in a Dutch Cheese Tasting
After your canal cruise, hop off the boat and walk across the street to the Henri Willig cheese shop. Our skipper told us that we could sample every different flavor of cheese they had, and you best believe I was in there trying them all. They even had assorted jams, mustards, and other sauces that you could sample. NGL, this was some of the best cheese I’ve ever had in my life. The only reason I didn’t buy any to take home was because I couldn’t decide which flavor I liked best, and I didn’t feel like spending 100 euros in dairy.
- Pro Tip: The 2 most popular Dutch cheeses are gouda and edam cheese.
Walk or Bike Through the Village
Once you’re done your boat tour, you’ll have roughly 2 hours to explore the village. As you can imagine, a car-less village has to be pretty small, so it’s relatively easy to see the majority of the town on foot. We weren’t given the option to rent bikes on our tour, but if you come separately and stay longer, there are places where you can rent bicycles and bike through the village.
I loved walking around and taking photos, popping in and out of the shops, and pretending like I was in my own little fairytale. Of note, I read about certain “walking routes” you could take, but I found that I was just fine to roam the little streets on my own. If I didn’t know where to go, I just crossed over whichever bridge looked more romantic…/shrug.
Restaurants in Giethoorn
While you’re walking, you’ll stumble across dozens of restaurants to choose from. The skipper on our boat cruise mentioned how Giethoorn had a lot of top-rated restaurants, and a quick Google search backed this up. I ended up eating at Restaurant 141, but there were so many places I would have liked to try. A lot of the restaurants in Giethoorn are also situated right on the water. If you visit Giethoorn and try a restaurant you loved, LMK in the comments!
Admire the Thatched-Roof Cottages, Overgrown Gardens, and Wooden Footbridges
Again, it’s the fairytale vibes for me. The cottages in Giethoorn remind me of something you’d see in Shrek…just, you know, without the ogres. Combine this with the canals, romantic bridges, and the greenery…and it’s just…GAH! I can’t. I’m obsessed. There aren’t enough heart emojis.
But to me, what really makes this village special is how intentional everything feels. The thatched roofs aren’t just cute – they’re traditional, practical, and give Giethoorn that storybook texture. The gardens are perfectly overgrown in an effortlessly charming way, with greenery spilling over fences and flowers peeking through the grass. Of note, I visited Giethoorn in the off-season (end of April), and while it wasn’t overly crowded, I didn’t get to see quite as many overgrown flowers as I’d hoped. If you came in the summer, you’d see hydrangeas, geraniums, and other blooms.
I also enjoyed walking over as many bridges as I could during my 2 hours of free exploration time. (And ps. – the bridges make for great photo ops!) If you’re into photography or aesthetics, you’ll enjoy filling your camera roll here!
Other Things To Do in Giethoorn
Visit Giethoorn’s Museums
Giethoorn has 2 museums: Museum Giethoorn and Museum De Oude Aarde. Museum Giethoorn is a local history museum, and Museum De Oude Aarde has minerals, fossils, and gemstones.
Explore Weerribben Wieden National Park
Giethoorn is located in the center of Weerribben Wieden National Park, home to the largest bog in Northwestern Europe. Visitors can hike, canoe, and even visit a water buffalo farm. Some canal cruises even offer an extended version of their tours to go deeper into the nature preserves.
Staying the Night in Giethoorn Village
Although I did not stay the night in Giethoorn, I would not be opposed to eventually coming back one day and experiencing what the village is like once the sun goes down. After doing a guided tour here, I think I would be more comfortable driving and spending the night with a friend, especially since I made note of parking areas just outside of the main village. If you’d like to stay in Giethoorn, use the link below to find your perfect hotel or B&B:
