Day trip from Amsterdam
The best Giethoorn day tours from Amsterdam
A boat ride through the car-free canals, free time in the village and windmill add-ons. Here are the day tours from Amsterdam, with honest advice on the long ride, the crowds on the water, and when the train and bus make more sense.
See our 6 picks
The best Giethoorn day tours from Amsterdam take 8 to 10 hours and start from €59. All of them include a boat ride on the village canals. On your own, the train to Steenwijk takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, and a bus covers the last 8 km (5 miles). The water is quietest before 10:00 and after 16:00.
- 6
- tours compared
- from €59
- lowest price per person
- ★ 4.9
- best rating (110 reviews)
- 6 of 6
- free cancellation
Amsterdam Giethoorn tours: which one to pick
Our top pick first, then by number of reviews, then two new tours with no reviews yet. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.
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from €59 per person Our top pick 8 hours 4.7 (310) reviews on GetYourGuide
Direct day trip to Giethoorn with canal cruise
An 8-hour trip to Giethoorn only, with a cheese tasting on the way and free time in the village. Choose a guided cruise or steer a boat yourself. Lunch is extra.
Best for The most village time for the money
Check availability: Direct day trip to Giethoorn with canal cruise on GetYourGuide -
from €115 per person 10 hours 4.8 (1,140) reviews on GetYourGuide
Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans windmills
A 10-hour day with a canal cruise in Giethoorn, then a cheese factory and a clog demo. You get water and a stroopwafel. The guide speaks English.
Best for Two sights in one day
Check availability: Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans windmills on GetYourGuide -
from €109 per person 10 hours 4.9 (110) reviews on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn, hotel pickup
A 10-hour trip by minivan with pickup at hotels inside the A10 ring (not north of the IJ). It includes a 1-hour cruise in Giethoorn, a clog workshop and a cheese tasting. Boat rental is extra.
Best for Hotel pickup, small group
Check availability: Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn, hotel pickup on GetYourGuide -
from €129 per person 10 hours 4.8 (107) reviews on GetYourGuide
Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk and Zaanse Schans
A 10-hour trip with hotel pickup inside the A10 ring, a photo stop on the Afsluitdijk dam, Zaanse Schans and a 1-hour cruise in Giethoorn. It is not for people over 100 kg (220 lb).
Best for One more stop
Check availability: Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk and Zaanse Schans on GetYourGuide -
from €119 per person 10 hours New, no reviews yet
Giethoorn, tulip boat and Keukenhof
A 10-hour trip with a cruise in a boat decorated with tulips, free time in Giethoorn and entry to Keukenhof, so it runs only in Keukenhof's season. You can head back from Keukenhof until 19:00. It starts at This is Holland.
Best for Tulip season, two sights
Check availability: Giethoorn, tulip boat and Keukenhof on GetYourGuide -
from €130 per person 8 hours New, no reviews yet
Giethoorn Gondola Parade with dinner
A trip on one date only, Saturday 28 August 2027, to see the lit-up boats of the Gondola Parade. It includes a canal cruise and a 2-course dinner. You get back to Amsterdam around 1:00 a.m.
Best for A summer evening event
Check availability: Giethoorn Gondola Parade with dinner on GetYourGuide
Giethoorn day tours compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Pickup | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct day trip to Giethoorn with canal cruise | €59 per person | 8 hours | Meeting point | The most village time for the money | Giethoorn only, the lowest price, and 4.7 from 310 reviews. |
| Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans windmills | €115 per person | 10 hours | Meeting point | Two sights in one day | Rated 4.8 from 1,140 reviews, the most of the two-sight tours. |
| Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn, hotel pickup | €109 per person | 10 hours | Hotel pick-up and drop-off in select areas of Amsterdam; pick-up is provided to hotels in the A10 Highway Ring (excluding the north part of the Het IJ river); check availability for details | Hotel pickup, small group | Groups of up to 18, or a private option, rated 4.8 from 110 reviews. |
| Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk and Zaanse Schans | €129 per person | 10 hours | Pickup included | One more stop | The only tour with the Afsluitdijk (4.8 from 107 reviews). |
| Giethoorn, tulip boat and Keukenhof | €119 per person | 10 hours | Meeting point | Tulip season, two sights | The only tour that pairs Giethoorn with Keukenhof. New on GetYourGuide, no reviews yet. |
| Giethoorn Gondola Parade with dinner | €130 per person | 8 hours | Meeting point | A summer evening event | The only evening trip. New on GetYourGuide, no reviews yet. |
Direct day trip to Giethoorn with canal cruise
€59 per person8 hours 4.7 (310)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- The most village time for the money
- Why we picked it
- Giethoorn only, the lowest price, and 4.7 from 310 reviews.
Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans windmills
€115 per person10 hours 4.8 (1,140)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Two sights in one day
- Why we picked it
- Rated 4.8 from 1,140 reviews, the most of the two-sight tours.
Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn, hotel pickup
€109 per person10 hours 4.9 (110)
Details
- Pickup
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in select areas of Amsterdam; pick-up is provided to hotels in the A10 Highway Ring (excluding the north part of the Het IJ river); check availability for details
- Who it suits
- Hotel pickup, small group
- Why we picked it
- Groups of up to 18, or a private option, rated 4.8 from 110 reviews.
Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk and Zaanse Schans
€129 per person10 hours 4.8 (107)
Details
- Pickup
- Pickup included
- Who it suits
- One more stop
- Why we picked it
- The only tour with the Afsluitdijk (4.8 from 107 reviews).
Giethoorn, tulip boat and Keukenhof
€119 per person10 hoursNew, no reviews yet
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Tulip season, two sights
- Why we picked it
- The only tour that pairs Giethoorn with Keukenhof. New on GetYourGuide, no reviews yet.
Giethoorn Gondola Parade with dinner
€130 per person8 hoursNew, no reviews yet
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- A summer evening event
- Why we picked it
- The only evening trip. New on GetYourGuide, no reviews yet.
- All 6 offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Is Giethoorn worth visiting? The town and things to do
Yes, if you like quiet water and old farmhouses. Giethoorn is a small town with no roads for cars in its old center, so you see it by boat or on foot.
Peat diggers founded it around the 13th century. Their ponds and ditches later became the canals, crossed by dozens of small wooden bridges.
Things to do in Giethoorn
The village is small, so a few hours is enough for the main things:
- Take a guided canal cruise of about an hour.
- Rent an electric whisper boat and steer it yourself.
- Walk the paths along the canals and over the wooden bridges.
- Go early or late: the water is quietest before 10:00 and after 16:00.
Giethoorn boat tour or boat hire?
Take a guided cruise for the story, about an hour, or rent a whisper boat for 1 to 2 hours on your own.
Giethoorn has three kinds of boats: whisper boats for the village, larger sloops for longer trips, and cruises with a skipper.
Rent a boat in Giethoorn: no license needed
You don't need a boating license for the rental boats. Book online ahead at busy times.
Prices vary. One rental company lists small whisper boats for up to 5 people from €20 an hour.
On public holidays and in July and August (11:00 to 17:00), boats wider than 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) may not use the village canal.
Giethoorn from Amsterdam: tour, train and bus, or car
- 1 h 40
- train to Steenwijk
- €29
- one way (2026 fare)
A tour is the easy way. The train and bus take more planning but cost less.
There is no direct train Amsterdam to Giethoorn: you ride to Steenwijk and take the bus from there.
The train to Steenwijk takes 1 hour 36 minutes to 1 hour 44 minutes, with one change. It costs €29 one way in NS's journey planner (2026 fare).
Bus 70 runs all year from Steenwijk. Bus 270, the Giethoorn Express, runs from April to October. Together they run about every half hour, and the local tourist board puts the ride at about 15 minutes.
By car, you can park in and around the village, but you can't reserve a space.
Giethoorn is one of the longest day tours from Amsterdam, so compare it with the closer trips before you book.
In spring, one tour pairs Giethoorn with Keukenhof. We compare Keukenhof tickets and tours on their own page.
Driving is a real option for Giethoorn. Schiphol airport is the easy place to pick up a car.
Booking tips for Giethoorn tours
Check your start point
Start points differ: Market 27, De Ruijterkade 153, This is Holland in Amsterdam-Noord, or hotel pickup inside the A10 ring (not north of the IJ).
Bring lunch money
Lunch is extra on most tours. The Gondola Parade trip is different: it includes a 2-course dinner.
Check the weight limit
The Afsluitdijk tour is not for people over 100 kg (220 lb).
Go early or late
The water is quietest before 10:00 and after 16:00.
Cancel free up to 24 hours
All six tours show free cancellation up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide.
Giethoorn: questions and answers
Is Giethoorn worth visiting?
Where is Giethoorn?
What is there to do in Giethoorn?
How do I get to Giethoorn from Amsterdam?
How long should I spend in Giethoorn?
Is Giethoorn open on Sunday?
More Giethoorn tours, live
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See every tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
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