Things to do in

Giethoorn

Climb aboard an air-conditioned coach and travel through a typical Dutch landscape for 1.5 hours en route to the picturesque town of Giethoorn. Experience how the Dutch people live with, and on, the water upon arrival, and set off to explore on foot and by boat. Enjoy the peace and quiet of a town where cars are forbidden and little has changed over the centuries. Admire the many types of boats in the town, from gondolas to punters and flat-bottom vessels used as transportation on the canals. Cruise past the skillfully restored farmhouses on a 1-hour boat trip, and get some free time for lunch and to explore on your own. Get tips from your guide on what to see and where to eat. The tour will continue to the Enclosing Dike (Afsluitdijk), the 32 kilometer dike connecting the provinces of North Holland and Friesland. The Netherlands is famed the world over for the way it deals with water management. The Afsluitdijk, built to tame what was formerly the Zuiderzee (now the Ijsselmeer lake) is a prime example of Dutch water prowess.

You will begin with to a trip to the enchanting village of Giethoorn in the north of the Netherlands for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Known as the “Venice of North”, the village is notable for its many canals and complete lack of roads. You will explore this fairy tale village, where less than 3,000 people live, throughout a 1-hour guided boat tour. Explore the preserved village on foot, and see how each farmhouse is built on a small man-made island. Wander the narrow footpaths to discover hundreds of bridges, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village. Your trip will continue to the village of Volendam, where you can admire brightly painted wooden houses and see locals wearing their colorful regional attire. Your guide will take you on a short walk through the Volendam harbor, which has been one of the most popular tourist attractions in the village since 1875. This is a great place to pick up souvenirs and gifts for those at home or for yourself, and to have photos taken in traditional Dutch costume in one of many photo studios of the village. Your last destination is to explore the most picturesque traditional 17th-century Zaanse Schans village which contains houses and a collection of beautifully preserved windmills from the nation’s industrial heritage. In Zaanse Schans village you can stroll past the charming greenhouses and visit a factory where the clogs popular in this part of the country are made. There’s also nothing more Dutch than cheese, and whilst there you can try some at the Catharina Hoeve Farm where you will also learn about its production.

Depart Amsterdam and travel to the enchanting village of Giethoorn in the north of the Netherlands for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Known as the "Venice of the Netherlands," the village is notable for its many canals and complete lack of roads. Upon arrival, explore the fairy-tale village, where only 2,700 people live, on a 1-hour guided boat tour in English. Experience the idyllic scenery from a unique perspective on a leisurely trip through the canals. Watch people punt the traditional flat-bottom boats over the canals as you go. Although most transport in the village is by water, there is also now a cycling path. Explore the beautifully-preserved village by bike or on foot, and see how each farmhouse is built on a small man-made island. Wander the narrow footpaths to discover more than 180 bridges, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village. 

Your experience begins as your guide meets you near Amsterdam's Central Station, from where you travel to the typical Dutch windmill village of Zaanse Schans. Zaanse Schans is an open-air museum complete with a cheese farm, clog factory, diamond museum, bakery museum, and Kuiperij, where barrels were made to transport goods, green timber houses, traditional crafts, and windmills. Following noon, be transferred to the unique Dutch village of Giethoorn, heading further north out of Amsterdam. As you travel, listen to nice stories including the history and significant elements in the region of Giethoorn throughout the roughly 2-hour bus ride, with a break included to ensure a pleasant journey. Giethoorn is beautiful in all seasons, and contains a simple beauty which hardly seems real. Discover this as you glide gently through its small canals, passing old but pretty thatched-roof farmhouses. Throughout this 1-hour boat trip around town, be accompanied by a local guide who also doubles as your captain. Get to know everything about Giethoorn throughout your boat trip, with extra time included to walk along a narrow footpath by foot or by bike, or to learn how to operate the ''whisper boat'', an electric-motor boat. In the evening, arrive back to Amsterdam's center with the rest of your night to look forward to.

Explore Giethoorn, called the “Little Venice of the Netherlands”, on this 7-hour private sightseeing tour. Begin with a convenient pickup at your hotel in Amsterdam and head to Giethoorn, a village in the north of the country.  This town is full of thatched-roof farms that are connected by more than 170 wooden bridges. Explore this unique townscape either by sailing a boat yourself or joining a canal cruise. On the water, your guide will share information about the history and culture of Giethoorn. After taking in the sights, you can take a seat in one of the town’s many restaurants for lunch.

Explore the extraordinary phenomenon of Keukenhof from up close. Keukenhof is a place to enjoy millions of flowering tulips, daffodils, and other bulb flowers in the spring. This beautiful spring garden offers a unique scent and color experience, over 20 spectacular flower shows, surprising inspirational gardens, and exciting events. Surrounding Keukenhof lie the famous bulb fields. From the windmill you take in spectacular views of some of the bulb fields, with a visit to Keukenhof guaranteeing beautiful photographs. There are activities for all ages, allowing you to stimulate your senses as you smell, taste, listen, and enjoy. Keukenhof is a treat for the whole family with children being able to enjoy themselves in the playground, pet the animals in the petting zoo, and go on a scavenger hunt. Your tour will continue to visit the enchanting village of Giethoorn in the north of the Netherlands for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Known as the “Venice of North”, the village is notable for its many canals and complete lack of roads. You will explore the fairy tale village, where less than 3,000 people live, throughout a 1-hour guided boat tour. Experience the scenery on a leisurely trip through the canals. Explore the preserved village on foot, and see how each farmhouse is built on a small man-made island. Wander the narrow footpaths to discover hundreds of bridges, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village.

Start your tour with a convenient, pickup service from your accommodation. After being picked up from Amsterdam in a luxury Mercedes sedan or minivan by a professional driver, travel to one of the most beautiful villages in Holland, Giethoorn. Take a lovely canal cruise through the village, known as the Dutch Venice. The elongated village is located in one of the largest areas of continuous fenland in northern Europe. The village is an excellent starting point to make a canoe trip through the area and there are a number of special museums and art galleries to discover.  After exploring Giethoorn, you will visit the Zaanse Schans. Stroll past the bakery museum and enjoy the smell of fresh bread, or take a look at the warehouse where clogs are made. You should be sure not to miss the cheese factory, pewter foundry, and the various windmills. The Zaanse Schans is a unique part of the Netherlands, full of wooden houses, mills, barns, and workshops. Enjoy a cycling or sailing trip, browse the shops, or treat yourself at the pancake restaurant. After the windmills, you will visit Volendam, a small fishing village with 22000 citizens. Walk along the beautiful harbor and marvel at the typical Volendam shops before enjoying lunch at one of the best seafood restaurants in Holland (at own expense). Depending on the amount of time remaining, you can take a boat trip with the Volendam-Marken express. For over 80-years the Volendam-Marken Express has operated a ferry service between Volendam and Marken. The boats sail all year round and every year thousands of travelers use the ferry to enjoy a relaxed trip on the water and to visit the historic towns and harbors of Volendam and Marken. After a day full of adventure and excitement, your driver will return you back to your accommodation for an evening of well-deserved rest.

After being picked up from Amsterdam in a luxury Mercedes sedan or minivan by a professional driver, travel to one of the most beautiful villages in Holland, Giethoorn. Take a lovely canal cruise through the village, known as the Dutch Venice. The elongated village is located in one of the largest areas of continuous fenland in northern Europe. The village is an excellent starting point to make a canoe trip through the area and there are a number of special museums and art galleries to discover.  After exploring Giethoorn, you are transferred back to Amsterdam.

Meet your guide/driver before heading in a comfortable, air-conditioned luxurious minivan to your first destination in about 90 minutes. The journey takes you goes through the typical flat Dutch ‘polder’ landscape. Polder is land that has been reclaimed from the sea, and most of the land you drive through today was a sea until the 1950s. Giethoorn is definitely one of the most picturesque villages in the Netherlands. The town has been one of the country's most popular tourist villages and is nicknamed the Dutch Venice. Just like Venice, Giethoorn has many canals and the only way to get around town is by boat or walking.  After a short walking tour of the village, you will have leisure time to discover the village on your own. Your driver/guide will reveal the city’s unique character, and give you insider’s tips about great local restaurants, shops, attractions, activities and more. End of the afternoon being driven back to Amsterdam.

Start this tour from your hotel or any other desired location where you will be picked up by your personal guide and driver. From here, drive to the picturesque town of Giethoorn. You will embark on a private walking tour of Giethoorn where you will be shown all the sights. Explore the beautiful Dutch countryside and its many waterways and small farmhouses. After your private walking tour, set sail on a 1-hour boat tour of Giethoorn. This way you will be able to authentically explore the village as the only way to get around the center is by boat. Following your boat tour you will have the option to have some free time to explore the village yourself, take some pictures and visit the many small shops. Since it is a private tour the guide is very flexible and will customize the tour to your needs. After the visit of Giethoorn the guide will bring you back to your hotel in Amsterdam.