Tours Giethoorn

A private tour to Giethoorn with stops along the way as desired. During our 6-14 hour private tour, you will pass the most important places.

Giethoorn is also called the Venice of the North, and that is not undeserved with its system of canals and its more than 170 bridges. Located in the Kop van Overijssel, here in the 12th century was the first peat colony founded in the Netherlands.
A special village where the houses have thatched roofs. People use the pushcart or wheelbarrow to bring things to their homes. Where no cars drive but boats sail … And the boats have their own “garage”, the ideal place for a special weekend.

1.  What is the best period to visit Giethoorn?

You will soon notice, Giethoorn is known in the world, maybe because it has been on the board game Monopoly World Edition since 2015 was it already in 1958 by the film Fanfare? An Asian tourist has not been an exception in the Low Countries for some time now but in Giethoorn it took some getting used to. You see Chinese inscriptions and 1 out of 2 tourists I saw was of Asian origin. In itself not bad, but it shows that Giethoorn is known and in the summer months it is (unpleasantly) crowded.

• Go out in a real Gieterse punter, enjoy the peace and quiet in a listening boat, or rent a canoe or kayak.
• There are several marked routes that lead past the beautiful farms and under the bridges by continuing in the beautiful nature of the Weerribben-Wieden nature.
• There are also many other boat routes.
• At Smit Giethoorn you can rent various types of boats and you don’t need any experience at all, so even if you are sailing for the first time it is no problem.
• A boat ride is very popular in Giethoorn, so we would strongly recommend booking in advance.

3.  Visit a punter’s yard

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Once upon a time, the canal scene in Giethoorn consisted only of traditional punters. These are small oak boats built to maneuver perfectly through the shallow water. The punter boom, a long wooden pole, is important to push the boat forward. Nowadays, these boats are still made by hand in some shipyards. A number of these punter yards can be visited in the center of Giethoorn.

4.  Museum farm ‘t Olde maat Uus

One of the traditional farmhouses of Giethoorn has been transformed into a museum about the history of the village. In this museum farm ‘t Olde maat Uus stories are told about life in Giethoorn and how people worked with for example the excavation of the peat.

Actors here empathize with showing the real past of Giethoorn and for this they still make the typical ‘knieperjes’ or ‘pinwheels’. These are sweet, thin waffles, which are eaten flat or rolled up. You can buy a pack of 10 for about 2 euros at the museum. Another delicious Dutch snack!

5.  Museum The Old Earth

The museum De Oude Aarde focuses not so much on Giethoorn as on the whole earth itself. In this museum you will find an extensive collection of gems and minerals, but there are also fossils and a number of terrariums with reptiles.

6.  Visit the cheese shops & cheese tasting

In Giethoorn, be sure to look for the best cheese shops. In some stores you can taste the cheese yourself. A nice cheese store is Kaasmakerij Giethoorn. Here you cantaste all kinds of cheeses, such as fenugreek, goat cheese, wasabi cheese, cheese with pesto basil, with truffle and much more. You can’t think of it as crazy enough sometimes. Also, don’t forget to buy yourself a block of cheese so you can enjoy some after your outing.

7.  Enjoy a snack

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Is the weather a little better? Then relax on one of the terraces, eat a typical Dutch snack or snack and enjoy a refreshing drink. The Dutch really know how to enjoy this! You can also order something to take away. In Giethoorn there are plenty of terraces where you can eat delicious Dutch snacks, such as bitterballen, croquettes or of course the typical poffertjes if you prefer something sweet.