Smit Giethoorn
What to order: a simple meal and a coffee on the terrace.
In season, arrive before one o'clock · also hires out boats
geocalia
Day itinerary · 52.74° N · 6.08° E
Giethoorn in a day, by train and bus from Amsterdam, about two hours each way.
Train to Steenwijk and bus 70. The canal path first thing, two hours in an electric boat along the Dorpsgracht and the lakes, lunch by the water and the peat museum.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Groninga fromGran Canaria 5 h
Part of GiethoornCurious Places
Add to my trip
Total time11–12 h
By car1 h 30 each way
From AmsterdamTrain + bus · about 2 h
BoatFrom €20 an hour per boat
Museum€7.50 adults
DifficultyEasy, all flat
With childrenYes, with a life jacket on the boat
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Amsterdam 1 h 30 by train
from Amsterdam Centraal to Steenwijk; sometimes with a change at Zwolle
- 15 min by bus · bus 70 to Dominee Hylkemaweg; from late April to October, also the Giethoorn Express
-
1
Walking the Dorpsgracht footpath
from north to south along the Dorpsgracht, with the village still empty
- 4 min on foot
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2
Electric boat along the Dorpsgracht and Lake Bovenwijde
Smit Giethoorn, Zuiderpad 58 · fluisterboot from €20 an hour; book online
+31 521 361 625
- 11 min on foot
- 3
- 11 min on foot
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4
t Olde Maat Uus Museum
€7.50 · in winter, Friday to Monday from 11:00 to 16:00
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Back home 15 min by bus
bus 70 to Steenwijk from Dominee Hylkemaweg
- 1 h 30 by train · in Amsterdam around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €40–55 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Walking the Dorpsgracht footpath
Giethoorn has no station, but it works well as a day trip from Amsterdam without a car: train to Steenwijk and a quarter of an hour by bus. It is about two hours each way, so the trick is to leave early. You arrive before the excursion coaches, walk the canal while it is still quiet and take to the water before the Dorpsgracht fills up at midday. The afternoon is for eating by the water and understanding, in the museum, why this village has canals instead of streets.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · Train to Steenwijk. From Amsterdam Centraal, around an hour and a half, sometimes with a change at Zwolle. At Steenwijk, bus 70 leaves beside the station and takes about fifteen minutes to the Dominee Hylkemaweg stop. From late April to October the Giethoorn Express also runs, every half hour.
9:30 · The Dorpsgracht path. From the stop it is about ten minutes' walk to the canal. Walk it from north to south: reed-roofed houses, each on its own island, wooden bridges and gardens running down to the water. At this hour there is hardly anyone.
10:30 · Two hours in an electric boat. At Smit Giethoorn, on the Zuiderpad, you hire a licence-free fluisterboot, from €20 an hour for a boat for up to eight people. They explain how to handle it in a few minutes. Sail along the Dorpsgracht and out to Lake Bovenwijde; if it is windy, stay in the canals. Book the time online, in their Giethoorntickets shop.
12:45 · Lunch on the Smit terrace. When you return the boat you eat in the same place, over the canal, watching the boats that have just set out. Open every day.
14:15 · 't Olde Maat Uus museum. An old farmhouse on the Binnenpad with a fisherman's house and boat shed that explains the peat and village life. €7.50 for adults and €2.50 for ages 4 to 12. In winter it opens Friday to Monday, from 11:00 to 16:00.
15:45 · Return. Bus 70 to Steenwijk and train to Amsterdam; you arrive around half past six.
Is it for me?
If you have no car and want to see Giethoorn without staying the night, yes. With children it works very well: everything is flat, with no cars, and they love the boat; ask for life jackets in their size. If you can, stay overnight: the canal at dusk, without the excursions, is the best of the village.
Distance4 km
Time1 h 30
Change the route
If the weather is good and you prefer to pedal: the circuit via Dwarsgracht and Jonen, spring to autumn:
Cycling through the peatlands to Dwarsgracht and Jonen
For eating in the centre, next to the museum, on the Binnenpad:
Grachthof Giethoorn
With teenagers, from May to September: canoe instead of electric boat:
Canoeing in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Grachthof Giethoorn
What to order: something to nibble on the terrace while the boats go by.
Open every day from 10:00 to 21:30; dinner starts at 19:30 at the latest · also hires out boats
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Giethoorn
All year, best on weekdays or on a Sunday in spring and September. From November to March the museum opens only Friday to Monday, from 11:00 to 16:00, so in winter choose one of those days. In July and August, take the boat out before eleven.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Take the first train you can
Every hour you gain in the morning is an hour of quiet canal.
- 2Book the boat online
It holds your time slot on spring and summer weekends.
- 3Bring a rain cape
The fluisterboot is open; if rain threatens, ask for a covered sloep, from €30 an hour.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to Giethoorn from Amsterdam in a day?
Yes. By train to Steenwijk and bus 70 it is about two hours each way; leave early.
Do you need a licence for the boat?
No. Hire fluisterboten are sailed without a licence.
How much does the trip cost?
Between €40 and €65 per person with a shared boat, the museum and lunch, without the train.
Is the museum open in winter?
From November to March, Friday to Monday from 11:00 to 16:00, and daily during the Christmas and spring school holidays.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/giethoorn/itineraries/by-train-with-an-electric-boat
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.