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
geocalia
Day itinerary · 52.74° N · 6.08° E
Three and a half hours of canoeing in De Wieden, and the afternoon on the Giethoorn canal, an hour and a half from Amsterdam.
The Dwarsgracht canoe route through the national park, with no motorboats, lunch by the Giethoorn canal and a walk along the Dorpsgracht at the hour when it empties.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Groninga fromGran Canaria 5 h
Part of GiethoornCurious Places
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h 30 each way
From AmsterdamCar · 1 h 30
Canoe14 km · about 3 h 30
HireFrom €25 per canoe per day
DifficultyMedium: you paddle and lift the canoe out twice
SeasonApril – September
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Amsterdam 1 h 30 by car
A6 and A32, Havelte / Steenwijk exit, and turning for Dwarsgracht
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1
Canoeing in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park
Kanodorp Dwarsgracht · canoe from €25 a day; book ahead
+31 6 53929944
- 8 min by car4 km
- 2
- 4 min on foot
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3
Walking the Dorpsgracht footpath
back to the car along the Dorpsgracht
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Back home
in Amsterdam around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €45–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Canoeing in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park
Giethoorn is famous for its canal full of boats, but around it there are almost 11,000 hectares of national park where motors are not allowed. This plan goes there first: a morning in a canoe along the narrow canals of De Wieden, among reed beds, peat-cutters' hamlets and the oldest ash tree in the country. Then you eat beside the Giethoorn canal and walk it in the mid-afternoon, when the excursion coaches start to leave. By car, it is an hour and a half from Amsterdam.
The day, hour by hour
8:30 · Drive to Dwarsgracht. Via the A6 and A32 to the Havelte / Steenwijk exit; follow the signs for Giethoorn and take the turning for Dwarsgracht. About 2 km on, turn right: the campsite is next to cycle node 52 and parking is free.
10:00 · Canoe on De Wieden. The Kanodorp Dwarsgracht hires out canoes from €25 a day and opens at ten. From there starts the Dwarsgracht route published by Natuurmonumenten: 14 km and about three and a half hours via Dwarsgracht, Jonen, which can only be reached by water or by a small ferry, and past the Grote Otterskooi. There are two points where you take the canoe out to carry it from one canal to another. Download the free route app beforehand. If you prefer something shorter, the Kanodorp has its Dwarsgracht to Giethoorn route.
14:00 · Lunch at Grachthof. A few minutes by car to the Binnenpad, in the centre of the village, with free parking for customers. South-facing terrace over the canal, for something simple while the boats go by.
15:30 · The Dorpsgracht path. A good hour on foot beside the canal, among reed-roofed houses and wooden bridges. By this time the midday boat traffic jam has eased.
17:00 · Return. An hour and a half to Amsterdam.
Is it for me?
If you like paddling and want to see the natural side of the park, yes. With teenagers it is the perfect plan: they paddle, read the map and decide which way to go. With young children, swap the canoe for the electric boat, which takes no effort. Ask for life jackets for everyone and bring a dry bag for your phone.
Distance14 km
Time3 h 30
Change the route
If there is a strong wind on the lakes: the same area by bike, via Dwarsgracht and Jonen:
Cycling through the peatlands to Dwarsgracht and Jonen
With young children: Smit electric boat, from €20 an hour, instead of the canoe:
Electric boat along the Dorpsgracht and Lake Bovenwijde
If you prefer to eat in the southern part of the village, with their own boats and free parking:
Smit Giethoorn
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
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
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
From May to September, when there are birds in the reed beds and the Kanodorp is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 (1 April to 1 October). Set out in the morning, with less wind; in strong wind, do the short route to Giethoorn.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the wind before you set out
On the open lakes the wind raises short waves that are very tiring; in strong wind, stay in the canals.
- 2Bring water and something to eat
There is nowhere to buy anything on the route, and three and a half hours of paddling work up an appetite.
- 3Book the canoe
Natuurmonumenten recommends it in season.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Dwarsgracht canoe route?
About 14 km and three and a half hours, with two points where you take the canoe out of the water.
How much does it cost to hire the canoe?
At the Kanodorp Dwarsgracht, from €25 a day.
Can you do it in autumn or winter?
The Kanodorp is open from 1 April to 1 October; outside those dates, do the plan by electric boat or by bike.
Can you go with a dog?
In De Wieden dogs are only admitted on a limited basis; ask first at the visitor centre.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/giethoorn/itineraries/sunday-canoeing-in-de-wieden
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.