# Sunday Canoeing in De Wieden and a Walk in Giethoorn, 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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/giethoorn/itineraries/sunday-canoeing-in-de-wieden · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 08:30 · Salida: 1 h 30 by car (A6 and A32, Havelte / Steenwijk exit, and turning for Dwarsgracht)
- 10:00 · Canoeing in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park (Kanodorp Dwarsgracht · canoe from €25 a day; book ahead) · Kanodorp Dwarsgracht, From €25 per canoe per day
  - 8 min by car, 4 km
- 14:00 · Grachthof Giethoorn (Binnenpad 54 · free parking for customers) · Grachthof Giethoorn, €€
  - 4 min on foot
- 15:30 · Walking the Dorpsgracht footpath (back to the car along the Dorpsgracht)
- 17:00 · Vuelta (in Amsterdam around 18:30)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
About an hour and a half via the A6 and A32. Park free at the Kanodorp and, for lunch, in the Grachthof customer car park.

### Without a car
Train to Steenwijk and bus 70 to Giethoorn; hire the canoe in the centre, at Grachthof, from €20, and start the route from the village.

## Consejos

### Check 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.

### Bring 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.

### Book the canoe
Natuurmonumenten recommends it in season.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.