Best Of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages

We had a fantastic trip exploring Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans, all thanks to our wonderful guide, Alex! He was professional, friendly, and made us feel at ease all day. His planning was excellent, with great suggestions at each site. From the charming canals of Giethoorn to the iconic windmills at Zaanse Schans. We feel so blessed! Highly recommend Alex - Thank you for an amazing trip!

We had a great day and a great guide, Nico. This was one of my favorite experiences while in The Netherlands.

We had an excellent experience and our tour guide was knowledgeable and very friendly. Would recommend this tour. Teresa

Nico, our tour guide, was excellent and we would do another tour with him in a heartbeat! He gave us excellent instructions for meeting up with him, and he provided comfortable transportation and consideration of our preferences. He gave us a lot of insight into our destinations as well as general history and culture of the Netherlands. I appreciated that he gave us time on our own to explore along with thoughtful suggestions of how to spend our short pockets of free time. We will definitely seek him out during future trips, thank you Nico!

This excursion should not be offered during “off season” or should be changed in order to maximize the 9 hours. Our driver, Alex, got all flustered and turned around due to street closings in Amsterdam. We walked about 10 minutes to meet him because he couldn’t get to our hotel. The second group was picked up 30 minutes late because the driver had them walk to another location instead of getting them in front of their hotel. We drove past their hotel twice trying to get to the location he had them walk to. The first stop to Zaanse Schans was great. Windmills and cheese making demonstration. Long drive to Geithoorn was uneventful with no commentary as to what we were seeing enroute. The boat ride was nice, but the restaurant where the boat docked was closed. The town was pretty much closed. There were only a couple of restaurants open for lunch. It’s off season. I’m sure this tour would be wonderful during the season. Do not schedule this during the off season.

Alex was knowledgeable and accommodating. Very pleasant. He even made sure we had wonderful music to listen to while on the long drive.

Our guide was the best. He had us in the right place at the right time for each of the tours. I would not hesitate to use him again.

Alex, our guide, arrived on the dot. Excellent tour and very informative, courteous, and knowledgeable guide. The tour is exactly as advertised and well worth the money spent.

Alex was great. I enjoyed the trip. It was Magical. I am glad we booked it. Netherlands culture and history is just so amazing . I enjoy it. This is a day long tour and worth every second! Next time I will plan to come with my kids.

An excellent way to see it all! The personal care and one on few allowed us the most informed day, Alex you’re the best! Paul & Giulia

Very knowledgeable and pleasant he was passionate about the area and of Amsterdam. The first stop was not of interest but the other two stops were great

Very enjoyable tour of the Dutch countryside. The villages, tulip fields, and canals were a visual delight. Our driver/guide, Alex, was knowledgeable and friendly. The boat ride on the canal/lake was especially enjoyable. The comfort stops were well-timed. I definitely recommend this tour.

Right from Hotel pick up to drop during evening hours, the tour guide cum driver Alex was very very attentive. Alex is a easy going Dutch man, perfect for the job. My wife has knee problem, she was obviously slow in walking, but Alex helped her at every place. We had a good company, a family of 3 generations from New York. It was a fun filled day. About Dutch Villages I have nothing to say, Giethroon & Zaanse Schans are just beautiful, worth visiting again & again. The journey was enjoyable, Witty Alex made it more beautiful. Good Job VIATOR.

Tour guide Alex was great. We had a good time. Great countryside scenery. Farms, dykes, windmills…….

It was a lovely cosy tour by Alex who took us in a comfortable van. He kept us entertained by good explanation of the history and culture of Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans. The good weather definitely was a bonus and we especially enjoyed the canal cruise in Giethoorn. Would highly recommend!

We had a great tour and covered a lot of ground. You get to visit two unique locations and have time for lunch. Our guide was great and was extremely flexible.

The guide came right to our hotel to pick us up and take us on the tour. We saw a quaint traditional village with windmills and then a coastal town with many canals. Both kids and adults loved walking around these towns and seeing their charm

We really appreciated that this tour was a small group of people, it felt like our own private tour. Alex was very flexible. He did his best to adjust our tour to accommodate the quickly changing weather here which was great! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see the windmills and the picturesque town of Giethoorn.

It might have been nice except they cancelled it a few days before. This left me scrambling to find an alternative. This is on the run on my phone, I could do without that. You should have taken us regardless of the amount of bookings on that day.

Alex was an excellent host. He gave us great information about the site we visited and many interesting facts along the way to the sites.

Great trip and service !! Niko was amazing and helpful. Place is beautiful and the car ride with kids and elder parents was so comfortable

Didn’t even get to go, I was asked to cancel because they didn’t have numbers and wanted me to change day. This is a few days before, there goes plans out the window and then had to search for another tour from my iPhone, pretty pissed, but found something else, so buyer beware.

The tour guide provided detailed location instructions a day prior to the tour which made it easy to find them. They arrived on time. The tour was as described in an air conditioned vehicle and a small group allowing questions if asked. There was another solo traveller and a family on the group, which did cause delays to the timing of the trip but the actual day itself was well planned out. Alx was well informed and knowledgeable on the history of the country and areas we were visiting, good sense of humour. The canal ride gave some beautiful views especially, likely better in the summer months when it's warmer weather. Would engage on another tour arranged by him.

Unfortunately there was a cancellation less than 24 hours, so no trip. Even they didn’t recommend any other company. Still haven’t got my money back.

Alex was friendly, thoughtful to adjust the visiting site order, in light of the sunny/rainy weather on the day. He was patient and knowledgeable to explain to us the history and culture of Holland, Amsterdam and these top attractions.

This is the most unfortunate experience in my entire Netherlands trip. I missed the trip on September 21, because I could not locate the Alx Tours guide. The guide got delayed and was not available at the pick-up point, and I could not locate him. Nor did he call me or send any message, for me to respond. I kept looking for the guide for 30 minutes and went back to the hotel. I wasted a full day because of the same. Also, I was very keen to visit Giethoorn but could not. A very very unfortunate experience with Alx Tours and Viator. I have done innumerable tours across many countries via Viator, and encountered something like this for the first time ever. The next day on September 22, I did a trip to Rotterdam, Delft and Hague with the same Alx Tours and met the previous day's tour guide on the way (he was doing the same tour on September 22 with another group). He acknowledged his mistake that he got delayed and hence did not have time to contact me. He also confirmed that he has applied for full refund of my money. Please accept and help me with the full refund of my trip. This is a very sad and unfortunate experience with Viator!

Alex is really good guide, friendly, helpful, he took care of us the whole trip.. highly recommended to everyone. This trip was the best, it is really unique.

Our guide, Alex, was very informative and delightful to a spend a day with. He gave us plenty of time enjoy the sights. I would highly recommend him.

I really enjoyed our group. They were really fun. Alex did a great job explaining the history of the area. It's so beautiful and really interesting. Loved it.

Nico was fantastic! We had a great time and highly recommend this tour to anyone with a day to spare on their trip to Amsterdam.

I had an incredible one day trip to Giethoorn, de Zaanse Schans, and the cheese experience in the Netherlands. Our tour guide Niko was not only highly informative but also had a wonderful sense of humor that kept us entertained throughout the journey. His humorous anecdotes added an extra layer of entertainment, and his kindness towards everyone on the tour created a warm atmosphere. Plus Niko answered every questions we asked with full of knowledge and patience 😄 Anyway, the village of Giethoorn was like a fairytale with its enchanting canals and charming architecture, woeden shoes workshop and the visit to the cheese factory was both educational and delicious. Every moment of the tour was truly amazing and absolutely worth the money spent. If you're seeking an unforgettable adventure, this is the perfect choice. Highly recommended for a delightful and memorable adventure!

An amazing trip ever! Our tour guide Nico is the best of the best. He is professional, super knowledgeable and easy going. Highly recommended!

We had a fantastic day! Just the right amount of time at each stop. The weather was rainy but nothing that the tour company could control. It was still naturally beautiful and we learned so much about the history of the places visited! Our tour guide was thoughtful, kind, knowledgeable and accommodating to the needs of guests. Highly recommend!

This was my first booking with Viator. Excellent experience from booking to excursion. This was a great way to see Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn. Our tour guide knowledgeable & 8 was the perfect tour size. The only negative is the drive to Giethoorn, also that they said there would be a chocolate testing & that did not happen. Highly recommend!!!

Alx is very humorous and detailed when introducing scenic spots. In addition, he also invited us to eat popsicles. Although the free time and meal time are a little short. But this trip saves transportation planning.

Alex communicated clearly by email updates of the tour meeting time and place. The van was comfortable and clean. Alex was engaging and easy to understand.He was happy to take photos of us with our phones and did a great job ! We were delighted and charmed by the villages,windmills ,wooden shoes,flowers ,homes and canal boat ride. The highlight of our trip so far !

I enjoyed the trip. It is a must do trip to experience the Dutch history and way of life. The tour guide Alex was also very friendly

It has become my habit to travel with a travel agency, but this time I was very lucky. I met a knowledgeable and talented tour guide. Niko was very friendly and honest. He speaks English very well, but still explain everything very clearly. He is sincere and caring. Niko shared a lot general information about Netherlands. He even said that we can always call him and his colleagues if we got any problem in Netherlands. These words made me very fond for Alx tour. He also has a lucky draw, I got my favourite drink . Really a great experience. Highly recommended!

Alex was very friendly and shared a lot of interesting information on the tours and about Netherlands. He is also on time and knows his way around very well

The whole experience, from the pick up to the tour of Zaanse Schaans and Geithoorn villages was a memorable one. Alex was the perfect tour guide and host as he drove us to the villages, and patiently gave an insight into the village life and the culture thereof. The villages themselves are scenic gems and worth visiting, besides the cheese tasting experience in Zaanse Schaans and navigating Geithoorn canals by boat. It is a must have experience for anyone visiting Amsterdam!

It's probably a good tour. However, our tour was unilaterally canceled 18 hours before departure. The contract states that if the minimum number of participants is not reached, we will contact you 72 hours in advance, but that promise was not kept at all. Be careful when booking.

Small group tour is the best way to go!! loved the charming towns felt like i was in a fairytale book.

The guide was funny and enjoyable to listen too. It was an all day trip and Alex was insightful of the places we visited. I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to see things outside of Amsterdam.

We have great time with Alex, he very knowledgeable about the place. Highly recommended travel with him. Very friendly person.

Have done a tour with Alex tours….the owner himself (Mr. Alex) turned up as the guide since the group was very small and private. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip and tour, Mr. Alex found very knowledgeable and informative. Took us to some beautiful villages which was out of the itinerary. Sincerely recommend the tourists to try Mr. Alex’s experience. If revisiting Amsterdam, I will certainly use his service again.

Alyx is a great tour guide, knowledgeable and adaptable. The size was right (8 of us) and he adapted a bit as the weather was rainy. Both stops were unique and informative. Highly recommend this tour.

Alex was so awesome!! We enjoyed our day traveling through beautiful areas of the country. It was a small group which made it feel like we were traveling with family.

Alex is a great guide. The trip was very comfortable. Great for small groups. Definitely recommend!!!

Great day trip out of Amsterdam. Alex was knowledgeable and friendly! We especially enjoyed Giethoorn