Giethoorn Day Trip From Amsterdam With Boat Trip

It was quite overpriced at €59 for what you get as value for money. Giethoorn is charming village. However you are permitted only to walk 5 minutes to the right side and 5 to the left. Quite very limited and restricted mobility area. You can't move elsewhere or explore or get on bridges for a nice photo because the residents have closed accesses to bridges and if your 3 year old child approaches a bridge, you will see and grumpy aggressive resident yelling at her! I wouldn't seek invading residential privacy, but if you know the residents are not welcoming tourism and not smiling to them, then respect their privacy and simply drop this tour from yourlist, or just price it based on what tourists can get/do. I'm referring to the €59 invested in just a bus drive and a 1 hr cruise. Nothing else can be done if you compare with almost half the price day trip and much much much fun and exploration when you do the combination of Zaanse schans/Edam/Volendam/Marken. The only positive thing was the guide who was very capable and knowledgeable, and the 1 hr cruise.

The experience was absolutely wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the scenic bus ride from Amsterdam through the Dutch countryside to Giethoorn, which was both relaxing and picturesque. The boat tour through the village was a highlight of the trip, and our guide provided fascinating insights into the history of the area, making the experience even more memorable. I also had the chance to try the stroopwafels from a small shop in the village called Venice, and they were simply amazing. From start to finish, the trip was exceptionally well organized, seamless, and completely hassle-free. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Netherlands. Needless to say, I will definitely be booking another excursion with Viator in the future. Next on my list: Zaanse Schans!

We really liked this tour, Geethorn is a charming place & we really enjoyed the Boat tour. Our Guide Lucas was really good & friendly. I do recommend this tour to all.

It was a wonderful Experience. The tour guide was so knowledgeable and we had a great experience. It was very Great Trip.

The trip was wonderful, but my experience with Viator was not. No communication re: 1. my text question regarding the trip. 2. change of meeting point, thus we barely made the bus. We won't be using the app again.

I paid 44 Expensive Nice place

A truly wonderful and elegant trip. Giethoorn is a beautiful village with stunning valleys traversed by unique, locally made boats. Many thanks to Mr. Lucas for his excellent service. We would also like to inform customers that the bus stop is located inside the train station, unlike other trips which stop closer to the beach.

A bit crowded but such a lovely place. Glad we were there with everything in bloom. So beautiful. Great dining experience.

Bad air conditioning in bus Everybody sweating in the bus No body is hear to listen and solve the issue

Exceptional experience, surely you Must take this trip

We enjoyed this tour more than any thing else we did.The city is beautiful and the homes are beautiful. The unique layout of the village makes for quiet, peaceful experience. Add this to your trip.

Viator ruined our day. We went to check in with our tickets and they had no confirmation. It was a bust. Viator and the company were both not helpful blaming each other and telling me to send emails. Viator did not rectify the problem.

Great to get out of Amsterdam for the day on this excursion that takes you to a quaint place. Boat ride calm and plenty of time to walk around the area, with a number of places to eat.

It was a great tour. I really enjoyed the views and canal cruise. Everything was perfect. I would recommend this tour.

The boat was too crowded and you couldn’t see - had to sit very close to others and was very uncomfortable. The guide should’ve requested 2 boats for the size of the group.

The tour guide, Luca, was useless. Basically made a few comments on the bus ride there and back. He needs to organize the group into the seats on the boat. quite a few groups spread out unnecessary and not sitting together. When this was brought up his comment is that there's nothing he can do. Town itself is cute and picturesque as described in the tour but mainly comprises of tourists.

Very well planed out with lots of information on the history of the Netherlands Fantastic boat ride very pretty place

It’s a long bus ride 90 minutes out and it took 120 minutes to come back. But, it was a peaceful setting along the canals, very different from the mobs of people in Amsterdam.

Completely trap for tourist. The experience of the dyke it is just a bus drive, there was not even a picture stop, just a bathroom stop. Giethoorn is cute, but very much a place for tourist. The explanations of the guide are pretty basic and a random collection of pieces of information without a clear story of the actual place you are visiting.

Long bus trip - 2 hours each way in a very Crowded bus. Guide was quite unprofessional- very little information given

It’s a good one, but we missed the international courts for criminals, which is the most important, I have to make another trip for that that was very disappointing

Alex was an excellent tour guide, Giethoorn village was a dream to live. Degrachtof restaurant for lunch was splendid!

Great day and very interesting. Bus was on time. Tour guide excellent and the boat trip a great experience. Lunch was fantastic and there were plenty of choices for food, drinks and souvenirs.

On June 6th, I joined a tour to Giethoorn. When I arrived at the coach in the morning, I had brought a pancake with me. A staff member from Tours & Tickets politely told me that food wasn’t allowed on the coach, which was completely fine. So I stepped aside and enjoyed the pancake outside the coach. While I was eating, the driver suddenly came over and started yelling at me, saying I couldn’t bring the pancake on board. I was confused, because I was clearly not on the coach. So I told him to be nice. He then replied, “This is my coach. I can say it.” I found this behavior completely unacceptable. I was following the rules and not causing any disturbance. There was absolutely no reason for the driver to speak to me in such a disrespectful and aggressive tone. This kind of attitude is not okay, especially in a customer-facing role. It left a very bad impression at the start of what should have been a pleasant trip.

Giethoorn is a truly beautiful and unique village—definitely worth visiting. We’re glad we discovered this destination, as it offers a peaceful charm, especially if you venture away from the main tourist paths. The tranquil canals, quaint cottages, and natural surroundings create a picturesque and memorable experience. That said, we were very disappointed with the tour organized through Viator, primarily due to the poor quality of the tour guide. Unfortunately, the guide added no value to the trip. He barely spoke, and when he did, he addressed the group more in Spanish than in English—even though we had booked the English-language tour. He spent more time chatting with the bus driver than interacting with the passengers, and we received almost no information about the places we were visiting. For example, when we stopped at the Afsluitdijk, we were simply told to return to the bus in 15 minutes. No historical context or explanation about the dam was provided. We later had to research it ourselves to appreciate its significance. We also encountered a long traffic delay en route, which cut into our time in Giethoorn. This further highlighted how much more efficient and cost-effective it might be to visit Giethoorn independently—taking the train and planning your own day at your own pace. Upon arrival in Giethoorn, the guide handed out yellow bracelets to about half the group, allowing those people to board the boat immediately. The rest had to wait an hour. Fortunately, we were among the first group, giving us time to enjoy lunch, explore the village, and shops after the boat tour. However, those in the second group were at a significant disadvantage, as they had less time to enjoy Giethoorn after their boat ride. It was surprising and disappointing that the tour was so poorly organized—80 people on a bus, but only 40 spots available per boat trip. If this limitation is known in advance, it should be clearly communicated or better managed by scheduling two boats or adjusting the itinerary. Tour guide said you can rent your own boat if you would like or want to wait ( and it is after the tour itself had an hour boat ride included and prepaid in the tour price). The boat ride itself was a highlight. Our boat captain, a university student working a summer job, was friendly, informative, and funny. He provided interesting insights about the village, canals and made the experience enjoyable. He, not the official Viator tour guide, was the one who deserved a tip. The return journey to Amsterdam was again in silence, except for a short thank-you from the guide (and again Spanish version of his talk was much longer than English). Guide asked us for a tip to him while he planned to stand on the platform and say individual Thanks to people exiting the bus. We ended up tipping the only the driver directly, as he did a good job despite the long day. In summary: • Pros: Giethoorn is beautiful and well worth the visit. The boat ride (especially with a guide) is memorable. • Cons: The Viator tour was poorly executed, lacked meaningful guidance, and involved inefficient logistics. • Recommendation: Visit Giethoorn on your own if you can. Take the train, rent a boat, and enjoy the village at your own pace. Can have a picnic on one of the village islands if you plan for it. If you prefer a tour, consider another company that possibly offers better organization and knowledgeable guides. Also, a tip for fellow travelers: the canals are much quieter earlier in the day. By afternoon, boat traffic becomes dense and chaotic—though watching the occasional boat bumper-to-bumper action is entertaining in its own way!

Giethoorn was great, although we probably would not have needed as much free time there. There was little narration during the long bus ride to Giethoorn or the dike.

Too much free time. The village was worth seeing. The boat ride was nice. We then had over two hours with nothing to do. We had almost no time for the dike which I was most interested in learning about

The day trip to Giethoorn and Afsluitdijk from Amsterdam was absolutely amazing! Giethoorn was like a fairytale — peaceful canals, charming cottages, and beautiful gardens everywhere. The boat trip through the village was so relaxing and offered incredible views. Visiting Afsluitdijk was equally impressive, a true engineering marvel with stunning sea views. The entire tour was well-organized, and the guide was friendly and informative. It was a perfect day full of beautiful sights and unique experiences. Highly recommend it to anyone wanting to explore more of the Netherlands!

The leisurely village of Giethoorn is a welcomed gear change and a perfect excursion for those wanting to escape the sometimes fast-paced city of Amsterdam. Sit back and watch the world slowly pass by in an almost fairytale-like setting. TIP: Ensure you retrieve your ticket from the Centraal Station ticket office before approaching the coach.

Giethoorn was wonderful! The lovely weather made it even better! The history and canal ride was terrific! The food was so good and the shopping was the awesome. The day was long but the scenery of the countryside was spectacular!!!

Excellent day trip to Giethoorn from Amsterdam. Fairly easy to get tickets and to reach the platform. Mr G is an excellent and knowledgeable guide. Boatride was good. Would have preferred more time in the Giethoorn instead of going through the Dike. Overall a lifetime experience for the whole family.

In February - we booked (at one of their shops) an excursion for 2 adults to Giethoorn and Enclosing Dike Tour at 79 Euros each. The following afternoon (and the day before the trip), we went to check out the meeting place, as the instructions weren't the easiest. On our arrival, we were told that the trip had been cancelled because they didn't have enough bookings. Disappointing, however, we understood. The reason for the one star is that when I asked for the money to be put back on our card - the answer was No! We had to apply for our refund as the UK is outside the EU. A statement I found at odds with my own experience, in that I have had refunds/overpayments returned to a UK card in the EU on a number of occasions since Brexit - and it was done instantly. Instead you had to provide by email, name of account holder; IBAN; Swift code; sort code, bank account, full address and details of Bank and then wait for them to pay you. We did get a refund, but I wouldn't have booked if I had known there was a high chance of the trip not taking place and that the company had such a long winded and complicated refund system.

What a great day! We wanted to see more of The Netherlands on our trip than just Amsterdam. This tour takes you to some smaller villages. In different parts of the country. It was a beautiful drive and since you are riding, you get to enjoy the scenery. We had a group of 5 so the ride was comfortable and water was provided. Leidse was our guide/driver. He was very personable and provided great commentary and information. He made sure everyone was enjoying the trip. He remembered our names and made conversation with all. It was a terrific experience and we highly recommend this tour and Leidse as your guide.

It was interesting, loved the canal boat cruises. Enjoyed the museums and the anne frank house was history to be learned. Warning it has lots of narrow stairs. Amsterdam is very crowded with tourists. Sometimes difficult to move around the city. Loved the history and architecture of the buildings. It truly is beautiful, spring would be amazing with the flowers in bloom.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day trip to Giethoorn. Excellent guide and bus driver. Plenty of time allowed to look around, have lunch and the cruise on the canals was wonderful.

This was a very long day, 9 hours. The canal trip was amazing, and we had an interesting commentary by the boat driver. Absolutely beautiful village. We were VERY disappointed by the absolute lack of commentary by the tour guide. We didn't stop at the Dike on the way back, with no explanation. I asked the guide why we had not stopped and he said it was closed. It would have been good to have information given about windmills, dikes, water management etc.. We had nothing!

We did this excursion on Tuesday 24th September 2024. We arrived at Giethoorn at 1pm and were given the option of taking the included 1-hour boat trip at either 1.45pm or 2.45pm. We opted to have lunch first in the restaurant and then had time to visit the Mennonite church before boarding the boat at 2.45pm. The boat captain spoke good English and told us about the lovely village. It was a very peaceful ride in the electrically powered boat, between the houses and across the shallow lake. On returning to our start point, we disembarked and had plenty of time to explore the village on foot, visit the museum (there is an admission charge), shops, and have an ice cream or waffle. We boarded the coach at 5.30pm and returned to Amsterdam Centraal Station at 7.10pm. Although the afternoon was lovely, the morning was disappointing. Our guide on the coach, Nico, spoke English and Spanish fluently, but didn't tell us anything about the countryside we travelled through or the places we would visit. Having left Amsterdam Centraal at 10.05am, our first stop at 11.40am was at the Afsluitdijk Wadden Center, for toilets and refreshments. Most of the 80 people got off our coach, only to find the building completely deserted and the doors locked! Having left our hotel at 9.00am, we needed the toilet facilities! Returning to the coach, there was a queue for the on-board toilet. I was very disappointed that we did not learn anything about the dijk and the polders, either at the visitor centre or from our guide. On returning home, I see from the visitor centre website that it is open Wednesdays to Sundays, so we were a day too early!

This was a very cool experience but it was a long day the restaurant was great and relaxing . The canals and the houses are very interesting to see if you have time it was fun

Well organised and very lovely guide (Esmeralea) Very nice trip and highly recommend. Esmeralea was really amazing in dealing with people, answering all their questions and very supportive. The city and the boat tour were really nice.

Thank you our guide and rider for today’s trip I’m sorry I don’t remember their names. Our guide was a wonderful guy. He spoke both English and Spanish telling us story along the way. The boat ride was also relaxing.

Geithner is a quaint canal town. We had a wonderful time there and a beautiful lunch. Boat congestion on the canals was funny to watch but a very enjoyable day all round

The trip to Giethoorn was a pleasant 1.5 hours ride. Our guide explained a lot of interesting facts along the way. The boat ride at Giethoorn was informative and pleasant. The whole ambience in Giethoorn was unique and quaint. A must visit in Netherlands.

Great experience. This is must visit place during Netherlands tour. Overall the tour guide was nice and she manages tour very well. Thanks

El guía Adrian no pudo hacerlo mejor. Se nota su pasión por la arquitectura y lo bien que conoce el manejo del agua en los Paises Bajos. A pesar de que los trayectos en bus son de unas 2 horas, se pasan rápido con sus explicaciones.Giethoorn es un pueblo encantador que merece la pena visitar. Sin embargo, a nosotros nos llovió todo el día y no pudimos sacarle el mejor partido. No os preocupéis porque el paseo en barco se hace igualmente al disponer de botes cubiertos. De todas formas, creo que 3h de tiempo libre aún con buen tiempo son demasiadas para Giethoorn. Poder ver el dique de cierre es una experiencia única y muy curiosa que recomiendo. A pesar de q la excursión es bilingüe, Adrian traduce a la perfección todos los detalles. The guide Adrian could not have done better. You can see his passion for architecture and his knowledge of water management in the Netherlands. Although the bus ride takes about 2 hours, it goes by quickly with his explanations, Giethoorn is a charming village and well worth a visit. However, it rained the whole day and we couldn't make the most of it. Don't worry because the boat trip is still possible as there are covered boats available. However, I think that 3 hours of free time, even in good weather, is too much for Giethoorn. To be able to see the closing dyke is a unique and very curious experience which I highly recommend. Although the tour is bilingual, Adrian translates all the details perfectly.

We spent a great day. The scenes were unbelievable and Giethoorn village is unforgettable. The food is delicious and people were so welcoming and friendly. A big thank you for our tour guide.

Experienced and responsible tour guide, punctual for departure of the tour, we enjoy a lot. The boat trip worths a lot.

Everything was very well organized. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Giethoorn.

Only Giethoorn is a beautiful village to visit, Dikes wasn’t interested at all. Little long ride on bus.

A very dreamy place. I really like it and I believe it is a must see location in Holland. Love the whole experience.