Giethoorn, Private Boat Tour & Exploring the North Netherlands
Description
This is a 100% private tour: your guide, your group, your day. You will not be joined by any other guests, and the entire tour is dedicated exclusively to you and your party. There are many Dutch towns, cities and villages that merit a visit, but one of them is certainly Giethoorn. Often referred to as the ‘Little Venice’of the Netherlands, only accessible by boat and with an absence of roads and cars. We invite you for a private canal cruise to experience the peace, tranquility and natural beauty of this magical village. Take in the fairy-tale charms of Hasselt by foot, the most intimate way to get to know one of Hollands most delightful riverside towns. You will walk directly into the Old Town, following its cobblestone streets passing medieval houses. History is on the streets in Hasselt. You walk with your experienced private guide along the atmospheric canals and the narrow streets. The Hanseatic city Hasselt is full of stories from a far and less distant past.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your private guide will drive you directly to the picturesque village of Giethoorn ( 75min ). The centre of the village is car-free so the only way to get around is by boat or on foot. Your guide will transform himself into your captain and welcome you on board a typical 'punter', a small Dutch flat bottomed boat designed to sail in shallow waters for a private one hour tour through Giethoorn. After you're back on dry land you'll join your guide for a short walking tour giving you another perspective on this picture perfect little village.
After leaving Giethoorn you'll drive through the countryside to Hasselt, a storybook village off the beaten path. In Hasselt you'll wander with your guide through the old town’s cobblestone streets, learn about its history and why it's named 'Little Amsterdam'.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
All tours start at 10.00. Please make sure you provide your accommodation name and address when booking.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(24)
Fantastic experience for our family! Definitely a must-do if you’re traveling in or around Amsterdam. Steve was very knowledgeable, professional, and a pleasure to spend a day-trip with. We quickly exited the bustle of Amsterdam and enjoyed a beautiful and informative drive through the countryside of the lowlands. This was the highlight of our visit to Netherlands!
Dear John, Thank you so much for your review and you took the time to write it. Steve told me you had a great time and that's what it is all about, we want to offer an experience, because you deserve much more than just a private tour! I will pass the message to him. Kind regards. Marlou
What I liked about this tour – there were a lot of pleasant surprises that weren't listed. The guide took professional photos of me with my phone; he even told me professional poses to take, and the photos turned out great. At the walking tour, I made a mistake and went the wrong direction, which cost me some time because I ended up near a highway. Just follow the path where the cafés are.
Dear A, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Your guide Steve told me you all had a great time and that's what it is all about...................................... I will pass the message to him. Kind regards. Marlou
We were so fortunate to have Steve as our guide! He’s punctual and a great communicator. The evening prior to the tour, he reached out to confirm the pickup spot and time. On the morning of the tour, he arrived on time to pick us up for the full day tour of Giethoorn and Hasselt. He’s a perfect gentleman with helping my mom and me in and out of the van, and he provided water bottles for each of us. A bonus on this tour was an extra stop to one of the tulip fields off the side of the highway so that we can take pictures (since I told him I didn’t get a chance to go to Keukenhoff gardens this round). He's a great driver, and we learned so much about the Netherlands and life in this country throughout the day. One of the reasons we took this tour was because the guide would drive the boat in Giethoorn for us, and the one-hour canal cruise around Giethoorn was the highlight of the tour! We didn’t have to go in the larger boat with other groups, nor become instant “captains” and navigate with other people who didn’t know how to drive their boats. We got to explore Giethoorn by boat and on foot. Steve timed everything perfectly as we finished out “boat cruise” before the canals got even more crowded. Following our tour around Giethoorn, Steve took us to Hasselt, a small little town full of history with no other tourists, and this visit was very refreshing. It was nice to dine with him as he showed us what were more common snacks that the Dutch eat. It helps when your guide is a local who can tell you the history, lifestyle, and everything you want to know about the Dutch and the country. He even took us on an orientation walk and described the history buildings and showed us quaint little characteristics of the shops and houses around the main canals. I highly recommend this tour, and highly recommending getting Steve as your guide. We hope to tour with him again next time we visit the Netherlands!
Dear Tiff, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Steve told me you all had a great time and that's what it is all about, we want to offer an experience, because you deserve much more than just a private tour! I will pass the message to him. Kind regards. Marlou
This was an amazing trip and well worth it. Steven was wonderful. He picked us up from our Airbnb and took us to Giethoorn and Hasselt. Giethoorn was the first place we visited. It is looks like a postcard. Hasselt is equally as pretty and the Gothic church was so pretty. Steven also took us into a grinding windmill. Very fascinating. It was great to get out of Amsterdam and see the country through a locals eyes in an area where most tourists wouldn't visit. We loved that it was a private tour and that Steven was flexible. He delivered us back to our Airbnb. If you area visiting the Netherlands I would highly recommend you take the tour. 5 stars!!!
Dear Romeny, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Steve told me you all had a great time and that's what it is all about, because yoe deserve much more than just a private tour! Take care and love to see you back. Kind regards, Marlou Baets
We had a great time. Steven was very informative and a pleasure to explore the sites with. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.
Dear R, Thank you so much that you took the time to write this awesome review. I will pass the message to Steve. Take care, Marlou Baets
Steven was an excellent guide. His thorough knowledge on Netherlands, Giethoorn, etc. He has a wonderful sense of humour. He has us laughing many times. We were in awe of the beauty of Giethoorn. Enjoyed traditional Dutch treats. Beautiful country scenery. I would recommend this tour. While in Giethoorn, children from a family he had guided the day before ran up to Steven to say hi. This speaks volumes about him. How he interacts with his customers not just his knowledge. If Steven was the guide, We would take the tour!
Dear Peter, Thank you so much that you took the time to write this awesome review. We like to offer an experience instead of just a private tour. While reading your information I believe we succeeded. I will pass the message to Steve. Take care, Marlou Baets
Steven was a wonderful tour guide and provided a great Giethoorn and Northern Netherlands experience. We highly recommend this experience.
Dear P, Thank you so much that you took the time to write this awesome review. We like to offer an experience instead of just a private tour. While reading your information I believe we succeeded. I will pass the message to Steve. Take care, Marlou Baets
Steven Attersol was our guide for 2 days. This Giethoorm and North of the Netherlands tour, and the Windmills and fishing village in another day. Steven is very knowledgeable in the history of the Netherlands. He gave us a glimpse of how people used to live, then and now. We enjoyed listening to all the stories, of what’s happening, etc he told us. He took care to change the timing to avoid the rain as much as possible while we had the open boat ride. He also took us to off the beaten path places to walk around, to have lunch, etc. It was very enjoyable. My sister wanted to buy some cheese for her family. Steven took us to a place with very good cheese. My sister did not eat cheese much before but she said the cheese was very good after she went home. Thank you Steven for the 2 wonderful, well informed tours. Wishing you and your family all the best. Eleanor and Alice
Dear Eleanor, Thank you so much you took the time to write this wonderful review. We were happy to show and guide you through our small country within two day's. It's our goal to offer our guests an experience instead of just a private tour. I pass the message to Steven. Take care, Marlou Baets
Steve was the guide. He was very good and informative. Loved the peaceful ride on the boat in Giethoorn. We recommend making this part of our Netherland experience
Dear Sherri, Thank you so much for your wonderfull review. We want to offer an experience, instead of just a private tour. Steve also had a nice time with you'all also, as he informed me. Great, that's how it should be ! Take care and hope to see you back again in Amsterdam. Marlou Baets
This is a must do excursion. The village and canal tour was amazing. Glad we had a local private guide, it made the world of difference. Steve was amazing and we enjoyed chatting with him and getting know the local history and current events! You can't go wrong doing this tour!
Dear Jamieo, Thank you so much you took the time to write this wonderful review. We want to offer our guests an experience, much more than just a private tour. When reading your review, I believe your guide Steve did it again! Hope to see you back again and I will pass the message and compliments to Steve. Take care Marlou Baets
