Netherlands » Amsterdam

Giethoorn Day Trip from Amsterdam: Small Boat Ride & Cheese Tasting

8h ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.54 (241 reviews) 76% rated it 5 stars Free cancellation

1/22

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Amsterdam to Giethoorn with canal boating cheese tasting and village walk

You’ll glide your own small boat along Giethoorn’s peaceful canals, sample Dutch cheeses straight from the farm, and stroll past thatched cottages with a local guide sharing stories. Expect laughter (especially if you steer), quiet moments under willow trees, and a real sense of daily life in this car-free village—plus easy pickup from Amsterdam.

Prices and availability checked: 2026-08-20

Step-by-step itinerary

Meet guide in central Amsterdam
Board minivan for transfer to Giethoorn
Enjoy boat ride in Giethoorn
Take walking tour in Giethoorn

The Experience

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.54 (241 reviews)

“You steer,” our guide grinned, handing me the tiller of this tiny electric boat — I hesitated, thinking about all those YouTube fails, but the water in Giethoorn was glassy and slow. It’s wild how there aren’t any roads here, just these narrow canals curling past thatched cottages and gardens full of tulips (and a few plastic flamingos, which cracked me up). The only sounds were ducks arguing and someone’s radio drifting out a window — not what I expected for a day trip from Amsterdam. I kept bumping into the bank at first; Li laughed and said even locals do it sometimes. Guess I fit right in.

The cheese stop was…well, honestly, I didn’t think I’d care much, but the smell when we walked in hit me — warm, sharp, kind of grassy? We tried slices with cumin seeds and another that tasted faintly like caramel. The farm owner explained how they age them (I missed half because I was distracted by the cows poking their noses through the barn door). Afterward we wandered through Giethoorn on foot — wooden bridges everywhere, people waving from their gardens. Our guide pointed out which houses flood first when it rains too much; apparently it’s a whole thing here. The village felt like something out of a storybook but lived-in too — laundry flapping on lines and locals gossiping over coffee outside.

I still think about that slow drift under willow trees, sun flickering through leaves onto the water. There’s this quiet you don’t get in cities — even with tourists around it feels gentle somehow. If you want to try steering your own boat (and maybe embarrassing yourself a bit), or just see how people actually live in Giethoorn without cars everywhere…yeah, this is the way to do it. And hey, if you say “Giethoorn” wrong, nobody minds — they’ll probably just laugh with you.

What’s included

Your day includes round-trip transfer from Amsterdam by air-conditioned minivan or bus, an hour-long small electric boat trip where you can drive yourself through Giethoorn’s canals, guided walking tour around the village lanes and bridges, plus cheese tasting at one of the Netherlands’ largest farms—all led by a friendly local guide before heading back to Amsterdam together.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Cherry Travel & Tours