Whisper Boat Giethoorn with Kids
2 h€ 40-120 Calm
Head out early in Giethoorn, at 9:30, before the crowds descend. Together you sail for one to two hours through the canals, either at the helm yourself or with a booked rower who does the work for you.
Giethoorn fills up with buses and tour groups from half past ten onwards. Anyone who wants to see the village as it once was, a row of wooden houses along a narrow canal with little white bridges, should choose a 9:30 departure. For families with children, a whisper boat is more practical than a canoe: stable, no boating licence required, and you can look around without having to paddle.
Two options work well. Hiring a boat yourself gives you the freedom to moor wherever you like. A booked boat with a rower or skipper works better if you want someone to explain the village. Ask the rower in advance to talk in child-friendly language, with short sentences and concrete things to point out, not historical dates. One hour is short; two hours is for those who also want to sail beyond the village.
Checklist
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Reservering of vertrektijd 9:30
Zwemvest aan boord
Regenjas in tas
Water en koekje mee
Parkeerticket Noord geregeld
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Book the evening before or arrive at 9:30 without a reservation at a rental company on the Dorpsgracht.
Choose a whisper boat, not a canoe or stand-up paddleboard, for the first trip on the water with kids.
At departure, ask the skipper or rower to speak in child-friendly language, pointing things out rather than explaining them.
Sail through the old Binnenpad section first, before the crowds arrive.
Stop for ten minutes at a mooring spot to stretch your legs and grab an ice cream.
A one-hour cruise in peace works better than two hours with a running commentary.
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For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Book a boat with a rower if you have children under six on board.
- Check with the rental company whether the boat has an outboard motor or battery drive.
- Pack a light rain jacket, the weather in Giethoorn can change quickly.
- Avoid weekends in July and August; go on a weekday or outside of season.
Variations
- - Vaar zelf met een kleine boot in plaats van een geboekte roeier.
- - Combineer met een wandeling over het Binnenpad na de vaart.
- - Kies twee uur en vaar via Bovenwijde een stuk de polder in.
by PlayTryBe team