playbook
Whisper Boat Giethoorn with Kids
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.
2u
duration
€ 40–120
budget
Ground
pace
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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by PlayTryBe team
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.
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.