Yes, Giethoorn is a beautiful little village, but if you’ve been on Instagram for five minutes, you’ve seen reel after reel of tourists leisurely boating under picturesque bridges with lush florals flouncing in the spring breeze. And while this is the case and general vibe, what all of these Instagrams reels don’t tell you is that Giethoorn is small, especially by foot. I expected to spend hours scouting the area, but it took me maybe 60 minutes to walk from end to end. There is apparently another section of Giethoorn, according to a rental boat owner, but he said it was just like this section.
When I got off the bus, I was really concerned that I had made a mistake because it looked exactly like the rest of the Dutch countryside. It was only until I kept walking for twenty minutes that I realized that the village was there, just neatly tucked away.
Going off of Instagram alone, I was really excited to explore Giethoorn and I expected the walking area to be more than just one street. But it’s true. Giethoorn has a single main street for tourists to walk down. The canal is on one side and tourists are only allowed to cross certain bridges, as most of the bridges lead straight to someone’s front lawn. The bridges you are allowed to cross usually lead straight to a restaurant or museum.
It completely makes sense that the tourist area is restricted. After all, people actually live here, and they don’t want their neighborhood turned into Disneyland. I saw children playing outside on their lawns on the other side of the canal and I absolutely respect giving them their privacy.
Getting to Giethoorn, Netherlands
I’m a family photographer and this was my first time in Giethoorn, so I left Amsterdam at 6:30 a.m. to make sure I found the perfect location and had it at the right time of day. I didn’t want to be caught with a gorgeous location and the location not work because it was front-lit instead of backlit. It’s worth noting that my GPS initially told me to get off the bus in the middle of a field. Thankfully the driver suggested I stay on till Steenwijk.
Yes, Giethoorn is day trip distance from Amsterdam, and you can go by bus from Amsterdam. I took trusty public transit because I wanted to get there early, and ended up taking a bus from Steenwijk. If you take this route, be aware that the bus from Giethoorn to Steenwijk stops around 7:15 in the evening. Don’t miss it, or you’ll be calling an Uber, as the next bus is at 6 a.m. I had really amazing clients that drove me back to Steenwijk.
Giethoorn Restaurants
I had planned on finding an Albert Heijn to snack on when I got there, but was shocked to find that they didn’t have one. There are, however, several restaurants which will sell you food at 10 in the morning, provided they can cook it on a panini press. A little later and you can easily find food, as there are dozens of restaurants and ice cream shops. In the summer, there is an abundance of ice cream as well. Since I arrived so early, I found a cafe to work in while I waited for our session time.
Renting a Boat
Most boat rental companies won’t let you take the boats out after a certain time. I think it was 6 p.m. There is one company that does it, and of course I didn’t get the name. I remember where it is and what color hydrangeas are outside the building, so you can see where my priorities lie. I usually tell directions based on the florals in the area.
When you rent a boat, you truly get to see the village from a different point of view. You’re down in the canals, looking up at the slanting lawns and the sweeping weeping willow fronds. It’s peaceful, and if you rent later, you don’t have to deal with too many other boats in the water.
It does get chilly when you go out onto the open water, so bring a sweater!
Hiring a Photographer for Family Photos
I’ve already scouted the area and prefer to photograph at Giethoorn in the afternoon when it’s cloudy, which you can usually bank on. However, on the off chance that the sun is shining, we would need to have your session in the morning, so I get there early anyway. This is because I need to photograph you backlit when it’s sunny, and the canal is mostly on one side from the main footpath. The most likely scenario is that it’s cloudy and we have the afternoon for photos. However, I will get there early just in case it is sunny and we need to go backlit.
If you’d like to book a photoshoot, you can visit my booking page or email me at simsawyersphotography@gmail.com.
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