Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages
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September 2026
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Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
4.7/5
Based on 109 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages worth booking?
Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages is a 9.5-hour experience in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from $128 per person. It scores 74 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Strongly Recommended”, based on a 4.7/5 rating across 109 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 74 / 100
- Rating
- 4.7/5 (109)
- Duration
- 9.5 hours
- From
- $128 per person
Enjoy a full-day tour visiting The Most Famous Dutch Iconic villages of Zaanse Schans, Giethoorn and a beautiful Local Farm with an informative guide. Explore traditional windmills ,waterways, landscapes, clog factories
What you get
About this experience
Enjoy a full-day tour visiting The Most Famous Dutch Iconic villages of Zaanse Schans, Giethoorn and a beautiful Local Farm with an informative guide. Explore traditional windmills ,waterways, landscapes, clog factories and cheese makers up close. Take a boat ride through Geithoorn’s picture-postcard canals with views of the beautiful houses and gardens. You will also have a chance to choose to visit a Dutch dairy farm or a peaceful local fish village. *All tours are designed with great care; *small size groups to guarantee personal attention; *Professional, friendly and knowledgeable tour guides: *Have fun, make new friends world wide; * Plenty of free time for exploring on your own, easy, comfortable and relaxed, * Perfect for all members of the family;
What's included
Included
- Bottled water
- professional tour guide
- Giethoorn canal cruise.
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Cheese, Waffels, Chocholate tasting.
Not included
- Lunch
What you'll see and do
Zaanse Schans
Visit traditional wooden windmills, distinctive green wooden houses, view the typical Dutch landscapes of the polders, dikes. Your guide will give interesting facts about the village and some information related to landscapes, windmills and history. (30 minutes driving)
60 minutes here · Admission included
Kooijman Souvenirs & Clogs Wooden Shoe Workshop
The wooden shoe workshop is located in Zaamse schans, Learn about the history of traditional Dutch clogs. Attend a workshop with demonstration of how clogs are made.you' ll have free time to explore the wooden shoe workshop.
30 minutes here · Admission included
Catharina Hoeve Cheese Farm
The Cheese Farm is located in Zaamse schans,Attend a professional demonstration to know how cheese is made. In the farm, you will have chance to taste more than 25 different types of Dutch Cheese. Right after guided section is over in the farm, you' ll have free time to explore the village and the shops on your own.
60 minutes here · Admission included
Almere
At the farm, you will have a chance to taste fresh milk, and you can see the surrounded nature of farm land. More over, you can take memorable photos with Netherland’s productive cows. ( 30 minutes driving )
60 minutes here
Giethoorn
5 .Experience the "Venice of the Netherlands" where there are no main roads and all transport is on the water of the many canals. With an hour boat trip, you will sail across the old village and the Bovenwijde lake to explore unique thatch-roof cottages and arch-shape wooden bridges. After the boat trip, you' ll have free time to explore the village and the shops on your own, after than going bak Amsterdam ( 3 hours driving )
360 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Amsterdam
Behind Amsterdam central station ( KISS +RIDE )
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations.
Ends at
Behind Amsterdam central station ( KISS +RIDE )
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 8 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Alx Tours
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 109 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
6 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
6 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Value for money
2 mentionsTravelers feel they got more than they paid for.
Traveler reviews
109 verified traveler reviews for Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Great day
We had a great day and a great guide, Nico. This was one of my favorite experiences while in The Netherlands.
via Viator
We had an excellent...
We had an excellent experience and our tour guide was knowledgeable and very friendly. Would recommend this tour. Teresa
via Viator
5 Stars for Nico!
Nico, our tour guide, was excellent and we would do another tour with him in a heartbeat! He gave us excellent instructions for meeting up with him, and he provided comfortable transportation and consideration of our preferences. He gave us a lot of insight into our destinations as well as general history and culture of the Netherlands. I appreciated that he gave us time on our own to explore along with thoughtful suggestions of how to spend our short pockets of free time. We will definitely seek him out during future trips, thank you Nico!
via Tripadvisor
Don’t schedule when it’s off-season
This excursion should not be offered during “off season” or should be changed in order to maximize the 9 hours. Our driver, Alex, got all flustered and turned around due to street closings in Amsterdam. We walked about 10 minutes to meet him because he couldn’t get to our hotel. The second group was picked up 30 minutes late because the driver had them walk to another location instead of getting them in front of their hotel. We drove past their hotel twice trying to get to the location he had them walk to. The first stop to Zaanse Schans was great. Windmills and cheese making demonstration. Long drive to Geithoorn was uneventful with no commentary as to what we were seeing enroute. The boat ride was nice, but the restaurant where the boat docked was closed. The town was pretty much closed. There were only a couple of restaurants open for lunch. It’s off season. I’m sure this tour would be wonderful during the season. Do not schedule this during the off season.
Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your feedback. First, we would like to clarify that on the day of your tour there was a major government conference in the center of Amsterdam, which caused unexpected road closures across large parts of the city center. These closures were announced with very short notice and were completely outside of our control. Because of these restrictions, our driver Alex tried to pick you up as close as possible to your hotel. The alternative meeting point was less than a 5-minute walk, not 10 minutes. Unfortunately, many streets around hotels were blocked, making it impossible for vehicles to stop directly in front of some locations. To avoid getting stuck in traffic and causing the tour to run much longer than planned, the guide also asked the second group to walk to a nearby meeting point. This was done only to keep the tour running smoothly and to save time for all guests, not to create inconvenience. Due to the same road closures, reaching that point was also more complicated than expected. Regarding the destinations, Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn are both open year-round and many guests actually enjoy visiting during the quieter months because it is less crowded. However, as you mentioned, winter/low season naturally means fewer restaurants and shops are open, which is normal in smaller villages. Guests choose the travel season themselves, and this is something we cannot control. We understand that the unexpected city closures and the quiet season may have affected your experience. However, these circumstances were temporary situations beyond our control, and our guide did his best to manage the situation and ensure the tour could still take place. For this reason, we feel that judging the entire tour negatively due to citywide security closures and seasonal factors is not entirely fair. We appreciate your visit and hope future travellers will still enjoy discovering places like Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn with us in any season.
via Viator
Relaxing and informative tour
Alex was knowledgeable and accommodating. Very pleasant. He even made sure we had wonderful music to listen to while on the long drive.
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 9.5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 38
- Verdict
- Strongly Recommended
Why this scores 74
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Amsterdam.
How much does Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages cost?
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Prices start at $128 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Amsterdam usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages take?
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Plan for about 9.5 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Amsterdam is not rushed.
Is Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 74 out of 100, which we label "Strongly Recommended". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.7/5 across 109 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Amsterdam, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 9.5-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages?
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Around 38 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Amsterdam can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Amsterdam and add a light layer if any part of the 9.5-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Best of Dutch Countryside: Giethoorn, Windmills, Secret Villages start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Amsterdam within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Amsterdam?
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On Outty we rank every Amsterdam experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Amsterdam Canal Cruise with Local Guide and Small Group, Guided Bike Tour of Amsterdam's Highlights & Hidden Gems, Amsterdam: Luxury Canal Cruise including Cocktails & Snacks. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Amsterdam?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Amsterdam?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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