Mid-December
Christmas Art & Gift Market
Art, gifts and regional produce in a festive village setting (the Kerst Kunst Kado Markt). Planned for 13 December 2026; check giethoornagenda.nl for the final programme.
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Season & weather
Christmas & New Year in Giethoorn
Christmas holidays from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027: heated canal cruises, the Christmas Art & Gift Market, a peaceful New Year and dinner at the dock.
Christmas holidays
Atmosphere without the crowds
At Christmas, Giethoorn is at its stillest and most atmospheric: lights in the thatched farmhouses, bare trees mirrored in the canal and hardly a boat on the water. The Dutch Christmas holidays run from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; in North Rhine-Westphalia from 23 December to 6 January and in Lower Saxony until 9 January.
Our heated cruise boats sail every day. On dry days you can also rent a self-drive boat, from 09:00 until sunset around 16:30. Dress warmly and bring a blanket.
- Heated canal cruise, daily, € 10 per person
- Self-drive boat on dry days until about 16:30
- Christmas Art & Gift Market in mid-December
- Dinner at the dock
December
What’s on
1 hour · € 10 per person
Heated canal cruise
An hour through the wintry village, covered and heated, while the skipper tells the stories. Also on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
On the water
Christmas dinner at the dock
Our restaurant next to the cruise dock serves on Delft Blue, with a view of the water. Reserve in good time for the Christmas days.
New Year on the water
New Year’s Eve in Giethoorn is a quiet affair. No big firework display, but a silent village, a heated cruise on 31 December and, if New Year’s Day is dry, the first boat of the year. Museum ’t Olde Maat Uus is closed on 31 December and 1 January; for the rest of the Christmas holidays it opens daily from 11:00 to 16:00.
If you would like to see in the New Year in the village, stay at Hotel Old Art, right at Ds. T.O. Hylkemaweg 7, or Hotel Giethoorn, a short walk away at Petersteeg 2.
Practical
Good to know at Christmas
Sunset at 16:27On 21 December there is just over 7.5 hours of daylight. Start a self-drive boat before 14:00 if you can.
Museums’t Olde Maat Uus is closed on 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January; otherwise open daily 11:00–16:00 during the Christmas holidays. De Oude Aarde: 10:00–17:00.
Free parkingAt Zuiderpad 14A and at Hotel Old Art. In winter there is plenty of space.
Gift ideaA canal cruise or a boat for the spring: book online and give the confirmation as a present.
Stay over at Christmas
Hotel Old Art sits next to our restaurant and the cruise dock, and Hotel Giethoorn is a few minutes' walk away. Wake up on the water in a silent village.
Questions about Christmas and New Year
Is there a Christmas market in Giethoorn?
Yes, the Christmas Art & Gift Market (Kerst Kunst Kado Markt) in mid-December. Planned for 13 December 2026; the programme is published at giethoornagenda.nl.
Can you sail in Giethoorn at Christmas?
Yes. The heated cruise boats sail every day, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Self-drive boats can be rented on dry days until sunset around 16:30.
When are the Christmas holidays 2026?
From 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 in the Netherlands. In NRW from 23 December to 6 January, in Lower Saxony until 9 January.
Is Giethoorn busy at Christmas?
No. The Christmas holidays are one of the quietest periods of the year, on the water too.
Can I celebrate New Year’s Eve in Giethoorn?
Yes, quietly and atmospherically. Stay at Hotel Old Art or Hotel Giethoorn and dine at the dock. Reserve in good time.
Is there snow or ice at Christmas?
Rarely. December averages 6 °C by day with 21 rainy days. Skating on the canals is only possible in a hard frost.