Countryside and Windmills Tour from Amsterdam

Zaanse Schans Windmills

Zaanse Schans, about 20 minutes north of Amsterdam, is an open-air neighbourhood of green wooden houses, warehouses and historic windmills on the bank of the river Zaan. From the 1960s onwards, old buildings from across the region were moved here to preserve them. The Zaan area once had hundreds of windmills sawing timber, pressing oil and grinding paint pigments, which made it one of the first industrial zones in the world.

Walking along the dike you see mills that still turn and work, and your guide explains how each one was used. Many people ask whether Zaanse Schans is worth visiting: for a first look at real Dutch windmills close to the city, it is the easiest choice. Plan about an hour here; the site is most photogenic in the morning light.

Inside a Working Windmill

On the all-inclusive option, the recommended choice on this page, you step inside one of the working mills rather than only seeing them from outside. Climbing the steep wooden stairs, you reach the stage around the mill where the miller turns the cap into the wind, and inside you see the massive wooden gears and the machinery driven by the sails.

It is the part of the tour that turns a pretty view into a real understanding of how the Dutch used wind power for centuries. Stairs are narrow, so wear flat shoes. If you choose the classic option, you still walk among the windmills at Zaanse Schans, and you can buy a windmill ticket there if you would like to go inside.

Volendam, the Fishing Town

Volendam is a lively harbour town on the Markermeer, the lake that was part of the open Zuiderzee sea until the Afsluitdijk closed it in 1932. Its brick houses, the harbour promenade and the traditional costumes still worn at festivals make it one of the best-known faces of old Holland. Many visitors pose for a photo in local costume at one of the studios along the waterfront.

Here the tour visits a traditional cheese shop for a cheese-making demonstration and tasting, where you learn the difference between young and aged Gouda. Afterwards you have free time along the harbour. Anyone planning a day trip to Volendam from Amsterdam will find this the simplest way to combine it with Zaanse Schans and Marken.

Marken and the Gouwzee Boat Ride

Marken was an island in the Zuiderzee until a dike connected it to the mainland in 1957. Its dark green wooden houses stand on small mounds and wooden posts to protect them from floods, and the quiet lanes, harbour and white lighthouse make it feel like a village from another century.

On the all-inclusive option you reach Marken by boat, a 30-minute crossing of the Gouwzee with views back to Volendam's skyline. In Marken you watch a clog maker shape a wooden shoe in minutes using an antique steam-driven machine, and you learn why clogs are still worn by Dutch farmers. The coach then brings you back to Amsterdam.