Zaanse Schans Windmills, Volendam & Marken Tour from Amsterdam
- Duration5.5 hours
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Overview
Discover the classic Dutch countryside in one afternoon on our Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken tour from Amsterdam. Travel by air-conditioned coach with a live guide to the historic windmills of Zaanse Schans, the harbour town of Volendam and the former island of Marken, with free time at each stop. Watch cheese-making and clog-making demonstrations, and with the default all-inclusive option, cross the water by boat between Volendam and Marken and step inside a working windmill. Ideal for families and first-time visitors to the Netherlands.
Highlights
- The historic working windmills of Zaanse Schans
- Volendam's harbour, fishing heritage and traditional costume
- The wooden houses of Marken, a former island village
- Cheese-making demonstration with tasting, and clog-making with an antique machine
- Boat ride across the Gouwzee and a visit inside a windmill, depending on the option you choose
- Live guide in English and Spanish, plus an audio guide on the coach
Full Description
Zaanse Schans and its windmills
The Zaan region north of Amsterdam is often called one of the first industrial zones in the world. In the 17th and 18th centuries, hundreds of windmills lined the river Zaan, sawing timber, pressing oil and grinding spices and paint pigments. Zaanse Schans preserves a group of these mills alongside green wooden houses moved here from across the region.
On a Zaanse Schans tour from Amsterdam you walk along the dyke between mills that still work, with names like De Kat and Het Jonge Schaap. With the all-inclusive option you step inside a working windmill to see the huge wooden gears turn. Mornings and late afternoons are the calmest times to visit Zaanse Schans.
Volendam, the fishing town
Volendam grew as a fishing town on the Zuiderzee, an inland sea that was closed off from the North Sea in 1932 and became the freshwater Markermeer. Its colourful harbour, lined with old wooden houses and fishing boats, is one of the most photographed spots in the Netherlands.
Here you visit a cheese factory to watch how traditional Dutch cheese is made and to taste several kinds. Some locals still wear the traditional costume on special occasions, with its tall pointed lace caps. There is free time to walk the dyke and the harbour front before continuing to Marken.
The boat across the Gouwzee to Marken
With the default all-inclusive option, you travel from Volendam to Marken on a thirty-minute boat ride across the Gouwzee, the bay between the two towns. Seen from the water, the low green landscape and the lighthouse known as the Horse of Marken show why Dutch life has always been shaped by water.
Marken was an island until 1957, when a causeway linked it to the mainland, and it kept a strong identity of its own. Its wooden houses, painted green and black, stand on mounds or stilts to stay safe from floods. A day trip to Marken feels like stepping into a quieter, older Holland.
Clogs and Dutch traditions
Wooden shoes were everyday footwear for Dutch farmers and fishermen for centuries, because they are warm, waterproof and tough. During the tour you watch a clog-making demonstration with an antique machine that carves a pair from a block of poplar or willow in minutes.
You also hear how the Dutch drained lakes to create polders, why windmills were essential to keep land dry, and how cheese became a national symbol. The tour lasts about five and a half hours, so it fits easily into an afternoon, leaving the morning free for Amsterdam's museums.
Itinerary
- Check-in in AmsterdamCheck in at the meeting point inside Amsterdam Central Station 30 minutes before the 12:00 departure.
- Zaanse SchansAbout 45 minutes by coach, then time among the windmills, with a working windmill visit depending on the option you choose.
- VolendamCheese-making demonstration with tasting, and free time at the harbour.
- Boat to MarkenA thirty-minute boat ride across the Gouwzee, included in the all-inclusive option.
- Marken and clog-makingExplore the village and watch a clog-making demonstration, then return to Amsterdam about five and a half hours after departure.
What's included
- Transport by air-conditioned coach with audio guide
- Live guide in English and Spanish
- Visits to Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken
- Up-close look at the windmills of Zaanse Schans
- Clog-making demonstration
- Cheese-making demonstration and tasting
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Tips
- Boat ride between Volendam and Marken
- Entry to a working windmill
Is this right for you?
Great for
- Families with children — a child price for ages 0–13
- Anyone who wants to see it from the water
Think twice if
- You want a private tour — this one is shared with other travellers
- You get seasick easily
Not suitable for
- Wheelchair users
- People with low fitness levels
Meeting point
Meet your guide inside Amsterdam Central Station, at De Ruijterkade 34A on the waterside of the station. Please check in 30 minutes before the 12:00 departure. Hotel pickup is not included. The tour returns to Amsterdam Central Station in the late afternoon.
Important information
- Check in 30 minutes before departure; the coach leaves on time
- Bring weather-appropriate clothing: it can be windy and wet on the water
- Pets are not allowed
- Lunch is not included; there is free time to buy food in Volendam
- Children under four travel free if they sit on an adult's lap; see the booking panel for ticket types
- The boat ride and windmill visit are included only in the all-inclusive option
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what travellers ask us most, before they book.
How much does the Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken tour cost?
The price depends on the option you choose. The booking panel on this page shows the current price for each option, for adults and children.
Is hotel pickup included?
No. The tour starts inside Amsterdam Central Station, easy to reach from anywhere in the city.
How long is the tour?
About five and a half hours, departing at 12:00.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Yes, children love the windmills, the clog demonstration and the boat ride. Children under four travel free on an adult's lap.
What should I wear or bring?
Comfortable shoes and a waterproof jacket, as the weather in the Dutch countryside changes quickly.
Can I book for today or tomorrow?
Yes, if seats remain for your date in the booking panel.
What is the difference between the options?
The classic tour includes the three villages and the cheese and clog demonstrations. The all-inclusive option adds the boat ride between Volendam and Marken and a visit inside a working windmill.
Can I go inside the windmills at Zaanse Schans?
Yes, with the all-inclusive option you visit inside a working windmill; with the classic tour you see the windmills from outside.
Is Zaanse Schans worth visiting?
Yes. It is the easiest place near Amsterdam to see historic working windmills together in a traditional village setting.
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