From Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans, Volendam & Marken Tour
Description
Take a day trip by bus from Amsterdam for a comfortable 5,5-hour break into deep-rooted Dutch tradition, traveling beyond breathtaking countryside with free Wi-Fi and getting carried away by the iconic windmills. The experience focuses squarely on the magnificent Zaanse Schans and the charming fishing village of Volendam. At first, Zaanse Schans welcomes you to a village like no other; walk around at leisure, admire the perfectly preserved windmills and quaint old houses, and then continue to the lively fishing village of Volendam. There, visit a cheese shop where the old ways are still used, and enjoy an instructive Volendam cheese presentation. Choose your adventure: -The Classic Tour includes the captivating art of clog-making and a cheesemaking demonstration. -The All-In Tour offers the full flavour: cheese, clogs, a cruise on the Marken Express, entry to a working windmill, and a sweet stop at Woltje's Bakery: taste a real Dutch stroopwafel!
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Zaanse Schans is a charming historic village near Amsterdam, known for its iconic Dutch windmills and traditional green wooden houses. Visitors can stroll along the scenic riverbanks, explore artisan workshops, and see how clogs and cheese are made. A highlight is the row of functioning windmills, each with a unique purpose like sawing wood or grinding spices. With the all-inclusive tour, you can step inside one of these windmills for a fascinating look at Dutch engineering in action. It’s a perfect day trip for experiencing the Netherlands' rich cultural heritage.
Volendam is a picturesque fishing village on the IJsselmeer, famous for its old harbor, colorful boats, and traditional Dutch costumes. Once home to a thriving fishing community, it still reflects its maritime roots in every corner. Strolling through the village, you’ll find charming streets, fresh seafood, and friendly locals. With the all-inclusive tour, you can also visit a local cheese factory to see how Dutch cheese is made and enjoy a tasting. It’s a delightful blend of culture, history, and local flavor.
Marken is a quaint former island village known for its wooden houses, peaceful atmosphere, and traditional Dutch charm. The village is also home to a wooden shoe factory, where you can see clogs being made by hand. Marken offers a unique glimpse into authentic Dutch heritage by the water.
Your tour concludes in central Amsterdam
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children up to and including 3 years old are free of charge (not occupying a seat)
Reviews(4,626)
We had a fantastic experience with this tour. We booked at the office in front of the Anne Frank house museum. We highly recommend this wonderful tour. The Zaanse Schanns windmills were nice. The boat trip was relaxing. We watched how wooden shoes were made which was very interesting. We also saw how the famous stroop waffles and cheese were made. Our driver, Nick was very friendly, courteous, and offered us drinks to buy. Our guide Rodrigo from Peru was very professional, friendly, funny, caring and patient. He speaks two languages (English and Spanish) and very knowledgeable about everything. We learned a lot on this trip and he was an exceptional guide. Highly recommend.
The bus was comfortable and everything was on time which was appreciated. However if you’re traveling with grandparents or small children the tour is very fast paced. At the first stop at Volendam, we had to rush to use the restrooms and back to the bus there was not free time to explore even though it was on the itinerary. Same thing at Marken after the wooden shoes presentation. There was also a lot of people during the presentations and we were standing or at the back unable to see what was being showed.
Not clear instructions to find where we needed to meet. A place to message and we did because we needed help and got no response. We were unable to make the tour and phone number would have been more helpful. Very disappointed
Dear guest, Thank you for your feedback. We are very sorry to hear that the instructions were not clear and that you were unable to join the tour. We understand how frustrating this must have been, especially when you tried to reach out for help. Your comments are important to us and will be shared with the relevant team to improve communication and support for future guests. Kind regards
Great time touring cheese making, clog making and historic windmills. Tour guide was fantastic. Wonderful
Although tickets are sent upon payment these are not the actual event tickets. Was told throughout booking to meet at a specific point 30 minutes prior to start time. We did and we waited for 25 minutes but nobody arrived to greet us. Eventually we asked inside meeting location and we actually needed another ticket and additional instruction of where event departs from which unfortunately wasn't at the advised meeting place. Had a tour guide been there to meet or advise of additional ticket requirement we wouldn't have almost missed departure. Couldn't see anywhere on info that we had to go into meeting place and exchange ticket for actual tour tickets. Very confusing
Wonderful and interesting tour with Diana and Mauricio! Diana explained everything very well (in several languages!!) and was very cheerful. Beautiful countryside and villages.
We could have not seen the holland countryside the way we did with this tour. Its very insightful and heart warming. The charm of the netherland countryside seeps in beautifully and stays with you
Dear Ratika, Thank you for your kind review. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and got to experience the Dutch countryside in such a nice way. It is great to know that the charm of the villages and landscapes stayed with you. We really appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future. Kind regards
We had a wonderful experience with Tour & City. Everything was very well organized and allowed us to enjoy every moment of the tour in a comfortable, entertaining, and safe manner. I want to especially highlight the attention of Yair and Juan, who were extremely kind, attentive, and professional throughout the day. They were always willing to help, answer questions, and share interesting information, making the experience much closer and more enjoyable. The commitment they have to the travelers with whom they do their work is evident. Thanks to them, the tour was dynamic, entertaining, and full of good moments. Additionally, they made us feel very welcomed at all times. Thank you very much, Yair and Juan, for making this day such a special experience!
Dear guest, Thank you for the amazing review. We are very happy to hear you had such a wonderful and well-organised experience and enjoyed every part of the tour. It is also great to know that Yair and Juan made your day so special with their kindness, support and professionalism. Kind regards
Highly recommend this tour. Value for money and great experience. We booked via the Tours & Tickets booth (next to the museum) booking included a 60 minute canal trip and for the next day a seven hour trip including time spent at the Windmills, making clogs, cheese production and a boat trip to watch how stroop waffles are made. The history given was detailed and really interesting. Our tour guides were Manuel & Luca- friendly & welcoming each person on the trip. Their enthusiasm and energy were so great and I highly recommend both trips. There is something for everyone
Dear guest, Thank you for the amazing review. We are really happy to hear you enjoyed the tours and felt they were great value for money. It’s wonderful that the visits to the windmills, clogs, cheese and stroopwafels, as well as the canal cruise, made your experience so memorable. We are also glad Manuel and Luca made the day special with their energy and care. Kind regards
In my opinion the visit to the wooden shoe factory was a bit of waste of time, by the time we arrived by bus we only saw the last bit of the demonstration. It should have been better coordinated either group arrived by boat.
