THE NETHERLANDS · DESTINATION
The Dutch classics.
The 15 most popular zaanse schans & windmills tours in the Netherlands. What each one is really like, who runs it, and what it costs.
A 5.5-hour bus day trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Marken, with cheese, clogs, and optional boat and stroopwafel stops.
“Like the program , to be improved less detailed program and more free time”
8-hour bus tour from Amsterdam to windmills, cheese tasting, clogs, and fishing villages at Volendam and Marken.
“Amanda the tour guide was excellent, very informative throughout the whole tour. Jose the driver was great getting us from place to place on time. Overall the tour was great and would recommend.”
Half-day tour from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans for windmills, clog-making and cheese tasting, plus an optional canal cruise voucher.
“We enjoyed this tour. It gave us a nice taste (literally) of the cheese culture in The Netherlands. The history and visits to windmills and the clog making experience were fun, as well. It's easy enough to get there without a tour, but we appreciated not having to do anymore organizing of activities.”
Half-day bus tour from Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans windmills, Edam cheese, Volendam demos, Marken village, with optional canal cruise.
“We had a wonderful time on this excursion. Everything was perfectly organized from start to finish. A huge thank you to our guide Richard and driver for making this day so special. Highly recommended”
Keukenhof tulips meet a 60-minute windmill cruise from Amsterdam, with flexible garden time and easy hop-back buses.
“It was exactly as promised. The weather was perfect which made the day even more special. I enjoyed the boat cruise through the windmills and canals. If the weather is fine, be sure to sit outside.”
3-hour small-group trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans for clog-making, Gouda cheese tasting, and a working windmill visit.
“The meeting point was easy to find. Great guide and transportation was excellent. A really well planned tour and everything you expected. Would definitely recommend.”
5-hour trip from Amsterdam to Volendam and Zaanse Schans: working windmills, clog-making, huge Dutch cheese wheels, and optional canal cruise.
“A great day trip! Very touristy so need to embrace the crowds. But, really it is the only way visit as it was super easy.”
Amsterdam day trip to Keukenhof and Zaanse Schans with flexible bus return, included cheese and clog demos, plus free maps.
“I felt windmills and Keukenhof were both fine attractions. I did however think that at the windmills I couldn't go in anywhere without paying again. It should be all included. I felt "nickel and dimed"- not a good feeling when I left for such an interesting place”
UNESCO Kinderdijk windmills ticket from Rotterdam with boat cruise, two museum mills, pumping station, and audio guide. Self-paced 1 day.
“a beautiful UNESCO site which was quiet and peaceful. full of history and the windmills were a glorious sight and working. highly recommended and easy to get to by waterbus21. recommend the boat trip which doesn't stop first as you can easily walk to the museums.”
A 4-hour Italian-guided day trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans: windmills, Dutch clogs, and cheese tasting—small group, easy pace.
“Ottimo e super interessante”
Ride an e-bike from Amsterdam to Waterland villages, visit a working windmill, then tour a cheese farm and taste your heart out.
“Excellent day. Great bikes. Easy to ride. Great to get out into the countryside. Beautiful scenery. Excellent stops and information. Beautiful cows and dairy farm with cheese factory.”
Guided Amsterdam day tour to Keukenhof and Zaanse Schans: tulips, windmills, clog-making and cheese tasting, plus optional canal cruise voucher.
“Loved the whole thing. We were lucky enough to catch everything in bloom. Bus was comfortable, guide was great, and no waiting in lines. A wonderful experience.”
From Amsterdam, see Giethoorn’s canals on a cruise and Zaanse Schans windmills up close, plus cheese and clog-making stops.
“Excellent way to get a broad overview of the Netherlands. The two stops were both beautiful and informative, with just enough time at each to see and do before moving on. The coach bus was quite comfortable (nothing you can do about people who think watching videos on their phone without a headset. Some people…”
Day trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Giethoorn for windmills, clog and cheese demos, plus a canal cruise with a guide.
“Igor is a very good and knowledgeable tour guide. He's not just a tour guide; he's also your friend in the city. He was very kind and friendly, and he told us a lot about the city and its history. Since our group wasn't very large, the tour was very easy and super relaxed. After…”
Take the WaterShuttle from Rotterdam to UNESCO Kinderdijk by water. Ride fast, choose deck or indoor seats, and bring bikes for free.
“Easy to access and use. The ride was warm, clean, and comfortable. This is public transit- it was helpful to find the waterbus website to use the map and route planner.”
