Windmills near Amsterdam
The best Zaanse Schans tours
The windmills of Zaanse Schans, clog and cheese demos, and the fishing villages of Volendam and Marken. Here are the tours and the do-it-yourself train, with honest advice on group sizes, how rushed each stop feels, and what you can see for free.
See our 7 picks
Zaanse Schans is a free windmill village about 17 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal by train. You can visit it without a tour. Some windmills charge €7.50 to go inside, and the Zaans Museum €17. A tour adds a guide, clog and cheese demos and, on most, Volendam and Marken, from €17 on GetYourGuide.
- 7
- tours compared
- from €17
- lowest price per person
- ★ 4.7
- best rating (2,573 reviews)
- 7 of 7
- free cancellation
Our 7 picks for Zaanse Schans tours
Our top pick first, then the rest by number of reviews. We left off one tour that runs only in Italian. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.
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from €33 per person Our top pick 6.5–8 hours 4.7 (5,713) reviews on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken
A 6.5 to 8-hour bus tour to four villages, with entry to a cheese farm and a clog workshop, plus a stop in Edam. Some days have an 8:15 start to beat the crowds.
Best for Four villages in one day
Check availability: Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken on GetYourGuide -
from €33 per person 5 h 30 min 4.4 (21,443) reviews on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken half day
A 5.5-hour guided tour with cheese and clog demos and a 30-minute boat between Volendam and Marken. You see a windmill from inside only on the All-inclusive option. In winter, the 11:30 tour may end in the dark.
Best for A half day
Check availability: Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken half day on GetYourGuide -
from €37 per person 8 hours 4.7 (16,960) reviews on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken, full day
An 8-hour guided day with the Zaanse Schans windmills, a cheese farm tasting, a clog demo and a walk in Volendam. Entry inside a windmill is not included.
Best for A full guided day
Check availability: Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken, full day on GetYourGuide -
from €17 per person 3.5–4.5 hours 4.4 (5,223) reviews on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans, windmills and cheese
A 3.5-hour bus trip with pickup, a clog demo and a cheese farm with a tasting. Windmill and Zaans Museum entry cost extra. It runs rain or shine. The listing gives the group size as up to 100 in one place and 60 in another.
Best for The lowest price
Check availability: Zaanse Schans, windmills and cheese on GetYourGuide -
from €43 per person 3 hours 4.7 (2,573) reviews on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans small-group tour
A small-group trip of about 3 hours with a visit inside a working windmill, entry included. You also see a clog demo and taste cheese. It meets at LOT61 near Centraal. Children need their own booked seat.
Best for A small group and a mill inside
Check availability: Zaanse Schans small-group tour on GetYourGuide -
from €54 per person 7 hours 4.3 (2,302) reviews on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans, Marken, Volendam and Edam
A 7-hour tour with a 30-minute guided walk in Edam, plus Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken. The boat and the windmill visit come only with the All-inclusive option. Check in 30 minutes early inside Centraal.
Best for Time in Edam
Check availability: Zaanse Schans, Marken, Volendam and Edam on GetYourGuide -
from €42 per person 4 hours–1 day 4.6 (1,563) reviews on GetYourGuide
Windmill and cheese farm e‑bike tour
An e-bike ride through the countryside to Broek in Waterland, Monnickendam and Katwoude, with a windmill and a cheese farm. It does not go to Zaanse Schans. Riders must be at least 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) tall.
Best for Active riders
Check availability: Windmill and cheese farm e-bike tour on GetYourGuide
Zaanse Schans tours compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Group size | Pickup | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken | €33 per person | 6.5–8 hours | Not stated | Meeting point | Four villages in one day | Among the top rated of the big tours: 4.7 from 5,713 reviews, from €33. |
| Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken half day | €33 per person | 5 h 30 min | Up to 80 | Meeting point | A half day | The most reviewed (4.4 from 21,443 reviews), but groups can reach 80 people. |
| Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken, full day | €37 per person | 8 hours | Not stated | Meeting point | A full guided day | Rated 4.7 from 16,960 reviews, from €37. |
| Zaanse Schans, windmills and cheese | €17 per person | 3.5–4.5 hours | Up to 100 | Pickup included | The lowest price | The cheapest guided trip, from €17 (4.4 from 5,223 reviews). |
| Zaanse Schans small-group tour | €43 per person | 3 hours | Not stated | Meeting point | A small group and a mill inside | The only pick with windmill entry in every booking (4.7 from 2,573 reviews). |
| Zaanse Schans, Marken, Volendam and Edam | €54 per person | 7 hours | Up to 50 | Meeting point | Time in Edam | The only one with a guided walk in Edam (4.3 from 2,302 reviews). |
| Windmill and cheese farm e-bike tour | €42 per person | 4 hours–1 day | Up to 15 | Meeting point | Active riders | Windmills by bike, in a group of up to 15 (4.6 from 1,563 reviews). |
Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken
€33 per person6.5–8 hours 4.7 (5,713)
Details
- Group size
- Not stated
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Four villages in one day
- Why we picked it
- Among the top rated of the big tours: 4.7 from 5,713 reviews, from €33.
Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken half day
€33 per person5 h 30 min 4.4 (21,443)
Details
- Group size
- Up to 80
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- A half day
- Why we picked it
- The most reviewed (4.4 from 21,443 reviews), but groups can reach 80 people.
Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken, full day
€37 per person8 hours 4.7 (16,960)
Details
- Group size
- Not stated
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- A full guided day
- Why we picked it
- Rated 4.7 from 16,960 reviews, from €37.
Zaanse Schans, windmills and cheese
€17 per person3.5–4.5 hours 4.4 (5,223)
Details
- Group size
- Up to 100
- Pickup
- Pickup included
- Who it suits
- The lowest price
- Why we picked it
- The cheapest guided trip, from €17 (4.4 from 5,223 reviews).
Zaanse Schans small-group tour
€43 per person3 hours 4.7 (2,573)
Details
- Group size
- Not stated
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- A small group and a mill inside
- Why we picked it
- The only pick with windmill entry in every booking (4.7 from 2,573 reviews).
Zaanse Schans, Marken, Volendam and Edam
€54 per person7 hours 4.3 (2,302)
Details
- Group size
- Up to 50
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Time in Edam
- Why we picked it
- The only one with a guided walk in Edam (4.3 from 2,302 reviews).
Windmill and cheese farm e-bike tour
€42 per person4 hours–1 day 4.6 (1,563)
Details
- Group size
- Up to 15
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Active riders
- Why we picked it
- Windmills by bike, in a group of up to 15 (4.6 from 1,563 reviews).
- All 7 offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- Small group: Zaanse Schans small-group tour.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Is Zaanse Schans worth visiting? What to do there
Yes, if you want windmills up close: the village is free, and you pay only for the mills and museums you enter.
Most places open roughly 9:00 to 17:00, but hours change with the season.
Wondering what food Amsterdam is known for? Cheese and stroopwafels are a big part of it. All seven tours on this page include cheese.
Zaanse Schans ticket: what's free and what you pay for
Walking around the village costs nothing. The I amsterdam City Card gets you into both mills below and the Zaans Museum for free. The Museumkaart works at the Zaans Museum.
| Ticket | Adult | Ages 4 to 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Paint mill De Kat | €7.50 | €3.75 |
| Sawmill Het Jonge Schaap | €7.50 | €3.75 |
| Zaans Museum (free audio guide) | €17 | €9 |
| Zaanse Schans Card (museum and two mills) | €29.50 | €20 |
The wooden shoe workshop at Zaanse Schans
Most tours stop for a clog-making demo. On the Tours & Tickets trips, it is shown with an old steam engine.
Our top pick includes entry to a clog workshop.
Zaanse Schans on your own: train, bus or car
- 17 min
- by train from Centraal
- €4.20
- one way
Take the train: about 17 minutes from Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, then a 15-minute walk.
The Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans train costs €4.20 one way in NS's journey planner, with 3 to 4 trains an hour in its sample.
From 1 April to 1 October, a bicycle taxi runs between the station and the village.
The Zaanse Schans site recommends the train over the bus. It lists bus 800/801 too, but gives no travel time.
The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket covers the trip, at €23 for one day (2026 price).
By car, parking costs €15 a day, card only, and spaces are limited.
A car lets you link Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken in one day. Schiphol airport is the easy place to pick one up.
Zaanse Schans tour or on your own?
Go on your own for Zaanse Schans alone. Book a tour to add Volendam and Marken the same day.
Tours run 3 to 8 hours. The short ones stay at Zaanse Schans. The long ones add the fishing villages, and some add Edam.
Want time inside a mill or the museum? Go alone, or pick a longer tour.
Zaanse Schans is one of the shortest day tours from Amsterdam. If you have a full day, Giethoorn, Keukenhof and Bruges are further out.
Volendam, Marken and Edam: the villages most tours add
Most tours add Volendam and Marken, two fishing villages, and some stop in Edam.
Volendam is part of Edam-Volendam, which the local tourist board places on the Markermeer lake. It has no train station.
Bus 316 runs from Amsterdam Centraal to Volendam and Edam. Check the current timetable before you go.
The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket covers Volendam too.
The Volendam cruise to Marken
Several tours cross between Volendam and Marken by boat. On the Tours & Tickets half day, the 30-minute boat is included.
On their Edam tour, the boat comes only with the All-inclusive option.
Amsterdam windmills tour: other ways to see windmills
Zaanse Schans is the easiest place to see windmills near Amsterdam.
Some Keukenhof tours add a windmill cruise. See Keukenhof tickets and tours.
A countryside bike tour from Amsterdam
The AmsterBike e-bike tour rides to Broek in Waterland, Monnickendam and Katwoude, with a windmill and a cheese farm. It does not go to Zaanse Schans. Groups are capped at 15.
Booking tips for Zaanse Schans tours
Check in early at Centraal
Tours & Tickets trips check in inside their shop in Centraal Station, 30 minutes before departure.
Take the early start
Our top pick has an 8:15 departure on some days, to beat the crowds.
Dress for the weather
Several tours run in all weather, and their listings ask you to bring clothes for it.
Book a seat for kids
On the Zaan Tours small-group trip, children need their own booked seat.
Holidays and cancellation
Not all mills and museums open on public holidays. All seven tours show free cancellation up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide.
Zaanse Schans: questions and answers
Is Zaanse Schans worth visiting?
What is there to do at Zaanse Schans?
Can I go to Zaanse Schans without a tour?
Where can I see windmills near Amsterdam?
Where is Volendam?
More Zaanse Schans tours, live
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See every tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
Browse all on GetYourGuideMore countryside trips
Sources (9)
- Zaanse Schans: home
- Zaanse Schans: contact and getting there
- Zaanse Schans: paint mill De Kat
- Zaanse Schans: sawmill Het Jonge Schaap
- Zaans Museum: tickets and Zaanse Schans Card
- NS journey planner
- GVB: Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket
- Laag Holland: Edam practical information
- I amsterdam: Dutch foods to try