Day Trip to Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken from Amsterdam
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Day Trip to Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken from Amsterdam
By Amsterdam Guias & Tours
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About
from per adult
$39.54
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 1-99, max of 50 per group
Duration: 6h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
- Transfer by coach
- Professional guide
- Tasting of local cheese and other products like cookies , fruits wine
- 1-Hour Amsterdam canal cruise with audioguide (if option selected)
- Entry/Admission - Cheese Factory Volendam
What's not included- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Entry/Admission - A'dam Lookout
- Start:
- De Ruijterkade 151, 1011 AC Amsterdam, NetherlandsMeet your tour guide at 8:00 am, at the bus stop in De Ruijterkade 151-153, (by the Aloha Bowling in the riverside) the bus leaves at 08:15 am. LOOK FOR THE BLUE UMBRELLAS with our logo "Amsterdam Guides & Tours".
End:- Amsterdam, Buiksloterwegveer, 1031 CC Amsterdam, NetherlandsWe will take the free ferry to Amsterdam Central Station
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 61268P6- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 61268P6
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- De Ruijterkade 151, 1011 AC Amsterdam, NetherlandsMeet your tour guide at 8:00 am, at the bus stop in De Ruijterkade 151-153, (by the Aloha Bowling in the riverside) the bus leaves at 08:15 am. LOOK FOR THE BLUE UMBRELLAS with our logo "Amsterdam Guides & Tours".
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- 1031 CC Amsterdam, NetherlandsWe will take the free ferry to Amsterdam Central Station
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Chris L0 contributionsFull day! 3 separate experiencesThis is a very full day. It’s actually 3 separate experiences and you will be with different guides/groups for each activity. The walking tour was great. The bike tour was good, but a little stressful if you are not a very confident bike rider in urban areas. The lunch break at the cafe was enjoyable, and the hour long canal boat ride is was the perfect way to end the day.Written September 6, 2024
- sergiotY7840KD0 contributionsA must tour for the familyWe really enjoyed both the bike tour and the optional boat tour. They give you a chance to see the city differently: from the busy streets and from the canals. The bike tour guide was excellent: he explained the sites we passed by, he was patient and really helped us to deal to the sometimes chaotic Amsterdam traffic. It was a great experience.Written August 15, 2024
- AvBF74650 contributionsGreat way to see the cityLuba, the guide, was very knowledgeable and helpful but the bike shop might have wanted to ask more questions about level of bicycle experience. One of the other guests kept missing the lights. Her husband might have helped too. 🤣Written July 28, 2024
- CSalpini0 contributionsNo cancellations for rainWe didn’t end up going because it was raining quite hard the day of our tour — just be aware that they will not cancel it due to rain and they don’t offer refunds if it’s raining, so you might lose money if the Amsterdam weather doesn’t favor you! Or else you might just end up biking in the rain. We wouldn’t have minded a little bit of bad weather, but unfortunately it was heavily raining when we were supposed to go. It seemed like it would have been fun!Written July 28, 2024
- amyrL6186XR0 contributionsGreat tour of NDSM!Laura was terrific! So knowledgeable and familiar with all the different street artists we saw. NDMS is an an amazing unique Amsterdam site. See the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh, but see this too! Very talented artists working in a very interesting place.Written July 12, 2024
- Natalie B0 contributionsExcellentI would highly recommend this tour. It was a great way to see the city and the neighbouring towns. The guide was extremely knowledgeable.Written July 12, 2024
- jameswU3781KK0 contributionsDefinitely recommend, relaxing tour of the cityThe guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend this as an easy way to get more information about the city and not just go to all of the traditional tourist areas.Written July 7, 2024
- Q7251ETtomj0 contributionsWeekend in AmsterdamThe sites of Amsterdam were awesome. Amsterdam was a fun city to visit- the only challenge was it is challenging to drive though parts of the city on bikes.Written July 6, 2024
- lesliekH5016RE0 contributionsBook with someone elseDecidedly meh. While I enjoyed our guide as a person, I did not find this tour to be particularly informative. We wandered around Amsterdam with what felt like no real itinerary and were given little to no historical information about why were viewing a particular location. I learned more on the canal tour.Written July 4, 2024
- F7550EVkatherined0 contributionsFantastic and entertaining tours!Claire was so fantastic on our bike tour! Funny, informative, inclusive, and entertaining. We got the lay of the land, heard interesting facts, and enjoyed the views. The canal cruise was equally fantastic - great cheese and wine, and terrific guides with fun anecdotes. A great way to see the city with a little exercise then relaxation!Written July 2, 2024
- Helena P0 contributionsSuper Enjoyable & Relaxed8 friends & met new friends along the way! This relaxed and thoughtful cycle tour was exactly what we all needed after a late night! Pablo is a gem and devised a super route to get out of the city through watery fields & super safe & interesting cycle tracksWritten June 10, 2024
- J5874VHkareng0 contributionsFantastic two hour tourA fantastic two hours in the company of Ilya. Very knowledgeable about the history of Amsterdam, encouraged questions and provided all his information in a relaxed and welcoming manner. He also provided us with recommendations of where to eat which was really helpful. All in all one of the best tours we’ve done.Written June 5, 2024
- Vanessa A0 contributionsGreat way to see AmsterdamHad a fun and informative morning with our guide. Perfect way to see Amsterdam. Do not bother with a hop on hop off bus tour, do this instead, especially if the weather is good. Bikes are easy to rideWritten May 15, 2024
- kathyhB9016TR0 contributionsUnsatisfactoryDid not receive items as promised on ticket. Waiter was less than friendly when I presented my ticket. He made uncomfortable. Would not go back to that establishmentWritten May 13, 2024
- anthonysQ6183WP0 contributionsLet's rideA very cool time seeing Amsterdam sites with a group of cyclists. The trip provides a taste of riding on the bike paths from an Amsterdamian point of view. It's a lot of fun and our guide Rodrigo was funny and informative. This excursion has my recommendation.Written May 10, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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Dornbirn, Austria23 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
On our trip to Amsterdam we decided to spend one day outside the city and booked this tour. We enjoyed it so much - you can blame Xavi, our guide: he was wonderful! We loved his explanations on special and random Dutch things, recommendations in and around Amsterdam and the way he took care of all of us (and saved us from countless bikes!)
The trip itself took us to an outdoors museum (quite touristy, but wonderful pictures), a nice little Dutch town with a cheese & cloks factory (we enjoyed to taste everything) and two more small towns (in one of them we had a delicious lunch in a nice restaurant also recommended by our guide).
Even though the stops were always quite short, the tour itself was very long, but as it started very early in the morning we still got to enjoy the afternoon & evening in Amsterdam.
As other people pointed out their guides poor English, I would like to comment that as well: maybe we had a different guide, but even though our guide was not native English his explanations were more than perfectly understandable and I guess everybody got his many jokes!
We loved the trip, MuchĂsimas gracias Xavi!
The trip itself took us to an outdoors museum (quite touristy, but wonderful pictures), a nice little Dutch town with a cheese & cloks factory (we enjoyed to taste everything) and two more small towns (in one of them we had a delicious lunch in a nice restaurant also recommended by our guide).
Even though the stops were always quite short, the tour itself was very long, but as it started very early in the morning we still got to enjoy the afternoon & evening in Amsterdam.
As other people pointed out their guides poor English, I would like to comment that as well: maybe we had a different guide, but even though our guide was not native English his explanations were more than perfectly understandable and I guess everybody got his many jokes!
We loved the trip, MuchĂsimas gracias Xavi!
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OnAir827223
2 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Brill trip. Funny. Just the right amount of time at each place. Loved the walking tour of edam - gorgeous architecture. The windmills place was beautiful too and theres a museum there for an extra 5 euros each. Definitely recommend this trip!!
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ben
1 contribution
Mar 2020
I ended up in more gift shops on this tour than anything else. It delivers by busing you to each of the areas it calls out, but I wouldn't expect much of a history lesson. You'll get a chance to take a few photos with Dutch windmills (and visit their gift shop). You'll eventually get to the cheese and wooden clog factory but don't expect to see how the cheese is made and after a quick demo of a machine making a wooden clog you'll be ushered to...you guessed it...the gift shop.
The walks through Edam, Volendam, and Marken are fine if you're looking for a bit about some of the smaller villages outside of Amsterdam. And don't worry, Volemdam has a full street of gift shops selling generic Dutch trinkets.
If you're just looking for a few photos and need to pick up some souvenirs this is a fine tour. If you're looking for history, the museums throughout the city are much better at providing that information. If you want great cheese, you can find shops sourcing locally produced cheese all over downtown. And if you just want a ride to Zaanse Schans to get a picture next to a windmill...well this tour nails that.
The walks through Edam, Volendam, and Marken are fine if you're looking for a bit about some of the smaller villages outside of Amsterdam. And don't worry, Volemdam has a full street of gift shops selling generic Dutch trinkets.
If you're just looking for a few photos and need to pick up some souvenirs this is a fine tour. If you're looking for history, the museums throughout the city are much better at providing that information. If you want great cheese, you can find shops sourcing locally produced cheese all over downtown. And if you just want a ride to Zaanse Schans to get a picture next to a windmill...well this tour nails that.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jgroce2016
Rockville, MD19 contributions
Jul 2022
I'm not a big fan of bus tours. I generally prefer to explore on my own. But my wife feels differently, so we booked this for us and our three teenage daughters. All in all, I'd give it a "very good" rating (that's a mix of my kids' "average' rating, my wife's "excellent" rating, and my own "very good" take on the experience).
The bus itself was comfortable, air conditioned, and the driver drove very safely, which I appreciated enormously. Tosca, our guide, was helpful and knowledgeable (not to mention endlessly patient). We got to see a "traditional" cheese market, a cheese farm, a working windmill, a shop that makes and sells clogs, and the IJsselmeer. The experience was very touristy and commercial, but quite nicely done. The towns of Edam and Volendam are gorgeous. We were able to walk through them a bit and I hope to be able to go back someday to explore some more.
And that is my only disappointment--that there was really no time to explore. At Volendam, we were given only about 50 or 60 minutes to head off, but that was about it. Given that it was getting well into afternoon and we were hungry, we had time only to grab a quite bite. This is understandable from the tour company's perspective, but I would have loved an extra hour.
If you are limited for time and want the convenience of an organized tour and the opportunity to learn about some Dutch economic history, I recommend this tour. It was a pleasant 6-hour experience and very reasonably priced.
The bus itself was comfortable, air conditioned, and the driver drove very safely, which I appreciated enormously. Tosca, our guide, was helpful and knowledgeable (not to mention endlessly patient). We got to see a "traditional" cheese market, a cheese farm, a working windmill, a shop that makes and sells clogs, and the IJsselmeer. The experience was very touristy and commercial, but quite nicely done. The towns of Edam and Volendam are gorgeous. We were able to walk through them a bit and I hope to be able to go back someday to explore some more.
And that is my only disappointment--that there was really no time to explore. At Volendam, we were given only about 50 or 60 minutes to head off, but that was about it. Given that it was getting well into afternoon and we were hungry, we had time only to grab a quite bite. This is understandable from the tour company's perspective, but I would have loved an extra hour.
If you are limited for time and want the convenience of an organized tour and the opportunity to learn about some Dutch economic history, I recommend this tour. It was a pleasant 6-hour experience and very reasonably priced.
Written August 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aeriell C
Toronto, Canada2 contributions
Nov 2022 • Solo
Overall this is a great bang for your buck kind of tour as a you get to see several places at a reasonable price. Ilya, our tour guide, was very entertaining and knowledgeable throughout the tour. He mentioned a lot about the history of Netherlands between the commutes from each destination which was all interesting to learn! One main thing to note about the tour is that it’s quite a large group so if that’s not your vibe, you’ll probably want to search for a smaller group size tour.
The visit to the cheese and clog shop was short and sweet and you’re able to sample some cheese and a bit of wine. Afterwards, you get to shop around their gift shop but just a heads up their prices for the souvenirs are a bit more expensive so if you want to do some souvenir shopping I recommend doing that in Volendam! Keep in mind that since this tour is jam packed, the stops are compact so you won’t be able to explore as much if you were to go on your own instead (would have loved to have much more time in Volendam for example). Nonetheless, they allow you to depart if you wish to stay further in whichever place and you’ll just have to commute back on your own.
The visit to the cheese and clog shop was short and sweet and you’re able to sample some cheese and a bit of wine. Afterwards, you get to shop around their gift shop but just a heads up their prices for the souvenirs are a bit more expensive so if you want to do some souvenir shopping I recommend doing that in Volendam! Keep in mind that since this tour is jam packed, the stops are compact so you won’t be able to explore as much if you were to go on your own instead (would have loved to have much more time in Volendam for example). Nonetheless, they allow you to depart if you wish to stay further in whichever place and you’ll just have to commute back on your own.
Written November 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy
Essex, UK72 contributions
We did this tour today with Rob as our guide. Firstly Rob (an American ex-pat and genuine lover of Holland) was excellent. He had some incredible knowledge of the tour and the country in general, he also made the tour funny throughout!
We did this with two kids (4 and 6 years) they stayed interested all day.
The description is accurate i.e you can take photos of windmills when you visit. However you can also pay spontaneously when you visit and go in them €5 per adult and €2.50 for a child, it was a little rushed as we only had 45 mins but that wasn’t the fault of the tour it was ours for cramming in a visit inside! I do recommend it though!
We saw some very idillic sights and visited some really great places, we even got the kids to try stinging nettle cheese!
We took the optional boat tour at the end. This means you return almost back to where you started. It was also a great tour just over an hour long (meaning we finished around 4pm) but if you choose not to take the boat tour (it was about 50/50 from our tour) then you finish on the north side of the river meaning you either have to take one of the free boats back over the river to central station or I think some people were taking the Metro which I heard Rob say would be maybe €2 to get back.
You could take your own lunch I am sure but we chose to eat at the lunch stop. There were loads of choices and the food was good.
I highly recommend this tour and Rob was great 👏🏻👏🏻
We did this with two kids (4 and 6 years) they stayed interested all day.
The description is accurate i.e you can take photos of windmills when you visit. However you can also pay spontaneously when you visit and go in them €5 per adult and €2.50 for a child, it was a little rushed as we only had 45 mins but that wasn’t the fault of the tour it was ours for cramming in a visit inside! I do recommend it though!
We saw some very idillic sights and visited some really great places, we even got the kids to try stinging nettle cheese!
We took the optional boat tour at the end. This means you return almost back to where you started. It was also a great tour just over an hour long (meaning we finished around 4pm) but if you choose not to take the boat tour (it was about 50/50 from our tour) then you finish on the north side of the river meaning you either have to take one of the free boats back over the river to central station or I think some people were taking the Metro which I heard Rob say would be maybe €2 to get back.
You could take your own lunch I am sure but we chose to eat at the lunch stop. There were loads of choices and the food was good.
I highly recommend this tour and Rob was great 👏🏻👏🏻
Written August 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jbahadin
Singapore, Singapore18 contributions
Dec 2019
We had a wonderful time visiting Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken. Our guide Sandra and driver Stef is amazing. The trip was very well plannedout to maximise our time and experience. Even the restaurant serving us lunch was prepared to handle our crowd. As such, we need not wait. Service was fast and food was awesome. What made the trip mor memorable was the wonderful staff. Sandra and two more staff ensured we had a nice experience and everyone was happy. Our drive Stef sang for us. The places we visited was really pretty and worthwhile visiting. I will strongly recommend this trip to everyone especially those with a short period of time in Amsterdam and really wants a quick snapshot of the countryside
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Theresa M
Lakewood, OH19 contributions
This day trip was such a fun way to spend my last day in Amsterdam. Even though I was traveling solo, the other guests were warm and fun to talk to.
Even though the stops were all small Dutch villages, each was unique and nothing felt repetitive. The cheese stop was particularly delicious (try the aged Gouda).
I should also mention that this trip was on an exceptionally windy day, which is a little unsettling when you’re sitting on the top level of a double decker bus. That said, our guide Ilya handled the necessary itinerary adjustments beautifully, staying transparent and keeping us informed from the beginning. I loved hearing his colorful background story, as well as the deep knowledge he shared about Netherlands history. His restaurant recommendations at the end were very appreciated!
Even though the stops were all small Dutch villages, each was unique and nothing felt repetitive. The cheese stop was particularly delicious (try the aged Gouda).
I should also mention that this trip was on an exceptionally windy day, which is a little unsettling when you’re sitting on the top level of a double decker bus. That said, our guide Ilya handled the necessary itinerary adjustments beautifully, staying transparent and keeping us informed from the beginning. I loved hearing his colorful background story, as well as the deep knowledge he shared about Netherlands history. His restaurant recommendations at the end were very appreciated!
Written March 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GolferBarbie
Dunwoody, GA70 contributions
Jan 2020
If you've only got one day to see the area surrounding Amsterdam - this is a great way to do it! The stops and sites were something you would never be able to experience if you stayed in the city.
I learned so much about the history of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. Zaanse Schans (the windmill park) was probably my favorite stop - although each stop was unique and provided a glimpse into something important in the history of the Netherlands. I had no idea windmills were so versatile and was a bit sad that newer technology has replaced windmills that I had expected to see all over the country.
Xavi was a great entertainer and tour guide. His English was great and his knowledge of the area and history was amazing. He was able to answer any question and provide various options of things to do, places to eat, etc. for all once they got back to Amsterdam.
Although extremely cold (~37F) and gray, we were lucky that it did not rain on our January tour. We were never in one place too long to get THAT cold...but the heated bus was a nice and comfortable place to be between stops. There was just enough time at each stop to be able to experience the stop.
I learned so much about the history of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. Zaanse Schans (the windmill park) was probably my favorite stop - although each stop was unique and provided a glimpse into something important in the history of the Netherlands. I had no idea windmills were so versatile and was a bit sad that newer technology has replaced windmills that I had expected to see all over the country.
Xavi was a great entertainer and tour guide. His English was great and his knowledge of the area and history was amazing. He was able to answer any question and provide various options of things to do, places to eat, etc. for all once they got back to Amsterdam.
Although extremely cold (~37F) and gray, we were lucky that it did not rain on our January tour. We were never in one place too long to get THAT cold...but the heated bus was a nice and comfortable place to be between stops. There was just enough time at each stop to be able to experience the stop.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vacationer558446
5 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
Our tour leader, Laura, was super upbeat and enjoyable. She gave us great information the whole ride so we never felt bored. She always encouraged us to ask questions and was super knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this tour for those who want to get a few hours out of the city checking out the sites and learning some things in the process. Also…cheese!!!
Written October 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin L
Tiny, Canada
Would we need to book ahead of time if travelling in mid September?
Written August 2, 2024
Curiosity156166
South San Francisco, California
do you pick up passengers from the cruise ship docking in Rotterdam,Netherlands? I am not sure if this is also Amsterdam
Written October 13, 2023
Hi, do you suggest vegetarian food options on this tour for lunch. We would like to carry our own drinks and dry food on this trip.
Written September 9, 2023
We stopped in fishing port of Volendam for lunch approx 40-50 minute. There are mainly seafood restaurants and fast food eateries here however there are areas along the promenade where you can sit and soak in the sea atmosphere, wander through the shops and have your packed lunch.
Written September 10, 2023
Jamie Tan
Singapore, Singapore
As the age indicated 0-65yr. We have a pax 68 year old. However she is healthy and still mobile. Can she still join this tour?
Written March 18, 2023
Yes I guess so, the trip was not stressful and it only requires walking for a short distance to explore the sightseeing areas
Written May 13, 2023
Althea Lin
New York City, New York
Will we be walking around in Marken? Or it’s a cruise sailing by the island?
Written February 15, 2023
Steve
Perth, Australia
Hi, your age group says '0-65'. Is there a particular reason for this? My husband & I are 70+ & fit, would we still be able to participate in this tour? Thank you.
Written October 1, 2022
Tony R
Mississauga, Canada
Yes- Judith R is correct on this, it is a great venture from Amsterdam centre, not a ton of time on the bus either and the tour guide was amazing.
Written October 12, 2022
We booked the Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken day trip with canal cruise. Does the canal cruise immediately follow the bus tour? How long is the canal cruise and where does the cruise end?
Written July 27, 2022
vipivk
London, United Kingdom
Canal cruise usually is an hour long circuit. Most of them usually start from the main central Amsterdam station area and drop back at the origin.
Written July 28, 2022
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