Zaanse Schans

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Zaanse Schans: Tours & Tickets

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Windmills, Crafts, Museums! The Best of Zaanse Shans

Get a sense of what the Dutch are all about in Zaanse Schans, located right outside of Amsterdam. Take a day trip out to the quaint community that dates back to the 18th century and take in the countryside tulips, fresh cheese, windmills, barns and museums.

  • Zaans Museum & Verkade Pavilion

    1. Zaans Museum & Verkade Pavilion

    These two museums offer a delicious history of the region’s food production with equipment, utensils, clothing and paintings. Bring your sweet tooth, tasting is encouraged!

  • Albert Heijn Museum Shop

    2. Albert Heijn Museum Shop

    Find goodies to bring home to your loved ones at an adorable replica of the original Albert Heijn, a Dutch supermarket chain.

  • 3. Zaan Time Museum

    You’ll be hearing ticking while trying to fall asleep later that night, but it’s a small price to pay to view this collection of beautiful historic Dutch clocks.

  • De Kat

    4. De Kat

    Piet Kempenaar wears a traditional outfit complete with pipe and hat while manning his massive paint mill.

  • De Gekroonde Poelenburg

    5. De Gekroonde Poelenburg

    Different from all other working windmills in the city, the sawmill De Gekroonde Poelenburg can turn around on a rig of wooden rollers depending on the direction of the wind.

Planning Your Visit

  • Opt for bike rental

    It’s small enough that walking will do, but you’ll feel like a local with the fresh air rushing by on a bicycle.

  • Did we mention Zaanse Schans’ restaurants?

    It’s all about the food here! Check out the distillery and tasting room, or the traditional pancake house.

Good to know

  • When should I visit?
    From April to November, almost everything is open from 10:00AM to 5:00PM.
  • Is it expensive?
    Prices vary depending on your plans and the addition of transportation, tours, and other perks.
  • Will I need a guide?
    It's a great idea to experience Zaanse Schans with a guide.
  • How to get there
    From Amsterdam Central Station, take the Connexxion bus 391 to Zaanse Schans.
  • Additional information

    • If you plan on doing more than a day trip, there are many great hotels and B&Bs in the area.

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Want to discover all there is to do in Zaanse Schans? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Zaanse Schans

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 7,305 reviews

We had a wonderful time with Evelyn (our guide) and Jan (our driver). Because of the very low amount of tourists nowadays due to COVID, we ended up having a private tour. The tour is very convenient because the driving times are very short (everything is close by) and we get to spend a significant amount of time exploring each place we stopped.

Amsterdam: Volendam, Edam and Windmills Live Guided Tour Reviewed by Rodrigo, 9/14/2020

Helpful?

This is a very nice tour and totally worth doing. Very good and fair price for what you get. This is really a must if you are in Amsterdam and you have the whole day available. The guides, Santiago and Mariane, together with the driver Steve are super nice and kind!! They make you trip even more enjoyable!

Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken Full-Day Tour Reviewed by Juan Pablo, 9/21/2020

Helpful?

I believe, as Steve told us, there are good and excellent tours. And, if you want to have a fantastic experience, you need to go with Private Day Tours 100%. Enough information to not drive yourself tedious or overwhelming, and with a special touch with humour and a great companion. What a legend!

Dutch Countryside: Private Full-Day Tour by Luxury Car Reviewed by Victor, 8/26/2020

Helpful?

It was very nice tour, a lot of information and funny stories. Great guide, bus, location. A really can recommend this!

Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken Tour Reviewed by Evule, 8/27/2020

Helpful?

it was perfect and the guid is so wonderful. he laugh all the time and he was helpful.

Amsterdam: Giethoorn, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans Tour Reviewed by Ali, 9/16/2020

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