Guided tour

From Amsterdam: Guided Zaanse Schans & Cheese Tasting Tour

Activity provider: Tour Company
Guided tour

From Amsterdam: Guided Zaanse Schans & Cheese Tasting Tour

Activity provider: Tour Company
Likely to sell out

From US$ 31.69 per person

Likely to sell out

See the historic windmills of Zaanse Schans on a bus tour from Amsterdam with a professional guide. Learn about cheese making, walk on wooden shoes, see the interior of a working windmill and view the wooden green-painted houses and shops.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Duration 3.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
Spanish, English, German

Experience

Itinerary
2.5 hours
  • Amsterdam

  • 30 minutes
  • Zaanse Schans

  • Wooden Shoe Workshop of Zaanse Schans

  • Catharina Hoeve Cheese Farm (cheese tasting)

  • Free time

  • 30 minutes
  • Amsterdam

Meeting point
Main stop
Other stop
Highlights
  • Watch how Gouda cheese is made and then taste its buttery goodness
  • See windmills from across the Zaan region that date back to the 18th century
  • Visit a clog maker and learn more about the traditional wooden shoe
  • Admire the elegant houses of the rich merchants and windmill owners
  • Learn how the windmills were used in the production of cocoa powder and food
Full description

Join a guided bus tour from Amsterdam to visit the windmill village of Zaanse Schans, an open-air museum housing working windmills, wooden houses, barns, and shops dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Enjoy live commentary from your guide, a clog workshop, and a cheese-making demonstration.

 

Meet your guide and driver at a central meeting point just across from Central Station in Amsterdam. Settle in for a comfortable, air-conditioned ride on a single deck bus that will take you to your destination in just 20 minutes.

Upon arrival in the village, follow your guide for an orientation tour of the village. Visit the clog museum for a live wooden shoemaking workshop. Then, taste some Dutch farmer cheese on the cheese farm.

 

Get a sense of what the village was like in the 18th and 19th centuries. Alongside windmills and barns, see houses that were originally built as homes for rich windmill owners and merchants. Admire their colorful facades painted in traditional hues of green, beige, and light blue.

 

Finally, it is time to further explore the village on your own. Before you set off, take insider tips from your guide and learn about the region's local history and culture. At the end of the tour, hop back on the bus for your return journey to Amsterdam.

Includes
  • Bus transportation
  • Multilingual guide
  • Pickup and drop-off
  • Clog-making demonstration
  • Visit to a cheese farm
  • Cheese tasting
  • Amsterdam canal cruise voucher (if option selected)
  • Tips (optional)
  • Food and drinks
  • Entry inside windmills and entry to Zaans Museum
Not suitable for
  • People with mobility impairments
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

From the front of the Amsterdam Central Station, turn to your left and walk in the eastern direction. Keep on walking and cross the bridge. Walk until you reach the Hilton hotel. Turn left and follow the walkway underneath the railway crossing. It's on your right. Please check-in with staff inside the Grand Cafe 1884.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Umbrella
  • Camera

Not allowed

  • Pets

Know before you go

  • This tour involves a small amount of walking
  • This tour includes a maximum of 60 participants
  • Children up to 3 years old are free of charge (not occupying a seat - infants must sit on laps)
  • Tour operates rain or shine
  • Entry to windmills costs around €5 tickets, available at service desk
  • Entry to Zaans Museum ranges from €6.50-€12.50
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.4 /5

based on 1908 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.6/5
  • Transportation
    4.7/5
  • Value for money
    4.2/5
  • Safety
    4.6/5

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Star rating:

Planned at the very last minute but thoroughly enjoyable. I did this tour on my own but met a lovely Australian lady with similar interests. The meeting directions given were spot on and the bus even turned around for a family that was 15 minutes late. The staff were all friendly and engaging. The tour was very interesting with lots of photo opportunities! I enjoyed tasting so many types of cheeses and the hot chocolate was delish!

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March 17, 2023

Easy place for meeting. Your was brilliant from start to finish. Clog workshop demo and cheese factory demo by Barbara with samples and chance to buy cheese and accompaniments. Hot Chocolate was delish and to top it off walking through a working windmill was the highlight for me. Lots of walking to see everything but so pretty and such a beautiful place to visit. Thanks to our wonderful knowledgable guide Anna xx

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February 28, 2023

The tour guy was informative, cool, and energetic. However, if you are looking for a cheaper way to visit these spots, you can definitely pick a bus from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans for around 5-6 euros (one way). All viewings are for free inside the Zaanse Schans. Cheese making & tasting is for everyone visiting. Otherwise, if you are interested in detailed information, fun vibes, etc, then this tour is perfect for you.

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February 27, 2023

Product ID: 56832