Zaanse Schans
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Zaanse Schans: Tours & Tickets

See all tours & things to do in Zaanse Schans

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
Photo: Bogdan Migulski@flickr (CC BY 2.0)

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
Photo: daryl_mitchell@flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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.

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

De Kat

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

De Gekroonde Poelenburg
Photo: Karen Blaha@flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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.

Our insider tips

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.

What people are saying about Zaanse Schans

Overall rating
4.5 / 5
based on 7,619 reviews

Great experience and very friendly host!

The whole event was great from the beginning to the end. Bart, the owner of the scooters first explained us the possible five routes and gave some recommendations, while having a cup of coffee. Afterwards we had a short "training session" on the yard to make sure that we understood how to operate the scooters and felt safe driving them. When everything was looking good we left off to our tour, which was really nice: We could explore the beautiful landscape in our own pace and pause whenever we wanted. To not get lost we had gotten a map of the route and there were guiding arrow stickers at every lamp post or traffic sign where it makes sense (i.e. when the road reaches a crossroad or you have to leave the current road). After we arrived back we had another cup of coffee and some nice words with Bart, the owner. We can definitely recommend this activity to anyone who would like to explore the beautiful countryside, but does not like to do such a long trip (about 40-50 km) by bike.

Holland by Electric Scooter: Windmills, Clogs & Cheese Reviewed by

It was super! But not enough time for Volendam.

We really liked the tour! Comfortable bus, funny and informative guide. The only thing we didn't like was lack of free time in Volendam. 30 minutes are terribly not enough for this charming place! Especially if you want not just to explore the village but also grab some food. And give a try for russian language. There are quite a lot of us visiting your country.

Amsterdam: Volendam, Edam and Windmills Live Guided Tour Reviewed by

Interesting tour, but try to choose a sunny day!

The buses were comfortable and generally arrived on time. Drivers were polite and helpful. Unfortunately the App did not work on every bus. Outside the bus you need internet access to check e.g. the arrival time of the next bus. Some of the stations do not have any shelter for protection against rain and wind, which leaves the passengers freezing and wet.

Amsterdam: Hop-On-Hop-Off to Zaanse Schans, Edam & Volendam Reviewed by

One of the best tours and guides we have ever had!

Our knowledgeable and personable guide Steve was very attuned to making the day what we wanted. His extensive knowledge of the area and its history, and his excellent command of English, made listening to his comments and his sharing of the culture of his country fascinating. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TOUR AND THIS GUIDE.

Dutch Countryside: Private Full-Day Tour by Luxury Car Reviewed by

Excellent value for money. Amazing experience!

The tour was very well organised. We had enough time in each location to have some rest and buy some souvenirs. The tour guide (Desiree) was very interactive and provided some interesting overview of each place we visited. I can recommend this trip to anyone who is interested to see a little bit of Dutch countryside.

Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam & Marken Spanish Tour Reviewed by
Cover photo: x76882, CC BY 2.0
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