Zaanse Schans Day trip – Things to do in Zaanse Schans Windmills Village Amsterdam
Don’t leave the Netherlands without a glimpse of windmills! And that’s what we did, we researched to find a tour and squeeze it into our 2 day Amsterdam trip. And we are so glad we did it. We highly recommend a Zaanse Schans tour to the windmills village Amsterdam. In this post, we are sharing all the things to do in the Zaanse Schans day trip.
Zaanse Schans Windmills village is located in the Zaandam area of the Netherlands Europe. Distance is 16.5 kilometres one way. You can reach Zaanse Schans in less than 30 minutes (drive).
And that’s why Zaanse Schans makes for an easy half-day or full-day tour from Amsterdam.
Zaanse Schans day trip – 3 ways to see Zaanse Schans Windmills Village Amsterdam
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Let’s take you to the Zaanse Schans before we talk tours. So,
The windmills village of Zaanse Schans is a beautiful tourist attraction in the Netherlands, not far away from the capital city. It is set up like an open-air museum.
The windmills that you see in our pictures (and the ones you will eventually see on your day trip) are a Dutch cultural heritage symbol. They are vintage and historical, and completely functional to this day.
In our day tour, we also participated in a presentation that walked us through how the windmills operated, the oilseeds it used, and the actual functioning.
We got to walk a steep staircase leading to the top deck of the windmills, isn’t it cool? The views from up there were amazing, you can capture the entire village from there.
The green wooden houses in the Zaanse Schans Village were also brought here to create a feeling of a typical Dutch countryside.
Other than the windmills you will find museums, souvenir stores, a clog factory, and a Gouda cheese-making workshop inside the village. There are enough attractions to keep you busy for half a day. (More on the attractions below)
Why do we recommend tours?
We decided to book a Zaanse Schans tour because it was a convenient and easy way to go. No parking fees (which is 10 euros), gas, or direction hassle.
If you are only visiting the windmill village in Amsterdam or just visiting Amsterdam for a day or two, why bother renting a car. Most of the attractions in Amsterdam can be done via the hop on and hop off tours or walking if you are staying in the city centre.
Tour operators provide half-day and full-day tours.
Here are three tours that we recommend.
3 Zaanse Schans tours – half day, full day, hop on and hop off style
Half Day Tour to Zaanse Schans
The half-day Zaanse Schans tour worked for us and that’s what we booked. This allowed us to spend time 3 hours at the Zaanse Schans Village and then back to Amsterdam to continue our exploration in the city (total 3.50 hours tour).
We were picked up from a meeting point near the Amsterdam Central Station (A’DAM lookout to be exact) and then transported to Zaandam.
We also visited a Dutch cheese farm on our way to Zaanse Schans. The farm also had a shop that sold local dairy products including cheese. At the Zaanse Schans, our guide and host informed us of the different attractions and museums that we should check out and were provided with our return timing.
We enjoyed this flexibility and information (and also learned about Dutch history). We explored the cheese factory and clog making workshop and then we were on our way making pit stops and taking pictures where we wanted.
Our highlight of the Zaanse Schans Tour was speaking to a windmills operator, who lived in them and he showed us around how they operate, the amount of oil consumed to keep them running, and so on. Here is a half-day tour to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam
Full day tour to windmills Village Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken
This full-day tour to the windmills village includes Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Marken, along with an hour’s sightseeing canal cruise. Reviews of this tour are excellent as well.
You can see the historic windmills of Zaanse Schans on a coach tour from Amsterdam and learn about cheesemaking, wooden shoes or clog making, see the interior of a working windmill, and more.
The time duration at the windmills village is 5.50 to 8 hours. Canal cruise takes place in Amsterdam and you can choose a date for the cruise separately.
Book this full-day sightseeing tour of Windmills in Amsterdam plus a canal cruise
Hop on and hop off style to windmills Village Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken
For travelers who want more flexibility in exploring the windmill villages without driving themselves, this hop on and hop off tour bus is perfect. This tour bus will pick up and drop off at the windmills village locations close to Amsterdam. This route includes Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam, and Marken.
Buses hop on and off every 45 minutes. If you do not hop off, the total route takes a total of 2 hours. There are a total of 6 stops and include audio guides and a free guided tour at the Jacobs Hoeve cheese farm.
The bus tour starts at THIS IS HOLLAND – the building is opposite Amsterdam Centraal Station on the banks of the IJ River. You can take the free ferry from Central Station to the opposite side to reach THIS IS HOLLAND and redeem your voucher at the check-in desk located on the ground floor.
The front desk opens at 09:00 am. To make the most of your trip, start the bus early.
Book a hop on and hop off tour of Windmills Village Amsterdam.
Things to do in Zaanse Schans Tour: Attractions at the Windmill Village
6 Working Windmills at the Zaanse Schans Village
As soon as you enter the windmills village Amsterdam site, you will be welcomed by gorgeous greenery all around, including greenhouses and vintage windmills.
This site was once home to thousands of windmills and they were lined by the banks of the Zaan River. Zaan River (in the Zaandam neighborhood) was a flourishing trade hub.
Today at the Zaanse Schans site, you will see 13 windmills scattered all across the complex. Of the 13 existing windmills, only 6 are in working condition.
These working windmills have unique ways of operation. Some run on mustard, oil, and one is a sawmill and the oldest is a dye mill.
If you are not taking a Zaanse Schans tour, you will have to pay 3 euros for each windmill visit. As part of the tour, you either pay a discounted entry fee or none.
In each of the working windmills, you can see the mechanics of the windmill operation, which is located at the base (and occupies the whole floor – almost). The windmill caretaker’s job is to ensure the ingredients that keep the windmill running is filled in the machine (aka its like the fuel).
You are allowed to climb atop to reach a small deck to get a good view of the Zaanse Schans site from above.
The 6 working windmills are as follows – Indie Welvren Spice Warehouse (small windmills and makes mustard), Windmill De Zoeker (Oil windmill), De Bonte Hen (another oil windmill, which was recently rebuilt), De Kat (makes paint or dye and is the only one in the world), De Gekroonde Poelenburg (wind-powered sawmill), Het Jonge Schaap (sawmill).
The windmill that we took an inside tour of was the Windmill de Zoker – the one that converts linseed and rapeseed to vegetable oil.
The prettiest one (in terms of taking photos and the background scenery), just our opinion, was the Het Jonge Schaanp.
The windmills are technically open every day and operating at all hours, but check their schedule for a visit. The entry is 3 euros for each windmill.
Clog making factory workshop
At the entrance of the Zaanse Schans site, there is a gift shop and a huge pair of brightly painted wooden clogs. Inside the shop, there is a clog making factory.
Clogs are wooden shoes that are used in various parts of the world, with different prints and cultural designs.
In the Netherlands, Dutch clogs are a part of their heritage. They have been wearing wooden shoes, also called “Klompen” (aka clogs) since medieval times. Farmers used them as safety shoes and are particularly useful while walking on swampy land.
Included in our Zannse Schans tour was a clog making workshop at the factory. There are clog making demonstrations conducted throughout the day.
At the workshop, a clog making demonstration included a start to finish steps of what goes into creating these clogs and the time it takes. In the past, clogs were made by hand, but today machines are used to manufacture clogs. Not all types of wood are used to make these shoes. Originally willow or poplar wood were extensively used to make clogs.
The presentation was 15 minutes long and the wonderful thing of the clog factory was the colorful clogs on the walls and pillars. There are a few unique clogs that were on display, each holding a historical value.
There are souvenirs available for purchase as well. You can get a clog keychain for 1.50 euros to actual wearable clogs with designs, priced up to 200 euros. I found one with Canada LOVE!
The clog factory is open every day from 08:30 am to 5:00 pm. The entry is free.
Visiting a 17th century Cheese Farm Catharina Hoeve and trying out some free samples
The cheese was delicious! LOVED it. When we see a visit to a cheese farm/factory included as part of a day tour, we take it!
The set up of the cheese farm was very antique-y. As if the time stood still. It literally takes you to the 17th century, where a lady in costume provided a demonstration of traditional Dutch cheese-making techniques and gave us some samples to try out.
In the store area, the Gouda cheese samples were lined up beautifully for purchase. There were other food items for purchase too, in case you were hungry.
The Farm de Catherinenoeve is open every day from 08:00 am to 06:00 pm.
Museum Shop Albert Heijn
You must have seen the Albert Heijn grocery store or discount card in the Netherlands. Zaanse Schans is home to the first-ever Albert Heijn Grocery Store that was opened.
Albert Heijn is now a museum with all the original interiors. You can also purchase items from the museum.
Important Information about Zaanse Schans day trip
How to get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam?
- Travel information – Trains
- Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans is a 30-minute train ride away – one way.
- The nearest railway station to Zaanse Schans is Zaandijk – Zaanse Schans. This station can be reached by local train from Amsterdam Central Station and then you can walk to Zaanse Schans in another 15 minutes.
- Amsterdam City Card – This city pass will get you free unlimited access to public transport in Amsterdam. Buy your I am Amsterdam City Card here
- The driving time is 25- 30 minutes. Parking fees apply.
There are no entry fees for Zaanse Schans and they are technically open 24 hours. But specific highlights like the working windmills or clog factory demonstration have limited hours as mentioned above.
We highly recommend adding Zaanse Schans to your trip to the Netherlands and get a glimpse of the windmills village in Amsterdam.
Additional Europe Resources to Plan your trip
- Europe 101 – Our introductory guide to planning a trip to Europe.
- European Bucket list – Epic 101 Europe travel bucket list ideas
- Europe Itinerary Samples – 27 itinerary samples to plan your sightseeing
- Visiting Europe in winter – Here are some of the best traveler picks.
- Warm places in Europe? – Here are the warmest places to visit in Europe from December through March.
- Guide to Schengen Visa – read the guide and checklist here.
- Europe Packing Guide – This is the only packing guide to Europe you will ever need. It has reference to seasons and regional variations.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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