Tours and Tickets to Experience Volendam

Must-visit attractions in Volendam include its colorful harbor, where you can watch fishing boats returning to shore; Volendam Museum, which is home to life-sized dioramas; The Cheese Factory, where you can tour the factory and see how Edam cheese is made; and the seafood restaurants that serve freshly caught seafood.

Yes, Volendam is worth visiting—it's a snapshot of traditional Dutch history and culture. While it is designed to appeal to tourists, it's a fun place to dress up in Dutch costumes, try on wooden clogs, and sample cheese and seafood. It’s also the departure point for the ferry to Marken, an island famous for its quaint wooden houses.

Yes, day trips to Volendam and other Dutch countryside highlights are among the top things to do in Amsterdam. Tours typically combine Volendam with the windmills and clog factories of Zaanse Schans, cheese tasting in the town of Edam, and a ferry ride over to the island of Marken to admire its quaint architecture.

Volendam is 14 miles (23 kilometers) from Amsterdam via the N247 road. You can take the 316 bus from Amsterdam to Volendam; it departs 3-4 times per hour from Amsterdam Noord and takes around 30 minutes. If you’re pressed for time and want to avoid public transport, tours nearly always include round-trip transport.

How long you should spend in Volendam depends on how much time you spend in Amsterdam—if you only have a few days in Holland, just a few hours in Volendam is enough. If you’ve got more time to spare, arrive mid-afternoon and stay overnight to experience the fishing village once the day trippers have departed.

The best months to visit Volendam are from April through September, which are Holland’s spring and summer. The sunshine and lesser chance of rain are ideal for soaking up the seaside charm of Volendam. The Volendammer Kermis festival takes place on the first weekend of September and celebrates the village’s cultural heritage with live music and food stalls.