Zaanse Schans Tours and Tickets

There are lots of ways to experience Zaanse Schans. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best experiences available right now:

• Day Trip to Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam, and Marken From Amsterdam

• Zaanse Schans Windmills, Clogs, and Dutch Cheese Small-Group Tour From Amsterdam

• Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken Tour

• Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk, and Zaanse Schans Day Tour Including Hotel Pickup

• Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans Windmills Guided Day Trip From Amsterdam

Zaanse Schans is free to enter, and features public footpaths, cycle paths, homes, and shops—as well as the iconic windmills. Although local authorities considered a fee to reduce over-tourism, it’s unlikely to happen. For most visitors, transportation is the main cost to consider. Half-day trips from Amsterdam start around US$40.

Yes, Zaanse Schans is popular for a reason: It offers Dutch traditional heritage—windmills, wooden houses, and local artisan productions of clogs and cheese—in less than 30 minutes from Amsterdam. However, most travelers to Amsterdam know this, and the place gets busy. Skip a weekend visit, if you can.

Per one customer who booked the Zaanse Schans and Volendam Private Tour—Clogs, Cheese, and More, "Zaanse Schans was our favorite stop. Very interesting to see the windmills and wooden clogs up close. Our tour guide gave us amazing backstories on everything and even showed us some spots off the beaten path."

You can explore Zaanse Schans independently; however, Zaanse Schans tours—which typically depart from Amsterdam—help you easily navigate the village and often include access to other locations, such as the quaint fishing town of Volendam and Edam, famous for its namesake cheese.

The must-see museums at Zaanse Schans include the Zaans Museum, home to art and exhibits about the village, and the Verkade Experience, where you can see a chocolate and biscuit-making factory. Must-see windmills include De Huisman spice warehouse, De Gekroonde Poelenburg sawmill, the 17th-century De Bonte Hen, and De Kat, a paint mill with regular demonstrations.

Yes, there are restaurants at Zaanse Schans. You can sample traditional Dutch pancakes at Pancake Restaurant De Kraai, or head to the riverside Zaans Museum Café for tea. For a bar and elevated brasserie menu, head to Restaurant De Hoop op d’Swarte Walvis, which has plenty of outdoor seating.

It’s fast and easy to reach Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam using public transport. You can book a Zaanse Schans ticket that will take you by train from Amsterdam Centraal station to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, which is a 15-minute walk from the entrance. You can also take the 391 bus from Noorderpark, which takes 40 minutes and drops you directly outside the village entrance.

Yes, you can buy many different Dutch souvenirs and crafts at Zaanse Schans; stores sell everything from antiques to soap. The Vrede Storehouse stocks the famous blue-and-white Delft pottery, the Windmill Shop has everything windmill related, and Saense Lelie is a jewelry workshop that specializes in diamonds and gold.

When you're done at Zaanse Schans, the Netherlands has plenty of history-rich and cultural sites to visit. Per other travelers, here are some of the Netherlands must-visit sites:

• Anne Frank House

• Herengracht

• Bloemenmarkt

• Rijksmuseum

• Keukenhof Gardens     

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in the Netherlands.