Top Netherlands Unique Experiences

Experience the best of typical Dutch culture on a half-day tour to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam. Observe traditional cheese-making and taste some real Dutch cheese; marvel at the exterior of a working windmill; try on some authentic wooden clogs for size; and admire the quaint and colorful architecture of Zaanse Schans village before returning to Amsterdam by comfortable coach. If option selected, the tour includes an Amsterdam canal cruise ticket to use at your leisure within a few days of the tour.

Get to know Amsterdam like a local on a private, fully personalized experience. Starting from your accommodation or chosen meeting point, explore the city in a way that reflects your interests—whether that's wandering the charming Nine Streets, uncovering hidden courtyards, sampling Dutch delicacies at a street market, or soaking in canal-side views. With a local host by your side, you’ll skip the tourist trail and dive into authentic Amsterdam.

Explore Zaanse Schans and the Dutch countryside this tour from Amsterdam. With an informative guide, admire the lush, canal-crossed Dutch landscape. Take a tour of pretty Zaanse Schans, famous for its wooden windmills and green-painted houses, and visit a cheese farm and clog-making workshop to learn about these traditional crafts. Lastly, visit a working windmill to learn about the role of windmills in the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age.

The best way to explore the UNESCO-listed Amsterdam Canal Ring is indisputably by a small electric boat that can access the narrow historic canals that larger tour boats can't reach. Get a different perspective of the Dutch capital while avoiding the crowds on land during this relaxing cruise through the Red Light District, Anne Frank House, and the Skinny Bridge (depending on the route chosen). When the weather is good, enjoy an open-air boat ride as well as heated seats during the winter or bad weather.

Understanding Amsterdam’s Red Light District (De Wallen) can be difficult without local context, but this private walking tour offers a clear, informed introduction with a guide leading the way. Travel along Zeedijk Street and through Chinatown, all while learning about how the area has evolved. As you walk past red-lit windows and adult entertainment venues, your guide separates fact from fiction and explains the social history of the district, including how prostitution was legalized in the Netherlands in 2000, and the culture surrounding coffee shops (licensed venues where cannabis is legally sold and consumed).

Experience three icons of the Dutch countryside—windmills, cheese, and wooden clogs—on a day trip from Amsterdam that saves you the stress of arranging logistics. Journey to the North Holland towns of Zaanse Schans and Volendam to view working windmills at an open-air museum, visit a dairy farm or cheese weighing house, step inside a clog factory, and enter a windmill. Learn more about Dutch culture than you would exploring alone.

See a side of the Netherlands that many visitors miss on an e-bike tour that promises an authentic Dutch experience. Swap the busy streets of Amsterdam for open fields, canals, windmills, and picture-perfect medieval villages as you follow a comfortable 25-mile (40-kilometer) route that's made easier with an electric bike. Upgrade to visit a family-run cheese and clog farm and see locals making Gouda cheese and wooden clogs by hand.

Escape the crowded city of Amsterdam on a private trip through the Dutch countryside. Begin at Zaanse Schans, exploring the windmills and charming Dutch architecture. Then, journey to the picturesque fishing villages of Volendam and Marken, known for their green timbered houses and harbor. A luxury vehicle with a personal guide gives you a private tour; no need to navigate trains or crowded buses.

Combine two of Amsterdam’s top-selling experiences and save money with a Super Saver Heineken Experience and canal cruise package—a convenient and budget-friendly choice that’s ideal for first-time visitors. Guarantee your entry to the often sold-out Heineken Experience by booking in advance and get unobstructed views of Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed waterways, without the crowds on land, during a canal cruise—a quintessential Amsterdam experience.

Heighten your senses and pleasure your palate during a 4-course dining in the dark experience in Amsterdam. Rather than eating in a standard restaurant, enhance your sensory experience of food and drink while allowing blind waiting staff to deliver delicious dishes to your table in the pitch-black darkness. Select your meal from an illuminated selection outside and then plunge back into the darkness to enjoy this unique meal.

Home to some of the world’s most iconic Van Gogh paintings, Amsterdam’s Van Gogh museum attracts lines that often exceed two hours. Beat the crowds with this timed admission ticket that also includes an Amsterdam canal cruise, which you can take at a time that works for you. This self-guided experience is an ideal choice for first-time visitors with limited time in the Dutch capital, as it lets you explore at a pace that suits you rather than following a fixed tour itinerary.

Go beyond Amsterdam's city limits and spend some time relaxing in the countryside on this day trip to the traditional villages of Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and their windmills. Skip the stress of navigating unfamiliar public transportation with included round-trip transportation from the city center. Sit back and relax as you're driven through the surrounding countryside, where you can enjoy an itinerary that offers an alternative perspective on Dutch culture.

The combination of foot, bike, car, and bus traffic on the cobblestone streets of Amsterdam can be overwhelming, so experience Amsterdam in peace from the water. Sit back and relax while you experience the city’s waterways from a unique vantage point and with a drink in hand. On this open-air canal cruise (weather-dependent), pass by sights including the Anne Frank House, Skinny Bridge and more, while your skipper will give you information about Amsterdam and provide some local tips.

Forgo the typical historical tours in favor of exploring Amsterdam with a private guide. With no fixed itinerary or tight schedule, enjoy local insights, fun facts, and a relaxed pace with the attention you won’t get on larger tours. Ask your guide for personalized recommendations based on your interests or follow their lead. Afterwards, shop and dine at your leisure.

Don’t let limited time in Amsterdam stop you from escaping to the countryside: eliminate the stress of advance planning on a private day trip to Zaanse Schans and Volendam. Witness traditional Dutch craftsmanship at a clog factory, and then enjoy over 30 cheese flavors at Henri Willig farm. Continue to Volendam for a delightful lunch and harbor views, then take a ferry to the charming island of Marken, with its unique houses on wooden stilts.

During the Dutch Golden Age, some of the most recognizable paintings in the world were created. Step into a masterpiece and bring home the selfie to prove it. Choose your painting, then get into character and dress up to allow a professional photographer to capture the scene. Take home prints of the reenactment as the perfect memento to commemorate this unique Dutch experience.

Forget asking strangers to snap photos of you—bring home a photo memento with a difference with this Amsterdam photo shoot that recreates a Dutch Golden Age masterpiece. Choose from some of the most famous Dutch paintings, and dress in costume to mimic the picture for your photo session. Walk away with two prints and an email with the original photo files that you can upload to social media.

Experience typically Dutch landscapes of fishing villages, windmills, and craftsmen’s shops on an award-winning small-group tour from Amsterdam. Visit restored windmills in Zaanse Schans, and walk the dikes and harbor of Volendam, a pretty port lined with bright houses and sailboats. Sample locally-make cheeses and Dutch schnapps, and enjoy time to choose a restaurant for lunch.

Delve into traditional Dutch culture on a private countryside tour from Amsterdam. Skip the hassle of renting a car and navigating country roads, as a dedicated driver makes it easy to travel from the capital to charming villages like Zaanse Schans, Irene Hoeve, and Volendam. See working windmills, visit a cheese factory, watch how wooden clogs are made, and get tips on the top riverside restaurants for an authentic Dutch lunch.

Unwind from a busy day of sightseeing on this evening cruise through Amsterdam's canal district., which lets you escape the land-based crowds Admire the illuminated waterfronts as you glide through the city center and listen to the onboard guide's insightful commentary. As you take in the sights, savor wine paired with Dutch cheese and charcuterie.

Get to know Rotterdam’s beer scene and navigate the city by water on this group tour. Travel in water taxis and by foot to different local breweries throughout the city. Sample craft beers with accompanying snacks at each brewery and learn about the city’s history and culture from your guide.

Discover the beautiful city of Amsterdam, known as the ‘Venice of the North,’ from the water on this sightseeing cruise. Choose your preferred departure time from your chosen departure point and set off on the UNESCO-listed waterways aboard a glass-topped canal boat. Glide under pretty bridges, past 17th-century buildings and landmarks like the Anne Frank House, and learn about the city’s history from the audio guide.

Enjoy a break from the city and discover rural Holland on a private sightseeing tour to Zaanse Schans and Volendam from Rotterdam. See traditional windmills, factories, and villages, with free time to explore at your own pace. Travel the outlying locations with ease via private vehicle, and benefit from convenient pickup and drop-off from your Rotterdam hotel.