Zaanse Schans Tours and Tickets

Yes, visiting Zaanse Schans is worth it—the traditional neighborhood offers a glimpse into authentic Dutch life during the 18th and 19th centuries, making you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. It’s home to windmills, workshops making and selling wooden clogs and cheese, museums, and cycle paths through the countryside.

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.