Home > Amsterdam > Dutch Countryside and Culture Tour from Amsterdam Including Zaanse Schans, Edam and Volendam
USD $55.00
Dutch Countryside and Culture Tour from Amsterdam Including Zaanse Schans, Edam and Volendam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Get to grips with Dutch culture on a half-day morning tour to the countryside from Amsterdam. In the company of a guide, visit the quaint villages of Zaanse Schans, Edam and Volendam in North Holland and immerse yourself in the world of dykes, windmills, cheese and clogs. See operating windmills and observe clog-making demonstrations at an open-air museum on the Zaan River; take guided tours around the picturesque old towns of Edam and Volendam, and learn about cheese production at a cheese farm or weighing house.
Escape the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam on a half-day guided tour of the Dutch countryside, starting with a 20-minute drive to the windmill village of Zaanse Schans. This outdoor conservation area is situated on the banks of the Zaan River and is home to traditional 18th and 19th century architecture, including several functioning windmills. Watch live demonstrations of craftsmen at work, including a clog maker crafting the famous wooden shoes of the Netherlands. There will be some free time to explore the village on your own, before traveling through the distinctive polders (land reclaimed from the water) of the Beemster area.
From there continue on to Edam, also commonly referred to as the pearl of the Zuiderzee. Edam’s ancient streets and tranquil canals are lined by beautiful 17th century buildings, including the leaning Carillon tower, the Great Church, and town hall. Most famous in Edam is beyond any doubt the public weighing house, where in summer still every Wednesday the famous Edam Cheese is being sold. After a stroll around this history-rich town, you’ll have the opportunity to see how Edam’s world-famous cheese is made and, of course, to taste it in a closeby cheesefarm.
Finally, you will stop in the beautiful seaside village of Volendam. This typical fishing village with its bustling harbor has been a major tourist attraction as early as 1875. People come from all over to see the small buildings and houses and take in the locals in their traditional Dutch clothing. This is a great place to pick up souvenirs for those at home or a memento for yourself, and to have photos taken in traditional Dutch costume. Your guide will take you on a short walk through the oldest parts of the city, exploring a labyrinth of twists and turns to sites such as St. Vincent’s Church, the wooden Stolphoevekerk and the Visafslag (Fish Auction).
Excellent tour in which we learned a lot of history, as well as how products such as wooden shoes and Edam and Gouda cheese is made/created. It was a cold day for us, but the countryside is beautiful and our multilingual guide was very entertaining and full of useful knowledge. I would highly recommend this tour to everyone, especially families.
Review by: mayco62, June 2018
Tour guide was Edgar. _br/_ He was fun and friendly. Took really good care of us throughout the trip. It was great that he spoke many languages although it could be confusing at times when he switched from one to the other. I thought that this was an English only tour. I cant help wondering whether he could have provided more information on the places we went to if he wasnt translating in 3 different languages all the time. Great tour and guide and driver all the same.
Review by: Patricia G, April 2018
Our tour guide, Edgar, was funny, very patient with our group, gave awesome tips and interesting information about Amsterdam, Zaanse, Edam and Volendam and in 3 languages English, French, German!!!
Review by: Erin Lynn D, April 2018
This is the second tour of this type we have taken and we loved every minute of it. We actually wish we had booked the longer tour so we could spend more time at each location. Especially Zaanse Schans. Juliet was our guide and she did an excellent job. Considering you are dealing with about 20 people all with their own personalities and wants, she was able to keep us all in check and well entertained. She was very knowledgeable about the places we visited and made us feel like a good friend was showing us around, not a paid guide. Hank, our bus driver was excellent as well. How he dealt with small spaces and backing the HUGE bus up amazed me. Be prepared with WATER and Snacks as there really isn't time to stop to eat! You can leave bags on the bus as well while visiting your next stop. I look forward to booking again through Viator for our next vacation!
Review by: Rosa J, April 2018
Don't miss this tour! Loved the charming, picturesque villages and the windmills. Punctual, informative guides. No matter how beautiful Amsterdam is, the countryside is memorable. On finalizing our tour, they dropped us off a short 5 minute walk away from a free ferry to the downtown area where you have quick access to restaurants, shopping, Madame Tussauds, the Royal palace, etc.
Review by: Lauren W, April 2018
So glad we chose to do this tour on our last day in Amsterdam. It was a great break from the city and if you are short on time, its a great opportunity to see the country side without it taking all day. We left at 10am and were back to our hotel by a bit after 4pm, even with transport, leaving us plenty of time in the day. The sights are beautiful and despite being it being a VERY windy and cold day, it was worth it. Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, and we learned much that we wouldn't have know otherwise, or in doing this excursion on our own. The windmills are gorgeous, but give yourself enough time to walk the distances before you decide to do any souvenir shopping, you want to make sure you have enough time because the photo ops are abundant and you will spend more time than you think doing this! Departures are prompt! Be at your designated meeting spot early, or they will leave without you!
Review by: Hiteshika G, April 2018
Really good! I'd only change a few small things.
Review by: Sean Ryan A, March 2018
Must-do tour when in Amsterdam! A small break from the buzz of the city.
Review by: chy, March 2018
This was an excellent day trip away from Amsterdam. We had a chance to see Dutch life and the beautiful countryside. Our guide was super informative, kid, and very accommodating. We had our children elementary aged who loved this excursion. Many beautiful sights and interesting aspects of Dutch culture to be learned. The stop in Edam was amazing and the cheese delicious. The Voldendam stop was nice, but really touristy. We wished we could have had more time in the little fishing village. Get a fresh fried cod fish sandwich and try the mini pancakes.
Review by: Robert D, March 2018
The trip was interesting and very knowledgeable.The adviser was very good in explaining things that went went on in Hollands history._br/_ She was also very helpful on seeing me on and off the coach. On the whole very enjoyable trip.
Review by: Dana H, March 2018
Really fantastic day tour. Got to see the countryside with a very professional guide. I am only 22 and it was a very safe way to explore the countryside of the Netherlands...but the tour felt a little rushed sometimes. too many things which aren't a bad thing!!
Review by: to.ange, March 2018
Excellent tour guide and easy experience on a luxury coach. Ample time to enjoy each town and soak up the ambiance. Loved the charm of Edam and Zanse Schans windmills. Do it!
Review by: Kelly C, February 2018
I would highly recommend this trip. See lots of different things around the countryside including Edam, cheese tasting and windmills. The guide we had was fantastic.
Review by: Revital L, January 2018
I had a nice time on this tour. It rained quite a bit, but that was expected. The group was nice, and the tour guide was very informed.
Review by: Allison G, January 2018
Decent tour and good guide, but pretty touristy.
Review by: Shamita K, December 2017
Our guide Raphael, was very knowledgeable and provided interesting insights all through the visit. Highly recommended if you have less time at your disposal. Though I expected headsets, the way Raphael conducted the tour was excellent and did not cause inconvenience.
Review by: Jamali B, December 2017
Beautiful country side, meeting point at Adam Tower is very easy, within the Central Station, exit on your left,_br/_ take the free transfer ferry which moves frequently. Be punctual as tour leaves on time.
Review by: Melinda B, December 2017
Excellent trip outside of Amsterdam! We enjoyed all parts of the day. We especially enjoyed lunch in Volendam and picked foods that our guide recommended. They were using a brand new smaller coach and it was very comfortable. I have been on a lot of coaches and these were really nice. This also meant we had a smaller group for the trip. The cheese farm in Edam was great and we are still enjoying all of the cheese we brought home. We could have used a little more time at Zaanse Schans but at least we were able to go into one of the windmills.
Review by: cortney h, November 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Judith M, November 2017
We had a lovely day on the Dutch countryside tour. Our guide was very likable and informative and all the tour stops were fun and interesting. We dressed up like Dutch girls and got a wonderful keepsake picture that will remind us of the fun times on our European vacation.
Review by: jcmoore910, November 2017
My husband and I did this tour to get out into the Dutch countryside. The only part we weren't thrilled with was the cheese factory. The explanation was hurried and it felt like we were just there to go in their giftshop. The Zaanse Schans was an interesting rebuild of what a dutch village was like. Edam was a lovely town as was Volendam. The ride from place to place was also pretty. Our guide, Joetti sp , was very good. She went into a lot of detail about each place.
Review by: Sue H, October 2017
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable . Very glad we decided to take the tour.
Review by: Maureen C, October 2017
I traveled a few hours to Amsterdam to take this tour, booked a hotel overnight and was excited to see it._br/_ In the morning I got up, and got to the pick up location 12 minutes before the time of pick-up. I waited for an hour, and was never picked up. I tried several times to call the local office, but just got an answering machine. I called Viator and was able to get someone in the states. He was very nice, but after he tried to contact them he told me they are closed on Sunday, so there is no way he can see what happened or have someone pick me up this was after spending 15 minutes on the phone with him. I asked him what I was supposed to do being that I traveled in for this tour spent money on a hotel/gas and he suggested that I just walk around Amsterdam for the day by myself. This was not a good solution as I already have been to Amsterdam and was looking forward to the tour. I think it is wrong that viator books through a local company and then cannot get in contact with them. I was so upset that I just got back in the car and went home. I wasted and entire weekend as well as money trying to get on this tour. Be aware if you book this trip especially on a Sunday that they may or may not show up.
Review by: Jeffrey K, October 2017
This tour is not worth it. Volendam used to be a fishing village, but now it's only a tourist town. There's little if any resemblance to a fishing village. Edam is supposed to be the town that makes the cheese, but the cheese factory we visited wasn't there. All we did in Edam is walk through the town, which is pleasant enough but not what we expected. The windmills in Zaanse Schans are a definite must to see. They're fascinating to go through. But next time I'd just take a train there and do it on my own for a lot less. You might need a cab from the train station. The time you have there on the tour isn't enough. You could spend it all in the wooden shoe factory without ever getting to see the inside of the windmills. Further, the tour supposedly covers the admission price to the cheese factory and shoe shop, but I don't think there was any entrance fee. These are places that want people to come it to sell them goods. The tour didn't cover the entrance fee to the wind mills. Our tour guide was ok enough, but we really didn't learn enough to justify the cost.
Review by: PC, October 2017
This was an interesting tour, with Edam the standout site in terms of its unspoiled beauty and serenity. Interesting displays of cheese making and clog making processes, and time in Volendam to explore the town and have lunch in a pleasant setting by the water. There was one problem however. The guide had arranged for all of us to meet back outside a shop in Volendam after the lunch break at a given time before going on to Zaanse Schans. We arrived back at the shop at the agreed time only to find that the guide had left with the rest of the group a few minutes earlier. Fortunately, the shopkeeper was able to give us directions to the coach area a different place to where we had earlier arrived some way off. The guide seemed surprised to see us arrive as everyone was boarding the coach and said, 'oh well, these things happen when you are tired'. Apparently she had either not counted the group at the shop, or had not been concerned that two were missing and that she was leaving earlier than arranged. A word of advice to anyone taking this tour - double check with the guide on the meeting times and places and, although you shouldn't have to, come back 5 or 10 minutes earlier. We could have been stranded!
Review by: Daniel F, October 2017
This tour was so nice that despite it rained, I enjoyed it a lot. Every stop is interesting, and you should definitely save a day in Amsterdam to see the countryside.
Review by: shadowgirl, October 2017
To be fair, it was a miserable rainy day. The trip itself would have obviously been better with nicer weather but still was just an okay tour. The affordable town of Edam we were given no time to even get a cup of coffee. We walked to the center In the pouring rain to just turn around.
Review by: Peter O, October 2017
Fantastic,lovely country.friendly and helpful people, the guide was great, would do it again..
Review by: matt s, September 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: ILSE M, September 2017
Excellent day outing. Tour guide was excellent even though poor thing was not well. Very professional she was. Thank you.
Review by: Ursula L, September 2017
Our tour guide, Diederick, was friendly and very knowledgeable which made this a very enjoyable tour.
Review by: lynne h, September 2017
Had a wonderful day. The commentary was informative without overloading us and Bruges itself was a spectacular sight. We had enough time to meander on our own and explore the beautiful city. Would highly recommend this tour.
Review by: Thomas M, September 2017
Fantastic tour guide, great quick trip out of the city to see the highlights of the countryside!
Review by: Julie K, September 2017
I just felt it wasn't what I expected. We didn't have time to have any lunch. The rain didn't make it any better. We were soaking wet and cold. The weather wasn't their fault.
Review by: Kean A, September 2017
The itinerary was good except the tour guide seems to be only concentrated to a group of people and ignoring the others. Further when we booked the tour, it was supposed to be an English speaking than a multi languages. The constant Spanish and German made us feel uneasy and headache.
Review by: Camilla C, September 2017
Lovely tour with a great guide Rik - very interesting and funny. We managed to pack lots into the short time available, and enjoyed Edam the most - a very pretty place, not touristy and full of interesting buildings and history. We highly recommend this tour!
Review by: Amit K, August 2017
It was very good but short time for each point of interest.
Review by: Amit K, August 2017
It was very good but short time for each point of interest.
Review by: Natalie M, June 2017
The bus was running late for pick up since I was at the last stop, but otherwise everything went smootly! Every place we wen to was so nice. It was really interesting getting out of the city and seeing the cute little towns. A good way to round out your experience in the Netherlands, especially if you're only there for a short period of time. Fly The
Review by: Shaz, June 2017
I went with my 2 teenage sons and we all loved it. Loads to look at, eat, do and experience. Thank you to a great guide!
Review by: Judith B, June 2017
The directions for finding the location for the start were confusing but we stopped in the Gray Line office near the Victoria Hotel and they clarified about taking the free ferry. They didn't tell us that we would need to find the tour office to the left of the ADam museum entrance and that would have been helpful. We found it but also saw that others had trouble also. It was a cold and blustery day so perhaps that is why it was inside. The rest of the tour was just great! The tour guide was super and we were all on a very nice Mercedes Bus - about 35 people I would say. He did a really good job getting us to all the venues and protecting us from the rain and wind quite well. Fortunately there was plenty of dry times so the views were amazing! Walking through the towns was the best! The cheese demo and tasting was delicious! And of course the windmills....terrific. We were taken back to where we started at Adam so it was easy for us to take the ferry back. Others who had boarded different places seemed quite confused to have the tour end at Adam and didn't quite know how to get back. The guide was helpful but wonder why the bus doesn't drop you off where you started?
Review by: P_Lord, June 2017
We loved our tour of the dutch countryside especially seeing the windmills at Zaanse Schans! The cheese tour was very nice and walking through the village of Volendam was a great way to see that amazing place up close! Wish we had a little more time to shop near the windmills.
Review by: David S, May 2017
Very good tour. Highlight was Volendam. Lovely place
Review by: Caitlin B, May 2017
This tour was entertaining, but it was very touristy. Besides the Windmill Village, the other stops are not very exciting. The dairy farm you stop at is the same cheese provider that is sold at all the tourist stores. This tour makes it sound as if you are getting a unique experience, but it's really just the same stuff you would find in Amsterdam.
Review by: murchu.miceal, April 2017
Very enjoyable short break in Amsterdam. Particularly enjoyed my visit to the Van Gogh museum, and the half day tour of towns and villages outside Amsterdam. Hope to make a return visit sometime in the future.
Review by: Adrian M, April 2017
The coach picked us up from Heineken experience bus stop and took us to Adam lookout, where we checked in. We were greeted by our tour leader, Juliette. We then proceeded to Volendam, followed by Edam and Zaanse Schans. All three places are very beautiful and picturesque and would be very difficult to see in one morning if traveling on own account. Our tour leader was excellent. She gave us a splendid walking tour of the first two sites and we had time to enjoy the cheeses at one of the farms near Edam. Also had enough time to purchase local goods. At Zaanse Schans, we had just enough time to see the Dutch shoe craftsman demonstration, grab a quick take away bite and take photos of the windmills. This last part of the tour was just a little rushed perhaps, and could do better with an extra 30 minutes to soak in the atmosphere. The coach dropped us by Adam lookout, after which we crossed to central station by free boat and took taxi to our hotel. Overall, the tour was brilliant, very informative, and good value for money. Tour leader was excellent. Highly recommended.
Review by: Flora P, April 2017
This was a good tour but we high tailed it to too many cities therefore not enough time was spent in each. I was personally disappointed in Zaanse Schans. It is a tourist trap. Nice to see the windmills but it should be promoted as a living history site. The crowds were unbearable. I would suggest providing a list of places to eat. The first two restaurants I stopped in were full and wouldn't seat us. I loved the museum. Make the museum your first stop then see the windmills. I would suggest including Volendam and stay there longer perhaps make it a stop for lunch and shopping following the walking tour, which was excellent. Drop Edam because it didn't add anything to the day trip.
Review by: Gerald C, April 2017
It was excellent. The guide was very knowledgable, and it was a good day to visit Volendam as they were having a boat race, and there was a band playing and they were all dressed in traditional costume. As a bonus the sin was shining. We also enjoyed the cheese factory, we bought a lot to bring home and and we also both bought clogs when we visited the clog makers at Zaanse Schans. The only disappointment was not being brought back into town. Having purchased several items we then had to catch the ferry back to the town and then a taxi back to our hotel, as we would not carry everything on public transport. We were not made aware that we would not be taken back to where we were picked up when we booked the trip
Review by: Marilyn B, April 2017
Was a great tour . Small group on big bus. Tour should be extended to allow more time at Zaanse Schans - after clog show and a trip to the bathroom , only had 30 mins. to look inside demo windmill and look at the outside of a logging windmill and fit in shopping. _br/_ It is noted on the vouchers that there are several pickup points in the morning we used the Rokin stop and the bus's final stop is at the A'dam tower for redistribrution of passengers by tour. What should be noted is that the tours end at the A'dam Tower. Our tour guide pointed us in the right direction to catch the Buiksloterwegveer passenger ferry . I enquired how to get through Central Station. When the ferry stops , follow the bicycles and walking passengers. There is a tunnel that goes under the train station . Foot passenger's pathway is to the left of the bicycle paths . You will arrive out of the tunnel at the Martelaarsgracht / Prins Hendrikkade intersection Lovers Canal Cruises / Van Gogh Cafe . Fortunately our hotel was nearby so we knew where we were.
Review by: Erin H, April 2017
We had a great time on this tour. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining and the tour itself included a great overview of different parts of Dutch culture :) It was a bit rushed but we knew it would be given how much was included, even so it was great. We highly recommend!
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