Half Day Zaanse Schans and canal cruise

Visit the beautiful windmill village Zaanse Schans. Here you will experience all that is typical Dutch in just a few hours.

From the central meeting point, a short bus ride will take you to the windmill village Zaanse Schans. Here you will experience all that is typical Dutch in just a few hours. See the historic working windmills of Zaanse Schans on a tour from Amsterdam with a professional guide. Learn about cheese making, watch traditional craftsmen making clogs and other artifacts and view the wooden green painted houses and shops. A professional, experienced and friendly guide will accompany you throughout the village before you get time to further explore the village on your own.

Finish your day with a canal cruise through the famous canals of Amsterdam.

Long description

Begin your tour at our central meeting point. A comfortable, air-conditioned single deck bus will take you to today’s destination in just 20/30 minutes.

The windmill village Zaanse Schans is an open-air museum that houses a collection of working windmills, wooden houses, barns and shops dating back to the 18th and 19th Century. All these buildings were brought here from 1961 onwards bringing back to life this most prosperous period of the Zaan region.

In its golden age the Zaan Region developed into an industrial area on a scale never seen before, with 600 active windmills: wooden factories powered by wind. In these small factories many tasks were being executed with the aid of wind energy: wood sawn by machines, grinding spices, oil for food and paint, flower, cocoa powder and many other things.

The prosperity in the 18th and 19th century can be seen in the Zaanse Schans windmill village in several ways. Alongside windmills, barns and other buildings, you will see beautiful houses that were originally built as home to rich windmill owners and merchants. These houses have attractive facades and have been painted in traditional colors such as green, beige and light blue.

At arrival in the village, your guide will take you on an orientation tour of the village. You will visit the clog museum (annex wooden shoemaker shop) and in the cheese farm you will get to taste Dutch farmer cheese. Then it is time to further explore the village on your own. Before you set off to discover the Zaanse Schans on your own, your guide will give you further information on the Zaanse Schans and its unique character, teach you local history and culture and give you insider’s tips about what to do and where to go.

Back in Amsterdam, your tour guide will give you your ticket for a regular City Canal Cruise. The voucher can be redeemed at the docks of Blue Boat Company- Gray Line Amsterdam. The ticket for your City Canal Cruise is a so called ‘open ticket’. This means that no time slot has been allocated and you can board any next available boat at one of the two following docks:

• The first dock is located at Stadhouderskade 501, opposite the Hard Rock Cafe. Take tram 1, 2, 5, 11 and 12 and get off at Leidseplein. From there, the dock is a 2 minute walk.
• The second dock is located at Stadhouderskade 550, opposite Heineken Experience. Take tram 2, 5,and 12 get off at Rijksmuseum. From there, the dock is a 5 minute walk or take metro no. 52 and get off at Vijzelgracht. From there, the dock is only a 2 minute walk.

Itinerary

• Drive in 20/30 minutes to the Windmill village of Zaanse Schans
• Guided tour at the Zaanse Schans
• Visit during 15 minutes the wooden shoe maker and see how to make the perfect wooden shoe
• Walk in 5 minutes to the cheese farm
• See in 10 minutes how to make Dutch Cheese and taste them all after the explanation
• Explore the village during one hour free time
• Drive back in 20/30 minutes to Amsterdam.

Included

• All taxes, fees and handling charges
• Transport by air-conditioned coach
• Live commentary on board
• City Canal Cruise by Blue Boat Company

Excluded

• Gratuities (optional)
• Food and drinks

Departure details

This tour departs from De Ruijterkade 105, 1011 AB Amsterdam. Which is only a 6 minute walk from the Amsterdam Central Station. From the front of the Amsterdam Central Station (Stationsplein), turn to your left and walk in the eastern direction. Keep on walking and cross the small bridge. Walk until you reach the Doubletree By Hilton Hotel. Turn left and follow the walkway underneath the railway crossing. After this crossing, our departure point is on your right.