A Day Trip From Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans: The Ultimate Guide
Take a trip back in time and experience centuries of Dutch culture and heritage on a day trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans in the Netherlands!
When we decided to visit Amsterdam, there was plenty of excitement for the city’s awe-inspiring architecture, beautiful canals and abundant nightlife. However, I totally wasn’t expecting one of my highlights from the trip to be an experience that’s about as far from an action-packed city break as you can get.
As part of our weekend break, we took a day trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, which quickly became the highlight of my visit to the Netherlands. I think I spent most of my time exploring Zaanse Schans with my mouth open, gazing around as it was all so stunningly beautiful. Set in the stunning Dutch countryside, the wooden buildings ooze charm, and it’s a dreamy place to wander around on foot.
Read on to find out more about this fascinating neighbourhood, and the abundance of things to do there!
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Zaanse Schans Essentials
Want to take the hassle out of visiting Zaanse Schans? Try a budget-friendly half day tour from Amsterdam, or combine your visit with the picturesque waterways of Giethoorn village on a full-day tour.
Planning an overnight stay? Check out Boutique Hotel Zaan and Boutique Hotel 43 for an affordable stay just across the canal from Zaanse Schans village.
Save on attractions with a Zaanse Schans card, which includes entry to multiple attractions including World of Windmills and Verkade Chocolate Factory.
What is Zaanse Schans?
Zaanse Schans is a living heritage community and open-air museum showcasing traditional Dutch craftsmanship and ways of life. It’s best known for its thirteen windmills and handicraft demonstrations, transporting visitors back to 19th and 20th century Dutch life.
Although it looks centuries old, Zaanse Schanz was actually constructed between 1961 and 1974. Aside from two original windmills, many of the structures were relocated to the area for preservation. Many of the original and relocated buildings date back to the 1700s and 1800s.
How long should I spend in Zaanse Schans?
At a minimum, you’ll want to spend half a day in Zaanse Schans. If you plan to visit the museum and attractions, I’d advise spending a full day here so you can explore at the relaxed pace that such a beautiful location commands.
What to do in Zaanse Schans: Museums and Windmills
As a living community, entrance to the wider Zaanse Schans area is completely free. However, individual attractions have their own entry costs.
If you’re planning on checking out multiple attractions in Zaanse Schans, it might be more cost-effective to purchase a Zaanse Schans Card (more on that below), which gives access to multiple paid attractions.
Zaans Museum
A great place to start your visit to Zaanse Schanz! The museum opened in 1998 to preserve and educate visitors on the history of the Zaan region’s heritage. The permanent collection has five exhibitions, each detailing a different aspect of Zaans history. Exhibitions include:
- De Zaanstreek Maakt Het – the history of industry in the region.
- Monet and the Zaan – paintings from and inspired by Claude Monet from the Zaan region.
- Typical of the Zaan – a reconstruction of an older exhibit, showcasing typical life in the Zaan region in the 19th century.
- Monuments Speak – explores the impact WWII had on the Zaan region.
Opening Times: 10am-5pm
Admission Price: €14.50 (adult), €7.50 (child), €11.50 (senior & student)
Verkade Chocolate and Biscuit Factory
Got a sweet tooth? Don’t miss the Verkade Experience, hosted within Zaans Museum.
Inside, you’ll be transported back to the early 20th century chocolate and biscuit factory. As original machines churn and clank, you’ll learn more about the Verkade company’s impact on confectionery in the Netherlands.
The experience also features fun interactive elements, with games to test whether you’d make it as a ‘Verkade girl’ or biscuit maker. For €2.75, you can design your own custom Verkade bar wrapper, and use the packaging machine to wrap your bar to take home.
Opening Times: 10am-5pm
Admission Price: included in Zaans Museum entry fee
Still not had your fill of chocolate? Join a chocolate making demonstration and tasting in Zaandijk with a small local artisinal producer.
The Cooperage
A small exhibit dedicated to the craft of barrel-making. See demonstrations of traditional barrel-making techniques, and learn more about the tools and machinery involved.
Opening Times: Fri, Sat & Sun: 11am-4pm
Admission Price: €3 (adult), €1.50 (child)
The Weaver’s House
This exhibit in the reconstructed Weaver’s House shares the history and traditional methods for weaving sailcloth and windmill cloths. Weavers wear traditional costume, and visitors can sit behind the loom and watch home-weaving demonstrations.
Opening Times: Fri, Sat & Sun: 11am-4pm
Admission Price: €3 (adult), €1.50 (child)
See the Zaanse Schans windmills
For centuries, wind power has played a vital role in industry, and this area of the Netherlands was once home to over a thousand windmills. Zaanse Schans today is home to seven working windmills that visitors can explore.
Visiting the windmills is one of THE essential things to do in Zaanse Schans! You can choose to admire them from outside, or pay a small fee to look around inside. If you’re planning on visiting more than one windmill, it’s worth getting a World Of Windmills Ticket which grants access to the museum + two mills of your choice for €22 (worth €24).
Some of the best windmills to visit in Zaanse Schans are:
De Huisman (Spice Mill)
The smell of ground cloves and cinnamon hits you immediately when you get close to De Huisman, home to the famous Zaanse mustard. Stock up with some souvenirs for your kitchen cupboard. Admission €6 (adult), €3 (child)
De Kat (Paint Mill)
A 1646 dye mill that specialises in creating high-quality paints used by the Rembrandt House and Vatican Museum. A must-visit for artists and creatives! Admission €6 (adult), €3 (child)
De Zoeker (Oil Mill)
One of only five remaining oil mills in the area, and the only one still in operation, De Zoeker presses seeds into vegetable oil. It was moved from Zaanddjik to Zaanse Schans in 1968. Admission €6 (adult), €3 (child)
Het Jonge Schapp (Sawmill)
The most recent addition to the Zaanse Windmill collection, Het Jonge Schapp opened in 2007. The mill provides wood for the surrounding area. Admission €6 (adult), €3 (child)
De Schoolmeester (Paper mill)
This mill makes Zaansch Bord paper and card, used by bookbinders and artist around the world. Fun fact: the American Declaration of Independence rumoured to have been printed on paper made in a Zaan mill! Admission €6 (adult), €3 (child)
World of Windmills Museum
Fascinated by all the windmills at Zaanse Schans? To learn more about the history of wind power in the Zaan region, pop your head into the World of Windmills Museum!
The immersive displays and exhibits will take you on a journey four centuries of windmill history, as virtual guides give an insight into the impact the windmills had on industry, social development and culture.
Opening Times: 10am-5pm
Admission Price: €12 (adult), €6 (child)
World of Windmills Ticket: €22 (adult), €11 (child) this gives access to the museum + 2 windmills of your choice.
Zaanse Time Museum
If its beautiful exterior isn’t enough to draw you in, Zaanse Time Museum contains a huge collection of timepieces, from intricate animated clocks and historical pocket watches. Celebrating the craft of clockmaking, you’ll get to see Holland’s history played out on pieces from the 16th century onwards.
Definitely a museum worth making time for!
Opening Times: 10am-5pm
Admission Price: €11 (adult), €5.50 (child)
The Bakery Museum
The historic bakery museum in Zaanse Schans dates back to 1658 and features a traditional bread oven and intricate marble floor. You’ll even have the chance to try some Dutch baked goods, including Duivekater, a famous sweet bread from the Zaan region.
Opening Times: 10am-5pm
Admission Price: €11 (adult), €5.50 (child)
Albert Heijn Museum Shop
You wouldn’t think you’d find a branch of the Netherlands’ largest grocery chain in a place like this – but the Albert Heijn Museum Shop isn’t your regular supermarket!
See where the Albert Heijn chain began by visiting the first of its supermarkets, founded in 1887. Now a museum complete with original fixtures and furniture, admire the 19th century interior and historical product packaging.
Opening Times: Sat & Sun 11am-4pm
Admission Price: Free
Things to do in Zaanse Schans: Crafts & Food
If you’re looking for free things to do in Zaanse Schans, check out the food and craft demonstrations that happen daily in the town’s numerous shop buildings. Peruse hand-made wares for unique souvenirs, and get a taste of some local delicacies.
Watch a cheese making demonstration
Learn how iconic Dutch cheeses are made at Catherina Hoeve, a cheese farm that relocated to Zaanse Schans in the late 1980s. Costumed workers will demonstrate cheesemaking methods that have been passed down for centuries.
Afterwards, we ventured into the cheese shop, where we found more types of cheese than you could imagine – and plenty of samples! They had everything from the traditional gouda cheeses to interesting flavours such as champagne cheese for us to try.
Opening Times: 8.30am-5pm
Admission Price: Free
Embrace the clog at The Wooden Shoe Workshop
An emblem of the Netherlands, the clog dates back around 800 years. Designed as affordable worker’s shoes, they quickly became popular with farmers, fishermen and factory workers. With the dawn of more modern footwear, you won’t see them worn as much in the present day – but the artisan clog community is alive and well in Zaanse Schans.
The Wooden Shoe Workshop is a family business founded in 1974, and today they offer demonstrations on traditional wooden shoe making practice.
During the demonstration, our guide showed the machinery used to make the basic clog shape. It’s amazing how quickly the basic shape comes together. We were also given some history around the wooden shoe trade, including how industrialisation caused a decline for traditional footwear.
Afterwards, we were given time to wander around their extensive clog shop – as tempting as it might sound, I didn’t bring any back.
Opening Times: 8am-6pm (March-October); 8am-5pm (November-February)
Admission Price: Free
Want to create your own unique souvenir from Zaanse Schans? Take part in a wooden shoe painting workshop!
Taste some Dutch chocolate at Zaans Gedaan
Led by the scent of sweetness drifting through the air, we found ourselves drawn to Zaans Gedaan CacaoLab. Even though we were off on a Christmas shopping trip to Bruges the following day, we were told to try out Dutch chocolate as its very different to Belgian chocs. And our guide was right.
Initially, we went for two dark chocolate ones we knew we’d like and an unusual Basil-coated Mango truffle to ‘try out’ – but, as the surprises kept coming, it was actually our wild card that was a firm favourite.
I wasn’t exactly drooling over the sound of the basil coating – but it worked incredibly with the dark chocolate and the mango centre. We ended up buying another bag of three, which were pretty much eaten by the time we’d left the car park.
Opening Times: 10am-5pm
Admission Price: Free
Shopping in Zaanse Schans
Want to take a piece of the Netherlands home with you? There are numerous shops in Zaanse Schans, all selling a variety of wares.
Many of the windmills have small shops to sell products made on-site, and if that’s not enough, check out some of the neighbourhood’s other stores:
- Saense Lelie Craft Centre – various craftspeople sell their wares here, from local painters and jewellers.
- Orse ket aan ‘t Glop – discover cute gifts from Dutch brands and take part in workshops.
- Jagershuis – antique shop with a curious and charming collection of things to buy.
- Vrede Storehouse – typical Dutch souvenirs and exclusive products.
- The Windmill Shop – windmill-inspired souvenirs from Zaanse Schans.
- The Soap Factory – traditionally-made soap, cosmetics, perfume and more!
Restaurants in Zaanse Schans
There are plenty of places to eat in Zaans Schanse and the nearby town of Zaandjik. (Alternatively, you could pack a picnic to enjoy by the canal!)
Restaurant de Kraii: Unmissable Dutch pancakes with a variety of toppings – some more unusual than others (cheese and pineapple pancake, anyone?) They also serve sandwiches and soup, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Prices start at €11.50 for pancakes with toppings (and if you have the Zaanse Schans card, you’ll get 10% off)
D’Swarte Walvis: Their all-day menu features sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips and ‘Dutch Tapas’ plates – great for a tasting tour of the local delicacies! (vegetarian dishes + some vegan options available)
Across the bridge in Zaandjik, you’ll find a wider selection of restaurants.
Brewery HOOP: Taproom for the region’s largest craft brewery. As well as the extensive beer range on offer, HOOP also serves classic pub dishes. (vegetarian + vegan options available)
Café De Slager: European dishes with Spanish and French influence. There are vegan and vegetarian dishes available, but plant-based visitors should be aware the building is a former slaughterhouse and this is referenced in some of the décor.
Wolfsend: A charming lunch spot housed in a traditional Dutch building with an outdoor terrace. On the menu, you’ll find sandwiches, warm lunch dishes and even pizza (vegetarian + vegan options available)
Dutch Vegan Bakery: Just across the bridge from Zaanse Schans, you’ll find a completely vegan bakery that sells sweet and savoury vegan pastries.
Is the Zaanse Schans card worth getting?
If you’re planning on visiting multiple attractions in Zaanse Schans, you may be able to save money by buying the Zaanse Schans Card.
The Zaanse Schans Card costs €29.50 (€20 for children under 17) and gives you access to the following attractions:
- Zaans Museum
- Verkade Chocolate and Biscuit Factory
- Weaver’s House
- Coopery
- Zaan Time Museum
- World of Windmills Museum
- De Kat Paint Mill
- Het Jonge Schaap Saw Mill
If you were to pay for all these attractions individually, the adult price would be €53.50 – so the Zaanse Schans Card would save you €24 if you visit them all.
The card also offers you 30% discount on parking at Zaanse Schans, plus 10% off at Restaurant de Kraii.
Buy your Zaanse Schans card in advance here.
Will the iAmsterdam Card save you money?
If you’re spending a weekend in Amsterdam, you might already be looking at getting the iAmsterdam City Card. The card gives you access to 80+ attractions in Amsterdam and the surrounding area, including all museums and windmills at Zaanse Schans; as well as unlimited access to public transport and a free river cruise.
The iAmsterdam City Card costs €60 for a 24-hour pass, so works out much more expensive than the Zaanse Schans card for a day trip. A 48-hour pass costs €85, and a 72-hour pass costs €100.
If you’re planning on visiting multiple attractions on your Amsterdam trip, a two- or three- day pass might work out as better value. Before you buy, it’s worth adding up how much you think you’ll spend without it.
Buy your iAmsterdam City Card here.
When’s the best time to visit Zaanse Schans?
Zaanse Schans is worth visiting at any time of year, however the most popular time to visit is between April and September. During these times, many attractions open for longer.
Weekends are the busiest time at Zaanse Schans, as some attractions (including the Coopery and Weaver’s House) are only open Friday-Sunday. The majority of the rest of the museums, workshops and windmills are open daily, but check before you go if there’s something specific you’re going to see.
How to get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam
Zaanse Schans is super easy to get to from Amsterdam, whether you drive or take public transport.
By car: Zaanse Schans is just a 20 minute drive from Amsterdam Central and Amsterdam Schipol Airport.
There’s a car park next to Zaanse Schans at the museum, which costs €12 per day.
Travelling to Zaanse Schans by taxi will cost around €25 each way.
By train: Travelling by train is the easiest way to get to Zaanse Schans. Trains from Amsterdam Central Station to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans run every 30 minutes, also stopping at Amsterdam Sloterdijk.
The journey takes around 15 minutes, and the services run from 5.30am until midnight. The train station is around 15 minutes walk from the main attractions.
It’s also cost-effective, especially if you’re on a solo trip to Amsterdam – tickets cost €3.70 each way.
By bike: If you want to travel like a true local, you can rent a bike in Amsterdam and cycle to Zaanse Schans. The most direct route takes 1hr 15 minutes, including a ferry.
By boat: Take in the canalside scenery on a boat trip from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans!
Hotels in Zaanse Schans
Due to its close proximity to the city and easy transport links, Zaanse Schans is an ideal day trip from Amsterdam. However, if you want to spend a little more time here, you’ll find a few hotels in Zaanse Schans and the surrounding area.
Swarthoeve (£) – if you’re on a camping trip in the Netherlands, this small campsite is close to Zaanse Schans
Boutique Hotel Zaan (££) – super close to Zaanse Schans, just across the canal
Boutique Hotel 43 (££) – stylish and well decorated hotel in Zaandijk
Café Brasserie Het Heerenhuis (££) – country hotel in easy walking distance
Summary: Is Zaanse Schans worth visiting?
Although I love city breaks and bustle, Zaanse Schans delivers a refreshing, charming escape. Yes, it’s marketed to tourists – but it still has a wonderful, authentic feel. There’s so much to see and do here, with plenty of free attractions for those on a budget.
If you’re looking to experience traditional Dutch culture and explore the history of the region, Zaanse Schans is an essential day trip from Amsterdam!
Beautiful pictures! AMS is also my memorable European place. I wanna be back again, and drink Grolsch or Jenever.