Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans Windmills, Cheese & Brewery Tour

See How Dutch Windmills Still Turn, and Taste Why That Matters

You travel from Amsterdam Central Station to Zaanse Schans by included public transport, explore working windmills and traditional wooden houses with a private local guide, taste Dutch cheese and watch clog-making in action, enjoy a hot chocolate milk and fresh brewery beer, then return to the city. The whole day is paced to let you absorb the place instead of racing through it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. De Bijenkorf5m
2. Zaanse Schans3h

Explore Zaanse Schans and Zaandijk

• Meet at Amsterdam Central Station
• Travel to Zaandijk town
• Visit Zaanse Schans open-air museum
• Explore traditional windmills and houses
• See cheese making and clog workshop
• Tour De Kat paint windmill
• Shop souvenirs and enjoy scenery
• Relax at Brouwerij HOOP brewery
• Return to Amsterdam

The experience

There's something that pulls you toward Zaanse Schans the moment you step off the train at Zaandijk: maybe it's the smell of chocolate drifting across the river from the old factories, or the sight of those wooden windmills standing exactly as they did three centuries ago. You meet your guide at Amsterdam Central Station and travel by public transport (included) to this open-air museum, where the Netherlands stops being a postcard and starts being a place where people actually worked, made things, and lived. The windmills aren't decorations. De Kat, the 18th-century paint mill, still grinds natural pigments using wind power. It's the only one of its kind in the world doing this, and you walk inside to see it happen.

The tour moves at a pace that lets you breathe. You'll explore the traditional green wooden houses that line the museum, visit a cheese shop for tastings of authentic Dutch varieties, and step into a workshop to watch how wooden clogs are carved and finished by hand. There's time to wander, buy souvenirs if something catches your eye, and just sit with the quiet of the place, which is rare when you're traveling. Your guide is local and knows the stories behind each building, each mill, each craft, so you're not just looking at old things. You're understanding why they mattered and why people still preserve them.

After Zaanse Schans, you head to Brouwerij HOOP, a craft brewery in Zaandijk where a fresh beer (included) and the chance to decompress round out the afternoon. You get a hot chocolate milk too, which arrives hot and tastes nothing like the packet version. The whole experience is designed to show you a different Netherlands (one that exists outside the canal-house crowds and bicycle traffic of Amsterdam), and because it's a private tour, it's just you and your guide, moving at your own rhythm without a group waiting or a schedule rushing you along.

What’s included

• Public transport tickets from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans.
• private local guide for the full tour.
• entry to the windmill.
• cheese shop visit with tastings.
• visit to a wooden shoe workshop.
• one hot chocolate milk per person.
• one fresh beer per person at Brouwerij HOOP brewery.
• time for souvenir shopping at Zaanse Schans.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day13 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 14:00

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “In front of Cafe Loetje Centraal. Stationsplein 10, 1012 AB Amsterdam.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Amsterdam With Me

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to see traditional Dutch craftsmanship and landscapes without arranging your own transport or tickets: the private guide and included entry mean you step off the train and start exploring, not planning.

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Russian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

Is transport from my hotel included?

You meet at Amsterdam Central Station and travel by public transport (included) to Zaanse Schans. Hotel pickup is not mentioned. You'll need to reach the station on your own.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes public transport tickets, windmill entry, a private guide, one hot chocolate milk per person, one beer per person, and a cheese shop visit. Meals beyond these are not included.

Is the brewery visit mandatory?

The brewery visit is part of the itinerary, but you should confirm with the tour operator if you prefer to skip it or if non-alcoholic alternatives are available.

Can I visit De Kat windmill inside?

Yes. De Kat is a working 18th-century paint mill and you walk inside to see traditional pigment grinding in action. Windmill entry is included in the tour.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are allowed on the tour.