Giethoorn & Zaanse Schans: Windmills, Cheese & Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.73 (109 reviews) 93% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/25

Duration9h 30m

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Giethoorn boat ride windmills cheese tasting small group

You’ll wander windmill villages at Zaanse Schans, taste Dutch cheeses straight from the farm, and glide through Giethoorn’s peaceful canals by boat — all in one relaxed day trip from Amsterdam with a small group and local guide. Expect laughter, real stories, lots of snacks, and time to explore at your own pace before heading back.

9h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dutch windmills, farm, and canals

Drive to Zaanse Schans village
Visit traditional wooden windmills and landscapes
Attend wooden shoe workshop demonstration
Explore wooden shoe workshop freely
Watch cheese making demonstration at cheese farm
Taste over 25 types of Dutch cheese
Free time to explore village and shops
Visit local farm and taste fresh milk
Take photos with Dutch cows
Drive to Giethoorn village
Take one-hour boat trip on Giethoorn canals
Free time to explore Giethoorn village and shops
Return to Amsterdam by bus

The Experience

I almost missed the van because I’d run back for my umbrella — turns out, didn’t need it. The sky over Amsterdam was moody but dry when we finally set off for Zaanse Schans. Our guide, Pieter, kept things light (“we Dutch love three things: bikes, cheese, and complaining about weather”). The first thing that hit me stepping out: that sweet, grassy smell from the polders — and the wind that made my hair stick up like I’d been electrocuted. We wandered past those old green wooden houses and windmills. I tried to listen to Pieter’s stories about the dikes but got distracted by a duck parade crossing right in front of us. Nobody rushed us; it felt easy.

The clog workshop was way less touristy than I expected. There was this guy — Jan? — who carved a shoe in minutes while telling us how his grandfather used to make them by hand too. I tried on a pair (don’t do this if you have big socks on). Afterward came the cheese farm. If you think you know Gouda, try eating it fresh with hay still clinging to your shoes. We sampled so many kinds I lost count — there was one with cumin seeds that tasted oddly like Christmas.

Giethoorn was further than I thought (the drive is almost two hours), but worth it just for that first quiet moment on the water. No cars here — just canals and those perfect thatched cottages with gardens exploding in color. The boat ride was slow; our skipper pointed out a stork’s nest and waved at every passing neighbor like they were all cousins or something. It smelled faintly of wet wood and summer flowers, even though it wasn’t quite summer yet. Afterward we had time to wander alone; I bought stroopwafels from an old lady who winked when she handed me change.

I still think about that silence gliding through Giethoorn’s canals — not sure why it stuck with me more than anything else on this day trip from Amsterdam. Maybe because everything felt so unhurried, or maybe just because sometimes you don’t realize what you needed until you’re floating quietly somewhere new.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup in an air-conditioned vehicle from Amsterdam, entry fees for all sites including traditional windmills at Zaanse Schans, hands-on clog demonstration, professional cheese tasting at a local farm (with more types than you’ll remember), bottled water along the way, an hour-long Giethoorn canal cruise led by locals, plus free time to explore villages or grab snacks before returning home together.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Alx Tours