Zaanse Schans & Giethoorn Tour: Cheese, Clogs, Diamonds

You taste 26 different Dutch cheeses at a working windmill farm.

This 10-hour small-group tour from Amsterdam visits Zaanse Schans, a traditional windmill village, for a guided cheese factory tour with tastings, a live wooden shoe demonstration, and a diamond exhibition, then travels to Giethoorn for a one-hour boat cruise through the "Green Venice" of Holland. Hotel pickup in Amsterdam is included, along with bottled water, power banks and umbrellas. The guide speaks English and Chinese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn

• Hotel pick-up in Amsterdam
• Tour Dutch cheese factory and taste cheese
• Watch wooden shoe making demonstration
• Attend Royal Amsterdam Diamond demonstration
• Free time at Zaanse Schans windmills
• Travel to Giethoorn
• Enjoy one-hour traditional boat cruise
• Explore Giethoorn independently

The experience

The day starts with hotel pickup in an air-conditioned Mercedes van. You arrive at Zaanse Schans, a preserved village of working windmills and traditional Dutch crafts, where a guide walks you through a cheese factory to see how Gouda is made the old way. You taste more than 26 different flavors before moving to the wooden shoe factory next door, where a traditional clog maker demonstrates the craft live and you can try on different styles. Then comes the Royal Amsterdam Diamond tour, where you learn the history of diamond cutting and see the "Royal Lady" diamond with 268 facets. Free time lets you photograph the windmills and explore the village at your own pace.

After Zaanse Schans, the van heads to Giethoorn, a village built on canals with no roads between houses. You have 3 to 4 hours to wander on your own, and a one-hour traditional boat cruise is included. If you want more time on the water, you can rent your own boat instead and navigate the channels yourself with family or friends.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Amsterdam.
• bottled water, power banks and umbrellas for the whole day.
• guided cheese factory tour with tastings of 26+ flavors.
• live wooden shoe demonstration with try-on.
• guided Royal Amsterdam Diamond tour.
• one-hour boat cruise in Giethoorn.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2h before

GroupUp to 28

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by K7 Travel

Is this one for you?At 10 hours, this tour fits a full day without leaving Amsterdam before dawn or returning after dark. The fixed schedule packs two villages and four separate demonstrations into one trip, so you see the windmills, taste the cheese, watch the clogs being made and float through the canals without building the day yourself, but it leaves no room for a long lunch or a second destination outside these two.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I taste at the cheese factory in Zaanse Schans?

The cheese factory tour includes tastings of more than 26 different flavors of traditional Dutch Gouda, made using methods still practiced at the working farm.

How much free time do I have in Giethoorn?

You have 3 to 4 hours in Giethoorn to explore the village and canals on your own, plus the one-hour boat cruise that is included in the tour.

Is lunch provided on this tour?

Lunch is not included, but you have time to eat in Giethoorn or at Zaanse Schans during your free time.

What's included in the pickup from my hotel?

Hotel pickup in Amsterdam is included in the tour price. A Mercedes van will wait for you in front of your hotel in the morning.

Can I choose to skip the boat cruise in Giethoorn?

The one-hour traditional boat cruise is included, but if you prefer, you can rent your own boat and navigate the canals yourself during your free time there.

What happens if I want to stay longer at one of the stops?

The tour schedule is fixed to fit both Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn into a single day, but you have free time at each location to move at your own pace within the itinerary.