Excursion to the villages of Zaanse Schans and Volendam from Amsterdam

The second most popular excursion after Amsterdam is the perfect introduction to Dutch cultural heritage in the famous villages of Zaanse Schans and Volendam.

A visit to the Netherlands would not be complete without the authentic Dutch countryside. From the soaring windmills in the Zaanse Schans to the cheese shop in Edam, the guided tour focuses on the typical Dutch way of life.

First, we drive in a comfortable car to the Zaanse Schans, a windmill village with characteristic green wooden houses. At the turn of the 18th century, the area was an industrial zone in which various industries were established using about 700 windmills. Nowadays there are only five mills left and they are all workers. We can go into each of them and examine everything inside, under the measured creak of the millstones.
Excellent photographs are obtained against the background of the mills. The whole village is amazingly photogenic.

This village is a kind of open-air museum. In every house there is either a small museum, or handicraft production, or a shop with something interesting.

In one of the handicraft industries, in the Klompen factory, we learn the history of wooden shoes. On the other, in one of the Dutch cheese dairies, we will taste delicious cheese. In the third, we will look through a magnifying glass and try to count all 268 facets of the famous Antwerp diamond. In the fourth, we will learn how chocolate is made.

After a stroll through the village of Zaanse Schans and a million photographs against the backdrop of mills in wooden shoes, our next stop is a real brewery with the latest technology. In the brewery we can look at the brewing process, we can drink beer and / or have lunch.

Our tour continues, next stop is scenic Edam city, home of the famous Edam cheese of the same name! Learn about the former glory of the wealthy city of Edam. Here we taste real Edam cheese and walk through picturesque streets lined with 17th century buildings, pretty canals and bridges.

The last stop is the world famous fishing village of Volendam. The port of Volendam has been a popular tourist attraction since 1875. We will taste herring in the historic harbor and admire the beautiful landscapes of North Holland. In the summer, we can take a boat trip to Marken Island and get to know another colorful village.
After this excursion, you can be sure that you have experienced everything that is typical for the Dutch, the perfect introduction to the Dutch cultural heritage has taken place!

For a busy and interesting day, you will see:

1. Typical Dutch landscapes;
2. Wooden houses and warehouses;
3. Five mills outside, and one or more (at your request) from the inside;
4. Traditional Dutch cheese production;
5. Antwerp diamond with 268 facets;
6. The Zaan River;
7. Optional clock museum and bakery museum, shop with chocolate made from products labeled "FairTraid";
8. Factory for the manufacture of wooden clogs Klompen;
9. The dam and fishing port of Volendam;
10. The former bay of the North Sea, converted by a system of dams into a lake;
11. A 20-minute boat ride is possible (summer only).

You will learn:

1. How did artisans make traditional wooden shoes before and now?
2. How is herring caught and prepared?
3. About traditional Dutch cuisine?
4. Who came up with the idea of adding onion and cucumber to herring?
5. Why is the country called “lower lands”?
6. How do the Dutch drain their land and what is a polder?
7. When and where did the term “sea level” appear?
8. Why did Peter the First come to Holland?
9. Why has the tulip business developed so strongly in Holland?
10. And many other things that are difficult to find on your own.

Organizational details

• Excursion duration: 9 hours,
• The cost of an individual excursion: 700 euros. The price includes a guide and a driver in one person, a Citroen Grand Picasso car with a panoramic roof, observation windows and a comfortable cabin for 6 passengers and all the costs of the car. Visit to mills, museums and handicrafts, cheese tasting, 20 minute boat ride (in summer)
• The price does not include a visit to the brewery - beer à la carte, lunch / dinner / herring, chocolate tasting.