Zaanse Schans Windmills: A Must-See Day Trip From Amsterdam

If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam, make sure to include a day trip to Zaanse Schans! Read this post for everything you need to know.

If you’re looking to experience the quintessential charm of the Netherlands, a day trip to Zaanse Schans is an absolute must. Located just a short journey from Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans offers a window into Dutch history, showcasing a stunning collection of traditional windmills, historic wooden houses, and artisanal crafts. It’s the perfect destination for anyone seeking a blend of cultural enrichment, scenic beauty, and a touch of nostalgia.

Zaanse Schans is more than just a picturesque village—it’s a living museum where centuries-old craftsmanship comes alive. Whether it’s watching clogs being carved by hand, marveling at the inner workings of iconic Dutch windmills, or tasting locally-produced cheese, Zaanse Schans promises an immersive cultural experience like no other.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the highlights of Zaanse Schans and explain why it’s one of the most popular attractions near Amsterdam. From the best time to visit to tips on navigating its charming streets and scenic landscapes, you’ll discover everything you need to plan the perfect day trip. Whether you’re a history buff, photography enthusiast, or simply someone who loves discovering hidden gems, Zaanse Schans has something to offer.

Get ready to soak in the charm of Zaanse Schans, a place where tradition meets beauty. While Zaanse Schans has definitely become a popular destination with many visitors, I still highly recommend that you check it out!

This post is all about visiting Zaanse Schans in the Netherlands!

FAQs about Zaanse Schans

Can you just walk around Zaanse Schans?

Yes, you can freely stroll around Zaanse Schans and explore its charming streets and scenic areas. The open-air village is designed to showcase traditional Dutch life, complete with historic wooden houses, windmills, and shops. Walking around allows you to soak in the picturesque atmosphere and enjoy the unique sights at your own pace.

Can I visit Zaanse Schans for free? 

Visiting Zaanse Schans is free, as there is no general admission fee to enter the village. You can wander the outdoor areas, admire the windmills from the outside, and explore the surroundings without cost. However, some attractions within Zaanse Schans, such as windmill tours or museum entries, charge a small fee.

How much time do you need in Zaanse Schans?

You can comfortably explore Zaanse Schans in 2-4 hours, making it an ideal half-day trip. This time frame is sufficient to walk around, visit a windmill or two, watch live craft demonstrations, and grab a bite at one of the local cafes. If you wish to dive deeper into the attractions or take your time, a full day might be more suitable.

When to visit Zaanse Schans

The best time to visit Zaanse Schans is during the warmer months, particularly between April and May, when the tulip fields in the surrounding region are in full bloom. This time of year provides the most breathtaking backdrop of vibrant flowers, along with mild and pleasant weather. Visiting during late spring or summer also ensures that many attractions, like the windmills, museums, and workshops, are operating at their fullest, making it an ideal season to experience everything this charming village has to offer. Autumn, with its golden hues, also offers a quieter but equally enchanting experience, particularly for those who enjoy cooler weather.

Zaanse Schans has become one of the most popular day-trip destinations from Amsterdam, so planning your visit strategically is important to avoid large crowds. Arriving early in the morning or later in the afternoon allows you to enjoy the serene beauty of the village with fewer visitors around. Early morning light is particularly magical for photography, while later visits can create a peaceful, leisurely atmosphere. Weekdays tend to be less crowded than weekends, making them another good option for a visit. Whether you’re exploring the windmills or wandering the charming pathways, choosing the right time can make your Zaanse Schans experience even more delightful.

That being said, if you can’t visit in the ideal times mentioned above, please don’t decide to skip Zaanse Schans. We visited as part of a guided tour to maximize our time in the Netherlands. This meant that we were at Zaanse Schans during peak time. While it was definitely busy, you can still find some peaceful areas to explore!

How to visit Zaanse Schans

Visiting Zaanse Schans is fairly easy as it is only located 30 minutes away from Amsterdam. Below I will outline how to get to Zaanse Schans using a variety of methods. This way you can see what is most ideal for your trip!

By car:

If you are planning to do a road trip around the Netherlands then you can easily visit Zaanse Schans by car. It only takes around 20 minutes to drive here from the city center of Amsterdam. The main reason I would recommend visiting by car is to arrive either very early in the day or closer to sunset to enjoy a quiet stroll through this historic village. If you do decide to visit during one of these times, keep in mind that the museums here are open from 09:00 – 17:00 so you may miss out on attractions such as visiting the inside of a Dutch windmill. 

When arriving at Zaanse Schans, you can typically find a lot of parking spaces at the “Tourist Coach & Bus Parking“. Although the name doesn’t suggest that it’s for private vehicles, you can easily park here. The location is conveniently set right next to the entrance to Zaanse Schans. The only downside is that parking costs here are rather expensive. While prices are subject to change, you can expect to pay 15 euros for parking regardless of how much time you spend here. 

When it comes to car rentals I am a huge fan of using Sunny Cars! I have been using their services for years and have always had such a positive experience. Sunny Cars operates in most countries and always has the cheapest rates that I can find. In addition, they include unlimited mileage, cancellations up to 24 hours in advance, and the most comprehensive insurance package I have seen. Best of all, if you end up needing to pay your deposit for the car, Sunny Cars will refund it to you! 

Book your rental with Sunny Cars here!

By public transport:

Visiting Zaanse Schans by public transport is extremely easy! You can choose between taking the bus or train based on where you choose to depart from. Transportation from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans takes around 30-40 minutes depending on your route and mode of transport. 

From Amsterdam Centraal, you can take the bus number 800 going to Zaanse Schans. The bus stop at the railway station is rather large, but you should be able to find your bus at stop H. After around 22 minutes get off at Zaandam, Zaanse Schans, and you will be right by the entrance to the village. If you prefer taking the train then you can also take the Sprinter going to Uitgeest. Ride the train for 4 stops until you reach the Zaandijk Zaanse Schans stop. From here it’s a 20 minutes walk to Zaanse Schans. 

By guided tour:

The last way you can visit Zaanse Schans is by visiting on a guided tour! This is the option that we went for and I’m really happy that we did. It was wonderful to have a guide explain to us the history of this unique Dutch village on our way. Then, when we arrived, we could freely explore the village with all of the context we needed to know to fully appreciate this place!

In addition, if you’re only visiting the Netherlands for a few days, then it can be a good idea to combine a visit to Zaanse Schans with another spot. This way you maximize your time and ensure you see as much as possible! The most common combinations are trips to Zaanse Schans and Keukenhof Gardens, or Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn. We went on the trip combining a visit to Giethoorn which I really loved! You can find the exact tour we took here, as well as the most highly rated tours below.

Where to stay when visiting Zaanse Schans

Since it’s very easy to visit Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam, I recommend making it your base. Not only does it allow you to explore the beautiful Dutch capital city, but also explore some fantastic day trips!

Best things to do in Zaanse Schans

1. Wooden Shoe Workshop

One of the best things to do in Zaanse Schans is to visit the Wooden Shoe Workshop. Clogs are quintessentially Dutch and one of the cutest shoes I’ve ever seen! While I don’t know how comfortable they are to use, I love how colorful and decorative they can be. The Wooden Shoe Workshop in Zaanse Schans still uses the traditional machines from over 100 years ago to make their clogs. 

While visiting Zaanse Schans, you can visit the workshop for free to see how they create these unique shoes! I highly recommend stopping by to experience this and peruse all of the clogs they have made and decorated. During the peak season (March – October) you can visit the workshop daily anywhere between 08:00 – 18:00. 

2. Cheese Farm

Another free attraction at Zaanse Schans that you shouldn’t miss is the cheese farm. Cheese is one of the main products of the Netherlands making this a highly culturally relevant activity to experience. You can find daily cheese-making demonstrations if you’re interested in seeing how it is made.

In addition, you will often be able to taste the world-famous Dutch cheeses like Gouda and Edam. There is also a full cheese shop here where you can buy some local cheese! As a Vegan this wasn’t a huge highlight for me 😅. However, knowing how important cheese is to the Dutch culture, it was still worth a quick stop!

3. Zaans Museum

The Zaans Museum is the perfect family-friendly activity in Zaanse Schans that is guaranteed to keep kids occupied for hours! There are a lot of different exhibits here as well as more interactive areas. Some of the fun and interactive experiences here include the Verdake experience and treasure hunt. Verdake is a well known Dutch chocolates and biscuit company. At the museum you can experience what an older factory looked like, and even design your own wrapper. The wrapper you design can be printed on the spot meaning you can wrap your chocolate in your own Verdake design! 

Some of the more traditional exhibitions include Claude Monet in Zaandam, art from the Zaan region, and much more. The museum is open daily from 10:00 – 17:00. Entrance tickets cost 16 euros for adults and 8.5 euros for children. However, entrance is included in the I Amsterdam card. The I Amsterdam card offers free public transport within the city and entrance to 70+ attractions in and around Amsterdam. If you’re planning to stay for a few days, I would definitely recommend checking out this card to see if it’s worth it based on your travel plans! 

Click here to check out the I Amsterdam card. 

4. Visit the inside of a Windmill

A quintessential classic Dutch experience I would recommend when visiting Zaanse Schans is to visit a historic windmill. When visiting Zaanse Schans, you can actually visit some of the windmills, which are fully working btw! You can actually visit the inside of one of these windmills and explore what it looks like. You may even be lucky to find the miller whom you can ask questions about how it all works.

In addition, there is a museum here as well going over the history and importance of the windmills. The entrance to a windmill and the world of windmills are separate. The windmill entrance costs 7.5 euros for adults while the windmill museum costs 15 euros per adult. However, admission to both spots is free with the I Amsterdam card. There is also a Zaanse Schans all-inclusive ticket you can buy for 29.5 euros per adult. This card gives you access to all of the paid activities in Zaanse Schans. Depending on how many paid spots you want to visit it may be worth it. However, I would recommend that you calculate the total cost before to ensure it’s worth your money!

5. Explore the village

Zaanse Schans is like an open-air museum. A lot of visitors may not realize this but people actually live in Zaanse Schans. This historic village may be a popular tourist attraction, but it is also been a place locals call home for many centuries. Due to this, it is first of all very important that you respect the locals and keep an eye out for any private property to ensure you’re not trespassing. Moreover, make sure to follow any rules you see set in place during your visit.

In addition, while here, make sure to properly explore the area and venture beyond the main path most visitors stay on. The village is filled with absolutely gorgeous historic houses that are worth exploring. Considering how busy the village center gets, this is also a great way to escape some of the crowd and explore the quieter areas of Zaanse Schans. 

6. First Albert Heijn Grocery Store

A fun little activity to round off my list of best things to do in Zaanse Schans is to visit the first Albert Heijn store. Albert Heijn is one of the most popular supermarket chains in the Netherlands, but it actually originated in Zaanse Schans. During your visit, you can actually visit the first-ever Albert Heijn store which has been converted into a museum. The store is open daily from 10:00 – 16:30. The store has kept the original interior and inventory of the store when it first opened making it a super fun way to travel back in time! 

Nearby attractions to visit

1. Zaandam

Located between Amsterdam and Zaanse Schans is the city of Zaandam. It takes 25 minutes to reach Zaandam from Zaanse Schans taking the local 69 bus to its last stop at Zaandam Station. Here you can find some of the coolest architecture I have seen in Europe! The main attraction here is by far the Inntel Hotels building which is seriously fascinating! However, the whole area around it is filled with buildings that look like a Lego set come to life. Zaandam has often been nicknamed the “Lego city” on social media and I can totally see why!

As cool as I think it is, there are a few things to note when it comes to visiting Zaandam. This is an actual city in the Netherlands, but it’s only the area near the main central station that looks like Lego buildings. I personally loved seeing it, and it can easily be explored in an hour or two on your way back to Amsterdam.

Many locals have called this neighborhood in Zaandam a tourist trap, and while I do see their point, I also think that the architecture is super fun. Yes, it was most likely built to try and attract more tourists to the area, but I think they’ve done a great job at doing that by providing us with truly unique architecture that pays homage to the Dutch culture and style. Therefore, when planning a visit to Zaandam I think it’s important to keep your expectations realistic and simply enjoy it for what it is. 

2. Lisse & Keukenhof Gardens

Another great attraction you can combine with a visit to Zaanse Schans is to explore the tulips in Lisse. This activity will only be possible if you visit the Netherlands during the tulip season, which is from late March to early May. If you have a car then you can easily drive to Lisse or Keukenhof Gardens (the largest tulip garden in the Netherlands) to see the flowers. However, if you’re planning to use public transport, I recommend that you first make your way back to Amsterdam. From there you can hop on a shuttle which will take you directly to Keukenhof Gardens. If you’re interested in visiting Keukenhof Gardens then check out my guide below! 

Lisse

If you simply want to explore Lisse by bike, I still recommend taking the shuttle to Keukenhof Gardens as it makes it simple to arrive. Then, instead of entering the gardens, you can rent a bike from the parking lot, and cycle around to explore the local tulip fields.

PS. When visiting local tulip farms make sure to ask the local farmers before entering their farm as so many tulips get ruined each year by tourists who step on them! And if you do get permission remember to walk carefully between without ruining their flowers as that is their livelihood! 

Read More: How to visit Keukenhof Gardens.

That concludes my guide to visiting Zaanse Schans. This really is one of the best cultural attractions near Amsterdam, so I hope that you decide to check out this village for yourself. From historic Dutch windmills to a clog-making workshop and a Dutch cheese farm, the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans is packed with history and culture. I honestly think that regardless of your travel style, Zaanse Schans is a place you must see at least once in your life!

This post was about Zaanse Schans: a must-see day trip from Amsterdam!