The 13 Best Boat Tours in Zaanse Schans

1.Giethoorn & Zaanse Schans Tour w/ Small Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 501 reviews · from $157Our pick

Leave Amsterdam’s Central Station for Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn with an English-speaking guide. See windmills, watch clog and cheese demonstrations, then steer a small electric whisper boat through Giethoorn’s canals. Guides may include Veronica, Cherry, Joanna, or Morgan.

“We loved the knowledge of our tour guide and how smoothly the day went. Thought we could have spent a little more time at zaanse schans”

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2.Giethoorn, Zaandam & Zaanse Schans Day Tour w/ Small Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 251 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $166

Travel from central Amsterdam in a group of up to 16 to see Zaanse Schans windmills and Giethoorn canals. You’ll watch clog and cheese demonstrations, taste Dutch specialties, and take a one-hour electric boat ride for up to nine people. Guides may include Cherry, Morgan, Veronica, Mukti, Aku, or Cheri.

“Cherry was a great tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable. The tour bus was beautiful and the stops were amazing. I would absolutely recommend.”

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3.Cruise UNESCO Windmills Village + Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 245 reviews · 25 min · from $7Best value

Cruise the Zaan beside Zaanse Schans with an English or Dutch speaking skipper. In 25 minutes, you’ll see the village’s windmills, green wooden houses, De Kat, De Zoeker, the tea house, whale hunting house, spice warehouse, and chocolate works. Small groups make questions easy.

“Fritz was excellent, informative and a very capable skipper.”

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4.Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn Day Trip with Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 89 reviews · 10 hours · from $140

You’ll travel from Amsterdam by Mercedes minivan to taste Gouda cheese, watch wooden-shoe making in Zaanse Schans, and cruise Giethoorn’s car-free waterways. English-speaking guides such as Leidse, Eric, Koen, and Reinier have led this well-paced 10-hour outing, with hotel pickup, water, an umbrella, and a power bank included.

“Liked the boat tour in Giethoorn the best. Would have liked a little bit more free time in Zaanse Schans.”

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5.Zaanse Schans, Volendam, Giethoorn with Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 59 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $167

Travel from Amsterdam by car, minivan, or coach to Giethoorn, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans. You’ll cruise Giethoorn’s canals, see windmills, watch clog-making, taste Dutch cheese, and walk through three very different villages with an English-speaking guide.

“Berke was excellent tour guide. Great time visiting all 3 sites. Gierthoorn is a must see historical village.”

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6.Giethoorn and Zaanse Schans Day Tour Small Group Incl. Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 55 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $143

Spend a full day beyond Amsterdam with a guide such as Koen, Leidse, or Rainer. Visit Zaanse Schans for cheese, clogs, diamonds, and windmills, then cruise Giethoorn’s canals and Bovenwijde lake. Hotel pickup, transport, bottled water, and the one-hour boat ride are included.

“Wonderful day and tour guide Leidse was incredible! Impressive knowledge and full of en! This tour will give you great exposure to the true essence of Holland! Highly recommend!”

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7.Day Tour Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk and Zaanse Schans with Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $139

Travel from Amsterdam in a small group of up to 18 to see Dutch windmills, taste 26 cheese flavors, watch clogs being made, stop at Afsluitdijk, and cruise Giethoorn’s canals. Guides such as Koen, Pete, Erik, and Caroline are known for clear local insight and helpful photo stops.

“Great communication with hotel pick up. Pete was a fun tour guide. We got to explore several highly recommended attractions in one day.”

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8.Zaanse Schans Windmill Cruise – UNESCO Windmills With Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 29 reviews · from $13

Cruise past all 10 Zaanse Schans windmills, traditional houses, a chocolate factory, and historic buildings in a boat for up to 12 people. Your skipper and guide, including Dirk on some departures, explain the area’s story and adapt the talk to the group.

“Je ne peux que donner un le mauvaise note car le bateau que j’avais réservé pour 11h00 est arrivé à 12h30! De coup j’étais la seule personne à attendre le bateau sur le quai à 11h00 j’ai du contacter l’agence pour avoir des informations. Manque de respect total!”

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9.Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn Unique Day Trip with Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $130

Travel from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn in about 10 hours. Visit a cheese farm, clog workshop, and diamond presentation, then enjoy a one-hour Giethoorn boat cruise. Guides may include Eric, Peter, or Pete. Pickup can be requested, and groups may be as small as eight.

“The trip was beautiful, the sites and stop location, but the guide was not up to the expected level or good. He was rude in his dealings and speech, also racist , as he bullied some nationalities in front of the group. His driving was somewhat dangerous. I recommend the trip, but with another guide.”

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10.Giethoorn, Private Boat Tour & Zaanse Schans Windmills

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 7 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $354Top rated

Leave Amsterdam at 10:00 for a private day with guide Steven, visiting Zaanse Schans windmills and car-free Giethoorn. You’ll tour a working windmill, ride a traditional flat-bottomed punter for one hour, and have time to explore on foot. Pickup, taxes, and fees are included.

“Steven guided us through a great day. The drive to was filled with beautiful scenery and Steven shared so much knowledge of how Amsterdam has been built up over the centuries. While in Giethoorn, Steven guided us on a boat tour of this quaint town that is so peaceful and beautiful. We also stopped at a restaurant to try some local snack food. Steven provided great guidance on what to try and all were great. We then drove to Zaanse Schans to see all the workings of a windmill town. The entire day was great and I would highly recommend this tour. Thank you again, Steven for making this a…”

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11.Zaanse Schans Giethoorn Private Tour from Amsterdam Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $502

Leave Amsterdam by private vehicle for Zaanse Schans, where historic windmills line the Zaan River, then continue to car-free Giethoorn for a one-hour covered canal cruise. Guides such as Younes and Elias are praised for personal service, local insight, flexible pacing, and comfortable transport.

“We had an amazing experience, all thanks to Younes. He gave us a lot of informations which was really helpful. Will recommend to our friends and family. You are going a great job Younes!”

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12.Private Tour to Giethoorn with boat and Zaanse Schans windmills

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $443

Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Amsterdam to Giethoorn for a canal boat ride and village walk, then visit Zaanse Schans for windmills, cheese, clog making, and a second boat trip. Guides such as Eva and Ibrahim add local stories and flexible help for families and small groups.

“Our family of 4 adults and three children (ages 12, 11 and 9) had the pleasure of going on two private tours organized by Dutch Tours last week. The first was a full day tour to Giethoorn village and Zaanse Schans and the following day a half day tour to De Haar Castle and lunch at a nearby goat farm.”

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13.Full-Day Trip From Amsterdam to Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans + Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $41

Leave central Amsterdam at 8:45 am for Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans, a clog workshop, and a Dutch cheese farm. You’ll travel by air-conditioned vehicle with a live guide, sample cheese, and finish with an optional canal cruise past Westerkerk and the Anne Frank House.

“A lovely day to tiptoe through the tulips and see the traditional crafts of the culture. Having it all on one day with a great guide made it a joy!”

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