15 Private Tours in Zaanse Schans to Build a Day Around

1.Private Excursion to Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 420 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) Our pick

Spend about eight hours with a private driver-guide exploring Dutch windmills, cheese towns, fishing villages, dikes, and wooden houses. Guides such as Enrique, Juan, and Tirso are praised for clear storytelling and flexible pacing. Hotel pickup is included in central Amsterdam, while food and drinks cost extra.

“It was a perfect day of touring with Juan! He did a great job of showing us the signts and providing history of the area. The time in Zaanse Schans was amazing. We were able to get there before alot of the bigger bus tours and crowds to make it more enjoyable. It was also great to see the surrounding areas including Edam and Volendam. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a day trip from Amsterdam.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Zaanse Schans and Volendam Private Tour – Clogs, Cheese and More

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 225 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $286

Travel by private car or van from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans and Volendam. Your guide, possibly Younes, Elias, Mo, Saad, or another Dutch Tours and Transfers host, adjusts the pace while you see working windmills, clog-making, Jersey cows, cheese production, and a fishing village.

“The drive out to the country was beautiful. Nice to get away from the city for a bit. The cows, cheese, and clog experiences were the highlight. Ben was very knowledgeable and patient, allowing us to take our time and lending great advice. Very nice person. Would recommend not doing the windmills. It was a very crowded tourist trap. Had we known, would have skipped it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Zaanse Schans 3-Hour Private Tour from central Amsterdam, Airport or Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $157Best value

Travel by private vehicle from central Amsterdam, the airport, or port to Zaanse Schans with a local guide such as Maaike, Bianca, Ray, or Bart. Explore windmills, watch clogs being made, taste Dutch cheese, and return to your pickup point in about 3.5 hours.

“Despite the rainstorm, we were delighted by the beautiful scenes in Zaanse. David is a very caring and patient tour guide. We are grateful for his help.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Private Zaanse Schans & Volendam Tour: Windmills, Cheese & Clogs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $341

You’ll leave Amsterdam by private vehicle with hotel, port, station, airport, or address pickup, then visit working windmills at Zaanse Schans, a clog workshop, a Dutch cheese farm, and Volendam. Guides such as Sam, Sunny, and Tommy are praised for local insight and flexibility, though guide quality can vary.

“It was a very relaxing tour! Sam, our guide and driver made it that way. We went to beautiful places we wanted to be. We highly recommend this tour especially with kids and with a tight schedule.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans Windmills Private Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $360

Spend about eight hours with a private driver-guide visiting Zaanse Schans, a working windmill, a clog workshop, a cheese farm, and Keukenhof Gardens. Guides such as Esther, Hans, Rayette, and Bart add local stories, while private transport keeps this busy day manageable.

“We were picked up by Rayette who was fantastic. She was our guide and driver and explained everything. We stopped for lunch which was superb as were the pancakes. An afternoon at Keukenhof and then back to the hotel. This trip was excellent and would recommend highly 🤩”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Zaanse Schans and Volendam Private Tour from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $300

Spend seven hours with a private local guide visiting Zaanse Schans, a working windmill, a clog workshop, a dairy farm, Volendam, and Marken by boat. Guides such as Maaike, David, Esther, and Callum tailor the day, explain local life, and include lunch, transport, tastings, and entry fees.

“Very informative tour, David was very knowledgeable interesting tour nice experience. The cheese factory has delicious wide assortment of cheese produce right there in there own farm. This will make you love cheese more.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private Zaanse Schans Windmills and Volendam Tour from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $337

Spend five hours beyond Amsterdam with a private driver-host, visiting Zaanse Schans, the working paint mill De Kat, a clog workshop, Henri Willig’s Jersey cow farm, and Volendam. Expect a comfortable Mercedes, flexible pacing, cheese tasting, and a driver rather than a licensed guide.

“We stayed at the Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol Airport which was originally not on the pick up list, but the tour company was kind enough to make an exception by picking us up there. We had a wonderful private tour with our driver, Julio. I am glad we chose the morning trip (9:00 am) as the places we visited were not crowded yet.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Zaanse Schans Private Tour Windmills

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.)

You’ll visit Zaanse Schans with a private English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, and about three hours at the open-air museum. Guide Remco can explain the workings of a sawmill windmill and adjust the outing for your group. Windmill entry and the boat ride cost extra.

“Very good experience . Our guide Ramco is very helpful and informative. Highly recommend ! Traffic was bad when we left so he gave us a little detour to countryside as well 😊”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Zaanse Schans Windmills Private Tour from Amsterdam Airport

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $186

Meet your English-speaking guide at Schiphol and ride by private vehicle to Zaanse Schans. In about three hours, see clog making, taste Dutch cheese, enter the working paint mill De Kat, and finish at your hotel or the airport. Guides such as Esther, Callum, Ray, and Ingrid have helped make the visit personal and easy.

“After we retrieved our luggage, we found Esther who was waiting for us at the meeting point, a designated place in the airport. She was friendly, knowledgeable and seemed genuinely excited about showing us her native city. We toured in a luxury van and she narrated along the way. We went to the village of Zaanse Schans and learned about cheese making, clogs and windmills. The three hours went by quickly. Esther took us to our hotel and waited for us to drop off our luggage. She went beyond our expectations and drove us to our next destination, a canal tour. We enthusiastically recommend this tour to anyone visiting Amsterdam.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Half-Day Private Guided Sightseeing Tour of Zaanse Schans

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $348

Travel from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaanse Schans with a private English-speaking guide. You’ll see working windmills, taste cheese, visit the old Albert Heijn shop, watch clogs being made, and stroll past wooden houses. Guides such as Sasha can tailor the pace and stops to your group.

“Great time even though the snow was a challenge. The castle was just beautiful. Our guide was very knowledgeable too!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Zaanse Schans, Windmills & Giethoorn Private Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 13 reviews · from $443

Travel by luxury Mercedes from Amsterdam to Giethoorn for a guided canal cruise, then visit Zaanse Schans for a windmill, cheese farm, clogs, wooden houses, and barns. Your English-speaking driver handles the route, while you choose how to spend your free time.

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Keukenhof & Zaanse Schans Windmills Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 8 hours · from $497

Ride from Amsterdam with an English-speaking driver-host to Tulip Experience Amsterdam, Keukenhof, Zaanse Schans, and a cheese farm. Sonny or Sunny may lead the day, with private transport, tastings, WiFi, and hotel pickup included. Keukenhof is self-guided, while the host helps at the other stops.

“Very good service. Driver was there on time...went with us inside Zaanse Schans and advised us about the best spots to take photos . Was there with us at Tulip Experience and guided us. Of course, in Keukenhof we were on our own , but he did guide us to the entry and was waiting with his car on time.Long tour, but very satisfying service.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Private Tour Giethoorn, Zaanse Schans Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews

Travel from Amsterdam with guide David on a private nine-hour tour of Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn. Visit windmills, taste Dutch cheese, see clog-making, and cruise Giethoorn’s canals. Hotel pickup, transport, snacks, drinks, and live commentary are included, with time to stop for lunch.

“It Was very excellent trip David is very helpful and supportive the good part about it beside the beautiful places, that the private tour that it gave us the freedom of our time and definitely the pickup and the drop off to our hotel”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Zaanse Schans, Volendam & Edam: Private tour (Max 3 per)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $180

Travel from Amsterdam with a private guide, limited to your group of up to three. Visit a working windmill at Zaanse Schans, learn about Gouda and Edam cheese in Volendam, then walk Edam’s quiet streets. Guide Allen, also listed as Allan or Alen, can provide pickup around Amsterdam.

“Experiencing close up and inside a windmill was interesting. Our guide Allen was excellent and informative. Spending time in Volendam and Edam and getting away from the big city to see the lifestyle was great. This tour was overall well done!”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Private Tour Zaanse Schans Windmills and Volendam in Jaguar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.)

Travel from Amsterdam in a private Jaguar S-Class with guide Remco, stopping at Magere Brug, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans. You get about three hours in each main destination, plus hotel, airport, cruise-terminal, or Airbnb pickup. Snacks, water, parking, and private transport are included.

“Remco's humour and hospitality was amazing! He took us off the beaten path and showed us the Netherlands we would have otherwise not seen before. Remco was also extremely kind to my father with mobility issues. Thank you Remco!”

Check availability →Read our full review