Updated: September 21, 2026
If you’re looking for quick day trips from Amsterdam, the Zaanse Schans area is a great choice. Zaanse Schans is a small neighborhood located in the city of Zaandam, about a 17-minute train ride away from Amsterdam’s Central Station.
This area is a world away from the city’s busyness. You’ll feel like you stepped into a quintessential Dutch town. It’s one of the easiest and most rewarding day trips in the Netherlands, especially if you love history, photography, or anything that feels old-world.
If you’d rather visit Zaanse Schans without figuring out transportation from Amsterdam, there are several half-day guided tours that combine the windmills with cheese tasting and traditional Dutch crafts. You can book through Viator or GetYourGuide; I trust and have used both.
Day Trips from Amsterdam
Zaanse Schans is small enough to see in a few hours, yet it offers plenty of charm for all types of travelers. What drew me in were those gorgeous green cottages! We spent several hours walking around, taking photos of whatever caught our eye. You’ll also find windmills, shops, and restaurants. It feels like an open-air museum, but people actually live there.
One of the things that makes Zaanse Schans interesting is that it gives you a glimpse into what life in this part of the Netherlands looked like centuries ago. The windmills weren’t built just for decoration; they once did everything from sawing wood to producing oil and grinding materials.
You can step inside some of them to see the machinery in action, which adds a little more context to all those postcard-perfect views. You can also explore traditional crafts, including a working cheese farm and demonstrations of wooden shoe making, so it’s easy to spend more time here than you might expect.
How to Get to the Zaanse Schans Zaandam
Public transportation in the Netherlands is fantastic; you really don’t need to rent a car. You can quickly get from city to city by bus or train. We took the train route.
To get to Zaanse Schans in Zaandam, take the train from Amsterdam Central Station toward Zaandijk – Zaanse Schans. As mentioned, Zaandam is only a 17-minute ride away. Once you arrive in Zaandam, Zaanse Schans is another 15-minute walk from the train station.
If you’d prefer not to navigate public transportation, a guided Zaanse Schans tour from Amsterdam by coach bus is another easy option, especially if you want transportation, a guide, and a few of the area’s classic experiences bundled together. You can also book tours that let you explore at your own pace and just provide transport.
If you’d like to stop on the way to the Zaanse Schans or on the way back to Amsterdam, you can stay at the coolest hotel in Zaandam: Inntel Hotels Amsterdam-Zaandam. It makes for a unique photo opportunity!
We were actually going to book a room there one year, but we couldn’t at the time. We also didn’t have the chance to stop, but it’s still on my list to visit this crazy-looking hotel. If you’re interested in staying, check availability here.
Photo by Teodor Savin from Pexels
Things to Do in Zaanse Schans
You don’t need more than half a day in Zaanse Schans, and if you’re not planning any tours, a few hours should suffice. I think we spent at most 3 hours and still explored the whole area at our own pace. Of course, we all travel differently, so you may end up spending the entire day there. A day well spent!
VISIT THE HISTORIC WINDMILLS | One of the best things to do in Zaanse Schans is to visit the working windmills, each with its own specialty. You can tour mills that still grind spices, saw wood, or press oil using traditional methods. Climb up to the outdoor decks for sweeping views of the river and the surrounding countryside; this is where you get those iconic Dutch landscape photos. Many more working windmills once lined the river, but now only a few remain and are open to visitors.
LEARN HOW THINGS ARE MADE | As you wander through the village’s footpaths and bridges, make time for the artisan workshops. Watch clogs being carved by hand, see cheese makers at work (and sample plenty of Gouda and Edam), or step into the pewter, chocolate, or soap workshops. Many are interactive and give you a glimpse into how everyday goods were made centuries ago.
FOR A SLOWER MOMENT | Browse the small museums and historic homes, including the Zaans Museum and the Verkade Experience, where you can learn about Dutch industrial history and even smell the chocolate being made. End your visit with a stroll along the waterfront, stopping at one of the cafes for poffertjes (a traditional Dutch treat of small, fluffy, bite-sized pancakes) or a hot drink while soaking in the views of rotating windmills across the water.
DO SOME LOCAL SHOPPING | They have plenty of local shops to choose from in the Zaanse Schans. Many of them offer handcrafted goodies. Besides the clog store, some of the windmills have unique shops. There’s also an antique store, a craft center, a soap factory, souvenirs, and several food options.
TAKE ALL THE PHOTOS | My favorite thing to do! As I mentioned, we spent hours just walking around, taking it all in, and photographing whatever stood out to us. It was a nice escape from Amsterdam’s busy canals.
Whether you’re here for the photos, the culture, or the calm village atmosphere, Zaanse Schans offers a surprisingly rich mix of experiences in a beautifully compact, walkable setting. It’s one of those places where you can easily spend a few hours or an entire day without ever running out of things to explore.
WIFI WHEN TRAVELING (EUROPE)
I use Airalo, a digital eSIM that lets you buy data for 200+ countries in minutes. No physical SIM, no kiosks, just install before your trip and connect as soon as you land. It’s usually cheaper than roaming and way more reliable. I’ve used it across multiple trips, and it just works. → Check plans for the Netherlands. Quick note: Your phone needs to be unlocked (paid off) to use eSIM.
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2 Comments
I love the images! They are beautifully captured! Zaanse Schans is worth visiting for.
Thank you for the kind words! I try my best 🙂