When you visit the country of Holland, one thing springs to mind – windmills and canals. The classic postcards where you can see windmills are only a short stop away from Amsterdam in the town of Zaanse Schans. It is one of the easiest and most popular day trips from Amsterdam, and honestly, it is easy to see why.
The best part is that you do not need a tour to visit Zaanse Schans. You can get there by public transport from Amsterdam in under 30 minutes, walk around the village for free, visit a few workshops, take in the famous windmill views and be back in Amsterdam before dinner.
In this guide I will cover how to visit Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam, how much it costs, the best things to do apart from just looking at the windmills, and a stop to Zaandam on the way back. It is touristy so I suggest start early in the morning.
How to Get to Zaanse Schans From Amsterdam
Getting to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam is very easy, and public transport is the best option for most travellers. Unless you are travelling as a family or already have a rental car, I would not bother driving.
Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans by Train
The easiest and fastest way to get to Zaanse Schans is by train.
From Amsterdam Centraal, take the train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station. The journey takes around 17 minutes and costs about €4.20 one way, so you are looking at roughly €8.40 return if you only go from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans and back.
Once you arrive at Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station, it does not drop you off at the foot of the village and you see windmills all around you. You still need to walk around 15 minutes. The walk is simple and flat, and you will cross towards the Zaan River before reaching the main heritage area.
Trains run frequently and you will not have a problem catching one. There are also other departure points from other Amsterdam stations including Sloterdijk.
Should You Buy the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket?
The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket can be useful if you are doing more than just Zaanse Schans in one day. The 1-day ticket costs around €21, and it includes travel across Amsterdam and nearby regional destinations, including stations such as Zaandam and Zaandijk Zaanse Schans.
However, if your only plan is Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans and back, buying normal train tickets is cheaper.
Where this pass starts to make more sense is if you are also visiting other places around Amsterdam on the same day, or if you are staying outside the city centre and already need several trams, buses or trains.
For a simple budget day trip, I would just pay for the train.
How to Visit Zaanse Schans by Car
You can drive to Zaanse Schans, but I would only recommend it if you already have a car.
Parking here is expensive and costs around €15 per visit for cars. Solo travellers immediately puts this option as double the price not to mention the car rental. If you are driving around the Netherlands then you will need to put in the official parking address which is Schansend 7, Zaandam
Things to Do in Zaanse Schans
Once arriving in Zaanse Schans, you’ll be surprised at other attractions other than the windmills. Whilst walking towards the main area you will come across cheese and chocolate shops which surprise surprise they use windmills to make these as well. So this neighbourhood has more to offer than just taking one photo and leaving. Here is the major things to do from the obvious to the lesser known activities in Zaanse Schans
Walk Along the Windmills
The classic Zaanse Schans experience is walking along the river with the windmills lined up beside the water. This is the view you have probably seen online, and yes, it does look beautiful in person. Whilst walking the bridge across the river you will catch the first glimpse of the windmills in the distance, and from here photos don’t do them justice.
The windmills are spread along the Kalverringdijk, so you can walk past them at your own pace. You do not need to pay just to see them from the outside, and while this is enough it might be worth choosing one and going inside
The best time to come is early in the morning, ideally before the big tour groups arrive. If you visit around midday, expect crowds around the bridges, photo spots, shops and workshops.
If you want better photos, do not just stop at the first viewpoint. Keep walking along the river because the views open up as you move further down. Some of the best angles are actually away from the busiest central area.
Go Inside a Working Windmill
While seeing windmills from outside is nice, it is worth going inside as it gives you a much better idea of how they were actually used. These were not just pretty decorations. The Zaan region was an important industrial area, and windmills here were used for sawing wood, grinding pigments, producing oil and processing spices.
Some of the best-known windmills include De Kat, a paint mill, Het Jonge Schaap, a sawmill, De Huisman, a spice mill, and De Bonte Hen, an oil mill. Opening times vary depending on the season and the windmill, so do not assume every single one will be open on the day you visit.
If you only choose one, I would pick either De Kat or Het Jonge Schaap. De Kat is great if you want the classic colourful paint-mill experience, while Het Jonge Schaap is interesting because it shows the power of a sawmill. We actually went with the sawmill and it was great listening to the experienced workers explaining how the inside of a windmill works.
Visit the Cheese Farm Catharina Hoeve
Another free activity to do in Zaanse Schans is the cheese farm. The cheese farm is one of the easiest free stops in Zaanse Schans.
At Catharina Hoeve, you can learn a little about Dutch cheese-making and usually sample different cheeses in the shop. This is also a good stop if the weather is bad because it gives you something indoors to do without paying for anything.
Watch the Clog-Making Demonstration
Another thing to do in Zaanse Schans is watching wood turn into clogs. Holland is not only fmaous for its windmills but for its wooden shows called clogs. The Wooden Shoe Workshop here is another stop which is free to enter.
Inside, you can see a collection of wooden shoes and usually watch a clog-making demonstration. There is also a large shop with clogs in every possible colour and size. You probably will not be wearing them around Amsterdam afterwards, but it is a fun place to browse.
Walk the Nature Trail or Explore Beyond the Main Path
If you want to escape the city life of Amsrerdam and do not want to head back just yet, then Zaanse Schans has walking routes and green spaces nearby, including the nature trail around the area. This is especially worth doing if you arrive early or stay later in the afternoon. The central part of Zaanse Schans can feel crowded, but the wider area is much calmer once you step away from the most obvious photo spots.
Please stick to the paths as people still live around Zaanse Schans, so keep to paths, do not enter gardens and remember that not every cute wooden house is a museum.
Bonus Stop: Visit Zaandam After Zaanse Schans
It was still time in the day as we started early and exploring Zaanse Schans only took about 3-4 hours. A quick research online and I found this weird looking building which is absolutely fascinating. You might have seen it in pictures but this is actually located in Zaandam.
Zaandam is the perfect bonus stop because it sits between Zaanse Schans and Amsterdam. It is easy to reach by train, and it gives you a completely different side of the Zaan region. A lot of travellers skip Zaandam as it is not really well known and only visit the windmills, which is a shame because the town centre is quirky, colourful and very easy to explore in under two hours.
See the Famous Inntel Hotel Amsterdam Zaandam
This is what I was talking about. It is right outside the train station and it is worth coming to Zaandam for it alone. Besides, it won’t cost anything. This is the most famous building in Zaandam which is the Inntel Hotel Amsterdam Zaandam. Even if you are not staying there, it is worth stopping for a photo.
The building looks like a stack of traditional Zaan houses piled on top of each other, with green wooden facades and one bright blue house standing out. It is weird, playful and very Dutch in the best way. You can see it almost immediately when you leave Zaandam station, so this is one of the easiest photo stops you can add to the day.
Walk Through Zaandam Town Centre
Past the quirky building of the hotel, you will find the Zaandam town centre. It is sort of two tiered shopping street and is compact and simple to walk around. You will find shops, cafes, modern buildings designed with traditional Dutch shapes, and a more local feel than Zaanse Schans.
Do not expect a fairytale old town like Bruges or Ghent. Zaandam is more of a working Dutch town with some very unusual architecture. It is also a practical place to get food or coffee before heading back to Amsterdam, often with more normal prices than the most touristy spots at Zaanse Schans.
How to Combine Zaanse Schans and Zaandam in One Day
Combining Zaanse Schans and Zaandam in one day is very easy because they are both on the same train route from Amsterdam.
The best route is: Amsterdam Centraal/Sloterdijk → Zaandijk Zaanse Schans → Zaandam → Amsterdam Centraal
I would visit Zaanse Schans first because it gets busier as the day goes on. It is the more tourist-heavy stop, so arriving early gives you a much better experience. Zaandam is easier to enjoy later in the afternoon because it is a normal town, not a small heritage village packed with tour groups.
A good plan would be to leave Amsterdam around 8:30, arrive at Zaanse Schans around 9:00, explore the windmills and workshops until around 12:30 or 13:00, then take the train to Zaandam for lunch and a short walk around the town centre. You can then return to Amsterdam by around 16:00 or 17:00.
Budget and Timing
Zaanse Schans can be a very affordable day trip from Amsterdam if you keep it simple. A basic visit can cost around €8.40 for return train tickets if you only walk around the village, see the windmills, visit the free clog workshop and stop at the cheese farm.
A better budget would be around €20–25 per person, which covers return transport, one paid windmill visit and maybe a coffee or snack.
For timing, most people need around 3 hours at Zaanse Schans. That gives you enough time to walk from the station, see the windmills, visit the cheese farm, watch the clog-making demonstration and go inside one windmill. If you want to visit the Zaans Museum, the Windmill Museum and several paid attractions, allow 4–5 hours.
Final Thoughts and Frequently Asked Questions
Zaanse Schans is absolutely one of the best day trips from Amsterdam, and it is a must in my opinion. It also serves as a half day trip and I will definitely include it on any itinerary in Holland. The windmills are classic in the Netherlands. It is cheap and easy and you will have time to hit up the Red Light District in the evening 😉
From Amsterdam you can also continue on your travels to Belgium and Brussels where I have a whole guide of day trips to do from Brussels
