Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comZaanse Schans Windmills, Marken and Volendam Half-Day Trip from Amsterdam
based on 137 reviews
Duration: 4.5 hours (approx.)
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Product code: 2550LIN2A
137 reviews of Zaanse Schans Windmills, Marken and Volendam Half-Day Trip from Amsterdam
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Zaanse Schans Windmills, Marken and Volendam Half-Day Trip from Amsterdam. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Liked the extra free time for exploring on our own on the 1 pm tour. Loved the boat ride from Maarken to Volendam. You'll stop at a windmill for a photo op and see plenty of windmills along the way on this tour without going to Zaanse Schans as on the other tours. Disliked having an unexpected late return and an extra half hour blown at the end of the day waiting around in a hot parking lot for another bus to arrive for return journey. This was apparently due to the Netherlands law about bus drivers having to take a 'mandatory half hour rest', even though the drive time from Amsterdam to Volendam was not that far. I feel that Viator could have paid more attention to this small detail. Tip: Stop for wonderful Poffertjes at the waterfront in Maarken!
Reviewed by: Beverly A, United States, August 2008
Expensive. Could have spent longer in Marken and less at the cheese factory. Marken was basically a bus stop, getting off the boat and onto the bus. And where were the locals in national dress?
Reviewed by: Michael J, United Kingdom, August 2008
Zaanse Schans windmills was ok, but Marken and Volendam, there really was nothing to see. Nothing special or interesting, we just walked around.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Australia, June 2008
The cheese farm was interesting. It would be more interesting to visit the windmills and learn a bit about them rather than visiting the clog maker - which was just a shop. I don't think the boat trip to Marken was worthwhile, as we weren't given any time to see the village properly. We almost ran through it.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Ireland, April 2008
The tour was too short. There was not enough time at the windmill stop to actually walk over to the windmills or explore the shops.
Reviewed by: Audri B, United States, April 2008
Unfortunately the weather was really bad so this made the trip less enjoyable for us.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United Kingdom, March 2008
It's a very informal tour but for me, I felt it was rushed. Not enough time spent at the windmills.
Reviewed by: Jaime D, Bermuda, October 2007
This tour felt too commercialized.
Reviewed by: Caryn L, United States, October 2007
The trip felt rushed, and I thought the tour guide and bus driver were rude. The word "Windmills" shouldn't be in this title, or should say more like "view Windmills from a distance." As for Marken and Volendam, it's a long walk from where the bus drops you off to where you get on the boat. The guide insisted that we all had to eat at this certain seafood restaurant, and kept telling us that none of the others could get our food to us in the one-hour time frame, which was not true! I may not have gotten a five-course meal, but I did get a hot sandwich and a cup of soup, with plenty of time to walk around and be the first on the boat. I would not do this tour again. If this is your first time in this part of the world, then do it. However, if you have no problem in driving in Amsterdam, rent a car instead and drive yourself.
Reviewed by: Amy P, United States, September 2007
I did really like seeing the countryside, but when I was booking the trip I thought we were actually going to a windmill instead of just stopping and looking at them from a distance. I would have much rather toured the windmill than spend an hour or so at the harbor shopping.
Reviewed by: Sara M, United States, September 2007
There was a lot of driving and standing around, and the long walk through the village at the end was unexpected and difficult. I could not buy cheese because of import restrictions, so the visit to the cheese maker was less interesting. The wooden-shoe maker was interesting, but the length of time at this stop was way more than necessary if there was anything else to do.
Reviewed by: JP F, United States, August 2007
This package was just okay; there was nothing to rave about, but nothing went wrong either.
Reviewed by: George R, United States, July 2007
Boarding the bus was disorganized, and I felt a little cheated when a group behind us boarded with six tickets for four adults and four children - you do the math. The guide did not ensure that everyone could hear her.
Reviewed by: David N, United States, June 2007
We didn't have enough time to see the windmills after queuing to see the clogs being made. We could have used an extra hour. Everything else was wonderful.
Reviewed by: Pamela D, United Kingdom, May 2007
We had too little time at Zaanse Schans. I could not visit the old house or windmill. I only saw the demonstration of the wood shoes.
Reviewed by: Paul B, Finland, May 2007
