Day Trip to Zaanse Schans
Headed to Amsterdam and want to do a day trip to Zaanse Schans? Wondering what Zaanse Schans is?
Awesome! We had no idea what Zaanse Schans was until we arrived. We found out that it is a Holland historical site that highlights the best of the Netherlands. Think wooden shoes, windmills, cheese, and Dutch chocolate!
My family loved it! In fact, it was one of our favorite things we did in all of Europe! There are so many fun things to do at Zaanse Schans!
In this post, we will plan a day trip to Zaanse Schans. We will let you know what Zaanse Schans tours are available. As well as, give you some information about the Zaanse Schans Museum and grounds.
Let’s explore everything you need to know for Visiting Zaanse Schans.
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How to Get to Zaanse Schans
There are a few ways to get to Zaanse Schans. We will list them out and give you a few options!
Driving to Zaanse Schans
If you have rented a car you can easily drive there from Amsterdam. It is about a 20-minute car ride to the Dutch countryside. We opted for an Uber.
Train Ticket to Zaanse Schans
We looked into taking the train from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans and it was not easy or direct and involved a lot of walking. (It is about a 15 minute walk from train station to the entrance.) This was not an option with kids!
However, if you don’t mind walking there is guided tour that does take the train.
Zaanse Schans Tours
There are lots of guided Zaanse Schans tours. Some tours will also include areas like Edam, Volendam and Marken tour.
Bike to Zaanse Schans
There is also a biking tour that leaves from Central Station in Amsterdam and hits some fun stops in the countryside.
These tours only give you about 1.5 of Zaanse Schans and only include the free Zaanse Schans attractions. I think you need about at least 3 hours to fully experience it but if you want to see a few more things during your day these are great options.
Zaanse Schans Tickets and Hours
Most of Zaanse Schans is free. You can walk around the beautiful grounds and shop for free.
We wanted the full experience so opted for a ticket that allows the Zaans Schans Museum and extras at each of the historical sites.
Admission
Adults: 30 Euros
Children: 20 Euros
Zaanse Schans tickets include admission to the Zaans Museum, Weaver’s House, Cooperage, Museum Zaanse Tijd, Heritage Chambres Kalverringdijk, and Windmill Museum.
This is where you will see traditional windmills and traditional crafts.
Is Zaanse Schans worth It?
YES! I thought getting the ticket was worth it! The museum is awesome and getting to go to the top of the windmills is amazing!
Hours
10:00 am – 5:00 pm Daily
How Long Do I Need to See Zaanse Schans?
You could book a full-day tour but I think a half day is enough time to see everything! I would plan 2-3 hours.
Zaanse Schans Museum
As you enter the museum you are given an audio guide. You can listen about all the exhibits in the museum.
You can go through the museum as fast or as slow as you would like. Our favorite part was the historic chocolate-making factory.
It is an interactive experience where you can become one of the factory workers. Your job is to sort biscuits. It is harder than you think!
Try A Dutch Chocolate Bar (Verkade Experience)
After you complete the chocolate factory exhibit there is a worker that can assist you with making your own chocolate bar wrapper.
My kids thought this was pretty cool. They designed the wrapper and picked out a chocolate bar. Eating the Verkade Chocolate Bar was the best part!
Things to Do at Zaanse Schans
After the museum, we headed outside to explore all the fun things to do in Zaanse Schans!
We were given a map that highlighted the best stops. We were excited about the cheese tasting, windmills, and wooden shoes.
The Cheese Farm Catharina Hoeve
The cheese farm was one of our first stops. There are a lot of photo ops with big displays of cheese. It is a fun area to explore.
You end in a big store (Cheese Market) with a ton of choices of cheese. The best part is you get to try them all.
Cheese Tasting
Dutch cheese is amazing. I couldn’t believe how many flavors this store had. This is a highlight of Zaanse Schans!
Iconic Windmills at Zaanse Schans
One of the main reasons we wanted to come to Zaanse Schans was because we wanted to see the majestic windmills. The windmills did not disappoint. It is one of the most beautiful places in Europe!
Exploring the Windmills
Saw Windmill
The saw windmill was my favorite. It actually cuts huge logs! The ticket prices allows you to climb up and see the top of the windmills. It is amazing!
Paint and Oil Windmill
The paint windmill looked like a more traditional windmill. I didn’t realize it was a paint windmill. It looked like a traditional wheat grinding mill. As we made our way to the top, it was so cool to the windmills from a different angle (So worth the ticket price!)
The last windmill, the oil mills, wasn’t open when we went. We walked down to see the oil-pumping windmill but didn’t get to go inside.
It is amazing how these historic windmills used wind power to do so many cool things.
I think this might have been my sons favorite thing at Zaanse Schans.
Boat Tour
Another option if you want a different view is to book a public windmill cruise on the waterway.
Tiemstra’s Coopery
This historic site demonstrates coopery. In the Zaan there was a high demand for barrels. You can see demonstrations of barrel making.
You can also look around at antiques.
Experience a World of Clogs
One of my favorite things to do at Zaanse Schans is located by the De Zaanse Schans Store.
At the wooden shoe workshop, you can see how the wooden clogs are designed and ask questions. The clog-making demonstrations are pretty cool! We loved exploring this area.
Once you go there you can head to the museum which has a lot of themed traditional Dutch clogs.
It is so fun to see the different types of clogs.
The store has the option to purchase a variety of clogs.
Wooden Shoe Photo Ops
Outside of the store are lots of photo ops. Big wooden shoes you can climb in! You can also pose in front of a heart-shaped clog display.
This was my Netherlands dream come true! Who wouldn’t want to jump into a wooden shoe? It was so fun! I love everything about Zaanse Schans but this was my favorite!
Zonnewijzerspad
There is a Zaan neighborhood on the property of Zaanse Schans. These historic houses have been moved from different towns and preserved.
The houses are actually occupied so you can not go inside. You can go on a short walk around. The best way to see these traditional houses is to walk along the path.
Weaver
Weaving was a big deal to the Dutch. It was very popular in the early 1700’s. They started teaching their children in Kindergarten how to weave.
The weaver will demonstrate how this process works and answer questions about the weaving techniques of the era. This is a very interesting place.
Other Historical Sites
There are a few more historic sites you can pop in if you have time.
One thing I love about Zaanse Schans is the restoration of historical buildings. Most of the buildings were brought from other places and restored.
I suggest walking around and touring as many houses and shops as you can. There are some beautiful nature trails around the area as well.
If you get hungry there are a few restaurants on site.
Zaanse Schans Souvenirs
Once you have visitied all of the historic sites be sure to hop into some of the stores.
We loved the clog store! If I had room in my suitcase I would have bought some. I opted with a cute windmill magnet and an awesome bag.
There are lots of fun souvenirs in this area! You can get Dutch chocolate, shirts, wooden shoes, and so much more!
Ready to Visit Zaanse Schans?
Hopefully, this gives you some great information so you can plan a day trip to Zaanse Schans!
It truly was one of our favorite things we did on our month-long trip to Europe! I highly recommend going to Zaanse Schans especially if you are in Amsterdam with kids! We had the best time learning about Dutch culture!
Have fun at Zaanse Schans!
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