Everything You Should Know BEFORE Your Visit to the Zaanse Schans Windmills

Zaanse Schans is a recreated 18th/19th century village located just outside of Amsterdam - not quite far enough to be considered the dutch countryside, but not quite close enough to be inside the city center of Amsterdam. Much closer to Amsterdam than a day trip to Rotterdam, Zaanse Schans has a windmill museum, multiple shops, cafes, and fun activities - there is plenty to do at Zaanse Schans in addition to seeing the coveted (and adorable) windmills. Although this spot can get quite crowded with visitors and tour buses, we'll be sharing our best tips on how to explore the area and make the best of your visit!

Our Essential Travel Resources :
​There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are our favorite websites and resources to help you plan an incredible trip.

For flights, we recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to your destination.

Car rentals comparisons are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you if you're heading somewhere international!

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To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, we always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and always use NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi connections.

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick, especially for tours in Asia.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for your international or domestic travels.

How to Get to Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans is located about 19 kilometers (about 12 miles) from the city center of Amsterdam, meaning there are multiple ways to get there. Depending on your price range and the amount of time you have to explore (or even more specifically the weather) - certain options might fit your schedule a bit better. We've listed our best recommendations here :

• Rent a Bike : In Amsterdam you can pretty much rent a bike anywhere, and based on our research most places offered the bike for 8 hours - a full day for around €15. Amsterdam is known for being the bike capital of the world, with 63% of locals using their bikes daily, so you'll be quite safe and simply "following the norm" when in Amsterdam.
• Uber/Taxi : Just like most cities around the world, Uber and public taxis are available to use. The price on these can vary, however chances are it'll be spendier than renting a bike or using public transportation, and we found that sometimes Ubers wouldn't be available when we needed one.
• Public Transportation : The bus system in Amsterdam is pretty easy for tourists to use, you simply need to purchase a ticket from the machine that is available at most stops and head to the Zaandijk-Zaanse Schans Stop via bus. This cost us around €9 each roundtrip.
• Book a Tour : This option will definitely be the spendiest way to get to Zaanse Schans, and even though entrance to the area is free for visitors, tours can run upwards of €50 per person. However, your time there will be fully guided and provide you with transportation to and from Zaanse Schans. This is the easiest way for you to visit where you don't need to figure out any logistics or planning on your own!

If you do decide to book a tour to Zaanse Schans, this is a great full day option that includes a 1 hour canal tour as well.

​Our Favorite Tours near Amsterdam : 
- Day Trip to Zaanse Schans
- Classic Canal Boat Cruise with Drinks & Cheese
- Anne Frank's Guided Walking Tour

Best Things to Do at Zaanse Schans

First things first, there is seriously A LOT to do at Zaanse Schans. You could easily spend half a day to a full day in this area alone, exploring the multiple museums, cafes, and sights nearby. We've listed below some of the best things (other than looking at the windmills) to do while exploring Zaanse Schans.

• Windmill Museum : If you're visiting Zaanse Schans, you might as well visit the Mill Museum. For €20 per person, you can enter the museum to learn all about the trade, culture, wealth, and social development that the mills brought to the area. There's also an impressive panoramic painting showcasing multiple windmills as well as a small cafe onsite.
• Clogs Museum : At this free museum, you get to not only see hundreds of different styles of clogs, but you can also see a live exhibition of how they're made! They even have an area where you can try on and purchase a pair of clogs to take home for yourself - as well as a "diamond" clog that's on display. Right outside, there's also a pair of giant clogs and a heart shaped collection of clogs perfect for a photo op!
• Cheese Museum : At the Cheese Farm Catharina, another free museum at Zaanse Schans, you not only get to see a live demonstration of Dutch cheese making, but you also get to learn all about the different types of cheeses. Not only that, but there are plenty of cheeses to sample as well - from gouda, to smoked cow, to coconut. And of course you can't beat the fact that it's all free!
• Windmill Cruise : If you're looking for a unique vantage point of the windmills, try a windmill cruise! At 45 minutes long and €15.50 per person, you can cruise down the Zaan River and learn all about the "secrets of the mills."
• Make Your Own Hot Chocolate : At Zaans Gedaan Cacao Lab, you can head to the back of the store and make your own hot chocolate! Although the activity itself is free, you'll have to pay for the hot chocolate after you make it. Don't worry, they'll guide you step by step through the entire process, and if you follow their directions, it'll come out delicious. (And of course I recommend getting the marshmallows on top.) ;)
• Try Stroopwafle & Pancakes: If you're visiting Amsterdam, or the Netherlands in general, then of course you've heard that you need to try Stroopwafle and the famous Dutch pancakes. Luckily, you can find both of these at Zaanse Schans - and we can confirm, they are delicious!
• Shopping : As you wander around Zaanse Schans you'll find plenty of places throughout the village that are perfect for souvenir shopping. We didn't do any ourselves, but you can find pretty much anything you'd like in the multiple stores in the area - whether it's for yourself or friends and family back home!

If you're planning to visit multiple museums in Zaanse Schans or in the Amsterdam City Center we recommend purchasing a Go City Amsterdam Pass - which conveniently gives you access to 30+ top attractions throughout the city!

The Windmills
The most important thing to see, of course, is the multiple windmills! (Our count told us there were 8 main windmills, and a few smaller duplicates in the yards.) As you follow the path around the Zaan River you'll see these dotted throughout the horizon, and the path gives you a great view of them! If you want to see a view of the windmills with the water in front, then we recommend heading out onto the dock, however this can get quite busy. As you walk along the windmills, you'll notice that you can head into some of them and even tour the working windmills for a small entry fee! From the inside you can see the working gears of the windmill, and sometimes even head out to the roof of the windmills for some beautiful views!

Watch our Amsterdam Adventures here!

Other Netherlands Blog Posts :

• A Guide to Zaanse Schans Windmills in Amsterdam
• 9 Best Things to Do in Amsterdam

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