Windmills, Marken and Volendam Day Trip

When you get outside the Dutch capital you enter a different world, with most of the small towns surrounding the city appearing like open-air museums. The Dutch Countryside and Windmills Tour will take you from Amsterdam to the villages of Zaanse Schans, Volendam and to the former island of Marken.

A visit to Zaanse Schans means you can get your fill of historical windmills. Over ten windmills line the banks of the Zaan river and the area around them is free for you to wander around in as it really is an open-air museum. You can enter some of the windmills for a small extra charge - included on the All-In ticket.

Volendam is a typical Dutch fishing village and taking a walk along De Dijk and through the harbour area will not disappoint. Here you will visit the Cheese Factory to learn more about how the Dutch make cheese and have a little taste as well.

Another stop along the tour is Woltjes Backerij, where you will step back in time to the 19th century to see how people lived then and how they made stroopwafels.

The third location visited on the tour is the village of Marken, a former island in the Markermeer, now a peninsula. If you select the 'All-In' ticket, you'll travel between Marken and Volendam by boat, with a scenic, 30 minutes trip across the IJsselmeer.

Enjoy the view as you sail past the towns of Monnickendam and Katwoude. When you walk among the houses on Marken, be careful to stay on the road because before you know it you're in someone's garden. A visit to a traditional clog, or wooden shoe, maker completes our tour.

There are two ticket options to choose from!

1) Windmills, Marken and Volendam Classic Tour: This is the basic version of the tour which gives you plenty of free time to explore as you wish as well as including the following:

• The traditional Dutch experience in Volendam & Marken
• An up-close look at the windmills of Zaanse Schans
• See how cheese and stroopwafels are made
• Live guide
• Audio guide on the bus with 16 languages and free earphones

2) Windmills, Marken and Volendam All-in Tour: As the name suggests, this itinerary includes all of the highlights from the Classic Tour as well as the following extras:

• 30 minute boat tour between Volendam & Marken
• Visit a traditional clog maker to see how clogs are made
• Visit an authentic Marken home from the 1940s
• Visit an operational windmill