You're not just looking at windmills. You're floating through the birthplace of the industrial world, a river valley that once powered more machines than anywhere else on earth.
In the 1600s, this single stretch of the Zaan ran over 1,000 windmills supplying the entire world with timber, spices, paint and whale oil. It's the place where the modern world was invented.
During your 25 minute cruise you will see:
All 10 UNESCO windmills of Zaanse Schans, seen from the water closer than any path gets you. The world's earliest industrial cacao and chocolate factories, still standing on the riverbank. The whale hunting facilities that once made this region the oil capital of Europe. Traditional Zaanse Houses and the tea houses where merchants traded goods from across the Dutch empire. And a few surprises your guide has saved for the water.
Your skipper tailors every cruise to the group on board. Everyone leaves knowing something they didn't expect to learn.

Zaanse Schans Windmill Cruise - UNESCO Windmills With Live Guide

Small-group of maximum 16 guests ensures full and personal attention from your local guide with a convenient pickup from te city center of Zaandam. Enjoy everything Zaanse Schans has to offer: lots of photo opportunities, traditional crafts like cheese making and clog making. Visit a working Industrial windmill.

Zaanse Schans Small-Group Excursion from Zaandam

Capture your memorable moments against the charming backdrop of Zaanse Schans with a private photoshoot led by an experienced local photographer. 

Tailored for couples, families, and solo travelers, this session will guide you through picturesque locations, ensuring you feel at ease while posing for stunning shots. 

During the session, you will receive professional direction and up to 30 professionally edited digital photos delivered within four working days, so you can relive your Amsterdam adventure. 

Perfect for immortalizing special occasions or simply enjoying the beauty of the city.

Private Photoshoot in Zaanse Schans with Windmills

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey from Zaanse Schans' main dock. Get on a luxury boat for an exciting adventure. The main attraction is the famous windmills. You'll have a relaxed boat ride with a great view of these old wonders. Your knowledgeable guide will tell you about the windmills and the history of the area, making your experience more interesting.

After that, you'll see beautiful traditional Dutch houses from the boat. Your guide will tell you stories about these historical homes. Moving on through the Dutch countryside, you'll reach Wormerveer, which has played an important role in the Dutch colonial past. Explore old industries, warehouses, and history, discovering the story of this place.

On the way, you'll find important heritage like Cacao and Soap factories, adding to the area's history. If you're lucky, you might smell the delicious roasted Cacao. The tour ends where it started, giving you a full understanding of the history and culture of this amazing region.

Private Zaanse Schans Windmill Cruise On Luxury Boat

Discover the charm of Zaanse Schans on this self-guided 45-minute walking tour through a historic Dutch village of windmills, wooden houses, and centuries-old craftsmanship.

Starting at Klaverringdijk, stroll past green-painted homes, cross wooden bridges, and visit working windmills that still produce paint, oil, and timber.

Tour highlights include:
• De Kat, the world's only working paint mill
• Traditional Zaan architecture with green facades and white trim
• A clog workshop showcasing centuries-old shoemaking techniques
• Cheesemaking demonstrations with tastings
• Museumwinkel Albert Heijn, the first store of the iconic Dutch chain

The tour ends at the Museum Zaanse Tijd, home to 17th–18th century Dutch clocks.


Zaanse Schans: A Windmills, Crafts and History Self-Guided Tour 

Discover the best kept secrets in the city's historic centre with the Secrets of Scavenger Hunt, an exciting GPS-based exploration game!

Whether you want to play alone for personal excitement or with a group of people this is the game for you! Playing with more groups will turn into a competitive experience, perfect as a teambuilding activity. This game is a fun activity you can do while visiting a city. Solve the fun puzzles and questions, complete photo tasks and more in order to score as many points as possible and gain extra clues to help you with the final puzzle. You can even earn a spot on the leaderboard!

Our Scavenger Hunt offers the maximum independence, you can play pause & continue whenever you want.

HOW TO PLAY:
Book the Scavenger Hunt, check the email we send you with the simple instructions, download the Loquiz App, access the Scavenger Hunt and you are ready to begin your gaming experience!

Self-Guided Secrets of Zaanse Schans Exploration Game

Crack Zaandam's Hidden Secrets! Stroll past colorful houses and buzzing markets, feel the energy of shipyards and waterways, and help Tsar Peter the Great recover his stolen blueprints as you uncover the city's past and vibrant present.

The Secrets of Zaandam City Game offers a unique way to explore the city's heart through a GPS-based self-guided adventure. Highlights include the striking Inntel Hotel with its stacked Zaan-style façades, the historic Tsar Peter House, the lively Gedempte Gracht shopping street, and the symbolic Monument Februaristaking. Play solo for a personal quest or with friends and family for a shared challenge.

Solve interactive puzzles, riddles, and photo tasks as you uncover hidden gems, earn points, and unlock clues that bring Zaandam's stories to life. You can pause anytime and continue later, making it flexible and fun. Compete for a spot on the leaderboard or turn it into a friendly team-building experience filled with discovery and adventure.

Self-Guided Secrets of Zaandam Exploration Game

Explore the beautiful city center of Zaanse Schans at your own pace. This self-guided audio tour will take you to all the well-known spots and undiscovered gems of Zaanse Schans. Go on a journey of discovery with your virtual audio guide and get to know Zaanse Schans and its history in a unique way.

You can walk at your own pace and experience the most beautiful walking routes and best stories
This route will take you to unexpected discoveries by using a Personal virtual GPS audio guide available in 7 languages.



Zaanse Schans: City Walk Audio Guide in 7 Languages on your Phone

Hop on a bus or boat for a self-guided exploration of Amsterdam. Experience the flexibility to board and disembark from either mode of transport at your leisure whenever you spot an appealing stop.

Begin your journey at any of the 10 designated bus stops scattered throughout the city center. Activate your audioguide and opt for one of 16 available languages to gain insights about Amsterdam's landmarks as you travel by. Be sure to disembark at Gassan Diamonds for a complimentary tour of their jewelry store.

For another perspective, consider taking the canal boat that offers a unique view from the water. With convenient access points right next to bus stops, transitioning from land to water is seamless. Drift along over 100 KM of UNESCO World Heritage-listed canals.

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; the order of tour can change.

Amsterdam City Tour with Canal Cruise and Zaanse Schans Trip

Are you planning a day out or weekend trip to Zaandam, then you can have a lot of fun with this city walk. An Escape game and city walk at the same time. 2,5 kilometres long and over 1,5 - 2 hours of fun for the family or a group of friends. Meanwhile, during this game there is plenty of time to sit on one of the terraces. A city walk has never been so much fun. An app will help you with your quest during the city walk. The Zaanse Swindler is a blight on Zaandam. He is a smooth talker. His style is rob, steal and run away hard. The police have no trace and the people of Zaandam are afraid of him and so say nothing. Time for that to change.

Things to do in Zaandam