The dyke and harbour of Volendam
1 hAll agesDog-friendlyAll year
Walk · 1 h · The dyke with the fish shops, the harbour of wooden boats and the district of alleyways behind. Free.
From Amsterdam30 min by bus
Between the two30 min by boat
Best timeApr – Sep
Minimum time1 day
Overall difficultyEasy
What to do
What to do in Volendam and Marken
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Boat from Volendam to Marken across the Markermeer
30 minAll agesEvery day; first departures at 11:00 and last at 17:30
Boat · 30 min · The Volendam Marken Express links the two harbours every day; the natural way to do both villages without a car.
Volendams Museum
1 hAll agesAll year, Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00
Museum · 1 h · How Volendam lived between 1850 and 1950: fishermen's houses, traditional costumes and a room devoted to its music. Tuesday to Sunday.
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Volendam and Marken, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Volendam and Marken
From April to September, with the Marker Museum open and the lake calm. In July and August, at midday, the Volendam dyke fills up. In winter the museum in Marken is closed and the wind on the dyke is harsh.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Volendam and Marken your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Fly to Amsterdam and take a bus to Volendam
Volendam and Marken are half an hour by bus from Amsterdam, which has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and many other Spanish cities. From Schiphol, a train of about 15 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal and, behind the station, the EBS bus to Volendam. You do not need a car: the boat runs between the two villages.
- Getting thereAmsterdam Schiphol (AMS), train to…
- Getting aroundOn foot around both villages
- Where to sleepHotel Spaander, on the Volendam…
- ServicesBus from Amsterdam Centraal to…
Getting there
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), train to Amsterdam Centraal in 14–17 minutes
- EBS bus from the IJ bus station, about 30 minutes to Volendam
- Volendam Marken Express boat between the two harbours
Getting around
- On foot around both villages
- By bike along the dyke to the Marken lighthouse
Where to sleep
- Hotel Spaander, on the Volendam dyke
- Van der Valk Hotel Volendam, at the entrance to the village
Services
- Bus from Amsterdam Centraal to Volendam and Marken
Bus, boat and bus: Volendam and Marken without a car
The car-free circuit is the prettiest: bus from Amsterdam to Volendam, a half-hour boat to Marken and a bus back from Marken, or the other way round. That way you cross the Markermeer and do not go round the lake by road. The budget per person per day includes sleeping in Volendam, eating fish and bus and boat tickets.
100–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Spaander, on the dyke…
- Getting aroundEBS bus from Amsterdam Centraal…
- Where to eatSmit-Bokkum, smoked eel and fish
- ServicesBus from Amsterdam Centraal to…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Spaander, on the dyke, with a pool for guests
- Van der Valk Hotel Volendam, beside the Amsterdam road
Getting around
- EBS bus from Amsterdam Centraal, about 30 minutes
- Volendam Marken Express, a 30-minute boat ride
- On foot or by bike to the Marken lighthouse
Where to eat
- Smit-Bokkum, smoked eel and fish
- The herring stalls on the Volendam dyke
Services
- Bus from Amsterdam Centraal to Volendam and Marken
By car through Waterland: Volendam, Marken and Edam
By car you can link the Waterland villages in a day: Volendam, Marken and, if you like, the Zaanse Schans or Edam, which are a few minutes away. The problem is parking: in Volendam, leave the car in the car parks at the entrance; in Marken, in the central car park, because you cannot drive inside. The budget includes sleeping, food, petrol and parking.
110–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepVan der Valk Hotel Volendam…
- Getting aroundAbout 20 km from Amsterdam…
- Where to eatSmit-Bokkum, in Volendam harbour
- ServicesParking at the entrance to…
Where to sleep
- Van der Valk Hotel Volendam, with free parking
- Hotel Spaander, with private parking
Getting around
- About 20 km from Amsterdam to Volendam along the N247
- Central car park at the entrance to Marken
Where to eat
- Smit-Bokkum, in Volendam harbour
Services
- Parking at the entrance to Marken
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Volendam and Marken for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Volendam and Marken with the family
A day of boat, harbour and lighthouse that works at any age: the half-hour boat trip is the part children remember most, and there are no cars in Marken.
- What works bestThe Volendam Marken Express boat
- Where to sleepHotel Spaander, with family rooms…
- Where to eatSmit-Bokkum, to try the eel
- Bear in mindThere are lots of people…
What works best
- The Volendam Marken Express boat
- The dyke walk to the Marken lighthouse
- The Marker Museum, small and cheap
- A paper cone of fried fish on the Volendam dyke
Where to sleep
- Hotel Spaander, with family rooms and a pool
Where to eat
- Smit-Bokkum, to try the eel
Bear in mind
- There are lots of people on the Volendam dyke at midday: careful with pushchairs
- The walk to the lighthouse has no shade or bars
What to do as a family
Volendam and Marken with small children
With small children, stick to the short things: the boat, the harbour and the little houses of Marken. The lighthouse only if they go by bike or in a buggy.
- What works bestThe boat between the two…
- Where to sleepHotel Spaander, with an indoor…
- Where to eatSmit-Bokkum or a paper cone…
- Bear in mindThe quays have no railings
What works best
- The boat between the two villages, with a deck and toilet
- The boats in Volendam harbour
- The Marker Museum, with real dolls' houses
Where to sleep
- Hotel Spaander, with an indoor pool
Where to eat
- Smit-Bokkum or a paper cone of fried fish on the dyke
Bear in mind
- The quays have no railings
What to do with young children
Volendam and Marken with teenagers
For teenagers, better by bike: take the bikes on the boat and ride to the Marken lighthouse along the dyke. And let them try the smoked eel, if only to say they did.
- What works bestCycling along the dyke to…
- Where to sleepHotel Spaander, with a gym…
- Where to eatSmit-Bokkum
- Bear in mindIn strong wind, the dyke…
What works best
- Cycling along the dyke to the Paard van Marken
- The boat across the Markermeer
- The visit to the Smit-Bokkum eel smokehouse
Where to sleep
- Hotel Spaander, with a gym and pool
Where to eat
- Smit-Bokkum
Bear in mind
- In strong wind, the dyke by bike is hard going
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a carif you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Spaander
Why we like it: Volendam's historic hotel, on the dyke, opened as a café in 1854 and as an artists' hotel from 1881, with rooms facing the Markermeer.
Van der Valk Hotel Volendam
Why we like it: A renovated roadside hotel at the entrance to Volendam, with free parking, a restaurant and a café: practical if you are driving.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Volendam and Marken
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Smit-Bokkum
What to order: the smoked eel from its own smokehouse, as a starter to share.
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Volendam and Marken
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
52.51° N · 5.05° E
Edam
By planeCar-free
52.37° N · 4.89° E
Amsterdam
By planeCar-freeLuxury
52.31° N · 5.12° E
Muiden and Naarden
By planeCar-freeBy car
52.47° N · 4.82° E
Zaanse Schans
By planeCar-free
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Start with Marken if you get up early
First thing, the former island is almost empty.
- 2Bring a coat for the boat and the dyke
There is always a breeze on the Markermeer, even in summer.
- 3Try the eel
It is the speciality of Volendam: in a restaurant or by the portion at the smokehouse shop.
We'd skip it
The photos in traditional costume at the studios on the Volendam dyke. They are expensive and the most touristy thing in the village; better to see real costumes in the Volendams Museum or the Marker Museum.
Volendam and Marken are the two villages on the old Zuiderzee that everyone visits from Amsterdam, and you can do them together in a day: bus to Volendam, boat to Marken, bus back. They are very different. Volendam is a lively tourist village, with a dyke full of fish stalls, shops and photographers who dress you in traditional costume. Marken was an island until 1957, when it was joined to the mainland by a causeway, and is still a small village of green and black wooden houses on mounds, with no cars inside.
How do I get there from Amsterdam?
By bus. The EBS buses leave from the upper-level bus station on the IJ side, behind Amsterdam Centraal, and take about 30 minutes to Volendam. Marken has its own line. Pay with a contactless card when you get on and off, and check lines and timetables on 9292.nl.
Between the two villages, the Volendam Marken Express boat crosses the Markermeer in half an hour every day, with departures between 11:00 and 17:30. It is the piece that makes the day a loop: without it you would have to go back towards Amsterdam and change buses.
By car it is about 20 kilometres to Volendam. You cannot drive into Marken without a permit: park at the entrance and walk in.
How do I organise the day?
Leave Amsterdam around 9:30. Stroll along the dyke and harbour of Volendam before the crowds arrive, go down to the alleyway district of the Doolhof and, if you are interested, go into the Volendams Museum. Have fish at the harbour: a paper cone from the stalls on the dyke or a table at Smit-Bokkum, with its smoked eel.
After lunch, take the boat to Marken. Walk around the Havenbuurt, the harbour district, and the Kerkbuurt, with the Marker Museum from late March to October, and if you have the energy walk along the dyke to the Paard van Marken lighthouse. Return to Amsterdam by bus from Marken.
If you prefer, reverse the order: Marken in the morning, when it is almost empty, and Volendam in the afternoon.
Is it worth sleeping there?
If you go in high season, yes. The coaches leave mid-afternoon and the Volendam dyke is left to the locals. The Hotel Spaander, on the dyke itself since 1881, has rooms overlooking the lake and a swimming pool for guests. If you have a car, the Van der Valk at the entrance has free parking. From here, the Zaanse Schans is about 25 minutes away by car.
When to go?
From April to September: frequent boats, museums open and the lake calm. In winter the Marker Museum closes (from 1 November 2026 to 20 March 2027) and the wind on the dyke is noticeable, but the villages are quiet.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Volendam from Amsterdam?
By EBS bus from the bus station on the IJ side, behind Amsterdam Centraal, in about 30 minutes.
How do you get from Volendam to Marken?
By the Volendam Marken Express boat, 30 minutes, every day between 11:00 and 17:30.
Can you see both villages in a day?
Yes: bus to Volendam, boat to Marken and bus back to Amsterdam from Marken.
Can you drive into Marken?
Not without a permit. You park at the entrance to the village and continue on foot.
What do you eat in Volendam?
Fish, above all smoked eel and herring, at the stalls on the dyke or in a restaurant.