# Day Trip to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam: Windmills, Boat and Pancakes

A 17-minute train, windmills that still work, the boat on the Zaan, a cheese dairy and clogs, and 29-centimetre pancakes. Back in Amsterdam by mid-afternoon.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/zaanse-schans/itineraries/windmills-boat-and-pancakes-from-amsterdam · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:00 · Salida: 15 min by train (train from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans · then 15 min on foot over the Zaan bridge)
- 09:45 · Zaans Museum and Verkade Experience (buy the Zaanse Schans Ticket here · the Verkade Experience)
  - 5 min on foot
- 10:45 · The Kalverringdijk windmills, inside and out (De Kat and a second windmill with the ticket · climb up to the gallery)
  - 5 min on foot
- 12:00 · Windmillhopper boat on the Zaan, in front of the windmills (Windmillhopper · €12.50 · April to September, not on Thursdays) · Windmillhopper, From €13 per adult
  - 5 min on foot
- 12:45 · De Kraai restaurant (29 cm pannenkoek · 10% off with the Zaanse Schans Ticket) · De Kraai restaurant, €€
  - 5 min on foot
- 14:00 · Cheese dairy, clog workshop and crafts of the Kalverringdijk (cheese dairy, clogs and bakery museum · free)
- 15:30 · Vuelta: 15 min by train (from Zaandijk Zaanse Schans · in Amsterdam Centraal around 16:15)
  - 15 min by tram
- 17:00 · Canal cruise on the Grachtengordel, en Amsterdam (to end the day, as far as the Stadhouderskade · boat at dusk from €26) · Blue Boat Company, From €26 per adult

Zaanse Schans is the easiest day trip from Amsterdam of all: a 17-minute train, a walk across the bridge over the Zaan and you are among windmills that still grind pigments, oil and spices. This plan arrives before the coaches, goes into the windmills worth visiting, takes to the river by boat and returns to Amsterdam by mid-afternoon, with time for a museum or a stroll along the canals.

## The day, hour by hour

9:00 · Train from Amsterdam Centraal. Get off at Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, not Zaandam. Fifteen minutes on foot, crossing the bridge with the windmills in front of you.

9:45 · Zaans Museum. Buy the Zaanse Schans Ticket here (€29.50, €20 for ages 4 to 17) and tour the Verkade Experience, the rebuilt chocolate and biscuit factory.

10:45 · Kalverringdijk windmills. With the ticket you enter two: De Kat, the 1664 paint mill, and whichever is open that day from De Zoeker, Het Jonge Schaap or De Huisman. Climb up to the gallery at De Kat.

12:00 · Windmillhopper boat. Twenty-five minutes along the Zaan in front of the windmills, from the 't Glop square. From April to September, except Thursdays: €12.50 adults.

12:45 · Lunch at De Kraai. 29-centimetre pannenkoeken in an 18th-century barn. With the Zaanse Schans Ticket, a 10% discount.

14:00 · Cheese dairy, clogs and bakery. The workshops of the site, free and five minutes away.

15:30 · Return. Train from Zaandijk Zaanse Schans; in Amsterdam Centraal around 16:15.

17:00 · Amsterdam canal cruise. If you have energy left, end the day on the water: 75 minutes on a covered boat from the Stadhouderskade, with the houses lit up at dusk.

## With children or in the rain

With young children, swap the second windmill for the cheese dairy and the clog workshop, which entertain them more, and do not skip the boat. If it rains, extend your time at the Zaans Museum and have lunch early at De Kraai, which is spacious and covered.

## Cómo llegar

### Without a car
Train from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, about 17 minutes, and 15 minutes on foot. You pay by contactless card.

### By car
About 20 km from the centre of Amsterdam; the official car park at Schansend 7 costs €15 and fills up early in season.

## Consejos

### Arrive before ten
The excursion coaches arrive mid-morning.

### Bring a card
Many places on the site, including the toilets, only accept card payment.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does the day cost?
The return train, a few euros; the Zaanse Schans Ticket, €29.50; the boat, €12.50, and lunch at De Kraai, about €15–20.

### Can you do it in winter?
Yes, but some windmills and workshops close and the boat does not run from October to March.

### Do I need the Zaanse Schans Ticket?
Not for strolling, which is free. Yes if you want to go into the windmills and museums.