The Ultimate Zaanse-schans Private Day Trip

In time and excellent service and Elvina was very knowledgeable and nice in showing us around the places

Olga was our best guide on our trip to Amsterdam. She is so knowledgeable about the dutch culture and history. We so enjoyed our beautiful day in Zaanse Schans we were able to walk through a windmill, climb to the top and learn about the inner workings, see both a cheese and shoemaking presentation, and enjoy some dutch treats. I felt our experience was unique. We enjoyed our tour with her so much that we are changing our plans and spending another afternoon with her in the old town.

If you want the perfect way to see Zaanse-Schans, I highly recommend booking Olga as your guide. Prior to our experience, Olga was great at communicating with us. She made it very easy to find her at our meeting spot. Once we were at Zaanse-Schans her stories and depth of knowledge of both the town and of Amsterdam made our day even more special. We had a private cheese making demonstration, saw how clogs were made and toured inside a windmill. We learned about the history of the houses, how people lived, worked and slept. We learned so much about the history and meanings of the windmills (windmills used as code during WWII - I had never heard this before). She had answers to all my questions - even when I asked about paint colors. Olga was such a joy to spend time with. Her love of Holland clearly came through. This was so much better than joining a large tour group or even going on our own. The depth of knowledge and Olga has made this an experience we won't forget.

Olga was a great guide and great communication. You will not be disappointed to spend time with Olga to learn about the area.

If you do not book a tour with Olga you are missing out. She is so friendly, genuine and patient. We did her tour of the windmills at Zaanse Schans. I wish we booked more tours with her! She knows the ins and outs of Amsterdam and has some fascinating facts that she shared about this beautiful city. My daughter and I highly recommend her as a tour guide. If you are English speaking her knowledge of the language is perfect.

It was a private tour with just me and my husband. It was nice because we could ask questions and got good info. I will warn you we did not read the fine print and did not realize we would be on public transportation. It was fine but if you were expecting someone to pick you up, you will be disappointed. We met our guide, Vita, at the central Amsterdam station and had a very good tour. She took care of making sure we saw the sights, knew the history, and got to know about the places we passed through. She was very knowledgeable and we would definitely utilize her again.

Christa was knowledgeable, through, personable, flexible, cheerful, your guide. We throughly enjoyed our tour with her. Do NOT hesitate to book with her. She should be your first choice.

Olga was a wonderful guide! Friendly and informative. Warm and charming very knowledgeable about the country and visit. Highly recommend.

This was a last minute booking. We actually tried to rides bikes to the windmills the day before and got lost! This was the way to go. We met our guide outside the train station, hopped on the train, arrived, and began the adventure. My wife really wanted to see the windmills so we flexed the schedule a bit and spent more time there, skipped the chocolates and did the cheese tasing. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. On one of the working windmills that were cutting wood we were allowed to get close and one of the guys gave us a lesson how it was being done. I should note that the cheese shop was excellent. We bought a few for the rest of our travels. Nice break from the city

After experiencing this tour, our family decided that it was not worth the price. We felt that we could've easily done this experience on our own. Our guide was nice but we felt she did not add much value to this experience. We did not feel like we were on a private tour, more just like we had someone walking around with us to show us where things were. We did not get a lot of information unless we specifically asked about something and felt the guide was not super interested in the topic. Going inside the pigment making windmill was neat and interesting but that was where it ended. The cheese tasting that is "included" was just a walk through a cheese shop that offers free samples to everyone (the same Henry Willig shops that are everywhere in Amsterdam). The chocolate tasting was in a cute little chocolate shop but was really nothing special...you just mixed up your own cup of mediocre hot chocolate. The wooden shoe making shop had the potential to be neat but it was so crowded you couldn't even walk. Our visit was on Easter weekend so I'm sure that was a contributor to some of the crowds, but we were told that pre-covid, tourist crowds like this were normal. Overall, the windmills were neat and the historic little town was cute but it was very touristy and the Viator description of this tour definitely oversold the experience. I would highly recommend spending your vacation time and money elsewhere.

We had a great time with Debora. It was so much better visiting the village with a local who could explain what we were looking at. She interacted well with our children, and it was a lovely way to see windmills.

Karina was great! She was so friendly and knowledgeable and we had a great time touring with her for the afternoon. She was very communicative during the booking process and with coordinating the pickup for the tour. We toured Zaanse Schans, Edam and Volendam and all were beautiful and had fun shops and displays. Her knowledge of the locations and history was also impressive! Highly recommend this tour!

Very accommodating tour guide. Learned a lot from tour because he is very informative. He even suggested local shops/resto around the the city and gave us tips on how to get around. Well done!

My 18 year old son and I booked a 1/2 day tour to Zaanse Schanse from Amsterdam with Karina. She set everything up ahead of time and we were able to walk right in everywhere with no lines. We made our own chocolate, went inside the windmills, and watched how the Dutch clogs are made. It was a very fun trip and Karina was very accommodating! Even though it was winter, there were crowds everywhere. Karina was lovely!

This is a must tour for those visitors who are in the Netherlands for a short visit. Our tour guide, Josie, was terrific. Very knowledgeable and engaging. All of the activities were worth the price.

Great private tour with Claudio. Visited an area with some working windmills, cheese shops, chocolate shop, clogs being made etc There was no rush and because it’s a private tour you can go at your own pace. Claudio was informative, friendly and relaxed. Perfect way to get out of the centre for a few hours. Thanks Claudio

Claudio was on time, extremely knowledgeable, & made sure we saw all that interested us. His English was great, which was very appreciated as well!

Claudio was very prompt and nice and offered so much information on the sights we saw, cheese, clogs, windmills and amsterdam

Karina gave us an informative tour of the small village near Amsterdam where there are functioning windmills, a cocoa mill, a wooden shoemaker, Gouda cheese maker, etc. Meeting her was easy. She was very knowledgeable of the places we saw and we were able to learn much more from her, and avoid the large group tour. We were very happy to have Karina as our guide. She imparted her knowledge in a very friendly, personal, down-to-earth manner. Thank you Karina!

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our private tour with Anja! She provided lots of interesting information and had great energy. I would recommend booking with Anja!

Giovanna was such a great tour guide! I had just a short amount of time in Amsterdam and wanted to see the countryside. She was so accommodating - she came to the airport to meet me and ensure that I knew where/how to store my luggage so we could make the train. I thoroughly enjoyed her insights into Amsterdam culture, history, and people. I would absolutely use her again and strongly recommend her to anyone looking for fantastic, individualized service. Thanks Giovanna!

Anja is knowledgeable, down to earth, funny and a pleasure to listen to. Do yourself a favor and book Anja-you'll have a great day!

We had a beautiful day at the windmills with Claudia. She was a knowledgeable tour guide with a nice and easy personality. The tour was great because it was one-on-one and we were able to customize it to do the things we were most interested in. We really enjoyed seeing the windmills in action and hearing the history from Claudia. We also liked seeing the clogs made and cheese, then sampling it. If you’re in Amsterdam and want to see the windmills, we recommend going with Claudia, and if we return to the area we will book other tours with her.

My wife and I enjoyed our tour with Claudio. He was very informative about the history and workings of the windmills. We particularly liked climbing to the deck of the windmill and seeing how it was moved to best catch the wind. In addition, he knew the people and they provided information that we wouldn't have received without him. Our guide, Claudio, was early to the meeting point which I appreciated.

My guide was Anja. What a friendly lady and so accommodating. As she was showing me around, she made me feel very comfortable, like I was visiting an old friend. The picturesque landscape, fascinating heritage, and her keen knowledge of the area made the afternoon a real treat. It was a great day to go, so understandably, there were a few large groups. Since this was a private tour, we were able to manoeuvre around them or through them very easily. I would recommend this experience to anybody who is visiting Amsterdam. It is truly an authentic Holland experience! Thank you Anja!

The guide Deborah was incredibly helpful and did a lot to make sure we saw the things we wanted even though there was big groups. She took it upon herself to talk to the people at the places to make sure we got in. She is very knowledgeable and extremely friendly. Definitely worth it.

My husband and I enjoyed our tour with Elise. The water, the windmills, and the atmosphere were just what we wanted to experience. We would highly recommend any tour with Elise!

Elise, our guide was so great! She was extremely knowledgeable and shared with us so much information about the area we visited, the culture and the people. We had been touring several days and needed to slow the pace and she was very willing to do that at our convenience. There were 4 of us and we all agreed we would highly recommend her and use her again if we had the chance!

One of the best days we have ever had! Beautiful location and scenery, so much culture and history and wonderful to have Debora to inform us. Brilliant and not to be missed. The kids didn\u2019t want to say goodbye to Debora. So much better to be in the hands of a local, thank you so much!

Claudia was amazing. We connected prior to the tour of Zaanse Schans. We we were able to confirm our meeting and interests prior to the tour. Claudia provides me a personal tour and was extreamely informative and fun. We share many like and dislikes so it so nice to connect with Claudia during to tour. The wind mills, the village, cheese tasting and wooden shoes. We had a perfect day. Sunny a good wind so all the mills were running. The saw mill was worth the entry fee alone. The staff there were true enthusiasts and so eager to share the knowledge and answer questions. I look to do another tour with Claudia when I am in town again. Thank you Claudia and withlocals

Go on your own! Its just a few stops on the train from Amsterdam Centrsl! It’s only 5 euro to climb the windmill and 4 euro if you want to preplan a chocolate tasting. Gorgeous photos!

We went for a 1/2 day with Anja to the windmills at Zaanse Schans. We signed up for the family tour, but it was just two adults. It was a gorgeous day, and Anja was delightful. She took us inside the weaver's house where we received a great deal of information about the trade, and then we meandered through the interesting windmills and learned more. We made this trip in the morning and were able to make a flight that afternoon easily. It is easy to fit this into a quick stopover in Amsterdam.

We had an amazing tour around Zaanse Schans with Debora. It was a truly memorable experience! My kids aged 8 and 4 were entertained the whole 4 hours, she made it interesting for them along the way and also brought some crafts for them which they really enjoyed. She was very friendly and able to answer any questions we had. We would thouroughly recommend Debora!

Elise was a fab tour guide. We had a very informative enjoyable tour. We would recommend this trip and also Elise as guide. Well done Elise 10 out if 10. Thank you.

We had a wonderful day with Giovanna yesterday. She was really kind and patient with my kids. She understood a lot of Spanish, so it was easy for them to communicate with her and they enjoyed talking to her. It was a great experience for them and I highly recommend her!

We've booked with Claudio on the day and he as fast enough to respond us. Since we had a short time to go to the Wind Mills, he managed to shorten the experience but without leaving anything behind. All his explanations and knowledge about the place have enriched our way to see and experience this place.

Giovanna was an excellent guide! Her knowledge about everything (just not the Windmills) was really good! She was also very caring and went out of her way to make sure I have an amazing experience! Will book her definitely again!

Anja was our first Withlocals experience but any concerns were erased as soon as she met us. She was easy to talk with and very friendly. She eagerly shared Dutch history and customs with us and patiently answered all our questions. Touring with an intelligent and open local is an incredible experience for a traveller, Anja shared information about her family and their traditions with us. I would highly recommend booking Anja if you are in Amsterdam. Her tour was fun, interesting and meaningful.

We had a wonderful tour of Saanse Zhan and all because of our local guide, Deborah, who made us relax and enjoy the moment without having to worry when and what train to catch to get back to Amsterdam.

We were delighted with Debora's guide and hospitality. She was very friendly and warm, even given our overtired children. The highlight was the arts and craft session, painting the clogs. They are very proud of their work and it was a good bonding time with Debora, who supplied clogs, paints and brushes. The early morning start meant we got a little ahead of the tourist crowd, which was very nice. Very highly recommended!

Had a really nice time with Debora showing us around Zaanse Schans! She is a great storyteller, with a fun personality and will make your trip worth your time, no matter if it's sunny or rainy :)

Our family had a wonderful tour with Claudia. She had a lot of great tips & local insight for places to visit over in Noord Amsterdam, as well as some terrific restaurants to dine at in the Westerpark. A very warm hearted & fun local guide

Fabulous private tour with Karina Karina is happy and gave us full détails on the history of the site, mills and dutch customs.  This day was important for us... We wanted to renew our weeding vows to celebrates our 20 years... And Karina gently, has adapted for us the trip that we do not want So much it was magical. Thank you for everything Karina

No matter what the weather, a visit to the Zaanse Schans with its many windmills is definitely not to be missed. Going here is always worth it