Amsterdam was a beautiful city that I could have spent many days exploring during my trip last Spring. We stayed at the lovely Sir Albert in De Pijp neighborhood and loved every minute – if you want more information about our time in Amsterdam, see our Top 10 in Amsterdam blogpost here.

But, my husband and I also wanted to see the Dutch countryside and leave the city for the day. I researched a few weeks before we left for our trip and found the perfect tour that gave us a glimpse into the quieter villages in the Netherlands. The GetYourGuide Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam & Marken Bus Tour ticked everything on my list and more. We booked the tour and are so happy that we did!

A few things about why this tour was a good pick for us. First, I love to travel, but often get stir crazy and a little motion sick on bus rides that are too long. This tour was perfect because we boarded a bus and headed outside the city with each stop being 30 minutes or less from each other along the way. It made the day seem jam-packed with exciting activities and new sites to see without wasting time traveling on a tour bus. Second, it can be fun to explore new locations via rental car or train, but this tour allowed us to learn more and provide insight into the historical and cultural context for each village without having to worry about parking or transportation schedules. Third, we had some free time in the cheese factory, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans to explore on our own. This allowed my husband and I some time to grab lunch, do some shopping, take photos, and relax! All of this for under $40 each, it was a great deal and so worth it.

For photos and fun, I brought my red 35mm Holga toy camera with us. My husband gifted it to me a few years ago for Christmas, and I’ve loved traveling with it ever since! I’ve included a few photos I took during our tour noted in the captions.

Now, some more information on each stop on this tour:

Once we booked the tour we were given a clear location of where to meet our group, just a couple metro stops from our hotel. It was organized when we arrived at our departure point, and it was easy to find our bus. Already stress-free!

Our first stop was Marken, a tiny town in North Holland where we got off the bus and had a short walking tour. It was picturesque with a few small shops and boats in the harbor. We took this tour in mid-May and – word to the wise – it was chilly in the morning. We ended up each purchasing a cozy sweatshirt at a shop here because we were so cold! But we didn’t mind since we love a good keepsake.

Next up we had a cheese tasting at Henri Willig, a cheesemaker since 1979. The cheese factory gave us a short demonstration and tour, then lots of cheese tasting! They offered a great variety of flavors such as truffle and garlic & herb. I’m a big fan of Gouda, so it was heavenly. The site had a great gift shop and lots of cheeses to buy. These made lovely souvenirs that we took home for friends and family!

Our third stop was at Volendam where we had another short tour, and then a bit of free time to meander. We grabbed lunch at a quaint pub-style spot right in the harbor called De Lunch, which was recommended by our tour guide. We strolled the harbor and did some shopping before heading back to the bus.

After lunch we stopped in Edam. This is a canal-style town that was cute to take photos and stroll along. We had a short walking tour here before heading to our last stop.

Lastly, it was off to Zaanse Schans, our final, and debatably, most beautiful destination of the day. This is where we saw and experienced the iconic windmills. We had free time here to explore, take photos, and carefully climb up one of the windmills. It was a bit scary, but exciting to see one operating up close. We learned from the shop keeper that the working windmill grinds down raw materials into paint pigments. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience! We grabbed some hot cocoa and had a snack outside, taking in the views before heading back to the bustling city of Amsterdam. For those interested, there is also a wooden clog making demo and small museum at Zaanse Schans as well.

If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam or the Netherlands, I hope you consider booking the tour here. Also, if you want a more detailed look at recommendations for Amsterdam, see my previous post: Top 10 Travel Tips for your first time in Amsterdam, Netherlands!

❤ Natalie

(This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links.)