Here we have the opportunity to visit the best windmills in Holland.In the Seventeenth Century the Zaanse Schans was the biggest industrial area in the world. A Dutch windmill basically was a little factory. Each windmill was custom build for producing various products like paint, cooking oil, paper and wood.On the bank of the river Zaan hundreds of windmills were grinding, pounding, sawing and crushing. Products of the Zaanse Schans were exported all over the world.The dozen windmills on the Zaanse Schans are still fully operational. On a good windy day well see them turning at full speed.Entrance to one of the windmills is included in this tour.
At this family owned cheese farm they tell you everything you always wanted to know about cheese and wooden shoes.Of course there is a large variety of cheeses to taste from as well as fruit whine and typical Dutch cookies and you can buy your favorite cheese, clogs and all kinds of souvenirs.
Volendam is build on a dike next to het IJsselmeer and is famous for the picturesque harbor.The old fishermans quarter is called the Maze. Its a labyrinth of alleyways and dwarf sized houses.Volendam is perfect to try some Dutch seafood. Most famous is raw herring with pickles and onions. Its not as bad as it sounds. Its actually very tender and tastes a bit like sushi, only fishier. Most of our guests actually finish it! Another dish is kibbeling, battered and deep fried pieces of codfish served with tartar sauce. Volendam has a pretty large variety of bars and restaurants where its possible to try local beer and/or have lunch.
Marken used to be an island in the open sea but now its a quaint peninsula in the fresh water lake IJsselmeer. Several houses and even small neighborhoods are listed as national cultural monument and here its also possible to have lunch, in a cafe on the waterside.
Monnickendam is one of the oldest towns in Holland and incredibly beautiful. We drive through the old center passing the old church with its amazing bell tower and watch typical Dutch vessels in the harbor.
Waterland is called the wetlands of Amsterdam, with old villages, fields and hundreds of ditches.Its a landscape with narrow waterways called sloten, meadows, reeds, cows, sheep, horses and birds, farms and church towers on the horizon. This area is mostly peatland and also full of lakes.The landscape does not get more Dutch than this anywhere else.
In the centre of Waterland is the village of Broek. Although it's only a fifteen minutes drive from Amsterdam, Broek in Waterland feels completely different from the cosmopolitan city. Most of the old houses, farms and even the church were made out of wood. Stone buildings were too heavy for the soft soil.There are still many beautiful large wooden houses with gardens full of flowers. Its very peaceful and quiet and were pretty much the only touroperator that goes there because large busses with tourists are not even welcome.
Highlights Of Holland Private Guided Tour From Amsterdam
- See more images
- See more images
- See more images
Tour Information
Key Details
- Mobile Voucher Accepted
- Hotel pickup Available
- Instant Confirmation
- Lowest Price Guaranteed
- Duration: 7 Hrs
-
Language:
English
-
Departure Time :
09:00 AM
-
Cancellation Policy : This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
Overview
Experience Holland with Holland Windmills, our small and local tour company. We are born and raised here and love to show you the best places during your holiday in Holland. We also love telling you stories about Holland!See famous windmills, taste cheese, try wooden shoes and walk through scenic villages. We know the best sights, what to visit and where to eat. Let us take you places where the crowds don't go and explore Holland at your own pace.
Cheaper than a taxi, better than a big group tour and a lot more comfortable than organizing everything on your own. Ideal for couples, families and friends!
Know More about this tour
Itinerary:
Here we have the opportunity to visit the best windmills in Holland. In the Seventeenth Century the Zaanse Schans was the biggest industrial area in the world. A Dutch windmill basically was a little factory. Each windmill was custom build for producing various products like paint, cooking oil, paper and wood. On the bank of the river Zaan hundreds of windmills were grinding, pounding, sawing and crushing. Products of the Zaanse Schans were exported all over the world. The dozen windmills on the Zaanse Schans are still fully operational. On a good windy day we’ll see them turning at full speed. Entrance to one of the windmills is included in this tour.
At this family owned cheese farm they tell you everything you always wanted to know about cheese and wooden shoes. Of course there is a large variety of cheeses to taste from as well as fruit whine and typical Dutch cookies and you can buy your favorite cheese, clogs and all kinds of souvenirs.
Volendam is build on a dike next to het IJsselmeer and is famous for the picturesque harbor. The old fisherman’s quarter is called the Maze. It’s a labyrinth of alleyways and dwarf sized houses. Volendam is perfect to try some Dutch seafood. Most famous is raw herring with pickles and onions. It’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s actually very tender and tastes a bit like sushi, only fishier. Most of our guests actually finish it! Another dish is kibbeling, battered and deep fried pieces of codfish served with tartar sauce. Volendam has a pretty large variety of bars and restaurants where it’s possible to try local beer and/or have lunch.
Marken used to be an island in the open sea but now it’s a quaint peninsula in the fresh water lake IJsselmeer. Several houses and even small neighborhoods are listed as national cultural monument and here it’s also possible to have lunch, in a cafe on the waterside.
Monnickendam is one of the oldest towns in Holland and incredibly beautiful. We drive through the old center passing the old church with it’s amazing bell tower and watch typical Dutch vessels in the harbor.
Waterland is called the wetlands of Amsterdam, with old villages, fields and hundreds of ditches. It’s a landscape with narrow waterways called ‘sloten’, meadows, reeds, cows, sheep, horses and birds, farms and church towers on the horizon. This area is mostly peatland and also full of lakes. The landscape does not get more Dutch than this anywhere else.
In the centre of Waterland is the village of Broek. Although it's only a fifteen minutes drive from Amsterdam, Broek in Waterland feels completely different from the cosmopolitan city. Most of the old houses, farms and even the church were made out of wood. Stone buildings were too heavy for the soft soil. There are still many beautiful large wooden houses with gardens full of flowers. It’s very peaceful and quiet and we’re pretty much the only touroperator that goes there because large busses with tourists are not even welcome.
Inclusions
- Bottled water
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fee to a windmill at The Zaanse Schans
- All Fees and Taxes
Exclusions
- Lunch
- This private tour is not suitable for children under the age of seven years old.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Traveler Reviews
See all reviews-
![]()
Our private tour of Holland countryside was oneof the best tours I’ve ever taken. Esther took us to a little village where the tourist buses don’t go, private tour of shoe and cheese factory, took us to a fabulous fish restaurant that served eel and raw herring and got all of us to try it! She was a fantastic tour guide, told us wonderful historical information about the windmills and took us on a tour of a working windmill. 5 star rated!
-
![]()
I can’t say enough about this 7 hour tour we did with Philip! This was a two moms with their daughters trip. Originally I thought a 7 hr tour with lunch would be too much. INot possible! Philip showed us the mills, cheese farm and the countryside like we could never have experienced otherwise! We were able to fully experience live working mills and demo clog making. Philip’s connections to the mills and the people we visited were incredible. We learned so much as we were immersed in the culture of the Netherlands. No question was too small and Philip was tremendously knowledgeable re his own experience from a historical and native perspective. The time flew by! Don’t miss the opportunity to tour this beautiful area with Philip and his company!
-
![]()
Our driver was punctual, friendly, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour. A private tour is the way to go. We enjoyed each stop, especially a lovely lunch and seeing the windmills.
-
![]()
Our guide, Philip, was fantastic. In particular his knowledge of windmills and the impact they had on the countries wealth and power was amazing. He took is unto working mills - lumber mills, spice mills, etc. He was filled with great stories and anecdotes about life in Amsterdam. He also took us to small villages not yet discovered by tourists. Overall, it was a fantastic day. John
-
![]()
Philip our guide was wonderful, attentive and very knowledgeable. Saw many different working windmills and charming villages.
-
![]()
The working windmills, the beautiful verdant countryside filled with sheep, the small fishing villages, everything! Our guide, Phillip, had a wealth of knowledge and could answer every question we asked. He let us decide what we wanted to see more of or less of. All four of us agree that it was an absolutely wonderful experience.
-
![]()
We had an awesome private tour of the Dutch countryside. Tuen our guide was very friendly, informative, responsive and accommodating. We enjoyed the country side, windmills, cheese and clog factory and the good restaurant that Teun suggested. Highly recommend Holland Windmills for your private countryside tour.
-
![]()
A must do trip. Our guide was amazing he took us to a lot of 🏆 places. I would recommend Philip every time. He took us to his favorite places and they were amazing. All the people we met were very friendly and amazing as well. We received top notch service from beginning to end. I most definitely do it again hands down
-
![]()
This tour is exceptional, our guide went above and beyond. We loved learning about the Netherlands history throughout the journey. The sawmill is not to be missed. I give this your 10 stars!
-
![]()
The tour was well worth it. Comfortable clean vehicle and we saw alot dispute it being rainy. Teun our guide was very pleasant, accommodating and knowledgeable on the places we visited. He recommended a great resturant for lunch with huge portions. Definitely shareable. Also pointed out the stand for herring. Yummy. We were a bit early for the full blooms of tulips fields, but Teun went out of his way to ensure we saw tulips by taking us to the Tulip experience museum which was an extra stop at our request to see a small field that had just started to bloom. At the Tulip experience museum (small but I thought worth it) we learned all about the tulip history and as a takeaway the gift you a bouquet of tulips that you get to select. Nice treat to have in the room, cut a water bottle to place them in :). The tulip tea was nice too. This is a nice option if you don't want to spend hours at the Keukenhof. This tour was one of the best memories of the trip :) Thank you!
