The 15 North Holland Tours a Local Would Point You At

1.Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Marken Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 15,931 reviews · from $43Our pick

Travel from Amsterdam Central Station by comfortable coach to Zaanse Schans, Marken, and Volendam. See historic windmills, taste Dutch cheese, watch clog making, and add a boat ride, working windmill, and Marker house with the all-inclusive option. Guides such as Luca, Francesca, Tony, and Adriana bring history and humor to a tightly timed day.

“It was a really incredible experience. Well executed and planned by the agency. My wife and I enjoyed each location.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Cruise UNESCO Windmills Village + Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 245 reviews · 25 min · from $7Best value

Cruise past Zaanse Schans with a live English or Dutch guide, seeing all 10 windmills, green wooden houses, the old whale-hunting house, tea houses, spice warehouses, and chocolate factories. Guides such as George, Fritz, Derk, and Anna add local stories to this short, small-group boat ride.

“This was a great add on to our day. We walked from the train station across the bridge and wow! Windmills in view. Matteus was our guide and he was delightful. It was great to hear what the different windmills did, including producing pigments for Van Gogh. It was a perfect outing. He also had a great sense of humour which I thought added some more fun to our day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Private Electric Boat Rental in Haarlem (No License Required)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · 2 to 10 hours (approx.) Top rated

Take the helm of a silent electric boat from Industrieweg in Heemstede and explore Haarlem’s canals at your own pace. No boating license is needed. Boats offer padded seating and open views for groups of up to 10, with rentals from 2 hours to a full day. A map and local tips help you find the best views.

“Great experience that is a lot of fun and you have a completely different view of the city. I can really recommend it. Very straightforward and super nice care.Auto-translated”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Entry Ticket to Muiderslot Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 173 reviews · 2 hours · from $23

Spend about two hours at Muiderslot, one of the Netherlands’ oldest castles. Walk through medieval and 17th-century rooms, visit the gardens, and use an audio guide in English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, Chinese, or Arabic. The castle is at Herengracht 1 in Muiden.

“A experiência foi muito boa. O castelo medieval vale a pena ser conhecido, pela história envolvida, pelo local, que é muito bonito e pela cidade, que é linda.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Traditional Costume Photo with Cheese & Clog Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 151 reviews · 1 hour · from $11

At Simonehoeve near Volendam, you dress in traditional Dutch clothing, pose for a professional photo, and learn how clogs and Gouda or Edam cheese are made. A guide leads the visit in English, Dutch, Spanish, French, or German, followed by tastings and souvenir shopping. Allow one hour, plus bus time from Amsterdam.

“Het was erg leuk en interessant. Gids wist leuk te vertellen en ze nam alle tijd met de foto's maken.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Windmill & Museum Entry Ticket w/ Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 146 reviews · 1 day · from $35

Spend a full day at Zaanse Schans, a historic village of working windmills, wooden houses, museums, and small shops. Your ticket includes two open mills of your choice, the Zaans Museum and Verkade Experience, World of Windmills Museum, Zaanse Tijd Museum, and a digital audio guide in English or Dutch. Some listed sites are temporarily closed.

“Ho acquistato questo biglietto ma, una volta arrivata le mulino de Kat, la signora all’ingresso ci ha detto, in modo scocciato, che questo ticket non era valido per l’ingresso e che dovevamo pagare, senza darci la possibilità di spiegare (nella voce “cosa è incluso” c’é scritto che, oltre all’ingresso nel sito dei mulini, é anche compreso l’ingresso in due di questi e in alcuni musei). Fortunatamente, in un museo più avanti, abbiamo trovato una signora molto disponibile che ha saputo aiutarci dandoci un biglietto cartaceo che comprendeva le stesse cose incluse in questo ticket. è la prima volta che, acquistando da applicazione mi capita un disguido. Nonostante ciò è stata…”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Windmills, Clogs & Cheese by Electric Scooter

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 102 reviews · from $76

Start near Purmerend in Wijdewormer with coffee, scooter instruction, and a Routiq route. Then ride independently through quiet North Holland countryside to Zaanse Schans, stopping for windmills, cheese, clogs, cafés, and villages. Bart and his small team provide the briefing, gear, and route support.

“Very nice. Great way to explore the country side near Amsterdam. The scooter are easy to handle, the round trip is good to find. You will have a good map on your scooter and there are a lot of marks on the way. So it is easy to follow. We visit a lot on our trip. Beautiful villages, a old gothic tower, a light house, harbors, the Ijsslemeer. We had a good lunch and coffee and apple cake. It was a great day. Thanks to Bart!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Stroopwafel Experience with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 93 reviews · from $9

Visit the Volendam Stroopwafel bakery at Haven 98, watch a traditional baker prepare the famous syrup-filled cookies, and taste different flavors. The visit includes a small museum, old Dutch bakery displays, and a stroopwafel sample. Choose a fixed demonstration time when booking.

“Really fun and cute experience! They even made a small museum about the stroopwafels and a traditional Dutch house! The only minus was that we had to wait for half an hour before we could start.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Photo Opportunity in Traditional Dutch Costume

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 62 reviews · from $15

At a local operator’s office in Volendam, an English-speaking host helps you dress in traditional Dutch clothing, including the women’s lace hul cap and blood-coral necklace. Pose for a professional photo, take home two small prints or one large print, and use your own phone for extra selfies. Private, wheelchair accessible, and suitable for families.

“Super leuk! Een halfuurtje van te voren geboekt. Werden vriendelijk ontvangen en geholpen. Er is een hele leuk foto gemaakt! Blij mee!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Bike Rental including Highlights-Routes

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 56 reviews · 1 day · from $23

Pick up a three-gear Gazelle bike at Volendam harbor, then explore North Holland at your own pace. You receive route maps, a phone holder, pannier bags, and local route advice. Choose a 21 to 27 kilometer loop through Marken, Edam, Monnickendam, Broek in Waterland, or Zuiderwoude.

“noleggio di bici ottimo. ho apprezzato il fatto che il proprietario ci ha noleggiato le e-bike allo stesso prezzo delle bici normali perché quest'ultime erano finite. il proprietario fornisce anche l'itinerario per visitare piccoli paesi percorrendo tranquille strade di campagna. Unico appunto negativo: su una delle 3 e-bike noleggiate non funzionava la marcia 5 e batteria non completamente carica.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Windmills Zaanse Schans small group tour-region Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $51

Meet Diana at the Juliana Bridge for a small-group walk through Zaanse Schans. You’ll see working windmills, watch wooden clogs being made, taste Dutch cheese, and learn how the village grew. The tour lasts about two hours, covers the clog factory and cheese dairy, and leaves mill admission and transport to you.

“Absolutely amazing tour full of amazingly detailed explanations, I will highly recommend it. Our guide showed up in time and she was amazing”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Aalsmeer: Flower Auction Royal Flora Holland Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 41 reviews · from $14

Visit Royal FloraHolland in Aalsmeer during the early morning and watch flowers move through the world's largest auction center. Your ticket includes a self-guided tour with audio in Dutch, English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, and Chinese. There is no human guide, but the route explains Dutch horticulture at your own pace.

“Aalsmeer is incredible. It's a true wonder to be able to see how advanced and organised the flower trade has become. The facility is fascinating, and there's loads to see and several fun things to do. I would definitely go again, maybe in a different season to see what different flowers are there.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.E-Scooter Rental

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 3 hours - 1 day · from $42

Pick up an electric scooter beneath Volendam’s dike and choose your own route through villages, meadows, windmills, and cheese country. Staff provide a map and practical route advice. Reach Edam or Monnickendam in about an hour, continue to Marken, or return by boat with your scooter. A driving license and €50 deposit are required.

“Fijne uitleg, op grappige wijze van te voren. Dit draagt bij aan de ervaring. Alles was op tijd en prima in orde.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Edam Cheese Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 33 reviews · 1 hour · from $9

Visit Henri Willig’s Story of Edam Cheese museum in North Holland for a one-hour, self-paced look at cheese making and the town’s connection to it. An audio guide is available in six languages, followed by a tasting of several Henri Willig cheeses. The visit is wheelchair accessible and costs $9 per person.

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Small Group Alkmaar City Walking Tour *English*

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $27

Spend about two hours walking Alkmaar with Jennifer, a friendly Canadian guide, in a group capped at six. You’ll follow a city-center route, learn why a local church is a special monument, and finish near Waagplein. The tour covers 3 to 4 kilometers, so bring comfortable shoes and weather-ready clothing.

“I had Jennifer all to myself and had a great time. I would highly recommend this tour. I learned a lot about the city and Jennifer was very friendly and outgoing. She also had two postcards ready for me to take home for my girls. She even forked over 50 cents when I needed a restroom stop.”

Check availability →Read our full review