11 1-Day Tours in the Netherlands Worth Booking

1.Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Marken Day Trip

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

Travel by comfortable, WiFi-equipped bus from Amsterdam Central Station to Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and Marken. Expect windmills, cheese tasting, village walks, and optional extras such as a boat ride, working windmill, clog making, and a Marker house. English and Spanish guides lead the trip, with audio guides in several languages.

“Great day. Make sure you arrive 30 mins before departure as you have to queue to collect tickets. Informative audio guide on coach and then the activities were good. Limited time at each activity - we did the all inclusive so you’re a bit more rushed at each stop off point but if we hadn’t I feel we wouldn’t have enjoyed our day as much! Highlight of the day was the clog making demonstration”

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2.Day Trip to Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam and Marken from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,392 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $45Top rated

Leave Amsterdam by coach for Zaanse Schans, Edam, a cheese and clog workshop near Volendam, Volendam harbor, and Marken. Guides such as Rob, Laura, Tony, and Rodrigo bring Dutch culture to life, while the optional one-hour canal cruise adds an easy finish. Expect a busy, well-organized six-and-a-half-hour day with free time at several stops.

“Well organized and easy to find start point. Guide Ilya was great, we learned a lot about the area. Fun things to see. Bus ride was clean and fun and easy.”

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3.Zaanse Schans, Edam, & Marken Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,414 reviews · from $35Best value

Leave Amsterdam for Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam, and Marken on a 6.5 to 7.5-hour bus tour. You’ll see working windmills, taste Gouda and Edam cheese, watch clog-making, and explore old fishing villages. English and Spanish guides, including Ilya, Xavier, Pia, and Miguel, lead the trip. An optional Amsterdam canal cruise may follow.

“Our guide was informative and a wealth of information on history and the sites visited.”

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4.Giethoorn Day Trip with Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,372 reviews · from $90

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Amsterdam to Giethoorn, a quiet village of canals, wooden bridges, and restored farmhouses. Your English or Spanish-speaking guide leads the day, followed by a one-hour boat cruise and free time for lunch. The return journey includes a photo stop at the Afsluitdijk.

“My wife and I loved the tour, she even said it was her favorite. Thanks to Petra and Ian for being amazing guides.”

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5.Bruges Day Trip from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,517 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $70

Travel by air-conditioned coach from central Amsterdam to Bruges, with an English and Spanish-speaking guide, a short orientation walk, a map, and roughly four and a half hours to explore alone. See Markt, Burg, the Begijnhof, canals, lace shops, chocolate stores, and Belgian cafés before returning to Amsterdam.

“This was a good tour. The bus ride was 3 hours. Luka, our tour guide was okay. He really did not give us much information on the trip to Brugge during this 3-hour trip. When we did arrive, we were to have an hour guided tour of Brugge. However, he walked really fast during this tour. This might be due to how crowded it was but nevertheless it was a little disappointing. Brugge, itself was really good for seeing the churches, all the chocolate shoppes, restaurants and shopping. But it was really, really crowded. I would do this tour again because there is so much to see but not enough…”

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6.From Brussels: Day Trip to Amsterdam with Canal Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,243 reviews · 12 hours · from $81

Travel from Brussels to Amsterdam with an English and Spanish-speaking guide, then cruise the canals for about an hour before exploring on your own. Guides such as Antonio, Julian, Pablo, and Carlos are known for clear explanations and helpful tips. Expect a long day, comfortable coach travel, and a quick taste of Amsterdam rather than a full city visit.

“Amsterdam really does have a special charm — the canals, the bikes, the art, and the atmosphere.”

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7.Keukenhof and Zaanse Schans Windmills Guided Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,063 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $106

Spend about nine hours visiting Keukenhof Gardens and Zaanse Schans from central Amsterdam. A multilingual guide handles transport, entry, commentary, clog making, and cheese tasting. The day includes about three and a half hours at Keukenhof and two and a half at the windmill village, with an optional one-hour canal cruise.

“Very popular - lots of people - but has great photo opportunities. We didn't see much fields of tulips though since this was a garden tour. The gift shop doesn't have much in the souvenir section. The windmills tour was also busy but there was ample photo opportunities. The souvenir shops were were well stocked.”

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8.Giethoorn, Zaanse Schans Windmills Guided Day Trip from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,058 reviews · 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $95

Spend a full day beyond Amsterdam at Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn. Visit a clog workshop and cheese factory, then take a one-hour canal cruise through Giethoorn before exploring on foot. Expect live commentary, round-trip transport, and guides such as Ibrahim or Jay, subject to availability.

“Had a great time visiting the windmills and the Geithorn village which as told is the 4 th most beautiful village in the world despite the weather as it was windy , cold with spurts of rains. Kudos to Jay who was a fantastic tour host who kept everyone engaged with his witty humour and good history knowledge of the country and great tips to make your holiday a memorable one. He even stopped the bus to get all of us to taste fresh organic apples from a local place which definitely tasted better”

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9.Bruges Day Trip from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 647 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $70

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Amsterdam to Bruges for a guided walk through the medieval center, including Minnewater Lake, the Begijnhof, Burg Square, and Markt. You get about two hours free to eat, shop, take a boat ride, or climb the Belfry. English guides vary, and the long drive makes this a full day.

“Great information on the tour, long day but worth it. Went as a solo traveller and met some wonderful people”

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10.Giethoorn Day Trip with Small Electric Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 578 reviews · 8 hours · from $151

Spend eight hours traveling from Amsterdam to Giethoorn in a coach or minivan with an English-speaking guide. Cruise the canals for one hour in a small electric boat, help drive the boat, then enjoy lunch, a guided walk, and two hours of free time among thatched cottages and more than 180 bridges. Groups are limited to eight.

“This trip was amazing! Everyone needs to Experience the beauty and peace of Giethoorn. Can’t recommend this enough, the guide Aku Was amazing and gave great info on Dutch Culture. He drove safely and careful, always Made us feel safe. I did English tour, left Promptly at 10:30 as written and came back at 6:30pm.”

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11.Charms of Brussels and Bruges Day Trip from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 305 reviews · 15 hours (approx.) · from $204

Travel from Amsterdam to Brussels and Bruges by air-conditioned coach on a 15-hour guided day trip. Visit the Atomium, Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Mont des Arts, Lake of Love, Mary's Bridge, and Bruges Town Hall. Guides such as Tony, Jorge, Santiago, and Adrian lead the walks, with free time for food and exploring.

“This was the best trip of the 5 we took in the Amsterdam area. Our guide, Tony (Antonio) was very good - thorough, knowledgeable, and detailed. Great food recommendations too. The tour was structured very well. One hour of highlights and orientation of Brussels and Bruges, then free time for food and exploring on your own (1.5 hrs each). Very well balanced in that there was enough time to see things you were interested in. Will definitely recommend.”

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