Tulips, Windmills And Cheese

Tulips, Windmills And Cheese is one of ten day trips compared on this site, it runs 9 hours, and the live listing opens at $198 a person. It carries 5.0 from 3 reviews, reproduced here exactly as the operator publishes it.

Overview

This day trip from Amsterdam packs three classic Dutch countryside sights into one long outing: the Keukenhof flower gardens, the windmill village of Zaanse Schans, and a cheese farm with a tasting. Friendly Local Guides runs it over nine hours, with a live guide giving commentary on the bus between stops and a coach handling all the driving.

The order of the day follows a clear pattern. You start with roughly three hours inside Keukenhof, where the skip-the-line ticket is already covered by the tour price. From there the bus heads north to Zaanse Schans for about two hours of windmills, followed by short stops at a clog workshop and the Catharina Hoeve cheese farm, where the cheese workshop and tasting are included. The day finishes with a one-hour canal cruise back in Amsterdam that passes the Westerkerk and the Anne Frank House along the Canal Ring.

It suits travellers who want the Dutch countryside highlights without arranging trains, buses and tickets themselves. One reviewer said they could never have covered so much on their own in a single day. The group is large, up to 50 people, so it is a coach-tour experience rather than an intimate one.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at De RuijterkadeCheck in is inside Grand Cafe 1884 at De Ruijterkade 105, Amsterdam, for an 08:45 start. The tour begins with about an hour on the bus, passing Lisse on the way.
2. Keukenhof GardensThree hours inside the gardens with a skip-the-line ticket included. This is the longest stop of the day.
3. Zaanse SchansTwo hours in the windmill village with a guided tour included. Entry to go inside an individual windmill is not included and costs extra at the site.
4. Clog workshopA 20-minute stop at Kooijman Souvenirs & Clogs for the wooden shoe demonstration. Entry is free.
5. Cheese farmA 20-minute stop at Catharina Hoeve for the cheese-making workshop and tasting. Admission is free and the tasting is part of the tour.
6. Canal cruiseOne hour on an Amsterdam canal cruise, with the ticket included. The route passes the Westerkerk and the Anne Frank House along the Canal Ring.
7. ReturnThe activity ends back at the original meeting point on De Ruijterkade.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will shape the day, from the early start to what costs extra.

• Early start. Check-in is at 08:45 at Grand Cafe 1884 by the meeting point address, so plan to arrive with time to spare. The full day runs about nine hours, ending back at the same spot.
• Large coach group. The tour allows a maximum of 50 travellers. One reviewer mentioned a group of 58 members being managed smoothly. The live guide gives commentary on board the bus.
• Bring food money. Food and drinks are not included, so pack snacks or budget for purchases at the stops. Gratuities are also not included.
• Windmill entry extra. Going inside a windmill at Zaanse Schans costs extra, paid at the site. The village itself and the guided tour of it are covered by the tour price.
• Photo stops. The listing includes iconic places for photoshoots along the route, and reviewers praised the windmills and gardens in particular. Bring a camera or keep your phone charged.
• Not wheelchair accessible. The listing states the tour is not wheelchair accessible, though most travellers can participate. Anyone with mobility concerns should consider the stops involved.

Common issues. The main practical limits are the group size, up to 50 travellers, and the fixed schedule, since the day is built around a single 08:45 start and roughly three hours at Keukenhof. Food, drinks, gratuities and entry inside a Zaanse Schans windmill all cost extra. The tour is not wheelchair accessible. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund, and changes inside that window are not accepted.

Questions People Ask