If your river cruise ship is docking at Zaandam, you have arrived at the main river cruise berth near Amsterdam, just 20 minutes from the city centre. River cruise lines including AmaWaterways, Viking River Cruises, Emerald Cruises, Scenic, Avalon Waterways and Tauck regularly call at Zaandam.
Our private shore excursions from Zaandam quay are built around your ship’s schedule, with pickup right at the Zaandam quay, a friendly local guide and comfortable private transport. No groups, no rushing and a guaranteed return to your ship in good time. You simply step off the ship and start exploring. For cruise passengers docking on the Zaan it is the most relaxed way to see windmills, villages and Amsterdam itself, and cruise ship visitors reach Zaanse Schans in a matter of minutes.
Zaandam sits on the North Sea Canal, about 15 kilometres (9 miles) and a 20 to 25 minute drive from the centre of Amsterdam. That location is a real advantage, because some of Holland’s best loved sights are even closer to the Zaandam quay than the capital itself. In a single day ashore you can see windmills, fishing villages, tulip fields in season or the highlights of Amsterdam, all shaped around what you most want to do. Why not browse some of the most popular locations in the Netherlands for tour ideas and inspiration?
If you have any questions about our Zaandam shore excursions, please just contact us for the answers you need.
Add the windmills of Zaanse Schans to your Zaandam shore excursion – working windmills, wooden houses and a cheese tasting, just a short drive from the port.
River cruise ships call at Zaandam because the quay sits right on the Zaan river in the heart of the town. Zaandam is a regular port of call on Rhine, Moselle and Holland river cruise itineraries, giving passengers direct access to Zaanse Schans and a short 20 to 25 minutes by road from Amsterdam.
Zaandam is a river cruise berth, so find my river cruise will match your line and dates to the ship and its exact quay, and the live ship tracker shows where it is right now.
Zaandam has two unmissable landmarks within easy reach of the cruise quay. The Czaar Peterhuisje (Peter the Great House) is a tiny wooden house where Tsar Peter the Great stayed in August 1697, working incognito as a ship’s carpenter to study Dutch shipbuilding techniques. It is now a small museum, just a few minutes from the town centre and an easy stop before or after the ship.
The other landmark is the Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam, an extraordinary building in the city centre that stacks a cascade of traditional green-painted Dutch timber houses on top of each other. It is one of the most photographed buildings in the Netherlands and worth a look as you explore the town.
River cruise ships from the following lines regularly call at Zaandam on their Rhine and Holland itineraries: AmaWaterways, APT, Avalon Waterways, Emerald Cruises, Scenic, Tauck, Vantage Deluxe World Travel and Viking River Cruises.
See our River Cruise Calendar for every scheduled ship arrival at Zaandam and Amsterdam. If you are arriving by ocean cruise, see the Ocean Cruise Calendar for sea cruise calls at Amsterdam, IJmuiden and Rotterdam. For a complete guide to Dutch cruise ports, read our article on Amsterdam’s cruise terminals.
There is little within walking distance of the terminal, so a private tour is the easy, relaxed way to make the most of your day. We meet you right at the quay and drive you wherever you would like to go, with no waiting for shuttles or working out local buses. Amsterdam is about 45 to 60 minutes away, while the historic city of Haarlem is closer still at roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
From Zaandam you are perfectly placed for some of Holland’s best loved sights. Watch the sails turn at the working windmills of Zaanse Schans, explore medieval Haarlem with its Grote Markt and Frans Hals Museum, or in spring wander the tulips and daffodils of the Keukenhof gardens. You can also head into Amsterdam for the canals and museums, visit the harbour villages of Volendam and Marken, or enjoy the dunes and beaches of Bloemendaal and Zandvoort along the coast.
Every tour is private to your group and shaped around your interests, your pace and the time you have in port. Your guide is more of a friend for the day, sharing the stories and quiet corners that the big coach tours simply miss.
Whatever your destination, careful timing is part of how we work. We plan every tour around your ship’s departure time with a comfortable margin, so you are always back at the Zaandam quay with time to spare.
– A friendly local guide who meets you at the Zaandam quay
– Private transport from the quay, with no shuttles or queues
– A flexible itinerary just for your group
– Windmills, Haarlem, tulips, Amsterdam or the coast, your choice
– A guaranteed return to your ship with time to spare
See our River Cruise Calendar for every scheduled ship call at Amsterdam, Zaandam and Rotterdam.
Sailing into a different port? We run private shore excursions right across the Netherlands. Take a look at our other cruise port pages:
Docking at Zaandam? Beyond your shore excursion, we can arrange private transport between Schiphol, your hotel and the Zaandam cruise terminal, timed around your ship’s arrival and departure. Arrange a private transfer.
River cruise ships dock at the Zaandam quay in Zaandam, on the North Sea Canal. It is the main river cruise berth serving Amsterdam, used by ships that berth on the coast rather than in the city centre. We meet you directly at the terminal.
Amsterdam is about 30 kilometres from Zaandam, roughly a 45 to 60 minute drive, depending on traffic. Our private transport takes you straight from the Zaandam quay into the city, so you spend your time sightseeing rather than waiting for a group transfer.
Plenty. A typical Zaandam shore excursion combines two or three highlights, such as Amsterdam and the Zaanse Schans windmills, or Haarlem and a fishing village, or the Keukenhof tulip gardens in spring. We tailor the day to your interests and the time your ship is in port.
Yes. The Zaanse Schans windmills are one of the closer attractions to the Zaandam quay, only a short drive away, which makes them an easy and popular choice for cruise guests arriving at Zaandam.
Always. We plan your Zaandam shore excursion around your ship’s departure with a comfortable buffer and keep track of the time throughout the day, so you return to the Zaandam quay with time to spare.
Yes. Every shore excursion from Zaandam is private to your group and fully customisable. You choose the destinations, the pace and whether you prefer walking, driving or a combination, and your guide adapts the day as you go.
