Volendam Dutch Village Tour

Step back in time and experience the traditional Netherlands on this half-day excursion to Volendam, a picturesque fishing village on the shores of the IJsselmeer lake, just 30 minutes north of Amsterdam.

The comfortable coach picks you up from central Amsterdam and drives through the flat Dutch countryside, passing windmills, dykes, and fields of grazing cows. Your guide shares fascinating insights into how the Dutch reclaimed land from the sea and the fishing traditions that sustained communities like Volendam for centuries.

Your first stop is a traditional cheese farm where you watch Gouda cheese being made using methods unchanged for 300 years. You will sample several varieties and learn why Dutch cheese is exported to every corner of the globe. Next door, a wooden shoe maker demonstrates the ancient craft of carving klompen from a single block of willow wood.

In Volendam itself, you have free time to stroll along the harbor front, browse the colorful wooden houses, and visit the costume museum where you can dress up in traditional Volendam attire for a souvenir photograph. The village’s narrow streets are lined with fish shops selling fresh herring and kibbeling, ice cream parlors, and artist galleries.

This excursion is the perfect counterpoint to the urban energy of Amsterdam. It shows a side of the Netherlands that many visitors miss — a slower, more traditional way of life that still thrives just minutes from the capital.

The tour is available year-round and is particularly charming in spring when the surrounding fields are carpeted with wildflowers, and in winter when the village hosts traditional Dutch Christmas markets.