A bike tour exploring the countryside and the industrial heritage of Zaanse Schans, the number one day trip destination in the Netherlands.
Starting in Amsterdam, your local private bike guide will take you on an offbeat excursion to Zaanse Schans, showcasing a variety of attractive highlights. You will also enjoy a local tour, avoiding the crowds and discovering hidden gems around the Zaanse Schans.
This is the ‘anti-cyclical Lex and the City approach’. (And that includes advice on touring on Sunday morning, too! ;) )
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Areas: Amsterdam-North: both hip and scenic | Industrial heritage of the 17th-18th-19th century | Twiske recreational area | Historic houses | Nature | Private | High end | Refreshing | Zaanse Schans: wooden shoes, cheese and (many) windmills.
Lex and the City takes its customers, private groups, to the highlights in- and above- Amsterdam. (The unusual way)
Biking privately to Zaanse Schans; the number 1 day-trip destination of the Netherlands, with your private group.
The Zaanse Schans is one of the major tourist attractions of the Netherlands. Historic mills and green wooden houses were relocated here to recreate the look of an 18th/19th-century village. If still needed, first read more about the Zaanse Schans on their website. It’ll bring you into an ancient world of wooden shoes (clogs), cheese farms, cows and flowers, however it represents our rich history, specifically our industrial heritage of the 17th, 18th and 19th century. At the same time…it is virtually always busy on the Zaanse Schans.
However not on the scenic route TO Netherlands’ no.1 day-trip! Our role is to show you the tempting cycle route from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans, come up with appealing stories about it during that offbeat excursion Amsterdam, and be your “starting-up-the-experience guide” at the Zaanse Schans itself as well. (without that bike)
1/2 day trip to the Zaanse Schans (or full day tour), or a local bike tour around Zaanse Schans., riding a bike, foot-bike or on inline skates (or a combination). Get a bit into the everyday lives of people from the Netherlands, as this is not a standard touristic trail.
A bike ride out, being a nice combination with the Amsterdam highlights and hidden gems and, in spring, with the tulips in North-Holland; the world’s single biggest flower bulb field. (and still pretty unknown.)
Guided countryside bike tour to the Zaanse Schans FROM Amsterdam: including your private guide(s) upon arrival. “Lexcursion”
Cycle tour Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans – Passing by these kind of nice houses in Oostzaan. (And then continuing the ride to Zaanse Schans.) An offbeat excursion from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans: starting from the bike rental near central station in Amsterdam, heading for the small ferry to the North, discovering the Northern part of Amsterdam (with a great mill), showing you the green area with appealing bike paths, “t Twiske”.
Guided bicycle tour. Or by foot-bike (scooter) One way is appr. 24 km. With time for swimming, good food, connecting and tanning. It is also a great way to be in less touristic surroundings, before arriving at the popular Zaanse Schans. Even at Zaanse Schans we ride our bikes partly; along all those cute windmills! The bike lanes are almost…ZEN. ;)
For the tour planners out there: calculate about 4,5 hours of biking to Zaanse Schans and spotting.
Three different kind of cycle tours to-, around- and in- the Zaanse Schans: of which 2 from Amsterdam and one just touring locally: ⇓
Experience 1: Bike trip from Amsterdam, in the afternoon visiting time in the Zaanse Schans. (And back by bike-taxi and train?)
Tour 1: Do you want a guided scenic (and quiet!) one way to Zaanse Schans by bike of 24 km, including a visit to the Zaanse Schans? (day trip of which 4 hours of biking with stops.) and possibly having a private bus to bring back the rental bikes? (You’d go back by taxi, coach or public transport (bus or train).)
Focus on arrival upon lunchtime. You’d have the time to discover Zaanse Schans on your own in the afternoon. (And a walking introduction 1st of Zaanse-Schans by your dutch bike tour leader.) We’ve got three appealing track-options to get there.
Price of this offbeat tour, lunch, bikes..
Experience 2: round bike trip Amsterdam, including visiting time in the Zaanse Schans.
Tour 2: Or do you want a North-Holland round bike trip with 2 different cool cycle tracks and including a visit of Zaanse Schans? (46 or even 59 km of biking, sporty day excursion) Pricing of this rural tour, lunch, bikes..
⇓ Carry on with tour 3 beneath this tempting house on the route of that same tour 3. ⇓
Experience 3: Local cycling-tour in & around Zaanse Schans
New in 2024! (In case you prefer a local tour in & around the Zaanse Schans:) Can we tempt you to a 12 km (or 8) round trip around & within (a part of) the Zaanse Schans with Enge Wormer, (dreamy) Haaldersbroek, Zaandijk, Wormerveer, and finish at the windmills with a simple, but private lunch?
Local, active tour around and into the Zaanse Schans by bike.
Would you like it with your group? We (can) arrange good dutch tour bikes, as well as that local Amsterdam based guide, the Lex and the City organization, transportation of bikes and creation of the excursion. Pricing of the rural and picturesque tour, lunch, bikes, transport bikes.
Target groups of this un (L) expected countryside windmill & industrial heritage excursion in North-Holland ⇓
Off the beaten track tour along tree-lined bike paths for families (Children adore it.), business and even VIP groups, eager to get to know famous spots in the neighborhood of Amsterdam. With a curious eye.
Possibly part of an incentive trip. Or company outing. The beautiful scenery North of Amsterdam and visiting the mills could be an inspiring addition to your Netherlands’ business trip.
Great offbeat excursion Amsterdam solution as well for (customers of) DMC’s, group planners and incentive houses.
Highlights of the private bike tours 1 & 2 to- and/or- from the Zaanse Schans: content of this offbeat excursion Amsterdam.⇓
Cycling with your private group to the Zaanse Schans. Along a beautiful windmill in Amsterdam North: Molen d’Admiraal.
- Cycling, foot-biking and / or inline skating through a scenic, though 17th century industrial landscape, near Amsterdam.
- hip and happening Amsterdam North passing by the Amsterdam Lookout, EYE Film museum, a garden village…
- Then: the scenic, historic part of Amsterdam – North: Buiksloterdijk. (big picture below with the historic houses.)
- Nature area ’t Twiske: with a great mill. (Still working in 2024!)
- The millionaires ride in tempting Oostzaan
- The relaxing park Jagersveld
- Haaldersbroek; scenic tiny little village in “Zaan-style”, right before arrival on the Zaanse Schans.
- (additional, tour 3) Zaandijk: where the rich of the 17th century industrial windmill age have lived.
- (additional, tour 3) Engewormer; street/place with great colorful tiny houses from the Zaan.
Engewormer – Beautiful part of the private bike tour to- around- and in- the Zaanse Schans. Hidden gem as well. (And not the only one.) – All pictures made and owned by Lex and the City active private tours. - The Zaanse Schans itself, an image of the dutch industry long time ago, including loads of mills.
- Additional and new: a lunch stop at the eco-friendly Zaanse Tuin. A ZEN and hidden eco-garden, just 250 meters from busy Zaanse Schans. Or a simple dutch lunch, privately and hidden..
- The biking tour back (in case you have chosen tour 2.) is different from the first part. Think about a rather quick way back by bike: 20,9 km.
It could be that industrial heritage route.Passing by Zaandam and the HEM. And NDSM wharf, circular and heritage. (This could be included on the way to Zaanse Schans as well; ask us.)
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- Over the hip and happening NDSM wharf, and on the best bike lines. (Public transport, except for the feries, is a bit boring and NDSM wharf is one big hidden gem of Amsterdam. Google it and enjoy “Kraanspoor” for example.
- If you have a rather young (at heart) crew, I’d say go 4 it and leave the bus to others. ;) The ferry back from NDSM is an Amsterdam sightseeing within it self. (The writer of this page still enjoys after sailing it loads of times. )
- (Or:) over The mill in Amsterdam North: Krijtmolen d’Admiraal (Here above on the picture with guide Sven.) Including Scenic Landsmeer track with beautiful houses on Kistenmakerseiland. (A true hidden gem; even loads of dutch do not know it.)
Australian business group visiting the dutch F1 GP and the day after doing a private guided bike tour with Lex and the City passing by this chalk mill in Amsterdam Noord. - You fancy more biking kilometres? Choose for going back over Ilpendam and Monnickendam and then back over Waterland to Amsterdam. That’s an additional 13 km of biking. Monnickendam lies on the IJsselmeer. (With a harbour and views over the largest lake of the Netherlands.)
Cycle GPS route Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans. | One way: appr. 24 km | Including around Zaanse Schans passing by the windmills: 8 to 12 km
The bike track does not show the ferry back from NDSM to Central Station. (An interesting sightseeing tour by the way, including the Westerdok area and great view over Amsterdam Central Station.)
It is not necessary to make it a day-trip, what counts is the time you need to go there. Google maps says it is 17 km, however that is not the scenic version. The touristic one is 24 km. We recommend adding going around the Zaanse Schans, which will show you additional en authentic “Zaans life” from the early days. (an additional 8 or 12 km, named here “tour 3”.)
If your hotel is based in town itself, 3 hours would be more work than fun, in the case of a company outing. I’d say hardly impossible, taking into account not everyone will be a trained cyclist.
Moreover we ask our customers to create the time-space needed to fully enjoy the trip; including enjoying un(L)expected, surprising moments.
And for yourself you should count the time being there, for example 2-3 hours.
Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans, another biking route 1 (one way). Including the historic dike in Amsterdam North, and also Zaandam ⇓
Highlights:
- The historic Waterlandse Zeedijk with it’s impressive dike houses, including the so-called “captain’s corner”.
- The windmill of Twiske
- Zaandam with its great colored wooden houses
- Rare view on Zaanse Schans. (As hardly any tourist sees it.)
- Enge Wormer, with its great houses
- Passing by the windmills of Zaanse Schans by bike. (And it is quiet here as well!)
You do not have to choose which tour 1 while booking, we can do that together later. (Or simply leave it to the Lex and the City tour planner.)
Having lunch, privately & in peace next to Zaanse Schans. Nutritious lunch right after the tour from Amsterdam.
What about lunch in between the bike tour and your visit to Zaanse Schans?
Having a private lunch at the eco-friendly & new Zaanse Tuin. A ZEN eco-garden, just a 10 minutes walk from the Zaanse-Schans. Including coffee, soup, bread with dutch cheese, eggs from the local chickens, fruit dutch cookie, eco-toilet and peace for the mind… ;).
You can also combine the local in- and around- Zaanse Schans bike tour (called “tour 3” ⇑) with this durable kind of lunch.
Pricing.
A Facebook impression of this additional part of the So-Holland-bike-(L) excursion.
Proposed time schedule for tour 1: a 1/2 guided bike excursion to Zaanse Schans ⇓
Either:
– 9:30 AM: Meet up at the bike store on Oosterdokseiland for handing out the bikes (Without further notice it will all be normal tour bikes.)
– 12:30 AM: On the Zaanse Schans we have arranged a welcome from a local bike-taxi driver who lives there. We can stall the bikes over-there for the bus to pick them up. And we could offer you a simple dutch lunch on the inner-square in front of her house. This place is quiet and still right above the windmills and the mill museum.
– 1 PM: possibly a (free) visit to the cheese factory with your bike/skate tour guide.
– 1:45 PM –>: spare time in Zaanse Schans and return to Amsterdam by yourself either by train (and our bike-taxi to bring you to the station), bus or taxi. (Or private coach)
Or:
– 9:30AM: Meet up at the bike store on Oosterdokseiland for handing out the bikes
– 12:30AM: arrival at Zaanse Tuin for lunch (Right above the Zaanse Schans)
– 12:45 AM: Bringing bikes to the bike-van on the (quiet) edge of Zaanse Schans.
– 2PM: short introduction of Zaanse Schans
– 2:30PM: possibly a free visit to the cheese factory
– 3PM –>: spare time in the Zaanse Schans.
Pricing season 2025 of those 3 Zaanse Schans biking trips for private groups: including 21% VAT ⇓
- Tour 1. In case of a day trip, of which 4 hours with us biking, starting in Amsterdam: € 415,- for the creation, organisation, “stroopwafel” and bike guiding. (and a sporty helmet, although not compulsory to wear. ) –> Max. 8 persons per Lex and the City tour guide.
- In case of a sporty whole day excursion, starting in Amsterdam: € 505,-. (Tour 2)
- In case of a local in- and around- Zaanse Schans bike tour (tour 3) : 1,5 to 2,5 hours active tour of 8 or 12 Km around and into the Zaanse Schans by bike: € 275,-. for the creation, organisation and bike guiding.
- Tour 1 or 2 + 3: an additional € 125,-. (Tour 3 – Haaldersbroek, Zaandijk, Enge Wormer and passing the Windmills of Zaanse Schans only takes 90 minutes in this case.)
- Cheese tasting and a short cheese-tour on Zaanse Schans is an option too. At no additional charge.
⇓ Carry on with the other prices/offers beneath this tempting house to be found on the route of tour 3. ⇓
- The amounts above are including the creation, organisation and bike guiding and “stroopwafels” (delicious dutch specialty.)
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Dutch bike signs in the countryside above Amsterdam. A Lexperience as well. Renting the (solid) tour bikes in Amsterdam: € 24,50 per tour bike. (An electric bike is an option as well; € 43,90)
- Renting locally for the local bike tour, bike ride 3: € 16,25 per tour bike
- Children tour bikes: minus € 2,50 discount.
- Fancy bike-taxi to bring you to the train station (1,5 km): price on demand.
- Excluding other expenses. (Like coffee.)
- The 2 ferries are free of charge; even by bike.
- General conditions of Lex and the City tours. (Plse agree if you’d look to reserve this typical Dutch bike trip.)⇓
Carry on with the other prices/offers beneath this tempting house to be found on the route of tour 3. ⇓
- The Zaanse Schans by the way, charges no entrance fee.
- If you want to go cycling one way and with rental bikes, meaning the 1/2 day trip (tour 1) ⇑, we will rent a bike-van for picking up the bicycles at the Zaanse Schans. € 137,50,- for bringing back max. 25 bikes to Amsterdam per van. (transport for, say ,38 bikes? 2* € 137,50,-) With a lot of children amounts can be a bit higher.
- The tour starts standard at Oosterdokseiland, which is very near Central station (and the way to Zaanse Schans.) If you want the bikes to be brought to your hotel in Amsterdam, it costs € 85,-
- Eco Lunch in the green, just outside Zaanse Schans. € 22,50 per person. Information about this private eco-lunch. (You pay for a minimum of 8 people.)
- Simple Dutch lunch on a private spot outside near the windmills and in a quiet place: € 17,50 per person. (You pay for a minimum of 8 people.)
Contact about private tour The Zaanse Schans by bike or skate, starting from Amsterdam, for small groups.
+31655337726 | [email protected]
Below you see more pictures of “The Zaanse Schans privately by bike, foot-bike or inline skate“.
The landing page of the private guide Amsterdam and North-Holland, Lex and the City, with best kept secret tours in French, German, English and Dutch.
Contact with hotel managers for the Zaanse Schans private excursion from Amsterdam.
Are you a hotel Meetings & Incentives manager or concierge?
Chk our private tours page for hotel concierges and Meetings & Incentive hotelmanagers in “Noord”.
(Wir könnten uns auch unterhalten auf Deutsch.)
Take your time to enjoy the guided bike tour AND de Zaanse Schans.
If you choose for a countryside tour like Zaanse Schans, Lex and the City advises not to set 2 goals for the day.
Or alternatively choose for a city bike tour in the morning and give yourself spare time in the afternoon.
The Zaanse Schans is even a “countryside tour +” as there is the visit itself as well. (There is pretty much to see and do.)
Travel program with tulip bicycle guide in the north of North-Holland, to the largest flower bulb field in the world.
Press this wonderful recommendation from Pennings from Breezand for the private tulip tours of Lex and the City. (By the way, he has used our Amsterdam Holland bike – mill postcard for this purpose. )
Where you looking for another rural and countryside biking tour above Amsterdam?
This offbeat countryside excursion is part of Lex and the City rural tours above Amsterdam: other countryside bike excursions above Amsterdam
Lex and the City private tours above Amsterdam: tailor made, safe & cool, offbeat and for the curious eye.
Your out of the box Amsterdam-and-above tour leader speaks : French, English, German and of course Dutch as well.
Lex van Buuren is local tour guide himself and has people around him who embrace the same leX-factor culture. Looking for the highlights above Amsterdam.
With a curious eye.
Eye for individuality and conditions.
Tailor-made.
Free publicity for our offbeat tours and excursions: “Lexposure“
Page is in dutch; however you’d get an impression, as it includes articles in English in the Washington Post, National Geographic Traveler, the Sunday Times Magazine and the Guardian. –> publiciteit – pers Lex and the City
⇓ Carry on with the other prices/offers beneath this tempting house to be found on the route of tour 3. ⇓