You can sleep inside the Zaanse Schans, at a six-room bed & breakfast in a merchant’s house of 1700 on the Kalverringdijk, or facing the windmills across the river at a boutique hotel in Zaandijk. Both give you the village to yourself after the day visitors leave at 17:00 and the mills at sunrise. For more choice, the hotels around Zaandam station are two train stops (7 minutes) from the Schans and 12 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal, at roughly half the price of the city.
- In the villageHeerlijck Slaapen B&B, 6 rooms, merchant’s house of 1700
- Facing the millsboutique hotel in Zaandijk, across the river
- Best valuehotels around Zaandam station, 7 min by train
- To Amsterdam Centraal12 minutes from Zaandam
- Whythe mills at sunrise, the village to yourself after 17:00
Where to stay
Heerlijck Slaapen op de Zaanse Schans (B&B, in the village)
Kalverringdijk 17, in a green wooden house from 1700 between the windmills and the craft workshops. Six rooms, breakfast, and the rare experience of the Schans at night and at dawn without another visitor in sight. Book months ahead for summer weekends.
Boutique Hotel Zaan (Zaandijk, across the river)
Lagedijk 32, on the Zaandijk bank with the row of windmills directly across the water — the postcard view from the breakfast room. A 10-minute walk over the Julianabrug to the village and 5 minutes to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station.
Hotels at Zaandam station (2 stops away)
Inntel Hotels Amsterdam-Zaandam, the stacked-green-houses building that has become Zaandam’s landmark, and the Best Western Zaan Inn stand next to Zaandam station: 7 minutes by train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, 12 minutes to Amsterdam Centraal, free bikes or a 15-minute cycle to the Schans. The practical choice for a stay that combines Amsterdam and the countryside.
Why stay here instead of Amsterdam
- The Zaanse Schans, Volendam, Edam and Alkmaar are all closer from Zaandam than from Amsterdam’s museum quarter.
- Prices in Zaandam are typically 30–50% below central Amsterdam for the same standard, and parking is easy.
- Amsterdam Centraal is 12 minutes away by train, 4 times an hour, until after midnight.
- Evenings on the Schans: the mills, the dike and the river are yours; the restaurant De Kraai and the bakery museum’s café serve dinner in season.
Tip: the B&B in the village has six rooms and sells out weeks ahead in May–September; the Zaandam hotels almost always have space the same week.
Practical
- Getting to the village hotels: train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, then 10–15 minutes on foot; taxis from Zaandam station; by car, parking at the Schans (€15/day) or free in Zaandijk village.
- Breakfast: included at the B&B; the village cafés open around 09:00.
- Booking tip: the two village options have fewer than 30 rooms between them; for May–September book early or take Zaandam.
Book this experience
Zaanse Schans Card: museums & 2 windmills for your visit (Tiqets)
Windmill cruise, 25 min (Tiqets)
Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam & Marken day trip (Tiqets)
Stay nearby
Frequently asked questions
Can you stay overnight at the Zaanse Schans?
Yes, at the B&B Heerlijck Slaapen in a house of 1700 inside the village, or at Boutique Hotel Zaan directly across the river.
Which hotels are closest to the Zaanse Schans?
Heerlijck Slaapen (in the village), Boutique Hotel Zaan (600 m, across the river), then the hotels at Zaandam station (about 4 km, two train stops).
Is it better to stay in Zaandam or Amsterdam for the Zaanse Schans?
Zaandam if the countryside is your focus: cheaper, closer to the Schans, Volendam and Alkmaar, and 12 minutes from Amsterdam by train.
Can I see the windmills at night?
Yes, the dike path is open around the clock and the mills are lit on some evenings; staying in the village is the only way to have it to yourself.
Plan the rest of your day
- Things to do in Zaanse Schans
- Zaanse Schans Card: prices and what's included
- How to get to Zaanse Schans
- Windmills of the Zaanse Schans
- Windmill cruise
- Day trips from Amsterdam
- Volendam
- Edam