How to Spend a Day in Volendam and Marken
There are so many cute Dutch towns and villages just a hop, skip and a jump away from Amsterdam! If you choose to spend a day in Volendam and Marken, you won’t regret it. It can be a bit of a touristy area since it’s so picturesque and close to Amsterdam, but there are many fun things to do in these two towns.
What to know before you go:
- You can take a direct bus from Amsterdam Centraal to Volendam. If you want to get to Marken, you can take the ferry from Volendam or you can also take a bus, but it is not direct from Amsterdam Centraal.
- Try to get there on the earlier side to get some good photos in before all the tourists come! Most places open up around 10:00a, so if you get there by 9a or earlier, you will be in the town with the locals!
- We suggest blocking off your entire day to visit both places! We tried to get everything in within about 6 hours and it was tight. Aim to have at least 8 hours between the two towns so you can have adequate time to spend a day in Volendam and Marken!
Things to do in Volendam:
- Hollandse Markt: If you go on a Saturday, when you disembark off the bus, you will find yourself on the edge of an outdoor market! There are tents with different items you can buy ranging from fruit, chocolate, cheese, dog treats, jewelry and more.
- De Dijk of Volendam: This is the most touristy area, but is a boardwalk you don’t want to miss. With the water on one side and the restaurants and shops on the other, you can spend a lot of time here! There are some traditional fishing boats that sit in the harbor as well – you can view them up close but aren’t allowed to actually enter them.
- Dress up in traditional Volendam costume: While we did not do this during our trip to Volendam, we saw others doing it! At Fotograaf Volendam, they are quick and efficient and helping you into your costume and taking photos! You can take your photo on a fake boat or sitting in a room with props (like holding a big cheese!). Either way, you will be so happy you have these “cheesy” photos!
- Het Doolhof: This is directly behind the Dijk and is the oldest part of the city center. It is full of historic Volendam houses and you can easily get lost walking through them! Doolhof translated is “maze”, which makes sense given the amazing winding rows of houses and drawstring canal bridges.
- Take a cruise: Just like in Amsterdam, you can rent a boat to cruise around the harbor/surrounding areas. There are a few companies that help with this if you want to rent your own boat and take it around, or have an official boat tour.
Museums:
- Woltjes Stroopwafels & Museum: if you love stroopwaffles, this is for you! You can participate a stroopwaffle demonstration and buy some in all shapes and sizes!
- Cheese Factory Volendam: This is more of a cheese shop where you can see how the cheese is made and do a tasting. There are many of these all around the Netherlands, but feel free to check out the one in Volendam!
- Volendam Museum: Here you will learn all about the history of the city. The museum holds traditional costumes, jewelry, paintings and other historical items.
- Volendam Experience: If you are into virtual reality, this experience takes you back to 1916 so you can get to know the city from the past. You can see how people lived in the past, how the city was created and what it looked like back in the day!
- Palingsoundmuseum: The attic of Smit-Bokkum has been transformed into a small museum with 100 years of Volendam music history. For only € 1.75, you can visit the Palingsoundmuseum and admire photos, gold records, and more of the Volendam singing talents.
Things to do on Marken:
- Paard van Marken: This is an inhabited lighthouse that is one of the most photographed in the Netherlands! You cannot actually get up close to the lighthouse, but you can get close enough to take a gorgeous photo.
- Marker Museum: You can learn everything about the history of the former island and check out the historic clothing!
- Sijtje Boes house: In the port of Marken is a house, named ‘Kijkhuisje’ which opened by Sijtje Boes in 1925. This typical house grew into an unmissable stop for tourists. She also opened a souvenir shop where she sold, among other things, miniature mills.
- Center of Marken: In reality, the entirety of Marken is an attraction in itself! The small village is very fairytalesque (is that a word?) – green and blue colored wooden houses with narrow alleys and cobblestone. We spent most of our time just wandering around this area!
Spending the night in Volendam
If you decide you want to spend a weekend in Volendam so that you don’t have to rush through anything, there are a few places you can stay! Listed below are some of the most popular places, but you can also find additional hotels in the surround area as well as AirBnBs.
Hopefully this was helpful as you spend a day in Volendam and Marken! There is so much to do in those two Dutch towns, we hope you have as much fun as we did! Comment below if you went anywhere not on the list that you enjoyed!
If you are looking at spending time in Amsterdam, check out this list of small boutique hotels in Amsterdam!
