Volendam, Marken & Edam: the perfect day trip from Amsterdam
Three old fishing and cheese villages, all within an hour of the city, and all linkable in a single day without a coach tour. Here is how to plan the classic Volendam, Marken and Edam day trip from Amsterdam on your own.
The short answer: you can visit Volendam, Marken and Edam from Amsterdam in one day using public transport alone. Take bus 316 to Edam and Volendam, cross to Marken on the Marken Express ferry, and return on bus 315. Give yourself six to seven hours to do all three comfortably, or pick two if you want a slower pace.
The three villages, briefly
Volendam is the famous one: a lively harbour lined with fish stalls, eel smokehouses and shops where you can be photographed in traditional costume. It is touristy, and proudly so. Marken, just across the water, is the quiet opposite: a former island of wooden houses on mounds, with a car-free centre and a slower rhythm. Edam, inland, is the elegant one: a wealthy former cheese-trading town of gabled houses, drawbridges and canals, with a summer cheese market.
How to link them in one day
The cleanest loop by public transport is:
- Amsterdam to Edam or Volendam: bus 316 from Amsterdam Centraal, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Volendam to Marken: the Marken Express passenger ferry, roughly 30 minutes across the water, running spring through autumn.
- Marken back to Amsterdam: bus 315, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Doing the loop in this direction means you finish with the scenic ferry and the quiet of Marken, rather than the crowds of Volendam. Pay for every leg with a contactless card or phone (OVpay). Check live times on 9292.nl, as the ferry and buses run less often at the start and end of the day.
How long to spend in each
A realistic plan: an hour in Edam, an hour or two in Volendam, and two hours in Marken, plus travel. If you only have half a day, skip one. Marken and Edam are the calmer, more authentic pair; Volendam is the one to see if you want the postcard harbour and the herring.
A quieter alternative: Monnickendam
Between Amsterdam and Marken sits Monnickendam, a Golden Age harbour town that most day-trippers rush past. It has the Speeltoren, home to the oldest working carillon in the world, a beautiful old harbour and almost none of Volendam's crowds. Swapping Volendam for Monnickendam makes for a calmer, more local day out. Read about its Speeltoren and carillon, or open the Discover Monnickendam walking tour.
Do it without a guide
Coach tours from Amsterdam pack these villages into a rushed few hours. Going independently costs a fraction of the price and lets you set your own pace, and with our free audio walking tours you still get the local stories, told out loud as you walk. Start with how to get to Marken from Amsterdam, then walk Marken and Monnickendam with the app. Not sure which walk to pick? See the best audio walking tours in Waterland.