Need ideas for visiting Amsterdam in 3 days? Here is my program to enjoy the route of the city tour of Amsterdam, walks in a nice atmosphere and surroundings and a little tour in the picturesque villages of Zaanse Schans, Volendam et Brands (accessible from Amsterdam).
Amsterdam in 3 days - reminder of DAY 1
For your 1st day, you can find the itinerary of the must-see sites from Amsterdam Strolling along I published the details and the map in the article: Amsterdam itinerary DAY 1
The visits of my walking tour of the 1st day are the following:
- Dam Square with visit to the Royal Palace
- The beguinage with the oldest house in Amsterdam
- Negen Straatjes (9 alleys district)
- Houseboat Museum
- Leidse Square
- Visiting a museum: Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum or Stedelijk Museu: Remember to book in advance
- Vondelpark
- Red light district
Amsterdam in 3 days - reminder of DAY 2
For whole weekend in Amsterdam with the program of DAY 2, I suggest you discover the details (itinerary + map) in the following article: Amsterdam itinerary DAY 2
The visits of my 2nd day walking tour are as follows:
- Departure from the train station for a boat trip on the canals
- Jordaan district
- Anne Frank House Tour
- The flower market on the Singel
- Break at Magere Brug
- Discovery of the Jewish quarter (Jodenbuurt)
- The Old Church (Oude Kerk)
- Return hotel
Finally, for those who will have the chance to enjoy visiting Amsterdam in 3 days, here is the program of DAY 3.
DAY 3 - Zaanse Schans in the morning
Zaanse Schans is a charming little postcard village and classified by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage. We find all the clichés about Holland: Mills, canals, wooden houses, flowers, cheeses, clogs.
You can take an excursion that includes Zaanse Schans, the charming villages of Volendam and Brands. See for Booking on Civitatis.
Otherwise, you can organize the visit by yourself as follows:
Where is Zaanse Schans in relation to Amsterdam?
Zaanse Schans is located 20 km from Amsterdam in the heart of the Zaanstreek region known for its many lakes and rivers.
Click on "More options" in the map to follow the GPS
How to get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam?
Major tourist attraction in the Netherlands, Zaanse Schans is very well connected from Amsterdam. You can get there either by bus or train.
Go to Zaanse Schans by train
From Amsterdam Central Station, take train 4056 Uitgeest and exit 4 stops further at Zaandijk Zaanse Schans (20-minute journey) then continue on foot for a little over 1 km.
Go to Zaanse Schans by bus
Just go to Amsterdam Central Station and take line 391 which shuttles between Amsterdam and Zaanse Schans. The advantage of taking the bus is that it drops you off directly on the site.
There are departures from 6 a.m. (8 a.m. Sunday) and every 15 minutes. The journey is a little longer than by train because it lasts about forty minutes.
What to see in Zaanse Schans?
Zaanse Schans is a very old village (17th century) which has preserved pretty wooden houses et 8 windmills.
This village is so "cute" that it is invaded by mass tourism and that, suddenly, it can be visited a bit like an amusement park. But, personally, I find that the visit is still worth it.
You can therefore visit, among others:
- Some windmills;
- Some museums;
- A traditional house;
- A shoe factory,
- A weaving workshop,
- A cheese factory.
And by renting a bike, you can also ride around to discover the landscapes and the mills without the crowds.
DAY 3 – Lunch in Volendam
My program takes us at lunchtime to Volendam which is a small fishing port where we take a boat to go to the peninsula of Marken.
There, we visit a Gouda factory and taste excellent waffles:
Where to catch the ferry to Marken?
On the port of Volendam, you can buy your tickets to reach Marken by Ferry in a small kiosk:
DAY 3 - Marken in the afternoon
Brands is a charming village on a small peninsula which can be walked around in 1 day. It is located very close to Amsterdam at about 17 km. You can get there in less than 1 hour from Amsterdam or with the excursion Civitatis.
Where is Marken in relation to Amsterdam?
Marken is located on Lake Markermeer and is connected to the mainland by a 1,6 km dyke which can be crossed by car, bicycle or on foot.
Click on "More options" in the map to follow the GPS
How to get to Marken from Amsterdam?
From Amsterdam there are buses every 30 minutes to Marken. To take it, you have to go to the station behind the Central Station. It will be the 314 up to Schouw Splitsing and the bus 315 Marken Monnickendam to Marken - Minneweg. The bus ticket of around € 8 remains valid for traveling throughout the area throughout the day.
Otherwise, the visit of the village is also included in the excursion Civitatis.
What to see in Marken?
You have to go to Brands to discover charming old wooden houses. Until the 17th century, houses were built on terpenes which were mounds of earth that the inhabitants built themselves. Thus, the houses were protected from flooding. Then the houses were built on stilts. These typical houses have been well preserved and constitute a unique heritage in the world.
If you have time, you can also visit:
- an old wooden shoe factory,
- a museum of traditional costumes,
- the lighthouse from 1839 "Paard van Marken" (Marken's horse) which still functions.
Amsterdam in 3 days - Cheap hotel
If you are looking for a cheap and well located hotel in the center of Amsterdam, you will quickly realize that it is difficult to find one. Here is the small hotel that I was able to book for my stay:Hotel International. It is a very simple hotel but super well placed right next to the station and relatively cheap compared to other hotels in the center!
More information about this hotel
Or see my hotel recommendation in my Amsterdam tips.
A 4-day stay in Amsterdam? Here is my program to visit Amsterdam in 4 days