Several windmills standing along a river beyond green polder fields and winding canals, Zaanse Schans

Amsterdam: Canals and Windmills

November 2024 4 days Last updated October 2026

Four days in Amsterdam in November: canals on foot, a walking tour, and an easy day trip to Zaandam, the Zaanse Schans windmills and Edam.

TL;DR Amsterdam on foot, a tip-based walking tour, a canal boat, and one easy day by public transport to Zaandam, the Zaanse Schans windmills and Edam.

We landed in Amsterdam in mid-November expecting grey skies and drizzle. What we got was mostly sun, one properly rainy day, golden light on the canals and Christmas lights already strung over the streets. Not the November I had pictured at all.

This is how we spent our four days: a lot of walking, a walking tour on my birthday, a canal boat, and one day out of the city that I would happily repeat.

Amsterdam on foot

The day we arrived we did what works best here: dropped the bags and walked. No plan, just canals, bridges and whatever street looked nice. Most evenings ended the same way, wandering until we were tired, a bar if one looked inviting, then back to the hotel to rest. That hotel, the MEININGER Hotel Amsterdam City West, was right next to Sloterdijk station, really nice and comfortable, with areas for playing, which we did on the first evening when we arrived tired. The last day was a repeat of the walking, on purpose.

The centre is easy to cover on foot, and the canals do the navigating for you: when in doubt, follow the water.

Dark and red gabled canal houses with cream window frames above a rainy canal, Amsterdam — The rainy day

A woman in a long brown coat and black beanie walking along a canal lined with tall brick houses and yellow autumn trees, Amsterdam — Autumn along the canal

The ornate Westerkerk tower with its blue and gold crown and coats of arms against a blue sky, Amsterdam — The Westerkerk tower

A wide canal lined with autumn trees, tall brick houses and moored houseboats, with a bridge in the distance, Amsterdam — Houseboats on the canal

The pro tip: Zaandam, Zaanse Schans and Edam in one day

The next day we left the city and did this loop, all on public transport. It worked really well, and it's the part of the trip I'd tell anyone to copy.

Train to Zaandam. We took a Sprinter from Sloterdijk, right next to our hotel, so it took only 6 minutes and cost about 3.50 euros on the NS journey planner when I checked. From Amsterdam Centraal it's closer to 17 minutes.

The stacked houses. First stop was the Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam, the hotel that looks like a pile of little green Zaan-style houses balanced on top of each other. It stands on the promenade that leads to the station, so it costs you almost no time. We also walked past the Stadhuis, the town hall, which has the same green-wood look.

A hotel built from stacked green, grey and blue wooden gabled facades under an overcast sky, Zaandam — Houses piled on houses

The Zaandam town hall entrance below an orange tiled roof with colorful green and blue gabled dormers under a dark sky, Zaandam — The Stadhuis and its dormers

Green and white gabled shopfronts along a curved brick street with a modern tower behind them, Zaandam — Green shopfronts, Zaandam

Bus to the windmills. From Zaandam we just checked Google Maps and took the bus that was best at that moment. Looking at Google Maps now, it shows lines 801, 67 and 69. If you would rather skip Zaandam, it also shows line 800 as a direct bus from Amsterdam Centraal, between 14 and 27 minutes depending on the bus. The village itself was free to walk into when we went; the windmills and museums are what charge entry. The Zaanse Schans website says to book tickets, and they come at different prices, so it's better to check the website.

A green windmill and a dark windmill on either side of a path and a reflective ditch under blue sky and clouds, Zaanse Schans — Windmills along the ditch

Bright green polder fields cut by canals with windmills in the distance under heavy grey clouds, Zaanse Schans — Polder under storm clouds

The sun breaking through clouds behind a lamp post and a small white footbridge over a canal, Zaanse Schans — Sun breaking through

Bus to Edam. From Zaanse Schans we took a bus on to Edam (Google Maps showed line 801, about 41 minutes) and walked around town. After the windmills it felt calm, and the water in the canals was so still it looked like a mirror. The big church, the Grote Kerk (also called the Sint-Nicolaaskerk), was closed when we got there. From what I found online it only opens to visitors in the afternoons, and only from April to late October.

Two wooden sailing boats moored in a still canal reflecting masts and small gabled houses, Edam — Still water in Edam

Direct bus back to Amsterdam. From Edam we took line 314 straight back to the city (about 26 minutes on Google Maps). That night we walked around the centre again and ended up in a bar.

It was a fun, easy day with a lot to see, and we didn't need to book anything when we went. If I did it again, I'd check the opening hours of the Grote Kerk in Edam first.

Before you go Prices, bus lines and timetables change, and we did this loop in November 2024. Check NS, the bus operators and the Zaanse Schans website for the current routes, prices and opening hours before you go.

A walking tour and the canal boat

On day three, which happened to be my birthday, we did a walking tour in the morning. Most of them are free (you tip at the end) and you can find plenty on the usual booking platforms online. It gave us the story behind places we had already walked past.

One thing our guide said stuck with me. More or less, he told us: people here don't use curtains, they feel free in their homes because they know nobody will look in, so please respect that. I looked it up afterwards: the open-curtains habit is real and a well-known Dutch quirk, but nobody agrees on why. The most common explanation is a Calvinist idea that honest people have nothing to hide; others point to merchants showing off their wealth, and some say it's a much more recent habit.

Afterwards we took a boat along the canals. You can get one straight from the waterfront for an affordable price; ours cost 10 euros. Seeing the same houses from the water is almost like visiting a different city.

The green-trimmed dome of the Koepelkerk beside a canal lined with golden autumn trees and houseboats, Amsterdam — The Koepelkerk dome over the Singel

Open boats cruising a canal beneath golden autumn trees, with parked bicycles in the foreground, Amsterdam — Boats and bicycles

A long straight canal with rippling dark water under a bright blue sky, bordered by yellow autumn trees, Amsterdam — A canal under a blue sky

The Amstel river seen from water level, with houseboats on the right and a white drawbridge in the distance, Amsterdam — The Amstel from the boat

Beyond the bars: the Red Light District

Amsterdam is not only bars and nights out. But if that kind of nightlife is something you enjoy, don't forget the city's most famous neighbourhood: De Wallen, the Red Light District. It is one of the things Amsterdam is known for, and plenty of people walk through it just out of curiosity.

Go with respect. According to the city's official visitor site, people live and work there, so don't take photos or film, and follow the local rules, as fines can apply. Rules change, so check the current ones before you go.

A brick corner house with glowing windows at dusk beside a street strung with fairy lights, Amsterdam — Dusk and fairy lights

What about you: what is the one thing in Amsterdam you wouldn't skip?