Flower Boat
Zaanse Schans
A 25-minute guided windmill cruise on a boat wrapped in fresh flowers. Windmills behind you, petals all around — the most photographed tour in Holland.
The Flower Boat
Zaanse Schans
25 minutes · Personal guide · Max 25 people
🛡 Satisfaction guarantee — full refund if not satisfied (drinks excl.)
Seasonal · April through September
Flower Boat Cruise
Zaanse Schans
A 25-minute guided windmill cruise — on a boat decorated with fresh flowers. Windmills behind you, petals all around you, a personal guide the whole way. The most photographed tour we run, and the one people come back for.
Choose your ticket
🛡 Satisfaction guarantee — not satisfied? Full refund on your boat tour (drinks excl.)
What you’ll see
Why the Flower Boat is special
What our guests
say about us
"We had such a wonderful time on the windmill cruise! The views were beautiful, and it was such a relaxing way to take in the scenery. Our guide did an excellent job — super knowledgeable and engaging. Highly recommend!"
"🌟 A Wonderful Boat Tour with Frits! From the moment we stepped aboard, he made us feel welcome. My 6-year-old was thrilled — Frits even let her help steer the boat. It's rare to find someone who connects so naturally with children."
"The windmill cruise was fun and informative. We could not have had a better captain than Frits. He had just the right blend of knowledge and calm enthusiasm. One of the highlights of our entire trip!"
"George provided an excellent experience — humorous, lively and a gentleman. Assisting everyone on their way on and off the boat, ensuring safety. A truly memorable tour."
"Kevin was informative, funny and engaging. Loved it! Great tour, great captain, boat was well maintained. Myself and my wife had a great time — highly recommend to anyone visiting Zaanse Schans."
"Amazing experience, captain Frits was so nice — he explained the history of the place and the mills and even tried to translate a few words into Italian for my mom. Great captain and great tour!"
"We had a private tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sjors is a fantastic skipper who took his time with us. Our compliments for the complete organisation of the tour. Highly recommended."
"Even my 14-year-old enjoyed this short and informative boat tour. The guide was great and so were the views. I recommend it to everyone visiting Zaanse Schans."
"We had such a wonderful time on the windmill cruise! The views were beautiful, and it was such a relaxing way to take in the scenery. Our guide did an excellent job — super knowledgeable and engaging. Highly recommend!"
"🌟 A Wonderful Boat Tour with Frits! From the moment we stepped aboard, he made us feel welcome. My 6-year-old was thrilled — Frits even let her help steer the boat. It's rare to find someone who connects so naturally with children."
"The windmill cruise was fun and informative. We could not have had a better captain than Frits. He had just the right blend of knowledge and calm enthusiasm. One of the highlights of our entire trip!"
"George provided an excellent experience — humorous, lively and a gentleman. Assisting everyone on their way on and off the boat, ensuring safety. A truly memorable tour."
"Kevin was informative, funny and engaging. Loved it! Great tour, great captain, boat was well maintained. Myself and my wife had a great time — highly recommend to anyone visiting Zaanse Schans."
"Amazing experience, captain Frits was so nice — he explained the history and even tried to translate a few words into Italian for my mom. Great captain and great tour!"
"We had a private tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sjors is a fantastic skipper who took his time with us. Our compliments for the complete organisation of the tour. Highly recommended."
"Even my 14-year-old enjoyed this short and informative boat tour. The guide was great and so were the views. I recommend it to everyone visiting Zaanse Schans."
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know
before you book
Can't find your answer here? Email us at ahoy@dutchboattours.nl and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
The Flower Boat is our standard 25-minute guided windmill cruise at Zaanse Schans — but on a boat decorated with fresh flowers. You get the full experience: skipper, personal guide, all 10 windmills from the water. The only difference is the boat itself, which creates a genuinely unique visual you can't find anywhere else in Holland.
Yes — exactly the same route (25 minutes, all 10 windmills) and the same personal guide on board. The difference is the boat decoration: fresh flowers every departure, which makes the visual experience completely different. The ticket price is slightly higher to cover the floral decoration.
The Flower Boat is seasonal — available April through September only. Outside of that window, our regular Public Cruise runs year-round from €9 per person on the same route with the same guide.
Yes — real flowers, refreshed daily. This is not a prop or artificial decoration. The look of the boat changes with what's in season, which means every visit has its own character.
The extra cost — €2,50 more per adult — covers the fresh flower decoration on every departure. You get the same guide, the same windmills, the same 25-minute cruise. The flower decoration is the only addition, and for many guests it makes the tour significantly more memorable and photogenic.
It's one of the most-photographed experiences in the Netherlands — windmills in the background, fresh flowers surrounding you, open water on all sides. Morning departures tend to have the softest light. No other operator at Zaanse Schans offers anything like it.
Yes — get in touch at ahoy@dutchboattours.nl and we can arrange a private Flower Boat departure for your group. Private bookings allow flexible timing, your own dedicated guide, and a completely exclusive experience.
By train (recommended): Take a direct train from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaandam (8 minutes, every 10 minutes), then bus 391 to Zaanse Schans — total journey around 20–25 minutes. Or take the train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station, which is a 15-minute walk from the windmills.
By car: Zaanse Schans is 17km north of Amsterdam, just off the A8 motorway — about 20 minutes drive. Paid parking at the visitor centre. Our dock is at Schansend 1, 1509 AW Zaandam.
Our dock is at Schansend 1, 1509 AW Zaandam — right at the entrance to Zaanse Schans, next to the windmills on the Zaan river. From the bus stop it's a 2-minute walk. Open in Google Maps →
Yes — there is a large paid car park at the Zaanse Schans visitor centre, approximately 5 minutes' walk from our dock. It can fill up quickly on weekends and in summer, so arriving early is recommended. Parking costs around €10–15 for a full day.
We strongly recommend booking ahead — especially in summer (June–August) and on weekends when the Flower Boat regularly sells out. Walk-in tickets are sometimes available at the dock, but availability is not guaranteed. Free cancellation up to 14 days before your tour.
Free cancellation up to 14 days before your tour. Cancellations within 14 days may be subject to a fee. Check your booking confirmation for the full terms.
Absolutely — there's no minimum age. Kids under 12 get a discounted ticket at €11,50. Our guides make the commentary fun and accessible for younger visitors too.
All bookings are processed securely through FareHarbor, which accepts all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Payment is taken at the time of booking.
Yes — we run tours in all weather unless there is a safety concern such as extreme wind or storm. Light rain is perfectly fine. In the rare case we need to cancel for safety reasons, you'll receive a full refund.
Yes — all public tours are conducted in English. Our guides are experienced and passionate about the history of Zaanse Schans and the Zaan region.
Dutch weather is unpredictable, so bring a light waterproof jacket even on sunny days. Comfortable flat shoes are fine. If you're coming for photos, mornings tend to have the best light at Zaanse Schans.
Yes — you're welcome to bring your own. Or upgrade to the Open Bar ticket (€19,00) for unlimited drinks included on board.
Yes — it's a popular combination in spring. Keukenhof is about 40 minutes south of Zaanse Schans by car. Many visitors do Keukenhof in the morning and Zaanse Schans in the afternoon. We recommend booking the boat tour earlier in the day to avoid the afternoon peak.
Visiting outside the season?
Take the regular windmill cruise instead
The Flower Boat runs April–September only. Outside that window, our Public Cruise covers the same route with the same personal guide — from €9 per person, available daily all year round.
See the Public Cruise →