Ferry Ride between Volendam and Marken
About this activity
- Your booking is confirmed instantly
- This option has FREE cancellation: book it without any risk!
Experience Highlights
Connect the two most photogenic villages of the old Zuiderzee aboard the Volendam-Marken Express ferry. In just 30 minutes, cruise the tranquil waters of the Isselmeer while enjoying views of wooden houses, sailboat-filled marinas and the polders that shaped Holland.
The boats sail every 30-45 minutes between 09:45 and 18:00 (summer time) and offer an outside deck, air-conditioned lounge and bar service on board. The ticket is valid for one way or return on the same day, so you can explore Volendam and Marken at your own pace.
- Book in advance and avoid queues at the ticket office.
- Sail in comfort: inside seating, panoramic deck and snack bar.
- Design your day: stay as long as you like in each village and return at your convenience
What’s included
- Ferry ticket Volendam ⇄ Marken (one way or one way + return depending on option chosen)
- Access to the panoramic deck and air-conditioned indoor lounge
- Multilingual audio information panels on history and landscape
- Possibility of transporting bicycles (limited places, free with the ticket)
Select date
Step by Step
Boarding in Volendam
From the quay by the main dock, board the traditional blue and white Volendam-Marken Express. Before setting sail, you can buy a coffee or a craft beer at the bar while the crew welcomes you.
En route, the bow points to the green polders and windmills of the Waterland. The fresh wind and the smell of saltpetre invite you to go out on the upper deck to photograph the wooden facades and the characteristic traditional costumes as the ship leaves Volendam.
During the trip, information panels (English, Spanish, German and Dutch) tell you about the history of the Zuiderzee, the construction of the Afsluitdijk and the fishing customs that still survive in the area today.
In just half an hour you will dock at Marken, a former island that has been converted into a peninsula. Stroll across its wooden bridges, visit the Paard van Marken lighthouse and try smoked herring from a centuries-old smokehouse. When you want to return, just head back to the quay - your flexi ticket allows you to take any ferry available that day.
