5 Wine and Cheese Tastings in the Netherlands to Build an Afternoon Around

1.Premium Henri Willig Cheese Tasting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,106 reviews · 40 minutes - 1 hour · from $21Our pick

Meet your English-speaking Henri Willig host in an old Amsterdam cheese shop for 40 to 60 minutes of Gouda tasting, Dutch dips, mustard, crackers, two drinks, and a short cheesemaking film. Guides such as Martin, Suzanne, and Heloise are known for friendly, entertaining presentations. A 10% shop discount follows.

“We had a great experience cheese tasting. My dad and I both agreed that this one was of our most favorite things we did on our trip! Martin was a wonderful guide and made our experience fun and entertaining. We can’t wait to return to Amsterdam on our second leg of our trip and purchase cheese to take back to the US”

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2.Wine and Cheese Evening Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 839 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $41

Start at the LOVERS café opposite Amsterdam Central Station, then spend 90 minutes on the Canal Belt with wine, Dutch cheeses, bread, and attentive English-speaking hosts. Expect illuminated bridges, Golden Age houses, music, city facts, and a friendly social mood.

“Best Activity we did while in Amsterdam, the captain was really funny and the whole crew very nice! We can't wait to come back to book again.”

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3.Amsterdam Wine and Cheese Evening Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 798 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $40

Board at Damrak 16 for a 75-minute English-language evening cruise through Amsterdam’s canal belt. You’ll sit at a table in a glass-enclosed boat, enjoy Dutch cheese, wine, beer, and soft drinks, and pass sights such as Magere Brug and Reguliersgracht. The mood can range from peaceful to party-like.

“Loved the beautiful scenery of the city/canals and sunset was 10/10!!! Wish there had been a little more information provided - we were mostly left to observe and talk ourselves, which may be appealing to some but I like learning from the guides a bit more! Guides were Very attentive with refills of drinks”

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4.Zaanse Schans and Cheese Tasting Guided Tour from Amsterdam

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 661 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $45

Ride from central Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans for working windmills, a clog workshop, and Dutch cheese tasting. Guides such as Rick, Anna, Evelyn, and Rob have been praised for clear commentary, though the large group and short craft demonstrations may not suit everyone. An optional canal cruise voucher is available.

“This place was full of history and culture but the crowds made it feel like a Disney theme park. The guide, Evelyn, knew a lot of interesting stuff but she mostly seemed overwhelmed with so many people. Our group had no lanyards or other means of identifying others from our bus. This was concerning with the multitude of other buses in the village. The craft demonstrations were interesting but the general setup felt touristy rather than cultural.”

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5.Dutch Cheese Tasting Experience with Wine

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 658 reviews · 45 min · from $23

Spend 45 minutes tasting five Gouda cheeses and three wine pairings in the Old Amsterdam Cheese Store. An English-speaking host explains cheese-making, aging, and the family story behind Old Amsterdam. Guides such as Aris and Rik are known for lively, funny presentations, and your ticket includes a 20% shop discount.

“Excellent guide, funny, informative, we had a good experience , will highly recommend to my friends”

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