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Edam is just 30 minutes north of Amsterdam. Most people know the name from the round red-wax cheese sold in supermarkets worldwide. But very few visitors ever find the actual town. That is your advantage.
The town sits quietly beside its own canals and drawbridges. While nearby Volendam draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, Edam stays largely off the radar. Streets are lined with 17th-century merchant houses. Canals run between them without crowds. The main square holds a cheese market in summer and a weekly food market the rest of the year. People actually live here, which makes all the difference.
Why Edam Deserves a Day Trip from Amsterdam
Edam is small. Around 7,500 people call it home. Its historic centre takes about two to three hours to explore on foot. But what it lacks in size, it makes up in character.
Volendam caters heavily to visitors. It offers costumed photo shoots, souvenir shops, and crowds. Edam has kept the feel of a working Dutch market town. Locals shop at the bakery. The café on the square serves the same regulars each morning. The cheese market is partly for visitors, yes — but it runs on the same site where cheese was weighed and traded for centuries.
If you are planning a day trip from Amsterdam and want somewhere that rewards slow exploration over spectacle, Edam earns the bus ride north.
Getting to Edam from Amsterdam
Bus 316 (operated by EBS) leaves Amsterdam Centraal Station from Platform B. It runs roughly every 30 minutes and reaches Edam in 30 to 40 minutes. The fare costs around €3–4 with an OV-chipkaart. The bus drops you close to the historic centre, within easy walking distance of the cheese weigh house and main square.
Another option is Bus 310, which runs to Volendam. From there, Edam is just 3km away by cycle path or taxi. This works well if you want to visit both villages in one day.
If you enjoy cycling, hire a bike from Amsterdam North. The route to Edam runs along flat, well-marked cycle paths through polders and small villages. Allow about 75 minutes at an easy pace. The ride is a pleasure in its own right.
Important: Edam has no railway station. All trains stop at Amsterdam, so the bus is your main route into town.
The Edam Cheese Market: The Story Behind the Red Wax
Every Wednesday morning in July and August, the Kaasmarkt (cheese market) takes place on Edam’s main square. Cheese porters wear white linen outfits and coloured straw hats. They carry round cheeses on wooden sledges to the Waag, the cheese-weighing house built in 1778. The market runs from around 10:30 to 12:30.
Unlike the larger market in Alkmaar, the Edam market keeps a local, manageable feel. It does not overwhelm the square.
Here is something most visitors never learn: the original Edam cheese had no red wax at all. Dutch merchants added the red paraffin coating only for export. It protected the cheese during long sea voyages to southern Europe. At home, locals buy Edam in plain wheels with no coating — and the flavour is far more interesting than the export version.
When you visit a cheese shop in town, ask to try the aged version (belegen or oud) alongside the young variety. The difference is striking. For a broader guide to Dutch cheese types and traditions, there is a full article worth reading before your visit.
What to See in Edam
The Grote Kerk (St Nicolas Church)
Edam’s Gothic church dates from the 15th century. Inside, you find stained glass windows made between 1603 and 1629. They show biblical scenes and portraits of Dutch nobility. The church is one of the finest Dutch Gothic buildings still in daily use. Entry costs a few euros. On a clear morning, the light through the windows is worth the price alone.
The Kaaswaag (Cheese Weigh House)
The 1778 Kaaswaag on Damplein square now holds a small museum about the cheese trade and local history. The museum is compact, but the building itself is lovely — a neat Dutch classical structure decorated with a painted cheese-carrier motif. Even if you skip the museum, the square in front makes a fine spot for morning coffee.
The Edam Museum
A 16th-century merchant’s house on Damplein now contains the Edam Museum. Exhibits include antique furniture, local ceramics, and nautical instruments. The house itself tells the real story — timber-framed rooms, brick fireplaces, and the atmosphere of prosperous merchant life in the 1600s. The floating cellar surprises almost every visitor. It actually rises and falls with the water table beneath the house.
The Kwakelbrug and the Canals
Edam’s canals are narrow and quiet. The Kwakelbrug — a small pedestrian drawbridge — is the most photographed spot in town. Walk the towpaths at your own pace. Buy a cheese pastry from the market. That is the kind of afternoon Edam does best. No rush. No queues. Just canals and old buildings and the sound of the church bell.
The Dampoorttoren
The Dampoorttoren is a 1615 gateway tower at the edge of the old town. It once marked the entrance to the port. In its Golden Age heyday, Edam built dozens of VOC (Dutch East India Company) merchant ships here. The tower is one of the last reminders of that maritime past. It is easy to miss — and worth a short detour.
Where to Eat and Drink in Edam
The café terraces on Damplein offer lunch with a view of the cheese weigh house. Prices run lower than Amsterdam. A bowl of Dutch pea soup (erwtensoep) with bread costs around €8–10. Local Edam cheese served with mustard is a standard bar snack.
Side streets off the main square hold a handful of small restaurants with traditional Dutch menus. Try stamppot (mashed potato with vegetables and sausage) in cooler months. In summer, look for fresh herring near the waterfront. For a deeper look at what to eat across the country, the Dutch food guide covers the classics.
Edam is not a destination for fine dining or cocktail bars. That is part of its appeal. The service is unhurried. The café scene is relaxed. The main sound you hear in the afternoon is the bell of the Grote Kerk marking the hours.
Combining Edam with Volendam or Marken
Many visitors to this corner of North Holland combine Edam with Volendam, just 3km away. A combined visit works well in a full day without feeling rushed.
Volendam has more going on at the harbour — smoked eel, a lively waterfront, and more cafés. But it also draws far larger crowds. The best strategy is to spend your morning in Edam. Arrive early and have the cheese market and Grote Kerk largely to yourself. Then cycle or take a taxi to Volendam for lunch and the harbour in the afternoon.
A third option is Marken, a former island fishing village connected to the mainland by a causeway. Its traditional green-painted timber houses look unlike anything else in the Netherlands. Marken is about 15 minutes from Volendam by bike or car. Adding it makes for a full and satisfying day in North Holland.
Practical Tips for Your Edam Day Trip
Best time to visit: The cheese market runs on Wednesdays in July and August only. Outside this window, the Kaaswaag and the cheese shops are still open — but the market itself is seasonal. Spring (April to June) brings good weather and quieter streets. Autumn visits mean the town is almost entirely yours. For more on timing your trip, the guide to the best time to visit the Netherlands covers conditions month by month.
How long to allow: Two to three hours covers the main sights at a comfortable pace. A half-day lets you visit the church and museum, have lunch on the square, and walk the canals without hurrying. Combine with Volendam for a full day out.
Best souvenir: Aged Edam cheese from one of the town’s cheese shops. A whole wheel of old Edam (oud) tastes nothing like the supermarket version. Several shops vacuum-pack purchases for travel.
Getting back: Bus 316 returns from Edam to Amsterdam Centraal throughout the day. Last buses run into the early evening. Check the EBS timetable on the day of your visit — winter services run less frequently.
How long does it take to get to Edam from Amsterdam?
Bus 316 from Amsterdam Centraal takes between 30 and 40 minutes. Buses run roughly every 30 minutes during the day, making Edam one of the faster and easier day trips from the city.
What is the best day to visit Edam for the cheese market?
Visit on a Wednesday morning between July and August to see the Edam cheese market. It runs from around 10:30 to 12:30. Arriving before 11:00 gives you the best views before the coach groups arrive later in the morning.
Is Edam or Volendam better for a day trip from Amsterdam?
Edam is quieter and more authentic. It has historic buildings, a canal network, and far fewer tourist shops. Volendam has a lively harbour and smoked eel stalls, but it draws much larger crowds. Most visitors find it most rewarding to visit both in a single day — Edam in the morning, Volendam in the afternoon.
You Might Also Enjoy
- Day Trips from Amsterdam: The Complete Guide
- Volendam Day Trip from Amsterdam
- Dutch Food Guide: What to Eat in the Netherlands
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