Customizable Dutch countryside tour from Amsterdam (AMS)

Best excursion we have ever had. Rudy's Taxi Service is conscientious and thoughtful and keep in touch. Our tour guide was fantastic. Knowledgeable, fun and took us to visit all of the best spots in Amsterdam.

We had a great day touring the countryside with Rene. He showed us the windmills, Volendam, and dairy cows. We wanted to see out of the way sites and he obliged. Had a great lunch in a small harbor town, a drive down a lane with country homes, and a castle in Muiderslot. Rene is a wonderful guide and we got a great taste of country life in the Netherlands. He even arranged a car to take us to airport the next day.

My children (ages 13 & 15), my husband and I went on a private tour to the countryside in Amsterdam. Nicolette was our amazing tour guide through Rudy’s Taxi Service. She not only took us to the areas that I had asked for, but to much better places, off the beaten path, where the tour buses don’t go. We went to a cheese farm, to see windmills and to charming little towns. Even a little clog making factory. Definitely worth doing a private tour as you can see what you want at your own pace. Thank you Nicolette!!!

We loved our guide so much that we booked a second full-day tour with the same guide. Her van was the most luxurious and we loved the facing seats which for us (2 couples) made the driving experience that much more social and enjoyable. I feel she took us to areas that we wanted to see but also to areas that were just special and kind of off the tourist beaten path. We experienced so much of the Netherlands in just two days and got a little bit of everything. Nicolette, you were the best of the best and we are all so happy to have ended our 3-week trip with you as our guide. "Saved the best for last..." There is so much more to Holland than Amsterdam and a private tour is worth the money to really see this amazing country. Thank you for a wonderful time. I recommend this tour to anyone that wants to get more out of their trip and would do this again on my next visit.

Our party of 4 had a wonderful driver Theo, share with us the countryside and culture of Amsterdam. He aptly shared insights on the life and culture of the Dutch people, including all kinds of unique details about the communities we visited (such as the age of buildings by looking at the siding), where to reasonably purchase souvenirs, and how to get the best photos. Most importantly, Theo was enjoyable to spend the day with knowing when to leave us to explore an area on our own yet make sure we saw all we could. We'd highly recommend his service! Thanks for a delightful trip that was well worth both the time and expense!

Though it was Katja, Rudy's partner from Rudy's Taxi Company, who expertly planned our wonderful day trip to Marken, Volendam, The Henri Willig Cheese Farm, Edam, Zaanse Schans and Zandaam, it was Rudy himself who took us on the journey. The Dutch countryside is very close to Amsterdam, in just less than an hour, a chaotic city gives way to rolling fields, various water bodies, windmills and villages. We took the very scenic route as we travelled to the pictureseque fishing village of Marken in Rudy's very comfortable, clean and well maintained van. There were opportunities to stop for photos en route and see water birds and farm animals. At Marken we walked through the old town, where the houses looked as if they had toppled out of a history book. We visited an old church which has miniature ships hanging from the ceiling! and the town museum. Before leaving Marken, Rudy ensured that he took my young daughters for special ice cream at a well known cafe. Next it was onwards to the popular seaside town of Volendam, but not before Rudy stopped at a famous fish mongers and insisted we try their legendary smoked eel. He even took us on an inside tour to see how the eel was prepared. The experience was as authentic as one can imagine because the place is located just opposite a commercial boat yard- so imagine eating this delicious local delicacy and watching large boats being made! Volendam is very popular with tourists and hence very crowded, especially it's marina with many boats, restaurants, cafes, food shacks and boutiques. Here Rudy made us try fresh pickled herring from a popular sea side shack- let's just say, it's not for the faint hearted! There are many places also selling Dutch Stroopwafels here, so for fans of this sinful snack, Rudy is the one who can point you to the store selling the best. Next it was onwards to the uber Henri Willing Cheese Farm, where my daughters played with calves, where we learnt about the extreme care they give their cattle to ensure they produce great milk, where we were told of how their cheeses are made and were allowed to sample all the delicious varieties! Full tummies over stretched with the unlimited samples of all of Henri Willing's cheese variations and stuffed shopping bags later, it was onwards to beautiful Edam. Edam has so much more to offer than just being known for it's world famous cheese. It's a picture perfect town with little winding roads, quaint buildings, iconic churches, unique boutiques and more, Our final stop was the glorious Zaanse Schans with its multitude of working windmills and factories. We took a private boat ride with Rudy and the superlative, knowledgable Captain Raymond Deijle around the windmills. He explained the function and history of each of these masterpieces which have been operating flawlessly for years. He gave us an opportunity to also visit the inside of a windmill. During our hour long boat ride, Captain Raymond stopped at an iconic ice cream parlour so that we could enjoy the unique flavours on offer. When our boat ride was over, he very kindly gifted us a bottle of peanut oil made at one of the Zaanshe Schans windmills and gave my thrilled daughters a packet of locally sourced stroopwafels! When we drove back to Amsterdam at the end of our Tour, Rudy made sure we passed by the unique Hotel Inntel in Zaandam which looks like a bunch of Dutch homes piled one on top of the other! All in all the Tour was expertly planned by Katja and wonderfully executed by Rudy, ensuring that we had multiple and maximum experiences in the span of a single day! Kudos! Felicia Variava Albert, Managing Director, Blaze Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India

Rudy was terrific and really knew his history of Amsterdam and the surrounding area. If you are thinking about a custom tour of Amsterdam, I would highly recommend Rudy.

If you want to travel in comfort at your own schedule then this is the tour for you. We were picked up in a lovely luxurious Mercedes minivan by Nicolette our guide and driver who was fantastic throughout the day. Nicolette was friendly, knowledgeable and sensitive to our needs and adjusted the tour to our family's tempo. We had a wonderful day and would highly recommend this tour.

LOVED IT! Nicolette at Rudy's Taxi Service was awesome. Within 24 hours of booking, we already began discussing with Ruud Rudy about what we would like to see and do. It wasn't a taxi, but instead it was a very roomy and comfortable Mercedes Van! I would do this again in a heart beat! We had a couple planning emails prior to us leaving the states. We received a call the day before just to let us know we were still on and then of of course, got a call from the lobby stating it was time to begin our adventure the day of. Thank you Rudy and Nicolette. You truly made our family vacation, that much more memorable!

This tour was amazing!!! Our tour guide, Rudy, picked us up from the hotel in his brand new luxury-van and drove us all over the Dutch countryside, briefing us on the local history along the way. We incorporated a trip to Keukenhof Gardens, where Rudy was happy to walk us around the park and explain the history and background he knew about the area. My husband and I have taken private/semi-private tours in multiple countries and this was the best tour guide and most comfortable and authentic experience of them all. An Amsterdam raised local, Rudy actively tailored the trip to avoid crowds and go to hole in the wall locations to meet our desires but avoid the canned and rehearsed tour experience. The truly customizable nature of this tour was unique and allowed us to stop when and where we wanted, or to just let Rudy show us what he thought we'd like based on our conversations. We brought a 4 month old along and Rudy was accommodating and made it a comfortable and relaxed experience for all. The tour was well worth the cost and the highlight of our trip to the Netherlands.