Edam with Kids: A Parent's Guide to the Cheese Town

Edam rewards families who slow down: a compact historic centre, free outdoor space and boats to watch, all within a short drive or bus ride of Amsterdam.

What Edam Actually Offers Families

Edam's old centre is small enough to cross on foot in fifteen minutes, which suits children who tire of walking. The Schepenmakersdijk and the Dam square give you the classic view of the Waag, the old cheese-weighing house, and the canal boats passing the Damplein. The cheese market itself runs on Wednesday mornings in July and August, with carriers in traditional costume and a market square that fills early — arrive by nine if you want space for a pushchair. Outside those weeks the town is quiet, and honestly that is when it works best for families.

The main practical asset is the water. The canals around the Voorhaven and the Oosterhaven are lined with low walls and benches, and children can watch the sloops and small barges without a ticket or a queue. The Grote Kerk, with its famous ceiling, is worth twenty minutes if your children can handle a quiet interior; skip it with toddlers who want to run. The town's streets are cobbled, so a sturdy pushchair beats a lightweight one.

Getting There and Where to Base Yourself

From Amsterdam Centraal, bus 314 runs to Edam in roughly thirty-five minutes; the stop at Edam Busstation puts you a five-minute walk from the Dam. By car, it is about twenty-five minutes from Amsterdam via the N247, and parking at the Singel or the Damplein car park is straightforward outside July and August. Volendam is four kilometres south and makes an easy half-day addition, though it is busier and more commercial; Marken, across the water, is a separate trip and outside this region, so treat it as a side note rather than a plan.

For accommodation, most families base themselves in Amsterdam and day-trip, because Edam's own hotel stock is small and books out for summer weekends. Hotels around Amsterdam Centraal or in the Oud-West district give you the bus and train links and a wider choice of family rooms. If you want to stay locally, look at the smaller properties along the Zeevang side and near the bus station, and book well ahead for July and August. The town is quiet in the evenings, which suits early bedtimes.

A Workable Day With Children

Start at the Damplein and the Waag before the coaches arrive, then walk the Schepenmakersdijk loop — about a kilometre, flat, with benches. The Edams Museum on the Dam is small, cheap and quick, and its floating cellar is the part children remember. After that, pick up picnic supplies from the bakery on the Voorhaven and eat on the grass by the Grote Kerk or on the harbour wall. There is a small beach and play area at the edge of town toward the Zeevang, which is free and rarely crowded.

The afternoon is where Edam earns its keep: rent a small electric boat from one of the operators on the Voorhaven if your children are old enough to sit still, or take the ferry across to the Zeevang polder for cycling on flat, car-light paths. Bikes with child seats are available in town. The town is quiet on Sundays, with several shops closed, so plan a Sunday around the water and the polder rather than the museum.

What to Skip and What I Would Book

Skip the guided walking tours aimed at adults — ninety minutes of architectural history is a hard sell with children under eight. Skip the souvenir shops on the Damplein, which sell the same cheese wedges at higher prices than the shop on the Voorhaven. If the cheese market is your reason for coming, note that it only runs in July and August, and the town's hotels fill accordingly; outside those months you get the same streets with none of the crowd.

I would book a hotel in Amsterdam rather than Edam for a family trip of more than two nights, and use bus 314 as the daily link. For a single overnight in high summer, I would book one of the small properties near the Edam bus station and walk everywhere. Book four to six weeks ahead for July and August weekends; outside the season, a week is usually enough notice.

Questions, answered

Is Edam good for young children?

Yes, for short visits. The centre is compact and flat, with benches and canal views. Cobbles make pushchairs bumpy, and there is little organised entertainment, so plan around outdoor time and boats rather than museums.

How do I get to Edam without a car?

Bus 314 from Amsterdam Centraal takes about thirty-five minutes and stops at Edam Busstation, a five-minute walk from the Dam. By car it is roughly twenty-five minutes via the N247. Both are straightforward outside peak summer weekends.

When is the best time to visit Edam with children?

May, June and September are calm and mild, with the town largely to yourselves. July and August bring the Wednesday cheese market and more visitors. Sundays are quiet, with several shops closed, so plan outdoor activities for that day.

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