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The Netherlands🇳🇱 | villagesMarkenWooden houses on mounds, Havenbuurt, Kerkbuurt, red lighthouse | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Marken
🏆 Top pickvillage ranked #1
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 16, 2026

Marken is routinely sold as an island, yet a 2.5 km causeway has tied it to the mainland since 1957, so you can reach it by bus or bike instead of by boat. It sits in North Holland, on the Markermeer shore, about 5 km east of Monnickendam and roughly 20 km northeast of Amsterdam. The pattern is simple: tour buses arrive late morning, leave by late afternoon, and the village is then left to its 1,700 residents. Staying overnight in a B&B or cycling in after 4 pm is the smarter move, because the harbor empties just when the light improves. Evenings are silent, there is almost no nightlife, and you will meet few other backpackers. Compared with Volendam, which has the crowds and the souvenir strip, Marken is smaller, greener and more private. At dusk in the Havenbuurt, the only sound was halyards clinking against masts and a distant coot, and it beat any café soundtrack.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #1 village in The NetherlandsWhy Marken should be on your travel list

Backpackers stop in Marken to get a calm counterweight to Amsterdam, only a short bus ride away. The draw is the look of the place: wooden houses on terps, painted green and black, stand on mounds that kept families dry when the old Zuiderzee flooded. It is a short stop in practice. Most travelers give it a half day, but a night here changes the experience, since the streets are quiet by 5 pm and you have the dike path to yourself. It suits slow travelers, cyclists and solo travelers who want calm more than company. A flat loop of roughly 25 km links Marken with Monnickendam, Broek in Waterland and the Waterland polders, and rental bikes in Amsterdam or Monnickendam make it easy. Do not expect hostels or hiking. Accommodation is limited to a handful of guesthouses and holiday rentals, and … read more 👉
Backpackers stop in Marken to get a calm counterweight to Amsterdam, only a short bus ride away. The draw is the look of the place: wooden houses on terps, painted green and black, stand on mounds that kept families dry when the old Zuiderzee flooded. It is a short stop in practice. Most travelers give it a half day, but a night here changes the experience, since the streets are quiet by 5 pm and you have the dike path to yourself. It suits slow travelers, cyclists and solo travelers who want calm more than company. A flat loop of roughly 25 km links Marken with Monnickendam, Broek in Waterland and the Waterland polders, and rental bikes in Amsterdam or Monnickendam make it easy. Do not expect hostels or hiking. Accommodation is limited to a handful of guesthouses and holiday rentals, and groceries are basic, so eat a proper meal in Monnickendam or Volendam if you are on a tight budget. If you want a social base, pick Amsterdam. If you want an hour of silence and a lighthouse sunset, come here.

💡 HighlightsThe experiences that define the visit

  1. Havenbuurt and Kerkbuurt walk. The two old quarters hold the wooden houses that define Marken, many set on terps and some on stilts, with small bridges and tiny gardens between them. Walk the harbor front, then cut inland through the Kerkbuurt streets to see how tightly the houses crowd together. Visit before 11 am or after 4 pm to avoid the tour groups. It is free, and 1 to 2 hours is enough.
  2. Marken Museum. Set in a group of four connected old smokehouses once used for smoking eel, the museum covers the fishing life, regional dress, interiors and the island’s isolation before the causeway. The rooms are small and the displays are mostly explained in Dutch and English. Entry is roughly US$4 to 6 (€4 to 5), and you should allow 30 to 45 minutes. It is most useful on a rainy day, and opening
… read more 👉
  1. Havenbuurt and Kerkbuurt walk. The two old quarters hold the wooden houses that define Marken, many set on terps and some on stilts, with small bridges and tiny gardens between them. Walk the harbor front, then cut inland through the Kerkbuurt streets to see how tightly the houses crowd together. Visit before 11 am or after 4 pm to avoid the tour groups. It is free, and 1 to 2 hours is enough.
  2. Marken Museum. Set in a group of four connected old smokehouses once used for smoking eel, the museum covers the fishing life, regional dress, interiors and the island’s isolation before the causeway. The rooms are small and the displays are mostly explained in Dutch and English. Entry is roughly US$4 to 6 (€4 to 5), and you should allow 30 to 45 minutes. It is most useful on a rainy day, and opening hours shrink in winter, so check before you go.
  3. Paard van Marken lighthouse. This red-and-white lighthouse dates from 1839 and stands at the eastern tip, with the Markermeer on three sides. The name comes from the horse-like shape of the nearby shoreline mound. Walk or cycle the roughly 2 km from the village along the dike path, taking 30 to 40 minutes each way on foot. Sunset is the best time, and bring a layer because the wind is steady. You can view the exterior only, and it is free.
For day trips, Monnickendam has a historic harbor and smoked fish stalls, Volendam is reachable by seasonal ferry or bus, Edam is known for its cheese market in summer, Broek in Waterland is a quiet wooden village, and Zaanse Schans has working windmills. Do the lighthouse walk first on a clear day, because the light changes fast and the later museum and streets work fine in any weather.
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Things to do around Marken

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🌤️ When to go?Choosing the right time of year

  • Spring (April to May): Late April to mid-May is the best window for Marken, with highs of 12 to 18°C (54 to 64°F), long light evenings and tulip fields an easy ride away. Days run 14 to 16 hours. Crowds stay modest outside weekends.
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 20 to 24°C (68 to 75°F), sunrise before 5:30 a.m. and light until after 10 p.m. Day-trippers fill the village between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and accommodation prices climb 20 to 40 percent.
  • Autumn (September to October): Highs fall from 19 to 12°C (66 to 54°F). Crowds thin, rain becomes frequent, and the dike paths are quiet and moody.
  • Winter (November to March): Highs of 3 to 7°C (37 to 45°F), only 8 hours of daylight in December, and wind off the Markermeer that cuts through thin jackets. Several cafes and the museum cut hours, but
… read more 👉
  • Spring (April to May): Late April to mid-May is the best window for Marken, with highs of 12 to 18°C (54 to 64°F), long light evenings and tulip fields an easy ride away. Days run 14 to 16 hours. Crowds stay modest outside weekends.
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 20 to 24°C (68 to 75°F), sunrise before 5:30 a.m. and light until after 10 p.m. Day-trippers fill the village between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and accommodation prices climb 20 to 40 percent.
  • Autumn (September to October): Highs fall from 19 to 12°C (66 to 54°F). Crowds thin, rain becomes frequent, and the dike paths are quiet and moody.
  • Winter (November to March): Highs of 3 to 7°C (37 to 45°F), only 8 hours of daylight in December, and wind off the Markermeer that cuts through thin jackets. Several cafes and the museum cut hours, but rooms are cheapest.
Visit on a weekday morning, before the tour buses arrive around 11 a.m., and you will have the harbor and its wooden houses almost to yourself.


source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: good for travelingAPRApril: highly recommended for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: good for travelingJULJuly: good for travelingAUGAugust: good for travelingSEPSeptember: highly recommended for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
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🛏️ Where to stay?Choosing the right base

Marken has very few beds, so the best base for most backpackers is Amsterdam or Volendam, with the village itself reserved for those who want a quiet night on the island.
On Marken, expect B&Bs and a handful of small guesthouses in the wooden houses along the harbor and the mound hamlets. Doubles usually run about €90 to 150 a night, and there are no hostels. Book early for May to August, because the supply is tiny and weekends fill first. The reward is waking up after the day-trippers have left, when the harbor is silent apart from halyards clinking on masts and the lighthouse is lit at dusk.
Volendam, … read more 👉
Marken has very few beds, so the best base for most backpackers is Amsterdam or Volendam, with the village itself reserved for those who want a quiet night on the island.
On Marken, expect B&Bs and a handful of small guesthouses in the wooden houses along the harbor and the mound hamlets. Doubles usually run about €90 to 150 a night, and there are no hostels. Book early for May to August, because the supply is tiny and weekends fill first. The reward is waking up after the day-trippers have left, when the harbor is silent apart from halyards clinking on masts and the lighthouse is lit at dusk.
Volendam, 4 km (2.5 miles) south across the dike, is the practical budget choice. It has more guesthouses and small hotels, with rooms from roughly €70 to 130 in season, and plenty of cheap food. Bus 315 links it with Marken in about 15 minutes, and the walk or bike ride along the dike takes 45 minutes.
Monnickendam, 5 km (3 miles) away, is calmer than Volendam and has a few B&Bs and a campground-style stay nearby, useful if you have a tent or van.
Amsterdam gives you the hostels, with dorm beds from about €35 to 70 depending on season, and reaches Marken in around 45 to 60 minutes by bus 316 from Amsterdam Centraal. Book dorms a month ahead for summer.
Best hostels in The Netherlands


Best quality hotels in The Netherlands

🚌 Day tripsEasy escapes and nearby places

Marken works well as a base for day trips because bus 315 and 316 plus flat cycling routes connect it to several towns within an hour, though evening services thin out, so check the last bus before you leave.
Volendam and the Dike Ride:
The 4 km (2.5 mile) ride along the dike to Volendam takes about 20 minutes by bike and gives you the contrast of a fishing town turned souvenir strip, with smoked eel, fried fish and a long harbor promenade. Bike rental runs roughly €12 to 18 a day. Go in the morning, since the main street fills by noon, and budget €15 to 25 with a snack.
Edam and Cheese Country:
Edam sits about 30 minutes away by bus via Volendam, a canal town with gabled houses and a small cheese market on Wednesdays in July and August. Plan on €10 to 20 for transport and a cheese tasting. … read more 👉
Marken works well as a base for day trips because bus 315 and 316 plus flat cycling routes connect it to several towns within an hour, though evening services thin out, so check the last bus before you leave.
Volendam and the Dike Ride:
The 4 km (2.5 mile) ride along the dike to Volendam takes about 20 minutes by bike and gives you the contrast of a fishing town turned souvenir strip, with smoked eel, fried fish and a long harbor promenade. Bike rental runs roughly €12 to 18 a day. Go in the morning, since the main street fills by noon, and budget €15 to 25 with a snack.
Edam and Cheese Country:
Edam sits about 30 minutes away by bus via Volendam, a canal town with gabled houses and a small cheese market on Wednesdays in July and August. Plan on €10 to 20 for transport and a cheese tasting. Many first-timers expect cheese to be made on site, but most is produced elsewhere, so go for the streets and the cheese shops.
Monnickendam and Waterland:
A 15-minute bus or 25-minute ride gets you to Monnickendam, a quiet harbor town with a weigh house tower and smoked fish stalls. The wider Waterland polders reward cyclists with meadow birds in spring and empty farm lanes, and you can loop back with about 25 to 35 km (15 to 22 miles) of easy pedaling. Costs stay at €15 to 30 with a bike. Avoid windy afternoons if you can, since the headwind along the lake is brutal.
Amsterdam:
Amsterdam is 45 to 60 minutes away by bus 316 to Centraal, and a day ticket costs about €5 to 10 in transport. Leave early to reach museums at opening, and book timed tickets for the Rijksmuseum or Anne Frank House weeks ahead, because walk-ups are rarely possible. Total with entry and lunch is around €40 to 70.
Zaanse Schans and Zaandam:
Windmills and wooden houses sit about 1 to 1.5 hours away by bus and train via Amsterdam or Purmerend. Entry to the grounds is free, with small fees for individual mills and museums, and a day costs around €20 to 40. Arrive before 10 a.m. to avoid tour groups.

FAQFrequently asked questions about Marken

The easiest route is bus 315 from Amsterdam Centraal via Monnickendam, which takes roughly 40 to 50 minutes and runs several times an hour. Cyclists can ride about 5 km from Monnickendam over the causeway in 15 to 20 minutes. From April to October a ferry also links Volendam with Marken in about 30 minutes, and you can pay by card or cash on board.
Yes, if you want a quiet evening and a lighthouse walk rather than a checklist of sights. Plan 3 to 5 hours for the Havenbuurt, the Marken Museum (about €4 to 5) and the 2 km dike walk to the lighthouse. It is not worth the trip if you expect nightlife, hostels or hiking, since the village is small and quiet after 5 pm.
Yes, and most visitors do just that. From Amsterdam Centraal the bus takes roughly 45 minutes each way, so a half day is workable, and you can pair Marken with Monnickendam or Volendam. Staying overnight is a better option if you can, because the tour groups leave by late afternoon and the streets are far quieter at sunset.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Dutch villages near Marken

Explore more nearby:

  • Stavoren—Harbor kiosks, smoked eel, mermaid statue, IJsselmeer dike| 50 km away
  • Giethoorn—Canal punting, wooden footbridges, thatched farms, Binnenpad, Weerribben-Wieden| 72 km away
  • Orvelte—Saxon farmsteads, the Brink, craft workshops, 1944 memorial| 113 km away

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We 💚 feedbackKey takeaways before you go

The one mistake to avoid is treating Marken as a two-hour photo stop at noon. You will share the harbor with tour groups, buy an overpriced waffle and leave unimpressed. Come late, or sleep over, and walk to the lighthouse when the buses are gone. Marken is small and has no nightlife, so it will not fill a weekend. As an evening away from Amsterdam, it is perfect.

✈️ When did I visit The Netherlands?
Netherlands is my home base, so whenever I don’t travel, you can find me in this tiny spot on the globe. When friends from abroad visit me, it’s the time to actually explore my own country as a traveler.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in The Netherlands, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

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