Quick Answer
What It Is
The Volendam Marken Express is the year-round passenger ferry between Volendam and the former island of Marken, 4 km across the Gouwzee. The route has been operated almost continuously since the 1920s and is the standard way visitors combine the two villages in one day. It's a flat, sheltered crossing - the Gouwzee is a freshwater bay since the IJsselmeer was closed off in 1932 - so seasickness isn't a concern.
Boats hold around 200 passengers, have an open upper deck and a covered lower deck with toilets and a small bar. There is no car ferry; passengers and bikes only.
Timetable
The operator's own line is simply "we sail every day". In the current timetable boats leave roughly every 45 minutes:
From Volendam (Haven 39)
- 10:30, 11:15, 12:00, 12:45, 13:30, 14:15, 15:00, 15:45, 16:30, 17:15
- Extra sailings at 9:45, 18:00 and 18:30 when it is busy
From Marken (Havenbuurt)
- 11:15, 12:00, 12:45, 13:30, 14:15, 15:00, 15:45, 16:30, 17:15, 18:00
- Extra sailings at 10:30, 18:45 and 19:15 when it is busy
The ferry runs in winter too, but the last departures are earlier than in summer. Check the day's times on markenexpress.nl before you plan a tight connection, especially between November and March.
Tickets and Fares
An adult single costs roughly €9-10, and a return is cheaper than two singles. Children travel at a reduced fare, and bikes, scooters and leashed dogs can come on board. Prices change each season, so check the current fare on the operator's ticket page.
- Where to buy: online at markenexpress.nl or at the quay. Online payment accepts iDEAL, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayPal, Apple Pay and Klarna.
- Validity: tickets bought online are valid for a year from purchase, so you don't need to fix your travel day.
- Add-ons: the operator sells combinations with a traditional-costume photo, the clog workshop and a traditional house on Marken, and coffee with apple cake.
- Groups: book ahead through the operator's group page.
Where to Board in Volendam
The boat leaves from Haven 39, on the harbour front of the Dijk. Look for the "Marken Express" boats and the ticket point at the quay. From the Zeestraat bus stops it's a few minutes' walk down to the Dijk.
In summer, get there 10 minutes before departure. In quieter months, 5 minutes is enough.
Where You Land in Marken
The ferry docks at the Havenbuurt - the cluster of green wooden houses on stilts that you'll have seen in every Marken photograph. The lighthouse (Het Paard van Marken) is a 25-minute walk further out on the dike. Most of the village is car-free.
What to Do on Marken
Walk the Havenbuurt
The harbor cluster of green-and-white houses on raised piles - a 15-minute slow loop. Marken houses sit on stilts because the island flooded regularly until the 1957 dike was completed.
Marker Museum
Four restored fishermen's houses shown as they were in the 1900s. Costumes, tools, interiors. €5.50 adult, open April-October.
The Lighthouse walk
2 km along the eastern dike to Het Paard van Marken (1839). Closed to the public but a striking destination; allow 50 minutes round trip.
Clog workshop
Marker Klompenmakerij at Kets 52 - free demonstrations of clog-making on a 100-year-old lathe. Shop attached.
Eat smoked fish
Land & Zeezicht and a handful of harbor terraces sell paling, kibbeling and broodjes.
Kerkstraat & the church
The 19th-century Grote Kerk and the streets behind it show the inland half of the village - quieter and architecturally different from the harbor cluster.
A relaxed Marken visit takes 2-3 hours; a fast visit is doable in 90 minutes if you only walk the Havenbuurt.
Tips
- Buy a return at the start. A return is cheaper than two singles, and the last boats of the day fill up.
- Sit on the upper deck both ways. Better photos and the wind keeps wasps off your stroopwafel in summer.
- Check the last return. Missing the final boat means a €30+ taxi via the causeway, which is a 15-km road detour.
- Bikes are easy. If you cycled in from Amsterdam, the bike fare is trivial and Marken's flat dike road continues to Monnickendam (8 km) - a nice loop back.
- Winter crossings. The ferry keeps running in winter, but the last boats leave earlier. In bad weather you can also reach Marken by road via Monnickendam.