Quick Answer
What It Is
The Volendam Marken Express is the seasonal 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.
2026 Schedule
From Volendam
- First departure: 11:00
- Hourly on the hour until 18:00
- Extra crossings in July/August (every 30 minutes peak afternoons)
From Marken
- First return: 11:30
- Hourly at half past
- Last return: usually 18:30 (19:00 in peak summer)
The service runs late March through end October. From November to mid-March the ferry does not operate; the only way to reach Marken in winter is by car or bus 315 across the dike causeway. Always confirm the day's first/last sailing on the operator's site before planning a tight schedule.
Fares (2026)
| Ticket | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (12+) | €9.50 | €16.00 |
| Child (4-11) | €5.50 | €8.00 |
| Under 4 | Free | Free |
| Bicycle | €3.00 | €5.00 |
| Dog | €2.00 | €3.00 |
Tickets are sold at the small kiosk at the dock; card and cash both accepted. No advance booking is needed for individuals - capacity rarely sells out. Group tickets (15+) require email reservation.
Where to Board in Volendam
The ferry leaves from the eastern end of the Dijk, near the bandstand and the green-painted ticket kiosk - not from the inner harbor with the fishing boats. Look for the white double-deck boat with "Marken Express" on the side. From the bus stop at Zeestraat it's a 4-minute walk along the Dijk.
Arrive 10 minutes before departure in summer; in shoulder season 5 minutes is plenty.
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. One-way + one-way is €3 more than the return ticket and the boats fill on the last sailing.
- 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.
- Off-season alternative. November-March, take bus 315 from Volendam (changes at Monnickendam) - about 30 minutes by road.