Don't do this tour if you are spending a week or more in Amsterdam. You can take local buses and trains to most of the places these tours take you to.
We did the Edam, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans bus tour and enjoyed it very much. It was expensive but worth it as we had limited time in Amsterdam.
I was worried the tour wouldn't allow enough time for each city but that was definitely not the case. I would say they gave us just enough time in each location. Zaanse Schans was the highlight--very pretty town and a great tour of a working windmill. Also enjoyed petting the baby goat, though I'm pretty sure that wasn't allowed. The boat ride from Edam to Volendam was lovely and we enjoyed tasting all the cheese at the Gouda factory. If you are on the fence about bringing cheese back to the states, definitely do bring it back. It travels really well in our experience. Put in your checked bag and don't declare it.
The great thing about this tour was that the group was so large, you could wander off on your own and still find your way back. You can also opt to wander instead of doing one of the planned factory tours, which is what I did in Edam with the clog-maker's workshop (my husband did it and said it was nothing special--I'd recommend you skip it). The guide was good about letting me know when to be back at the location to meet the group.
If you are expecting a traditional tour with a history lesson, it is pretty much non-existent here. The guide serves more to make sure people get from place to place. There is a taped "tour" on the bus that you can plug into but it's not that interesting. If you have limited time and want to see the Dutch countryside though, it doesn't get better than being chauffeured on a scenic tour... in a double-decker. read more