Day Trips from Delft

The most accessible major city from Delft and one of the most rewarding. Den Haag is the political and diplomatic capital of the Netherlands with world-class museums, the Mauritshuis containing Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, the Binnenhof parliamentary complex, the Peace Palace, and the beach at Scheveningen twenty minutes by tram. Given the ten-minute journey, many Delft residents treat Den Haag as an extension of their own city rather than a day trip, combining the two in a single outing: a morning in Delft’s historic museums and an afternoon at the Mauritshuis is one of the finest day itineraries in South Holland. See the full Den Haag guide for everything the city offers.

The most architecturally dramatic city in the Netherlands and an easy day trip from Delft. The Markthal, cube houses, Erasmus Bridge, Fenix Food Factory in Katendrecht, and the waterfront energy make it one of the most rewarding full-day destinations in the region. The contrast between Delft’s perfectly preserved Golden Age character and Rotterdam’s modern boldness makes the fifteen-minute train journey feel like a journey between two completely different worlds. Rotterdam also serves as the launch point for the Kinderdijk WaterShuttle (see below). See the full Rotterdam guide for everything the city offers.

Famous worldwide for its cheese and significantly underrated as a day trip from Delft. The medieval market square with the Renaissance Stadhuis is one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. The Thursday cheese market from April to August is a genuine Dutch tradition running for centuries. The Gouda stroopwafel was invented here and is best eaten fresh from the market. The Sint-Janskerk has the largest collection of original medieval stained glass windows in the Netherlands. An excellent combination with a morning in Delft for a full South Holland day. Naturally pairs with a Dordrecht visit for those who want a full historic South Holland double.

One of the most beautiful small cities in the Netherlands and a natural day trip from Delft. The historic centre is a network of canals, drawbridges, and 17th-century buildings that rivals Delft itself in beauty while having a completely different character driven by its university. Rembrandt was born here. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden has one of the finest collections of Egyptian and classical antiquities in Europe. The Hortus Botanicus dates from 1590 and is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands. In spring the tulip fields of the nearby Bollenstreek are spectacular, and combining Leiden with Keukenhof makes for an outstanding spring day. See the full Leiden guide for everything the city offers.

The oldest city in Holland, founded in 1220, and one of the most consistently overlooked day trips from South Holland. A beautiful historic centre with canals, gabled houses, and a distinctive waterfront character shaped by its position at the confluence of three rivers. The Grote Kerk is one of the most impressive Gothic churches in the Netherlands. The National Park De Biesbosch, a unique freshwater tidal nature reserve and one of the largest national parks in the Netherlands, is accessible from Dordrecht and makes an excellent natural addition to the city visit. Far less tourist-heavy than any of the obvious South Holland destinations.

The obvious big city day trip from Delft. The canal ring, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, the Jordaan, Albert Cuyp Market, and the Nine Streets are all within easy reach. Given how different Amsterdam is from Delft in character and scale, visiting as a day trip gives a fascinating contrast perspective on Dutch city life. Note that Amsterdam is significantly more tourist-heavy than Delft, particularly in summer: book museum tickets well in advance and aim for early morning starts. See the full Amsterdam guide for what the city offers and how to navigate it without the worst of the crowds.

The most underrated major Dutch city and an excellent day trip from Delft. The Oudegracht canal with its unique wharf cellars converted into cafes and restaurants is unlike anything else in the Netherlands. The Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the country. The cafe scene is outstanding. More authentic and less tourist-heavy than Amsterdam with everything that makes Dutch city life enjoyable. The contrast to Delft is subtler than Rotterdam but no less rewarding: Utrecht is a university city with its own confident identity and a historic centre that rewards a full day of exploration. See the full Utrecht guide for what the city offers.

A beautifully preserved historic city fifteen minutes from Amsterdam that deserves a full day in its own right rather than being treated as an Amsterdam suburb. The Grote Markt dominated by the Sint-Bavokerk, the Frans Hals Museum, the Teylers Museum (the oldest museum in the Netherlands, founded 1778), and the hofjes hidden courtyard gardens all reward a full day. Zandvoort beach is ten minutes by direct train from Haarlem, making a beach extension easy. The combination of Haarlem’s museums and Zandvoort beach makes for an excellent summer day. See the full Haarlem guide for what the city offers.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site with nineteen historic windmills still standing in their original positions along the polders of the Alblasserwaard, and one of the most iconic landscapes in the Netherlands. The most scenic route from Delft is to take the train to Rotterdam and then the WaterShuttle from Rotterdam’s Willemskade to Kinderdijk, a 30-minute river journey with views of the Rotterdam skyline giving way to the windmill landscape. Note that since October 2025 the old Waterbus line has been replaced by the WaterShuttle, a separate tourist service operating Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only, requiring its own ticket purchased separately from your train ticket (not covered by Waterbus passes or OV-chipkaart). On other days, take Waterbus line 20 from Rotterdam to Ridderkerk and transfer to the Driehoeksveer ferry. Two windmills can be visited from the inside. Best combined with a Rotterdam stop for a full South Holland day.

The most spectacular seasonal attraction within easy reach of Delft. Seven million bulbs planted across 32 hectares create the finest tulip display in the world during the eight weeks the gardens are open each spring. Book tickets well in advance as Keukenhof sells out for peak weekends. The surrounding Bollenstreek tulip fields between Delft and Leiden can be explored by bike: cycling northwest from Delft through the polder landscape to Lisse is one of the finest spring cycling experiences in South Holland, passing field after field of red, yellow, and purple. The cycling route pairs naturally with a stop in Leiden for lunch. By public transport, take the train to Leiden Centraal and the Keukenhof shuttle bus from there.

Den Haag’s beach and one of the finest in the Netherlands is easily accessible from Delft in around 25 minutes combining the direct train to Den Haag Centraal and the tram to the seafront. A wide sandy beach with beach clubs, beach bars, watersports, and the iconic Scheveningen pier. One of the quickest North Sea beach escapes from any inland Dutch city. On hot summer days this is a genuinely excellent use of an afternoon. Best on weekdays in summer to avoid the weekend crowds from both Den Haag and Delft. Pairs naturally with a morning in Den Haag‘s museums for a full day out.

A forest and cycling area directly adjacent to Delft, covered in forests, swamps, waterways, and well-marked cycling routes. An excellent quick escape into nature without any train travel. The Abtswoudse Bos connects to the Delftse Hout recreation area making it easy to combine both in a single cycling excursion east from the historic centre. A genuinely good nature cycling destination that most Delft residents use regularly throughout the year. Combine with Delftse Hout and the Plantagebossen for a full half-day cycling loop from the city.

The village without roads. Giethoorn is connected entirely by canals with no cars in the historic centre. Traditional thatched farmhouses on small islands are connected by wooden footbridges. Hiring a whisper boat to explore the canals is the best way to experience it, and is one of the most purely enjoyable afternoons available anywhere in the Netherlands. A longer journey from Delft than from Utrecht or Amsterdam but worth it for a genuinely unique Dutch experience unlike anything else in the country. Go on a weekday in spring or autumn to avoid the summer crowds and arrive early regardless of the day.

Not a day trip away from Delft but the natural combination for visitors to the region staying elsewhere, and the itinerary most Delft residents recommend to arriving friends and family. A morning in Delft visiting the Markt, Nieuwe Kerk, and Royal Delft or the Prinsenhof, followed by an afternoon in Den Haag at the Mauritshuis and the Binnenhof, is one of the finest single-day itineraries in the Netherlands. The ten-minute train between the two cities makes the combination effortless. Add Scheveningen beach by tram in the early evening for a complete South Holland day.

For cyclists, the route from Delft to Den Haag via the Land Art Delft polder park is one of the finest urban cycling routes in South Holland. The flat polder landscape with its drainage ditches, water birds, and art installations in the LAD park creates a genuinely enjoyable cycling experience that showcases the Dutch landscape at its most characteristically beautiful. Arriving in Den Haag via the Westduinpark dunes and Scheveningen is the most scenic approach to the city. One of the best ways to spend a sunny day living in Delft, and an excellent route for introducing visiting cyclists to the Dutch polder landscape. Bike hire is available at Delft Centraal for visitors.