Day Trips from The Hague

The most obvious and most rewarding day trip from The Hague. A perfectly preserved 17th-century city that looks almost exactly as it did when Vermeer was born here in 1632. The Markt with the Nieuwe Kerk and Stadhuis is one of the most beautiful historic squares in the Netherlands. The Royal Delft factory produces the famous Delft Blue pottery and offers factory tours. The Vermeer Centrum tells the story of the city’s most famous son. TU Delft, one of Europe’s leading technical universities, gives the city a quietly international character year-round. Ten minutes by direct train makes it the easiest day trip available from The Hague: it is possible to be standing on the Markt within 20 minutes of leaving your front door. Combine easily with Rotterdam for a full South Holland day.

One of the most beautiful small cities in the Netherlands and one of the most underrated day trips from The Hague. The historic centre is a network of canals, drawbridges and 17th-century buildings that rivals Amsterdam in beauty without the tourist density. Rembrandt was born here in 1606. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden has one of the finest collections of Egyptian and classical antiquities in Europe, including an intact Egyptian temple. The Hortus Botanicus dates from 1590 and is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. The spring bulb fields of the Bollenstreek are directly accessible from Leiden, making a combined Leiden and Keukenhof day one of the finest spring outings in the Netherlands. Very few tourists relative to the quality of what is on offer.

A prestigious village immediately north of The Hague with large private villas behind hedgerows, the beautiful Duivenvoorde Castle estate set in a magnificent park, and excellent cycling through the adjacent dune landscape. The Duivenvoorde Castle is one of the finest castle estates in South Holland and well worth visiting for the grounds alone. Wassenaar is also the location of the American School of The Hague and several international diplomatic residences. Accessible by bus from The Hague or by bike through the dune paths of the Haagse Bos and Clingendael, making it a natural extension of a parks day. A gentle, characterful destination for a half-day without needing a train.

The Hague’s dramatically different neighbour and one of the finest architectural cities in Europe. Where The Hague is elegant, measured and historic, Rotterdam is bold, modern and forward-looking: it was bombed flat in 1940 and rebuilt with ambition. The Markthal, cube houses, Erasmus Bridge, the port architecture of the Kop van Zuid, and the food culture of Fenix Food Factory in Katendrecht all justify a full day. The contrast with The Hague is part of the point: spending a day in Rotterdam gives both cities richer meaning. A natural combination with Delft for a full South Holland day of contrasts, or with Kinderdijk windmills for a UNESCO heritage pairing.

Famous worldwide for its cheese and significantly underrated as a day trip destination. The medieval market square with the ornate 15th-century Stadhuis is one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. The Thursday cheese market from April to August is a genuine Dutch tradition that has survived as an actual working market rather than a tourist performance: rounds of Gouda and Edam are brought in, weighed on hand scales and traded by farmers and merchants in the traditional way. The Sint-Janskerk has the largest collection of original stained glass windows in the Netherlands, covering 600 years of Dutch history in glass. The Gouda stroopwafel was invented here: buy them fresh from the market rather than packaged. Easily combined with Delft or Leiden for a full South Holland day.

The oldest city in Holland, founded in 1220, and one of the most overlooked day trips from The Hague. A beautiful historic centre with canals, gabled merchant houses and a distinctive waterfront character that feels genuinely different from the more visited South Holland cities. The Grote Kerk is one of the most impressive Gothic churches in the Netherlands. National Park De Biesbosch, a unique freshwater tidal nature reserve immediately accessible from Dordrecht, adds a compelling natural dimension: the maze of rivers, creeks and willow forests is home to beavers and the only place in the Netherlands where they live wild. Best visited on a weekday when the few tourists who do come tend to thin out.

The classic South Holland double and one of the finest day trip combinations available from any Dutch city. Start in Delft in the morning for the Markt, the Royal Delft factory and a canal walk through the historic centre. Take the 10-minute direct train to Rotterdam after lunch for the Markthal, cube houses and Fenix Food Factory in Katendrecht in the afternoon. Two cities with completely different characters, each at their best at different points of the day. The juxtaposition of Delft’s 17th-century preserved beauty and Rotterdam’s post-war architectural ambition in a single day is an unusually good introduction to the range of the Netherlands.

The obvious big city day trip from The Hague and the essential Dutch city comparison. The canal ring, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House and the Jordaan are all within easy reach on a full day. Given the very different characters of Amsterdam and The Hague, visiting Amsterdam as a day trip gives an interesting comparative perspective on Dutch city life: Amsterdam is louder, more internationally visited and less politically focused. Note that Amsterdam is significantly more tourist-heavy than The Hague, particularly in spring and summer. See our full Amsterdam guide for attractions, restaurants and museums.

The Netherlands’ most underrated city and one of the best day trips from The Hague. The Oudegracht canal with its unique wharf cellars converted into cafes and restaurants is genuinely beautiful and unlike anything else in the Netherlands. The Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the country at 112 metres and can be climbed on guided tours. The cafe and cycling culture is exceptional even by Dutch standards. More authentic and less tourist-heavy than Amsterdam, with a large student population that gives it consistent energy. A good combination with Amsterdam for a two-city day using the direct train connections between all three cities.

The most spectacular seasonal attraction within easy reach of The Hague. Seven million bulbs planted across 32 hectares create the most extraordinary tulip display in the world during the eight weeks the gardens are open each spring. The surrounding Bollenstreek tulip fields around Lisse, Hillegom and Noordwijkerhout can also be explored independently by bike, with the striped fields of red, yellow and purple stretching to the horizon in peak season. From The Hague the fields are reachable by bicycle for the adventurous, making the spring tulip experience uniquely accessible. Book tickets to Keukenhof well in advance: it sells out on peak spring weekends. Best visited on a weekday morning to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Not a classic day trip destination but one of the most rewarding natural experiences available from The Hague without any public transport. The vast dune landscape stretching from Scheveningen north to Katwijk covers thousands of hectares of protected coastal nature reserve accessible by bike along well-marked cycling routes. Dune valleys, lakes, wetlands and coastal heath support remarkable wildlife including deer, foxes, spoonbills and marsh harriers. A full day cycling through the dunes and finishing at the beach or at a cafe in Katwijk is one of the finest outdoor experiences in South Holland. See the full description in our parks guide.

For experienced cyclists, the bulb fields around Lisse and Hillegom are reachable by bike from The Hague through excellent cycling infrastructure. The route passes through the dunes, along coastal paths and through the heart of the flower-growing region. In spring the fields are an extraordinary display of colour visible for kilometres in every direction. The cycling infrastructure between The Hague and the Bollenstreek is very good: clearly marked routes through the dune landscape mean navigation is straightforward. One of the finest long cycling day trips available from any Dutch city and particularly satisfying because the beauty of the fields rewards the effort of getting there under your own power.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site with nineteen historic windmills still standing in their original positions in the Alblasserwaard polder landscape. Most easily reached via Rotterdam: take the train from The Hague to Rotterdam Centraal, then the water bus from the Erasmus Bridge area for the most scenic approach across the river. The water bus arrival gives the best first view of the windmill line. Worth combining with a Rotterdam morning for a full South Holland day that moves from architecture and food to the iconic pastoral landscape that shaped the Dutch relationship with water. The windmills are more impressive seen in sequence along the dyke than in photographs. Allow at least two to three hours on site.

A beautiful historic city that many visitors bypass in favour of Amsterdam, despite having a similarly well-preserved centre with canals, gabled houses and a magnificent main square. The Grote Markt in Haarlem is arguably more beautiful and more livable than Amsterdam’s Dam, surrounded by genuine cafes and restaurants rather than tourist infrastructure. The Frans Hals Museum holds one of the finest collections of 17th-century Dutch painting outside Amsterdam. The Teylers Museum, the oldest museum in the Netherlands (1784), is a cabinet of curiosities that has barely changed in two centuries. Very easy to combine with Leiden on the same train line for a full day of South Holland’s most beautiful cities.

Technically part of The Hague rather than a separate day trip, but worth treating as a full destination given how completely different it feels from the political city centre. A wide North Sea beach, the iconic pier, beach clubs, fresh seafood restaurants including Bali for rijsttafel, cocktail bars like Caipi Cafe, the SEA LIFE aquarium and the Beelden aan Zee sculpture museum all make Scheveningen a full day destination in its own right. For newly arrived expats, spending a full day at Scheveningen rather than passing through gives a completely different perspective on the city. Best on a summer weekday when the crowds are manageable.