10 Great Day Trips to Take From The Hague

Lisse lies in the heart of South-Holland’s tulip belt and is surrounded by hundreds of colourful flower fields. The city main attractions include a fascinating tulip museum, castle ‘t Huys Dever and, of course, Keukenhof Gardens.

There are several rapid train lines that connect the Hague with Amsterdam as the cities provide commuters to one another. Despite being the largest city in the Netherlands, Amsterdam’s size is relatively manageable and it is possible to visits many of its famous sights in one day.

Leiden’s university is the oldest in the Netherlands and date back to 1575. Since then the city has developed around academia and currently features many stunning buildings associated with the university including Leiden Observatory. Hortus Botanicus botanical gardens and several scholarly museums.

Rotterdam is actually connected to The Hague by a high speed metro line which means that travelling between either city takes around 30 minutes. As the second largest city in the Netherlands, Rotterdam has plenty to offer travellers, including astounding ultra-modern architecture, world-leading museums and many awesome nighttime hangouts.

Due to its historical and cultural significance, the windmill network inside Kinderdijk is protected as an UNSECO World Heritage Site. Most of these incredible machines are over 250 years old and were originally built to drain water from the area’s marshlands.

Although Kijkduin is actually part of the Hague its distance from the city’s centre can easily justify an entire day trip. This seaside borough lies roughly 10 kilometre due west of the Binnenhof and is famous for its beautiful coastline, windswept dunes and modernist architecture.

Utrecht might be the most historically charming city in the Netherlands and still features many church buildings from the Middle Ages. The Dom Tower, for example, was built in the 14th century and has stood above Utrecht’s historic town centre ever since.

Delft is a medieval city that lies between The Hague and Rotterdam. This photogenic burg was once an economic powerhouse and famously produced massive quotas of beautiful Delftware pottery during the Dutch Golden Ages. Many buildings from this period are still present within Delft and the city is renowned for its classic architecture.

Haarlem’s medieval town centre is utterly breathtaking and features several magnificent ecclesiastical and municipal buildings that predate the Dutch Golden Age. There’s also a craft brewery inside a former church.

Gouda’s modest size and wide range of historical attractions makes it perfect for day trips from the Hague. Many of these wonderful buildings date back to Gouda’s economic heyday when it was the only city in the Netherlands that was permitted to hold a cheese market (which still takes place every Thursday between April and September).