For the next installation in our mini-series on Dutch day trips, look no further than The Hague.
The Hague (AKA Den Haag, or less commonly, ‘s-Gravenhage in Dutch) is one of the most sophisticated spots in the Netherlands.
Packed with museums, embassies, and cultural contributions, it also serves as the seat of Dutch parliament and the residence of the Dutch royal family.
The Hague rivals Brussels as an international hub city– the United Nations International Court of Justice is headquartered at the beautiful Peace Palace, and the International Criminal Court is located here as well, leading it to be known as “the city of peace and justice.”
The Hague is an easy, accessible day trip from Amsterdam and one of the “greenest” cities in Europe. While the architecture of many Dutch cities may start to get a bit repetitive after a while, The Hague is a bit different. It has fewer canals and examples of “Golden Age”-era architecture, but the overall effect is stately and grand, with ample green spaces and tree-lined walking streets.
Many people think The Hague is boring… and it can be tempting to skip it if you’re pressed for time. However, we urge you to go check it out for a day! The museums alone are spectacular, and it’s a calm and quiet city– which is always a nice break after spending any amount of time in the chaos of Amsterdam 😉
There are a variety of NS “sprinter” trains departing from Amsterdam Centraal or Amsterdam Sloterdijk that either have a terminus in The Hague or stop there. The journey takes less than an hour (usually 45-50 minutes) if you take a direct train. There are train options every 15-20 minutes, but some may require you to transfer at the Schiphol Airport stop or in Leiden. There are a few stops in The Hague, so be sure to get off at Den Haag Centraal to be right in the center of town.
Recommended Reading
Top Things to Do in The Hague
Visit at least a few of the city's world-class museums.
- The Mauritshuis: This is probably our favorite museum in the Netherlands so far. It’s not big, but it packs quite a punch!
- Be sure to arrive here early— since it’s fairly small, it gets jam–packed with visitors, especially in the room where Vermeer’s master work Girl with a Pearl Earring is hanging.
- The interior is absolutely jaw-dropping, super opulent and lavish– and refreshingly self-aware about the origins of that lavishness being rooted in oppression and colonization. We are really looking forward to a repeat trip.
- Don’t miss the masterworks by Dutch masters Rembrandt, Vermeer, and beyond here– the collection housed at the Mauritshuis is absolutely world-class.
- You likely won’t need longer than half an hour in Huis van Het Boek, but it’s a really neat historic home with an impressive book collection and interesting rotating exhibits on the first floor. You can also check out its lovely garden in the back.
- M.C. Escher fans will enjoy Escher in het Paleis, housed permanently in Queen Wilhemina’s former palace.
- The Kunstmuseum is actually one of Europe’s largest, with over 160,000 works! It is mostly known for modern and contemporary art, but there’s so, so much more. It has a lot of furniture, specifically Delft-ware and other pottery, and also is the “international home” of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, with over 300 of his works. The museum building is also gorgeous, in an Art Deco style with loads of natural light.
Explore the city center and its surroundings.
The Hague is eminently walkable and pedestrian-friendly. You’ll find life in general to be a bit more laid-back here than in Amsterdam, and you’re less likely to get mowed down by a bike if you step where you shouldn’t!
- You can tell if the king is in residence if a flag is raised above Noordeinde Palace, and the surrounding Noordeinde neighborhood has many chic shops and restaurants.
- The Passage is no mere shopping mall– but a UNESCO World Heritage site. While not as grandiose as its counterpart in Milan, it’s quick and cute to walk through– or to shelter in if the weather turns on you!
- The Grote Kerk dates back to the 13th century, and it’s an option to climb up to the top for great views of the city.
- Antiques fans will enjoy exploring the Denneweg area, which has less antiques shops than it did historically but still has a lot of options for shopping, eating, or relaxing. The more chic part of town, the Zeeheldenkwartier, is also fun to window shop or grab some lunch in.
- Explore the Lange Voorhout, home to a variety of embassies. It used to be mainly occupied by the city’s wealthiest residents, and has a wide promenade to walk on. The neighborhood continuing from this area is also super cute– more reminiscent of the Golden Age architecture of other cities.
- Check out the imposing Peace Palace, home to the International Court of Justice. You likely won’t be able to go inside if court is in session, but it’s still worth seeing from the outside.
- Lastly, the Binnenhof was easily our favorite part of the day– it’s absolutely stunning! Fun fact: it’s the oldest parliament building in the world that’s been in continuous use.
Bonus: Visit Scheveningen.
If you have a bit more time, check out Scheveningen. The Hague is the only major metropolitan area in the Netherlands that has a beach within city limits, and it’s only 20 minutes away by bus or tram. There’s also a lovely walking path from the city center, but at 5 kilometers one-way it may be a bit of a stretch for a day trip to do that round-trip.
Scheveningen has a gorgeous resort called Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus (which is a 5-star resort but free to walk around) as well as fun adventure activities like surfing and bungee-jumping.
Its boardwalk has a variety of cafés and restaurants, some more touristy than others, and it’s overall a beautiful place to just relax by the water– sunset especially is rumored to be the best time to visit. Definitely adding that to our list!
Fun fact: Scheveningen is a really challenging word to pronounce correctly. As the story goes, it was used during World War II to detect if someone could be a spy– even a German speaker with flawless Dutch otherwise was likely to mispronounce this word, so it was often used to root out German spies in the area.
Keep an eye out for the next few Amsterdam day trips coming your way soon– we’ve got Delft, Gouda, Utrecht, and more queued up!
In the meantime, you can pin this guide for later on Pinterest here or by clicking on the photos below.
Lastly, don’t miss our first day trip guides to cute-as-a-button Zaanse Schans; our favorite Dutch town, Haarlem; and our springtime guide to the tulips at Keukenhof Gardens.
