The City Delivers. That was my impression after I visited The Hague (Den Haag in Dutch) for the first time. Fascinating Royal Architecture, Exotic Art Collection, Miniature Themed Park, Underwater Tunnel with Touch Pool, A long beach for Swimming or even Bungee jump by the North sea – You name it, The Hague has it. Initially I pictured The Hague just as a real life representation from one page of my High School History Book. But, upon exploring its diversity, my idea completely changed. No, The Hague is not the most perfect Dutch city but it has got a lot of things right. It has a lot of sights to choose from no matter what kind of traveler you are.
Wait What? You said History book. Isn’t that boring?
Indeed. But only if you read those to pass your board examination. But think about the ruins, castles, forts, cave paintings, ancient temples or royal palaces. Aren’t those a beauty to look at in person? Come to The Hague to witness one such royal beauty from your High School History or Political Science book. The International Court of Justice also known as the Peace Palace.
Even after reaching Netherlands, It took me more than one year to plan a full day tour to The Hague. I was utterly confused whether it’s a good idea to visit such an Urban Dutch city. While I was very happy with the Dutch countryside and rural landscape, I was never attracted by Amsterdam due to its busyness. However, after my first visit, I paid The Hague a multiple more visit. So, if you are wondering if it’s worth a visit, how to reach, how to explore, what to expect and what to eat, read on because I have all the answers.
If you are familiar with my writing style, you know I always provide an one pager downloadable and printable ready to use Infographic. Download it and you will never miss the highlights. Save it offline in your smartphone and refer it while you are in The Hague or maybe while you are just planning your itinerary.
If you are a resident of Holland, you have multiple opportunities to come to The Hague. In case something gets missed on your first visit, you always have a second chance. But, if you are an international traveler, come to The Hague only if you have a full day reserved for it. I would never recommend coming to Hague only for 2-4 hours. The city is big. Public transport network is wide-spread and life for travelers move slow here.
The Hague - What To Explore
There are so many things to visit at The Hague. I have not visited all of them but due to my opportunity to visit the City multiple times, I explored the different regions of The Hague. Remember one thing. You cannot walk across The Hague. I mean technically you can but it would be just a sheer waste of time and energy only to save a very minimum euro. For other parts of Netherlands, I prefer using 9292 website or Mobile App but I found the tram timetable and routes are quite fantastic if you use Google Map for The Hague region.
Once you come out of the train station, immediately you would see tram lines and a tram stop. Don’t board now. Take some time to explore the central square of the administrative capital of Holland. Within the city center, it is much better to walk and explore. My first 3 recommended stops from the infographic are pretty close from the central train station.
1. Explore The Plein (The Hague City Center)
Put Binnenhof in the Google Map. It is exactly 900 metres from the train station. In order to reach it, you need to cross Het Plein aka The Plein and Maurithuis first. So, what’s the point of putting Binnenhof at the first place if it’s the farthest? Well, the route Google Map will present is a Gem.
Three things you’ll notice just after you make your way past the station area. Historical buildings, Cafes and pigeons. Plenty of them. No, the city is not as picturesque as Giethoorn or Zaanse Schans, but C’mon. You are in a developed country. Let the nation flaunt you the square from where its President address the Nation. Let her show that she not only boasts of its scenic countryside but also its modern development.
If you have the luxury of time, I would suggest you to spend some time people watching in one of the numerous cafes here in the Plein. However, the spot where I would encourage you to take a stop is Ridderzaal, the main building from the former Castle of the Counts.
Read my article about the city of Ghent to know more about the castle of the counts today i.e. The Gravensteen. However, the Ridderzal today is still a fantastic place to marvel at the Architectural wonder, the ornated sculptures and the unique styled fountains. The place is always packed with photographers but wait! You will even find road side ice cream sellers selling a scoop for 1-2€. Isn’t that great?
Initially we thought it to be a Church. But today the Ridderzal (Known as the Hall of the Knights) is a place where on the third Tuesday in September, the King or Queen delivers the so-called King’s/Queen’s Speech in a joint sitting of both chambers of parliament.
After you come out the fantastically decorated gate, you have two choice. Either walk towards the Maurithus on the right or towards the Hofkapel. I would advise you to walk towards Hofkapel. Why? Read on to know more.
2. Binnenhoff
No matter how excited you are in visiting a Beach or how energized you are in getting engaged at the Miniature Theme park, please come and spend some time in this part of The Hague. In Google Map, the location says Voormalige Hofkapel (In English former court chapel). It’s an iconic Building and the view from Across the Pond is simply gorgeous. Both in Spring and Summer, the entire area is decorated with flowers making it a perfect place to get some good snaps.
When I first googled about The Hague, I wanted to visit the place where there is a heritage building surrounded by flowers and a sweet fountain in front of it. Only problem was that I didn’t know what the place is called. After reading my article, I think now you know where to find it. Yes, Holland is a country which looks magical in the Spring. But not many places will offer you the backdrop of a Royal Iconic Building.
With respect to Photography, There is a problem if you follow my route. I always visited Binnenhof around 10AM-12PM. In that case you need to shoot directly to The Sun. Looking at my photos, you’ll understand a little loss of contrast (I used Nikkor AF-P 18-55 VR Lens on my D5300) in the buildings. I wished to come back at the evening to shoot at the Golden light but after super hectic day at The Hague, I always chose to skip it.
There are many benches to sit on the opposite side of this water body. We took our packed breakfast and fruits and had those there. We found many people sat on the Grass and were having drink. I visited Binnenhof a couple of times and on both occasion, I found that TV Commercial was being shot keeping the court chapel at the backdrop. However, no tourism activity was hampered because of that.
3. Maurithuis
Remember my last photo from The Plein section? That’s exactly where Maurithis (Read Maurice House) is. Although it’s nearer from the exit of Ridderzal, my recommendation is to explore the Binnenhof area and then come here. Why? Because it houses a huge collection of Dutch Art from its golden age and thus you need time to visit it. After the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Mauritshuis in The Hague is the second best known collection in Holland which is just next to the Binnenhof.
Do You Know that from one of Mauritshuis’ rooms, You can actually see into the Dutch Prime Minister’s office?
The star of the show is undoubtedly Vermeer’s “The Girl With The Pearl Earring”, which has been at the museum for over a century. Apart from that, you can see beautiful collections from Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Steen, Anthony van Dyck, Judith Leyster and many more pronounced Artists.
If you have the choice, try to visit The Hague on a Thursday evening. Why? It’s because the museum is open till 8PM only on Thursday. Otherwise Monday is the best bet because locals prefer the weekends. During COVID, the only option to purchase tickets was via the official website. Even if tickets are sold offline, I would recommend to purchase online to save some time. As of May 2022, ticket cost is 17.5€ per adult and free till children up until 18 years. The first entry is from 10:15 AM and except Thursday, you are allowed to enter till 4:30PM.
4. Peace Palace
Well, The first Bummer! It’s not a Palace. Does that make it less attractive? Hell No!
For decades, The Hague proudly bears the title of “International City of Peace and Justice”. The Peace Palace at The Hague is the home of two of the most important courts in the world: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). You’ll be surprised to know that most Criminal cases are handled somewhere else in The Hague. This court is mostly for Arbitration.
While it is fantastic to join a tour inside, it is worth just to marvel at the impressive building from outside only. From the tram station, you need to walk down a little slope and this iconic building will come to your sight. While the court at the Binnenhof looks similar in Photograph, you must (and I cannot stretch this enough) visit this massive building in person. Even if you don’t want to join a guided tour inside this building, it’s very much worth to see the building in person mugging the importance of which probably gave you 5 marks in your High School History exam.
Now two questions may come to your mind. How can I get inside The Peace Palace? And if I do, what’s there to see?
Let me start by answering the second one. You’ll see several years of work of 48000 Japanese weavers in the wall of the hall where Permanent court of Arbitration hold their meeting. How? It’s because the walls are covered by Refined Silk and Golden Tapestries. Known as the Japanese Room, this is the most beautiful room probably across the Entire Netherlands. And? you will visit the Great Hall of Justice, the Small Courtroom and the historical garden around the palace.
Next comes the first question. To enter the Peace Palace, you need to book guided tour in advance. It is impossible to book tour on the spot so plan accordingly. Also note that the palace is open to public only few days a year. You can always sneak at the Visitor centre but you can’t get the entire flavor unless you join a guide tour. Please visit this link to book your tour from the official website. Ticket costs 15€ per person (Above 7 years) and free for children below 7. There is no discounted rate.
A walk to the Peace Palace aka The International Court of Justice takes a little less than 30 minutes from Binnenhof or Maurithuis. It takes half of that if you choose to travel by Tram. You need to catch Tram #28 from Den Haag Centrum and get down at Vredespaleis (4 Stops). The palace can be seen from the Tram Stop itself.
5. Madurodam
“Would you like to go back to be a child again?“
If you ask any adult this question, 90% of the chance is that you’ll get an affirmative answer. Now, if there is a place which gives you chance to feel like a kid again, would you let it go? Or, will you take the chance?
I don’t know if you have heard about Madurodam earlier or not but if you do, don’t make the same mistake we did. Don’t ever think that it’s a place only for kids. Sure, the kids will enjoy running around but the as an adult, you will appreciate it much much more. It’s like the Disney animations like Soul, Finding Nemo, Lion King or Monster Inc etc. At a first glance, they look like are for kids but without the adult mindset, you’ll never being able to appreciate it fully. Yes, Madurodam is a miniature park. But there’s something so magical about wandering past the models, peering down at those, and trying to take pictures as if you’re a Giant.
This place is so magical that I have written a comprehensive guide for this place only. Please visit this link to learn more about our experience and check out some amazing photos we took. The article is full of tips and tricks and has all the information you’d need to visit this gem of a park. Check it out and let me know if you enjoyed it or have some feedback.
During our visit, we walked from the Peace Palace to all the way upto Madurodam. The weather was brilliant and the path to Madurodam is through a forest. If you have time (About 25 minutes), you can consider walking or take Tram #22 from Javastraat to Madurodam which is 3 stops only and in total, it would take about 10minutes (walking combined).
6. Scheveningen Beach
Do you know that Scheveningen is actually a district in The Hague? Do you realize what that’s translate to? A really really long sandy beach. It’s so large that you simply cannot compare this with other beaches of the Netherlands like Wijk aan Zee. And then? A pier, an esplanade, a long boardwalk, fantastic seafood restaurants, a flyer, zipline, windsurfing, bungy jumping and majestic seaside resorts. Can you ask for more?
The first photo you see is the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus in front of you. But from where? So, here is the most important bit of information for you. I would encourage you to take Tram #1 and get down at stop Zwarte Pad. Google Map might ask you to get down at Kurhaus stop but don’t do that. This stunning 5 star hotel has a magnificent ballroom which you can visit for free if you walk through the building.
Once you cross the building, you will reach the beach. You can either go to the right to the Scheveningen stand. Or go to the left to have a fantastic view of the Pier. The second photo you see is that of the pier.
The water near the beach is quite shallow. If you take a look at the second photo, you can see that people can still walk comfortably at a respectable distance from the beach. Also, watch the flyer and the architecture in front of that. That’s the boardwalk of Scheveningen. It’s a fantastic place to enjoy ocean breeze and if you arrive there by noon on a Sunny day, the color of the water is fantastic blue.
You need to climb about two storey to reach to the top of the Boardwalk. If you are wondering where to find the stairs, come to a food joint named Churros Scheveningen (Google Map has this location). There is no entry fee or something. Just climb up and enjoy the beach from a height. The path is also lined with a wide array of cafés and bars. Whenever you feel to sit back and relax, just for a quick drink or light bite. The iconic Pier is also fully sheltered so that if it rains, you still got yourself covered.
Look at the funny toy train. These roam around the beach quite now and then. Ticket can be purchased at designated counter near the Pier. If you think only kids avail this fun ride then you are very wrong. I rather found mostly adults inside the toy train.
The Scheveningen esplanade is decorated with many statues and legos. I have not captured all of those but here are some sample sculptures that you can expect around the beach. I remember that I saw one tall Giraffe Lego but surprisingly I am unable to find the photograph.
As you can understand a lego for display implies that there is a Legoland. Yes, within minutes of walk from the Pier, you can reach Legoland Discovery centre of Scheveningen and the SEA Life Scheveningen. Remember that if you directly want to reach this place, you need to get down at Kurhaus Tram stop. For a rainy day, these places are good as these are completely indoor.
Scheveningen is paradise for sea food lovers. There are way too many food stalls to choose from. If you want to check in the restaurants, yes those are costly. But there are many roadside food joints selling different varieties of fries, fish and chicken. But watch out for Seagulls. There are many and they really annoy a lot. I have seen multiple instances where people have bought the food but couldn’t finish it properly because of the birds.
How To Reach The Hague
The Hague is super easy to reach from several places of the Netherlands. If you are an international traveler, then The Hague (Den Haag Central) can be directly reached from Haarlem, Leiden, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Almere (If you are staying at the eastern side of Holland) or Schiphol Airport. From all these places, take an Intercity express. Try to avoid Sprinter for two reasons. First, Sprinters are slow. Secondly, you can seat on the upper deck of the intercity and the view to The Hague is quite nice.
- Haarlem to Den Haag Central (40 Minutes)
- Station at Schiphol Airport to Den Haag Central (30 Minutes)
- Amsterdam Central to Den Haag Central (50 Minutes)
- Leiden to Den Haag Central (12 Minutes)
- Rotterdam Central to Den Haag Central (27 Minutes)
- Almere Centrum to Den Haag Central (1 Hour)
- Breda to Den Haag Central (50 Minutes)
- Delft to Den Haag Central (15 Minutes)
- Utrecht to Den Haag Central (38 Minutes)
The Hague is a city on the North Sea coast of the western Netherlands. So the farther you are to the east, the more time you’ll need to arrive here. However, being the administrative capital, it is pretty simple to reach The Hague from almost anywhere in Holland. No matter whether you use Google Map or 9292 website, put your destination as Den Haag Central.
How To Get Around?
Of all places I have visited in the Netherlands (and I have visited a lot over the span of two years), I have found that the public transport network within The Hague is the most impressive. Every street is connected by bus or tram. I would say you can compare the public transport network with that of Singapore as well.
Although Buses are available and quite abundant, I would encourage you to avail the Tram service while you are at The Hague. The Tram will take you at the gate of the central station, very near to the Peace palace, stops at the entrance of Madurodam and even takes you straight to the Beach. As I mentioned that Scheveningen has a lot of attractions and the Tram has a stop which is adjacent to each one of those. For a detailed network, please refer to the below network map for The Hague public transport.
If you find the text hard to read from the above image, you can download the original large-size image from this link. Let me know in the comment if the link got broken in the future so that I can update the revised link.
If you are a tourist and want to make the most out of public transport for a day, then you can choose to purchase a Tourist Day ticket. For Only €14,50, you can purchase a Day Ticket to travel in any Bus/Tram/Metro/Waterbus in regions of The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam, Lisse (Famous for Keukenhoff). However, please note that you cannot use this ticket on any Train or High Speed Ferries. To know more or purchase this ticket online, please visit this link.
Best Season To Visit The Hague
First you need to ask yourself a question. What do you want to see? What are you expecting from a visit to The Hague? If your answer is Snow, then you’ll be disappointed. Snow covered Dutch administrative capital is a rare sight and if you are an international traveler, take a look at Munich, Germany.
But wait. You are reading an article of the Netherlands. And for which season is Holland famous for? The Spring. Yes, I know what you are thinking of. The Tulips right? Read my article to know how you can visit multiple Tulip fields for free in Holland. However, we are talking about The Hague here. Can we see Tulips here too? Unfortunately No. But understand one thing. From late March, the weather across the Netherlands become very favorable for flowers to bloom. That’s when the country becomes colorful. That’s when the Summer clock starts. And exactly that’s when The Hague shines.
My first recommendation to visit The Hague is in the month of June. That’s because the crowd is still little less (Remember School Holidays are in July – August), the weather is pleasant. Sunlight is there till 10PM. Water temperature is very favorable for swimming (Not like cold April days) and you’ll get to watch flowers from both the Spring and Summer season.
However, if June is not an option, you can visit The Hague anywhere between Late March to Early October. But remember to come to The Hague on a Sunny Day. If it rains, neither you’d be able to enjoy the beach nor the impressive buildings nor the Madurodam. You won’t be able to sit at a cafe in the Plein. Coming to The Hague only to visit Maurithuis or the SEA life is not worth it in my opinion. Let me know in the comments how you think of the idea of visiting The Hague on a rainy day.
Best Time of The Day To Visit
This section will be an interesting read. Don’t skip this please. I have read way too many articles online before visiting The Hague but none of those covered this topic. So, please pay close attention.
Take a look at the two photos below. Both are taken from the Stand at the Scheveningen beach on a Sunny day. The first one was taken around 11AM while the second one was around 6PM. What Difference do you see?
First, the crowd. If you want to avoid crowd, you need to come early. There is no second option. But there are so many things to cover at The Hague. How can I cover all of them in early morning? Cover this way – Enter Madurodam at the very first hour. Spend 3-4 hours, then come to Scheveningen. Enjoy and have lunch here. Then go back to the Binnenhof and Plein area. You’d get good light for photography and the crowds won’t bother you.
Second, color of the water. I earlier thought that to find good color in the water, we only need a Sunny day. But later I realized that the position of the Sun is also an important factor. If you visit Scheveningen around noon, the color of the water will look impressive. However as Sunset approaches, it would look muddy. Yes, you would get other beautiful shots of the Sunset but won’t get color of the water. Only you need to decide what your priority is.
So, a sample day trip could look something like this
10:00AM – Entry to Madurodam
1:00PM – Arrive at Scheveningen
4:00PM – A Visit to the Peace Palace
5:00 PM – Enter the Maurithuis (Only on Thursday, for other days Swap this with Peace Palace)
After your Museum visit, explore the Plein and Binnenhof area at your own pace.
Useful Practical Tips
The Hague is nice. It’s totally worth. I would say it’s incomparable too. For people coming outside of Europe with very limited days might miss this gorgeous city but whoever can manage a day here will definitely be rewarded with some of the best attractions. I visited this city multiple times and here are some insider tips which you must keep in mind during your visit to The Hague
- It would be a long day at The Hague. So, you’d need washroom right? Inside Madurodam, you’d have free access to washroom and Scheveningen beach has several paid washroom facilities. There is a facility inside Maurithuis. I am not sure about the Peace palace but I assume there are facilities.
- The guided tour at Peace palace needs to be booked in advance and online. Plan that well in advance.
- If you run low on OV-chipkaart balance, you can recharge those from within the Tram.
- Trams are super crowded. Don’t expect to get seated. If you absolutely need that, get on either from Den Haag central or from Schevenigen stand.
- Do check out Combi tickets of Madurodam. It offers to add one more attraction along with Madurodam at a discounted rate. There are a lot of places to choose from while the famous ones being Esther museum or the Sea Life Scheveningen.
- The Souvenir shop at the extreme end of the Scheveningen Stand offers some totally unique Souvenir. I have bought one Zaanse Schans miniature from there which I never saw anywhere in Holland in my entire two years.
With that, I would conclude my short write up about the impressive city of The Hague. And to you readers? Have you liked this article? Leave me a note down below. Do you have any questions regarding this topic or any suggestions you want while you are planning? Have I mentioned anything incorrectly? Or any tips from your side? Please feel free to use the comment box. Till I hear from you “doei doei”!