Top 5 Leiden Day Trips: Explore the Netherlands

Leiden, that old city with a really youthful heart due to its big university, it is, you see, a fantastic jumping-off point for heaps of day trips throughout the Netherlands. Is that right? Instead of just sticking around Leiden (and that’s not a bad choice, honestly!), why don’t you spread your wings a little and check out what the neighboring cities and towns have going on? And what do they have going on? A lot, actually. You could be gawking at windmills one minute and chowing down on fresh seafood by the North Sea the next. Very adventurous of you!

1. Zaanse Schans: Windmills and Traditional Dutch Charm

Alright, so Zaanse Schans, it tends to be a really delightful open-air museum showcasing really old Dutch life, and like the main attraction is the windmills. They’re not just, you know, standing there looking cute either. What would you say? Many are still working, grinding spices or sawing wood or even pressing oil. Is that right? You could almost feel like you’ve teleported way back in time. Don’t even forget to wander around the little houses, check out the clog workshops, and sample some like tasty Dutch cheese. How could you leave without doing that?

How to Get There: You might just jump on a direct bus from Amsterdam Central Station to Zaanse Schans, so that’s really straightforward. Are you in Leiden, though? You will probably just take a train to Amsterdam first and then grab that bus. It is actually, pretty easy to do.

Read our full review: Zaanse Schans Full Review and Details

2. The Hague (Den Haag): Royal City by the Sea

Den Haag, also called The Hague? Arguably, that’s a place that’s got a pretty awesome combo of being a sophisticated city and, in some respects, a beach town. So, it is. It is. Is that right? You might just find yourself wandering through the Binnenhof (that’s like, the Dutch Parliament), gawking at the Peace Palace (very fancy!), or just chilling out on the Scheveningen Pier. What a variety! So it might just have something for everyone. Are you into art? Is that so? Then you might just have to check out the Mauritshuis museum and see Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. Obviously.

How to Get There: A really frequent train service runs between Leiden and The Hague, you know? So the train ride is pretty short, a little, slight less than 15 minutes, it tends to be. We think so! And of course that would make it like, a totally doable day trip.

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3. Delft: The Home of Delftware

Ah, Delft, could be you have heard of it! That is because it is just like super-famous for its blue and white pottery, Delftware, and I think you might see, the whole town just feels rather quaint and Dutch, basically. It really does, isn’t it great? Might you just wander around the charming canals, checking out the Delft City Hall, and possibly get lost in the Nieuwe Kerk (that’s a New Church). I would definitely spend a bit of time at the Royal Delft factory, very, very, you know, where they’ve been making the pottery for centuries, you know?

How to Get There: Is that right, you say that? Well, what’s so good, you see, about Delft, there’s like really, really regular train service connecting Leiden and Delft, so, like, very handy, you know? Might it take, like, about 20 minutes, yes, like no problems!

Read our full review: Delft Full Review and Details

4. Keukenhof Gardens: A Floral Extravaganza (Seasonal)

So, listen, now Keukenhof, really? A total must-see if you actually visit the Netherlands in springtime. It just might open from mid-March to mid-May, that time, just so you are aware. Almost too it’s actually like one of the world’s truly big flower gardens, but, it is more or less packed with seriously a lot of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths… well you know, the whole deal! That will, or should, like provide you with a huge overdose of colour. And like, what is really also great, it’s often themed, that, or should be, and it’s actually packed with like artistic flower displays and like interesting events. Very lively it tends to be!

How to Get There: When the season begins? Then the most easiest and straightest, straightest and easiest option tends to be, you see, to take Keukenhof Express bus from Leiden Central Station to Keukenhof, you see. Right? Is that, for all the best travelling? You tend to feel that! If you catch that Keukenhof Express? It’s arguably not too difficult and is just a breeze!

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5. North Sea Beaches: Scheveningen, Noordwijk, and Zandvoort

Oh beaches, that is, like, because Leiden’s situation? Basically? You have like got easy access to a few nice beaches on the North Sea. Scheveningen might just be probably the most famous, you know? So it might just have a big pier, tonnes of like cafes and restaurants, that’s because of like Scheveningen, probably. In some respects you have got Noordwijk or Zandvoort, because of, those and those have just really chill, that are and these, well pretty more chill than Scheveningen. Basically. Possibly you need, right?, some fresh sea air, perhaps the beaches and beaches just a little something. It will give you rest and relaxation too it’s almost perfect! It could just be a quick hop to the seaside. Great! Right?

How to Get There: Well? To Get There? So you are going to tell people about the Netherlands’ excellent transportation? So with great regularity you can make trips in the region on, is that you saying, train or even on bus. Really handy is that! I would say!

Read our full review: North Sea Beaches Full Review and Details