Season guide · Rotterdam · Netherlands
Rotterdam in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold, damp and dark, but low prices, the film festival and indoor architecture and museums. Expect highs up to 7°C (45°F) and lows around 1°C (34°F), with about 35 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 1°C (34°F) to 7°C (45°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 35
- Sea
- 6°C (43°F) to 8°C (46°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C (43°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 12 | 8.3 h | 2/5 |
| February | 7°C (45°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 10 | 9.9 h | 2/5 |
| December | 7°C (45°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 13 | 7.8 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 7°C (45°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 35 of the year's roughly 129 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: International Film Festival Rotterdam (usually late January to early February)
- February: International Film Festival Rotterdam continues (early February)
- December: New Year's Eve fireworks around the Erasmus Bridge (31 December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Centrum
Maritime Museum Rotterdam
The indoor play zone is a good rainy-day option with children.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Religious site · Centrum
Laurenskerk
St.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Market · Centrum
Markthal
Come for an early lunch on a weekday; it gets very crowded on Saturday afternoons.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Cool and Witte de Withstraat
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
Opened in 2021 in the Museumpark, this mirrored, bowl-shaped building by MVRDV is an art storage building opened to the public.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Views
- Iconic
Gallery · Cool and Witte de Withstraat
Kunsthal
Check what is on before you go; there are usually several shows at once.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Gouda (About 20 minutes by train) — Gouda has a Gothic town hall in its market square, the Sint-Janskerk with 16th-century stained glass and a cheese market held on Thursday mornings in summer.
- Dordrecht (About 15 minutes by train) — Holland's oldest town has harbours lined with merchants' houses, the Grote Kerk with a tower to climb and the Dordrechts Museum, plus access to the Biesbosch wetlands.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Rotterdam?
It is a trade-off: Cold, damp and dark, but low prices, the film festival and indoor architecture and museums. The best months overall are May–September.
+What is the weather like in Rotterdam in winter?
Highs of up to 7°C (45°F) and lows around 1°C (34°F), with about 35 rainy days over the season.