2 days in The Hague

Day by day

1. Day 1: Mauritshuis and Hofvijver and Binnenhof

   Mauritshuis, Hofvijver and Binnenhof, Gevangenpoort and Kunstmuseum Den Haag, then Plein in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Mauritshuis

      Its size makes it possible to see properly in two hours.

   2. Late morning

      Hofvijver and Binnenhof

      The buildings have been under a long renovation since the early 2020s, so access is limited, but the view across the water from Lange Vijverberg is the city's classic picture.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Raw herring

      Herring stalls in Scheveningen harbour and carts in the centre.

   4. Afternoon

      Gevangenpoort

      Guided tours visit the cells and torture room.

   5. Late afternoon

      Kunstmuseum Den Haag

      Berlage, the Kunstmuseum has the world's largest Mondrian collection, including his last work, Victory Boogie Woogie, plus Delftware, fashion, period rooms and modern art.

   6. Evening

      Plein

      Café terraces on the square by the parliament, busy with office workers in the early evening.

2. Day 2: Peace Palace and Panorama Mesdag

   Peace Palace, Panorama Mesdag, Madurodam and Escher in Het Paleis, then Grote Markt in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Peace Palace

      A visitor centre at the gate explains its history, and guided tours of the building are offered on selected days when the courts are not sitting.

   2. Late morning

      Panorama Mesdag

      Painted in 1881 by Hendrik Willem Mesdag and others, this 360-degree panorama of Scheveningen's beach and village, about 120 metres around and 14 metres high, is viewed from a central dune platform that tricks the eye into seeing the real coast.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Kibbeling

      Fish stalls at Scheveningen harbour, along the boulevard and at the Haagse Markt.

   4. Afternoon

      Madurodam

      A miniature park of Dutch landmarks at 1:25 scale, from Amsterdam's canal houses and the Rijksmuseum to Schiphol, the Delta Works and the Port of Rotterdam, with interactive models children can operate.

   5. Late afternoon

      Escher in Het Paleis

      Escher's prints and drawings, from early Italian landscapes to his famous impossible staircases and tessellations, with optical-illusion rooms.

   6. Evening

      Grote Markt

      A square of bars and terraces popular with a younger crowd.

Before you go

• Mauritshuis: Timed tickets bought online help on weekends and in school holidays.

If it rains

• Swap in Louwman Museum (Mariahoeve): The museum is outside the centre near the Clingendael estate, so allow time for a tram, bus or bike ride each way.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 11–13 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.8 hours in December to 16.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The Hofvijver, Mauritshuis, Lange Voorhout, Noordeinde and the Plein are within about 10 minutes of each other; Den Haag Centraal is a 10-minute walk away.

More or fewer days

• One day in The Hague
• 3 days in The Hague

Questions travellers ask