Things to do · The Hague · Netherlands
17 best things to do in The Hague
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Roel Wijnants, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in The Hague are Mauritshuis, Hofvijver and Binnenhof and Kunstmuseum Den Haag. Of the 17 picks below, 9 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Mauritshuis
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Mauritshuis
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritshuis | Centrum and the Hofvijver | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Hofvijver and Binnenhof | Centrum and the Hofvijver | 30 minutes | Free |
| Kunstmuseum Den Haag | Statenkwartier | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Peace Palace | Zeeheldenkwartier | 1 hour | Free |
| Madurodam | Statenkwartier | 2–3 hours | Expensive |
| Escher in Het Paleis | Hofkwartier and Noordeinde | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Panorama Mesdag | Zeeheldenkwartier | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Scheveningen beach and pier | Scheveningen Bad | Half a day | Free |
| Noordeinde Palace and gardens | Hofkwartier and Noordeinde | 30 minutes | Free |
| Lange Voorhout | Hofkwartier and Noordeinde | 30 minutes | Free |
| Gevangenpoort | Centrum and the Hofvijver | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Haagse Markt | Schilderswijk | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Louwman Museum | Mariahoeve | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Museum Voorlinden | Wassenaar | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Japanese Garden at Clingendael | Mariahoeve | 1 hour | Free |
| Westbroekpark rose garden | Statenkwartier | 1 hour | Free |
| Meijendel dunes | Wassenaar | 2–3 hours | Free |
The 17 best things to do
Museum · Centrum and the Hofvijver
1.Mauritshuis
This 17th-century palace on the Hofvijver holds a focused collection of Dutch Golden Age painting, including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp and Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch. Its size makes it possible to see properly in two hours.
Go at opening time or in the last hour, when Girl with a Pearl Earring has the smallest crowd.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets bought online help on weekends and in school holidays.
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Landmark · Centrum and the Hofvijver
2.Hofvijver and Binnenhof
The Binnenhof, the complex where the Dutch parliament has met for centuries, rises straight from the Hofvijver pond, with the medieval Ridderzaal at its centre. 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.
Photograph the Binnenhof from Lange Vijverberg on the north side of the pond at dusk, when the buildings reflect in the water.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Architecture
Museum · Statenkwartier
3.Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Housed in a 1935 building by H.P. 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.
Don't miss the Mondrian galleries, which show his evolution from landscapes to grids.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
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Architecture · Zeeheldenkwartier
4.Peace Palace
Funded by Andrew Carnegie and opened in 1913, the Peace Palace houses the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. 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.
Check guided-tour availability in advance; otherwise the visitor centre and the view through the gates make a short stop.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Iconic
Theme park · Statenkwartier
5.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.
Visit late in the afternoon in summer, when the crowds thin and the models are lit.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Iconic
- Outdoors
Museum · Hofkwartier and Noordeinde
6.Escher in Het Paleis
The former winter palace of Queen Emma on Lange Voorhout displays M.C. Escher's prints and drawings, from early Italian landscapes to his famous impossible staircases and tessellations, with optical-illusion rooms.
Older children enjoy the illusion rooms on the top floor.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Zeeheldenkwartier
7.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.
Stay for a few minutes on the platform; the illusion strengthens as your eyes adjust.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Beach · Scheveningen Bad
8.Scheveningen beach and pier
Scheveningen's wide sandy beach runs for kilometres in front of the boulevard, with seasonal beach pavilions from spring to autumn. The pier extends into the North Sea with a ferris wheel at its end, and the 1885 Kurhaus hotel dominates the seafront.
Ride the ferris wheel at sunset for views along the coast and back towards the city.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Views
Palace · Hofkwartier and Noordeinde
1.Noordeinde Palace and gardens
The King's working palace is not open to the public, but its facade with the equestrian statue of William of Orange faces Noordeinde, and the Palace Garden behind it is a public park. The Royal Stables are nearby.
Walk through the Paleistuin garden behind the palace for a quiet break from shopping on Noordeinde.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Outdoors
Street · Hofkwartier and Noordeinde
2.Lange Voorhout
An L-shaped avenue of lime trees lined with 18th-century mansions, embassies, the Hotel Des Indes and Escher in Het Paleis. It hosts an antiques and book market in summer and outdoor sculpture exhibitions.
Walk it from the Kloosterkerk to the Hofvijver, then continue to the Mauritshuis.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Couples
- History
Historic site · Centrum and the Hofvijver
3.Gevangenpoort
The Prison Gate, a medieval gatehouse by the Hofvijver, served as a prison for centuries; Cornelis de Witt was held here before he and his brother Johan were killed by a mob in 1672. Guided tours visit the cells and torture room.
Combine it with the Prince William V Gallery next door, a small 18th-century picture gallery on the same ticket.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Market · Schilderswijk
4.Haagse Markt
One of the largest outdoor markets in Europe, in the multicultural Schilderswijk south of the centre, with stalls of fruit, spices, fabrics, fish and street food reflecting Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese and Indonesian communities.
Go in the morning and try fresh stroopwafels, Turkish bread or Surinamese snacks from the stalls.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Mariahoeve
5.Louwman Museum
A private collection of several hundred historic cars, from early steam carriages and 19th-century motor cars to racing cars and cars of film stars and royalty, displayed in a purpose-built museum near the Clingendael estate.
The museum is outside the centre near the Clingendael estate, so allow time for a tram, bus or bike ride each way.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · Wassenaar
6.Museum Voorlinden
A modern-art museum on a country estate in neighbouring Wassenaar, with permanent works such as Ron Mueck's giant Couple under an Umbrella, James Turrell's Skyspace and Leandro Erlich's swimming pool installation, plus gardens by Piet Oudolf and dune walks.
Allow time for the estate gardens and dunes after the galleries.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets are advisable at weekends.
- Art
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Couples
Garden · Mariahoeve
7.Japanese Garden at Clingendael
Created in the early 20th century on the Clingendael estate, this small Japanese garden with lanterns, a teahouse and maples opens only for a few weeks in spring and briefly in autumn to protect it. The surrounding park is open year-round.
Visit on a weekday morning during the spring opening, usually from late April to June.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Garden · Statenkwartier
8.Westbroekpark rose garden
A park between the city and Scheveningen with a large rose garden of thousands of plants and hundreds of varieties, ponds and a lakeside café, at its best from late June to September.
Pair it with a walk through the Scheveningse Bosjes to Madurodam or the beach.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Couples
- Outdoors
Nature · Wassenaar
9.Meijendel dunes
A large dune nature reserve north of Scheveningen with walking and cycling paths through dunes, woods and lakes to the beach at Wassenaarse Slag. It is also a drinking-water catchment area, so paths are well marked.
Cycle here from Scheveningen along the dune paths and continue to the beach.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Mauritshuis, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Escher in Het Paleis and Panorama Mesdag |
| History | Mauritshuis, Hofvijver and Binnenhof, Peace Palace and Panorama Mesdag |
| Views | Scheveningen beach and pier |
| Outdoors and nature | Madurodam, Scheveningen beach and pier, Noordeinde Palace and gardens and Museum Voorlinden |
| Food and markets | Haagse Markt |
| With children | Escher in Het Paleis, Madurodam, Scheveningen beach and pier and Louwman Museum |
| On a rainy day | Mauritshuis, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Escher in Het Paleis and Panorama Mesdag |
What to book ahead
- Mauritshuis: Timed tickets bought online help on weekends and in school holidays.
- Museum Voorlinden: Timed tickets are advisable at weekends.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in The Hague?
Mauritshuis. This 17th-century palace on the Hofvijver holds a focused collection of Dutch Golden Age painting, including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp and Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch.
+What can you do for free in The Hague?
Hofvijver and Binnenhof, Peace Palace, Scheveningen beach and pier, Noordeinde Palace and gardens and Lange Voorhout. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in The Hague when it rains?
Head indoors to Mauritshuis, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Escher in Het Paleis and Panorama Mesdag.