Season guide · The Hague · Netherlands
The Hague in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold, damp and dark but lower-priced, with uncrowded museums and bracing beach walks. 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 | 8.2 h | 2/5 |
| February | 7°C (45°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 10 | 9.8 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: New Year's dive — a mass plunge into the North Sea at Scheveningen (1 January)
Good choices for winter
Gallery · Wassenaar
Museum Voorlinden
Allow time for the estate gardens and dunes after the galleries.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Couples
Museum · Centrum and the Hofvijver
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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Statenkwartier
Kunstmuseum Den Haag
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
Museum · Hofkwartier and Noordeinde
Escher in Het Paleis
The former winter palace of Queen Emma on Lange Voorhout displays M.C.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Zeeheldenkwartier
Panorama Mesdag
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
Day trips in winter
- Keukenhof (About 45–60 minutes by train and bus) — Keukenhof's spring gardens near Lisse show millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, usually from late March to mid-May, with the bulb fields flowering around it.
- Gouda (About 20 minutes by train) — Gouda's Gothic town hall, the Sint-Janskerk's stained glass and the summer Thursday cheese market make an easy half-day.
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 The Hague?
It is a trade-off: Cold, damp and dark but lower-priced, with uncrowded museums and bracing beach walks. The best months overall are May–September.
+What is the weather like in The Hague 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.