What Can You Do In The Hague In One Day? | Full Itinerary

So, you’re planning a trip to The Netherlands and want to visit The Hague? You probably wonder what you can do in The Hague for one day, and if a one day visit is enough. You can find all the answers in this article.

When visiting The Hague for one day, you can visit the following famous highlights:

Mauritshuis
Binnenhof (Inner Court)
Passage (Historical Shopping Mall)
Royal Palace Noordeinde
Panorama Mesdag
Peace Palace
The Pier Scheveningen
Lange Voorhout (visit Hotel Des Indes)
Escher in The Palace

This itinerary focusses on the most famous highlights of the city. We will explain the itinerary in detail in this article, and also offer different options to go to, so you can choose the things that you’re most interested in.

The Hague – One Day Itinerary

When you can spend one day in The Hague and want to visit all the famous highlights of the city, prepare for a busy day full of exploring and having fun! To get the most out of the day, we recommend that you’ll arrive in the city at 09:30 AM.

Most people will stay in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, and it is straightforward to catch a train from Amsterdam to The Hague. You can arrive at both train stations, The Hague Central Station or The Hague Holland Spoor. Both train stations are only a few minutes’ walking distance from the historical center, and also offer perfect public transport connections to the city center.

When traveling with public transport in The Netherlands, you’ll need to have an OV-Chipcard, which is a public transport card that you can use throughout the country. In our article Best Time To Visit The Netherlands, you can find out the best way to purchase one.

Alternatively, you can also spend the night before in The Hague, so you can wake up a bit relax, enjoy your breakfast and take your time to start the day. Some great options to stay in a night in The Hague are Hotel Des Indes, Park Hotel, or Plaza Hotel.

The historical center of The Hague is not too big and is best to explore on foot. You can easily walk from one side to the other side in like 25 minutes. However, there’s a lot to explore! When you don’t have good mobility, don’t worry. It is also straightforward to go around the city using a wheelchair, mobility scooter, or other mobility tools. Some historical buildings are maybe not as easily accessible because of the narrow staircases. If something is not easily accessible, we will tell you about it.

So, time to check out the full one-day itinerary for The Hague!

Mauritshuis

Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Address: Plein 29

Museum Mauritshuis is a famous art museum in The Hague and offers works from the Dutch Master Painters of the Golden Age. It is a small museum compared to many other museums in The Netherlands. However, the artworks in Mauritshuis are unique and exciting to see. Mauritshuis offers works from Potter, Rembrandt Vermeer, and many more artists from the Golden Age. The most famous painting that’s on display in Mauritshuis is Vermeer’s renowned painting Girl with the Pearl Earring.

Mauritshuis is one of the most famous museums in The Hague, so it can be very busy. It is recommended to buy your tickets in advance, and start your day in The Hague with a visit to museum Mauritshuis. It is often less busy early morning, so you can explore the museum in a more relaxing way. Most people stay between one and two hours visiting Mauritshuis.

The museum opens every day of the week, only on Mondays they open the museum at 1 pm. So if you’re visiting The Hague on a Monday, you probably want to plan your visit to Mauritshuis later on the day.

Mauritshuis stated timeslots early morning, after 3 pm and on Mondays as less busy.

The renowned museum is accessible for everyone, they offer extensive information on how to visit Mauritshuis for people with disabilities or less mobility. We recommend visiting their accessibility page for the most recent information.

The museum is located at Plein 29. Which is close to Binnenhof. From The Hague Central Station is only 10 minutes walking. Sometimes the collection of Mauritshuis or the works that are on display change. It is recommended to visit the official website before you plan your visit. This way, you’re always up to date with the latest information.

Walking from Mauritshuis to Binnenhof is only like 2 minutes. Both landmarks are located next to each other.

To enter the Binnenhof directly from the Mauritshuis, you’ll walk through the Mauritsgate on the eastside of Binnenhof.

Binnenhof (Inner Court)

Time: 11:15 – 11:45 AM

Adress: Binnenhof, 2513 AA

Binnenhof is the place where our government resides. The building dated back to the 13th century and had a political function ever since. It was only for a short period between 1806 and 1810 when the Netherlands was under French rule that the administrative center was moved to Amsterdam.

The courtyard is open for everyone. However, it is not possible to enter all the buildings without a guided tour. Over the years, the buildings and courtyards changed several times. There were even plans to break it all down, but luckily that didn’t happen.

Today the Dutch government still resides at Binnenhof. The official office of our prime-minister is located in a small tower, next to the building of Mauritshuis. In the middle of the courtyard, you’ll find the building Knights Hall (Ridderzaal in Dutch). Until the 18th century, this was the place where the stadtholders came together and conduct their business. The Knights hall is also a place that was used as a trade hall, like a big market place where people could buy and sell their products.

Today the Knights Hall only has a ceremonial function. The hall is only used once a year during Prinsjesdag (Prince Day), when the Kings read a speech to the people, telling the next year plans from the national government.

It is possible to plan a guided tour throughout Binnenhof and the parliament building. A guided tour takes up around 90 minutes, and you’ll need to book this in advance. It is not possible to show up and buy tickets for the next available tour. So when you’re interested in a guided tour, make sure to plan ahead. You can purchase tickets at the website of ProDemos, which is the house of Democrats in The Netherlands. They organize guided tours throughout all parliament buildings.

An important note; visiting the Knights Hall is not possible when you have mobility issues. The only way to enter the hall is by using the stairs.

Walking from Binnenhof to Passage, which is located next to the square known as Buitenhof, will take you a maximum of 5 minutes.

Passage (Historical Shopping Mall)

Time: 11:50AM – 12:15PM

Address: Passage The Hague

The historical Passage is beautiful to walk around. The luxury shopping street lets you feel like you’re in the large fashion cities in the world, but you’re still in The Hague. The Passage looks like the unique fashion streets in Milan or Paris. The building dates back to the 18th century, which is also the time when the luxury shopping streets in France en Italy were built.

It is lovely to stroll around and enjoy the luxury shops. We recommend stopping at Dudok for a coffee, which is located outside the Passage at Buitenhof square, across the Binnenhof. Dudok is famous for its apple pie, which is a perfect snack while enjoying a coffee. It is also the place where many politicians go for their lunch or afternoon break, so you might end up having a coffee with our prime minister!

From the Passage to Noordeinde street is like 10 minutes walking, halfway the street you’ll cross Royal Palace Noordeinde.

Royal Palace Noordeinde

Time: 12:15PM – 12:45PM

Address: Noordeinde 68

Where the Passage is the luxury shopping mall of The Hague, Noordeinde is the most luxury street. At Noordeinde you’ll find the best designer shops and art galleries. Also, it is the street where the Royal Palace Noordeinde is located, halfway down the street, you’ll cross a big palace.

Royal Palace Noordeinde is the working palace of the Dutch King and Queen. Close to the palace, you’ll also find the Royal stables. Both are not open to the public, but it’s interesting walking by and enjoy the views of the buildings.

On the other side of the palace, you’ll find the Royal Palace Gardens, which are open for the public, and used by locals as a city park to enjoy the lovely summer days outside.

Noordeinde is in the heart of the historical center of The Hague. After visiting the Royal Palace, we recommend going for a stroll through the city center.

Walk Around the Historical Center The Hague

Time: 12:45PM – 13:30PM

The historical center of The Hague is lovely just to walk around and enjoy the old streets and historic buildings. We recommend going for a walk and enjoy the little things in the city. Find a place for lunch, and some time to relax.

What we love to do is buying a sandwich to go to one of the many lunch shops. And find a place in the city outside where we can sit and relax for a while.

One of the best places to buy a fresh sandwich is Traiteur Dungelmann, located at Noordeinde street, since 1861! Traiteur Dungelmann is famous for their croquet and meatball sandwiches. They also offer vegetarian options. Dungelmann is close to the Royal Palace, so you can also buy a sandwich first and enjoy it while looking out over the Royal Palace.

Another excellent option for lunch is Foam Breakfast and Lunch, located at Frederikstraat. Foam is the perfect alternative when you’re looking for vegan and plant-based food. You can do take away as well, or just sit back and relax the lunch in their shop.

Combining lunch and exploring the city center is a great thing to do. For this itinerary, we recommend walking from Noordeinde street in the direction of Mauritskade, Willemspark, and Zeestraat. The next stop after lunch is located at Zeestraat, so staying in the area will save you a lot of time.

The historic center of The Hague is easily accessible for everyone. Sometimes the old narrow streets are a bit difficult to maneuver when you’re having mobility issues.

Panorama Mesdag

Time: 13:30 PM – 14:30 PM

Address: Zeestraat 65

A 360-degree painting of Scheveningen Beach and village in 1881. It’s like walking back in time! The painting is the oldest panorama in the world, which is still in its original site. It gives you a unique view of how life was like at the end of the 19th century. Panorama Mesdag is the work of Hendrik Willem Mesdag, a master painter, who is known as one of the most important painters of its time and the School of The Hague.

People spent like one hour average enjoying the unique painting.

Note: Panorama Mesdag is accessible when you’re in a wheelchair or having mobility issues. However, you’ll need to make an appointment in advance. You can contact the museum for more information via their website.

Walking from Panorama Mesdag to the Peace Palace is around 10 minutes. You’ll walk through a part of the City Center known as the Embassy District. Many international embassies are located in this neighborhood.

Peace Palace

Time: 14:45PM – 15:15PM

Address: Carnegieplein 2

The International Peace Palace is unique in its kind. It officially opened in 1913, after the first international peace conference was organized in 1899. At this conference, 26 countries came together to talk about international peace and disarmament.

Both the International Court of Justice and The Permanent Court of Arbitration are located at the Peace Palace.

The unique building and its surrounding gardens are not always open for a visit. However, you can enjoy the area from outside and go around the visitor center to learn more about the Peace Palace, its history, and the current international role. There are specific timeslots available for guided tours, but you need to plan this ahead. Because it is very popular and only available for small groups. We recommend visiting the website of Peace Palace to check when the guided tours are available.

According to its website, the peace palace has limited access for wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers. It is not possible to enter the building with a mobility scooter.

After visiting the Peace Palace, you still have a great part of the afternoon left for exploring The Hague. Because there’s so much to see and do in the city, we decided to supply you with different options. This way, you can choose the things to do that fit you the most.

The Pier Scheveningen (option 1: Perfect in Summer and visit the Beach)

To get to the Pier Scheveningen, we recommend using public transport. It is easy to hop on a tram or bus close to the Peace Palace. You’ll reach Scheveningen in like 20 minutes.

Address: Strandweg 150, Scheveningen

Visiting The Pier is great when you love to go shopping, having drinks, and being close to the beach. The pier is an iconic building in The Netherlands, which was built around 1900. Since 2014 is transformed into a unique place with lots of pop up stores and restaurants. It is also a perfect place when you’re looking for some action; you can go bungee-jumping above the North Sea!

It’s also possible to hop on a Ferris wheel and enjoy the view from Scheveningen to The Hague. Or go on the zip-line alongside the pier. Great to spend some time at the pier, especially when you’re visiting during the summer, when the weather is beautiful, and you’re looking for some action!

Most parts of The Pier are accessible for people with mobility issues.

Escher in The Palace (Option 2: Great when traveling with kids)

Address: Lange Voorhout 74

M.C. Escher was a Dutch graphic artist who understood the art of playing with perspective. His works are known all over the world. The Escher Museum, located at the most beautiful street of The Hague, Lange Voorhout, is one of our favorite museums to visit in The Netherlands.

The museum, which has the name Escher in The Palace, shows the most unique works of Escher. Because a lot of his works are interactive, and playing with perspective, it is a great visit when traveling with kids. The museum is located in the former royal palace and shows some of the history of the Dutch Royal Family.

The museum and palace are accessible for people with mobility issues. On the museum’s website, you can find all the latest information.

Boat Tour The Hague (option 3: Explore The Hague from the water)

The Hague has a small canal belt. During the Golden Age (17th century), there were many more canals in The Hague, reaching to Scheveningen, and inland, connecting the city to Amsterdam and Delft. Today there’s only a small canal belt left in The Hague, but with lots of history.

It is excellent to explore the city from the water. You’ll see much more from the historic buildings and can learn more about the city’s royal and political history. We can recommend Boat Tour The Hague (in Dutch; Bootvaren Den Haag), to book your boat tour. On average, their boat tours take up to 90 minutes. You can arrange different hop-on/ hop-off locations with Boat Tour The Hague. When starting a boat tour after your visit to the Peace Palace, we recommend asking them to hop on at Mauritskade, which is closeby.

If you like, they can arrange what we call in Dutch a ‘borrelarrangement.’ Which are some drinks and snacks to enjoy your trip even more!

When booking your trip with Boat Tour The Hague, you can ask for skipper Guus, which is my dad! Since he was retired in 2018from the Dutch Police Force, he volunteers as a skipper at the company, just for fun. My dad is born and raised in The Hague and lived in the city all his life. He loves to tell stories about the history of the town, and because of his former job, he knows a lot of exciting details! Don’t worry is he’s not available, all the skippers of Boat Tour The Hague are fun, amiable, and knowledgable. A perfect activity if you want to learn more about the city in a relaxing way.

Note: Boat Tours with Boat Tour The Hague are only available when booking upfront. So make sure to book your tour at least one day before.

It is possible to go on a boat tour when you have mobility issues. If so, make sure to tell them when making the booking. This way, they can recommend the best hop-on places to make access as easy as possible.

When you have enough time, you can also combine a boat tour and a visit to Madurodam. There’s a hop-on/ hop-off stop next to Madurodam, so it is easy to combine the two!

Madurodam – Dutch Miniature City (Option 4: Great for Kids)

Address: George Maduroplein 1

Want to explore The Netherlands in a miniature way? The theme park Maduradom is the perfect getaway when traveling with kids. Madurodam is located in between The Hague and Scheveningen, and easy to reach using public transport.

Madurodam shows exact replicas of the most famous landmarks of The Netherlands in miniature, on a scale from 1:25. While visiting Madurodam, you can visit all the highlights of The Netherlands in just one hour!

It is an interactive park, which is great to visit with the whole family. A perfect getaway when traveling with kids. With the interactive attractions, kids can learn more about the most important things in The Netherlands, more playfully and excitingly. The park opens every day between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM. You don’t need to reserve tickets in advance to visit Madurodam. However, during public holidays and on weekend days it can be very busy.

Madurodam is accessible to people with disabilities. You can find all the practical information on their website.

The Hague Market (Option 5: Alternative Shopping option)

Address: Herman Costerstraat 571

It’s a bit away from the city center, but easily accessible with public transport in like 20 minutes. The Hague Market (or in Dutch; Haagsche Markt) is the biggest open-air market in Europe. You can find a wide range of different foods from all over the world. Clothing, furniture, electronics. Everything you’ll need!

The Hague is known as a multicultural city. The best way to explore all the different cultures in The Hague is by visiting the Hague Market. We wrote an article about What is The Hague Famous For, where we tell you more about the history and multicultural character of the city.

It is our favorite market to go when we’re looking for fresh ingredients. It is also a lot cheaper than buying products in large grocery stores. So when visiting the market, you probably find a lot of people doing their weekly grocery shopping. The market opens four days a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, between 09:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

The Hague Market is easily accessible for people with mobility issues. The walking paths between the stalls are wide and flat, so you can easily go around.

The Hague Tower (Option 6: For a Splendid View)

Address: Rijswijkseplein 786

The Netherlands is known as a flat country, but since the last decade, more and more skyscrapers are built, which change the looks of a city. One of the first skyscrapers that were constructed in The Hague was The Hague Tower. Developed in 2007 by a large housing cooperative. They developed student housing in the skyscrapers. On the top floors, you can visit a sky bar and enjoy the splendid views of the city.

The building has a height of 132 meters, making it the third-highest building in The Hague. Because of its form, which looks like a flatiron, it has the nickname Strijkijzer, which means flatiron in Dutch.

You can visit The Hague Tower for a quick visit and enjoy the views, or you can go to the sky bar for drinks or dinner. Their opening times vary, so its recommended to visit their website first to find out the latest information.

Visiting The Hague Tower is possible when having mobility issues.

Kunstmuseum The Hague (Option 7: Modern Art Option)

Address: Stadhouderslaan 41

When you are interested in modern and extraordinary art, we recommend visiting Kunstmuseum. Also known as Gemeentemuseum.

The museum offers works of Monet, Piet Mondriaan, and many other modern master painters. Their collection is one of the most significant art collections in the world and contains over 160 thousand works of art. Those are not all on display at the same time, and many artworks are often lent to other museums in the world.

Exhibitions in the museum change frequently, but some presentations are on continuous display. You can always explore the best works of Mondriaan, Delft Pottery, and the exhibition, which is called Discover the Modern, containing works of Mondriaan, Monet, Kadinsky, and many other master painters.

The museum is closed on Mondays but opens every other day of the week. Tuesdays until Sunday, they open every day between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

People having mobility issues can easily access the museum. When necessary, wheelchairs are also available on loan at the foyer to visit the museum. If you want to use that, the museum recommends reserving a wheelchair in advance. The latest information is available on their website.

Before its time for dinner, we recommend going back to the city center. The best restaurants are located in the city center, so it is more convenient to go there first. Depending on the activity you chose, and its location, you might take some time to get to the city. Every option we recommended is within a travel distance of 30 minutes from the historical city center.

You can easily take public transport to reach the center. However, some old trams are not easily accessible when you have mobility issues. The best way to plan your trip is by using the website of The Hague public transport company. On this website, you can also find which lines are accessible when having mobility issues.

Dinner and Drinks

There are many restaurants to choose from for having dinner in The Hague. Some are just perfect for a quick bite, but you can also find some of the best restaurants in The Netherlands located in the city center of The Hague.

We made a selection of a few restaurants which we like to go to when having dinner in the city.

Umami The Hague:

Asian based cuisine, based on the Chinese concept of Social Dining. A unique restaurant that gets perfect reviews. I honestly never have been there, but it is on my list for so long, and get recommended by almost everyone I ask for ‘good restaurants in The Hague.’ So we thought we could safely recommend it as a place for dinner in The Hague. You need to reserve a table.

Website; Umami The Hague
Address: Buitenhof 46
Cuisine: Social Dining – Chinese/Asian

Bar Bistro Twee Heeren

This is our favorite restaurant in The Hague. The Mediterranean menu lets you feel like you’re in France, Spain, or Italy. Their service is excellent, and it is always busy!

Make sure to make a reservation before you go there because they have limited tables available.

The restaurant is not easily accessible when you have mobility issues, you need to walk two steps down before entering the restaurant. You can’t enter the restaurant using a wheelchair.

Website; Bar Bistro Twee Heeren
Address: Oude Molstraat 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Bouzy Wine & Food

Our favorite wine bar in The Hague is located at Mauritskade. Their focus is good food and even better wines. And they are good at it!

It is the perfect spot to spend a few hours and enjoy their extensive wine selection and excellent finger food.

The restaurant is closed on Sunday & Monday.

Website; Bouzy Wine & Food
Address: Mauritskade 95
Cuisine: Mediterranean & European

Pastis

When you’re looking for fine dining inspired at the French kitchen, we recommend going to Pastis. Located in the heart of the city at Oude Molstraat, this unique restaurant offers a wide variety of french food, french wines, and champagnes. A perfect getaway!

Make sure to reserve a table before you go to Pastis. The restaurant is very popular and it quickly fully booked.

Website; Pastis
Address: Oude Molstraat 57
Cuisine: French

After Dinner Drinks

When you finished dining, you might need to hop on the train and head back to your hotel. When you’re still up for it, there are a lot of places in The Hague that are fun for having drinks. Most common for drinks are the cafes and bars at the two large squares in the city center; Plein, and Grote Markt.

Both squares have their own identity and attract different people. Plein is located close to Binnenhof, and the bars at this square are more trendy. You probably find more people wearing suits, going here for drinks after work. Also, some of the bars are open until late at night, so to enjoy after-dinner drinks, it is the right choice when you like to go for some dancing!

Grote Markt is more laidback, with several cafes where you can easily hang around, socialize and enjoy some crafted beers, gin&tonics, or fresh mint tea. It is also the place where you find the best live music in the city. Especially during the summer months, when a big stage is built at the market square, and live music events are held almost every night.

Our favorite rooftop bar, Bleyenberg, is also located at Grote Markt. Not directly located at the large square, but on the opposite side, you’ll find the building where you can enter the rooftop bar. Bleyenberg has several cafes and restaurants in one building, so when the weather is not pleasant to sit outside, you can enjoy the cafe inside. During weekends and public holidays, they organize different events with live music, electronic dance music, and also a comedy club on Thursday nights!

Packing Guide For The Netherlands

We can imagine that it can be challenging to find out what to pack for your trip to The Netherlands. The weather can vary from day to day, and with all the different activities to do, it can be overwhelming, making a packing list.

As always, we are here to help you out, so we made a packing list for The Netherlands. In this article, you’ll find a standard packing list and tips for every season what to bring on your next trip.

Are you still deciding when you want to go to The Netherlands? Check out our guide Best Time To Visit The Netherlands.

What Can You Do In The Hague In One Day? | Full Itinerary