Day trip from Amsterdam
The Hague
Art, Royalty & the North Sea
Approximately 50 minutes by train
Why visit
The Hague is the seat of Dutch government and home to the Mauritshuis, where Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring hangs. Elegant boulevards, royal palaces and a tram ride to the North Sea beach at Scheveningen make it a varied day out.
Top things to see
- The Mauritshuis and its Dutch Golden Age collection
- The Binnenhof and the Hofvijver pond
- The Peace Palace exterior and visitor centre
- Panorama Mesdag, a vast 19th-century circular painting
- Scheveningen beach and pier
Suggested one-day plan
Travel out early and start at the Mauritshuis before the galleries fill.
Walk the Binnenhof and Hofvijver, then have lunch in the surrounding centre.
Take a tram to Scheveningen for the beach, pier and sea air.
Return to the station and back to Amsterdam by early evening.
Direct intercity trains from Amsterdam Centraal reach Den Haag Centraal in around 50 minutes. The Mauritshuis and Binnenhof are a 10-minute walk from the station; Scheveningen is a further 20 minutes by tram 1 or 9.
A full day (8 hours) to include both the city and the coast.
- Book Mauritshuis tickets online; the gallery is small and popular.
- The Binnenhof is under long-term renovation, so interior access may be limited.
- Scheveningen is windy year-round — bring a jacket even in summer.
- A day tram ticket is worth it if you combine city and beach.