Leiden

Day 1: Historic heart, canals and cosy cafés

Leiden’s compact centre makes a gentle first day perfect. You’ll weave between centuries-old canals, grand university buildings and intimate courtyards, then slow down for a classic Dutch borrel by the water.

• Morning: Stroll Rapenburg and the university quarter for stately canal-side architecture, the Academiegebouw and the Hortus Botanicus. Pause for coffee on a terrace boat near the Koornbrug and keep an eye out for wall poems; look up at gable stones and hoist beams. Tip: bike lanes are sacred—don’t walk on the red-asphalt fietspad.
• Midday: Base yourself around the Nieuwe Rijn. On Wednesday or Saturday, graze the market (herring, cheese, fresh stroopwafels) and lunch on the quays; otherwise, pick a canal-side café by De Waag. Most stalls and cafés take cards, but a contactless wallet is handier than cash.
• Afternoon: Rent a small electric sloep for 2–3 hours and do a relaxed rondje singel (speed limit 6 km/h; tour boats have priority). Duck under low bridges, wave “hoi” to other boats, and if weather turns, swap to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden or the SieboldHuis along Rapenburg.
• Evening: Wander the Pieterskwartier’s cobbles towards dinner, then settle into a bruin café for a borrel and bitterballen. Summer evenings are vibrant on the terraces; in colder months, Leiden turns inward and gezellig—perfect for lingering conversations.

Day 2: Science, art and hidden hofjes

Today mixes world-class museums with green loops and hushed courtyards. You’ll sense the “City of Discoveries” as much in labs and galleries as in quiet gardens behind heavy doors.

• Morning: Choose Naturalis Biodiversity Center (spectacular architecture, hands-on galleries; great in wet weather) or, if you prefer antiquity, the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden. Arrive at opening to beat school groups; families can spend 2–3 hours happily.
• Midday: Walk or cycle the 6–6.5 km Singelpark, a continuous green ring tracing the old fortifications. Break near Morspoort for windmill De Valk (museum) and lunch around Beestenmarkt or at the floating café Vlot; in spring the singels are especially leafy.
• Afternoon: Slip into hofjes near the Pieterskerk—Jean Pesijnhof and Hof van Wely are oases of calm. Enter softly, speak in whispers, and don’t photograph residents; if the Pieterskerk is open, step inside for vast, light-filled Gothic space and Pilgrim history.
• Evening: Check what’s on at Stadsgehoorzaal or Leiden’s chamber venues; in summer, look for canal concerts on the Rapenburg. For a local flavour, try Indonesian rijsttafel or head to Brouwerij Pronck near Zijlpoort for Leiden-brewed beers.

Day 3: Rembrandt roots, cloth heritage and the polder edge

Your final day layers Leiden’s creative past with slow pleasures. Trace Rembrandt’s early footsteps, see the city’s cloth-trade riches, then roll into big-sky countryside just minutes away.

• Morning: Visit Museum De Lakenhal for Golden Age art, cloth guild heritage and Young Rembrandt. Coffee in the museum café, then a short walk to the Weddesteeg area where Rembrandt was born to connect the dots on the streets he knew.
• Midday: Browse Haarlemmerstraat’s indie shops and specialist bookshops, or lunch by the Koornbrug if you missed the market earlier in the trip. If it’s Open Monumentendag (second weekend of September), prioritise rarely accessible canal houses and courtyards—entry is free but queues form.
• Afternoon: Cycle 10 minutes to Polderpark Cronesteyn for a flat, quintessential Dutch landscape of fields, water and big skies (ideal in spring/summer). In cooler months, opt for the Leidse Hout park’s woodland paths and a warming pancake at the theehuis.
• Evening: Climb the Burcht at golden hour for red-roof views, then drift back to the Nieuwe Rijn for a final canal-side dinner. Seasonal note: around 3 October, the city transforms for Leidens Ontzet—funfair, parades and hutspot; book early and expect festive crowds. Many museums are closed on Mondays, so adjust the order if needed.

By Air

• Schiphol Airport (AMS): 25 km. Direct trains to Leiden Centraal every 10 minutes; 15–20 minutes. Taxi: 20–35 minutes, traffic dependent.
• Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM): 28 km. Bus 33 to Meijersplein + Metro E to Rotterdam Centraal, then NS train to Leiden; 50–60 minutes total. Taxi: ~30–40 minutes.
• Eindhoven Airport (EIN): Bus 400/401 to Eindhoven Centraal + Intercity to Leiden; 1h45–2h.
• Brussels Airport (BRU): Intercity via Antwerp/Rotterdam or Schiphol; 2.5–3h.

By Train

• Main station: Leiden Centraal (major NS hub). Secondary: Leiden Lammenschans (regional services towards Alphen aan den Rijn/Utrecht).
• Key direct/frequent connections:
  • Schiphol: 15–20 minutes (very frequent).
  • Amsterdam Centraal: 35–40 minutes (via Schiphol).
  • The Hague (Centraal/HS): 10–15 minutes.
  • Rotterdam Centraal: 25–35 minutes.
  • Utrecht Centraal: 50–60 minutes (typically 1 change via Gouda, Schiphol or Rotterdam).
  • Haarlem: 25–30 minutes; Delft: 20–25 minutes.
• International rail:
  • London (Eurostar) to Rotterdam/Amsterdam, then NS to Leiden; ~4–5 hours total.
  • Paris (Eurostar/Thalys) to Rotterdam/Schiphol, then NS to Leiden; ~3.5–4 hours.
  • Brussels/Antwerp (IC Brussels) to Rotterdam/Schiphol, then NS to Leiden; ~2–2.5 hours.
• From the ferry (Harwich–Hoek van Holland): Metro line B to Schiedam Centrum/Rotterdam, then train to Leiden; 1h15–1h30.

By Car

• Motorways: A4 (Amsterdam–Schiphol–The Hague–Rotterdam) and A44 (coastal route) serve Leiden.
• Typical drive times: Amsterdam 35–50 minutes; Schiphol 20–30 minutes; The Hague 20–25 minutes; Rotterdam 35–45 minutes; Utrecht 50–70 minutes.
• Parking: Limited in the historic centre. Use city car parks (e.g., Lammermarkt, Garenmarkt) or P+R Transferium Haagse Schouw (A44) with frequent buses into the centre.