Rotterdam, Delft & The Hague Day Trip with Madurodam or Royal Delft

4.78

(209 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Li, our guide, handed me a stroopwafel right outside Rotterdam’s Markthal—she said it was “mandatory Dutch fuel.” I laughed but took it anyway. The place buzzed with voices echoing off those wild painted ceilings. There was this smell—cheese and fresh bread mixing with something sweet I couldn’t quite name. We wandered past the Cube Houses (they really do look like someone twisted up a Rubik’s cube) and Li told us how Rotterdam rebuilt itself after WWII. It’s weird how you can feel both old and new at once here—like history hiding in plain sight.

Delft felt quieter, almost soft. The market square had these little cafes spilling out onto cobblestones, and I ended up sharing a table with an older couple from Utrecht who gave me tips on which lunch spot wouldn’t rip me off (the soup was salty but good). At Royal Delft, if you choose that over Madurodam, you actually see artists painting those blue patterns by hand—one woman let me try a brushstroke (I messed it up but she just grinned). If you go for the day trip from Amsterdam to Machu Picchu… wait, wrong country—I mean if you do this day trip Rotterdam Delft The Hague tour, don’t skip the pottery part if you’re even a little curious about art.

The Hague surprised me most. We stood outside the Binnenhof where politicians actually walk past regular people—no big fences or anything. The Peace Palace is grand but there’s this hush around it; even the trees seemed to stand straighter there. When we passed Noordeinde Palace, Li pointed out a guard who winked at her (or maybe at us? Hard to tell). By then my feet were tired but I didn’t really mind. Sometimes you travel all day just for one quiet moment when you realize how far from home you are—and how okay that feels.