Rotterdam and The Hague: Private Half-Day Tour with Transfer

Overview

Discover two of the most contrasting cities in the Netherlands on this half-day private tour: The Hague and Rotterdam, with a transfer between the cities included. In The Hague, your guide walks you past the Binnenhof, Noordeinde Palace, foreign embassies, and the elegant streets of the political heart of the Netherlands, bringing the city's history and culture to life along the way. In Rotterdam, you explore a city bombed flat in 1940 and rebuilt as a showcase of bold architecture. See the iconic skyline, visit the Old Harbor, and step inside one of the famous Cube Houses. Entry is included. You can do the tour in either direction. Pickup and drop-off from other locations, including Amsterdam, can also be arranged. This is a private tour. You set the pace, and if you have any special requests or an interest in a certain topic, just let us know.

Itinerary

1. Het Plein

   You will learn about the Father of the Fatherland, Willem van Oranje, and his role in the 80 years war: the Dutch revolt.

   · 10 min

2. Mauritshuis

   We will make our way towards the Mauritshuis museum. I will tell you something about the building and its history. Among others, this museum has the most famous paintings of Johannes Vermeer inside.

   · 10 min

3. Binnenhof & Ridderzaal

   We will briefly walk onto the square within the parliament complex and see the Knight's Hall. Here I will tell you about the significance and history of this place. With some luck, we might see some of our ministers (or prime minister) walking by!

   · 10 min

4. Hofvijver

   The Hofvijver pond is situated in front of the parliament building and the prime minister's office (the little tower!). You will learn about the significance of this place and some funny histoy.

   · 10 min

5. Thorbecke Monument

   The statue of Thorbecke next to the Hofvijver is quite interesting. This statue has to do with our constitution! You will hear more about it.

   · 1 min

6. Lange Voorhout

   This is the Champs-Élysées of The Hague. Quite a classy street! We will walk a bit and pass multiple embassies, an art museum, a famous hotel, the temporary senate building, a statue gallery of the Dutch heads of states and some more interesting (royal) buildings.

   · 20 min

7. Noordeinde Palace

   We will see the working palace of the Dutch king. Based on the flag, we can find out if he is currently in the country. Let's see!

   · 10 min

8. Grote Kerk

   We will see the Grote Kerk ("Big Church") of The Hague. What is that stork doing on top of it?

   · 15 min

9. Statue of Johan de Witt

   Another statue! This is the only head of government of the Netherlands that has been eaten by an angry mob! That sounds a bit weird, but you'll find out what happened.

   · 15 min

10. Gare centrale de Rotterdam

    On our way to Rotterdam Blaak, we will see the city's central station. It opened in 2014 and has quite a spectacular design.

    · Non-stop passage

11. We will also see a peculiar statue from the car, officially called 'Santa Claus', but it is known by another name...

    · Non-stop passage

12. This is the UFO-shaped train station in the market area of Rotterdam, where the city has its origins. You will get out of the car here and start the tour of the city.

    · 10 min

13. This building has become an icon for the city. We will enter the impressive Market Hall (Markthal). The two sides of the building contain many apartments and inside you can enjoy different foods from around the world. We will at least try some Dutch cheese! And don't forget to look up and look at one of the biggest pieces of art on the planet.

    · 15 min

14. Close to the modern Market Hall stands a 14th century church. Its tower miraculously survived the bombing of Rotterdam. Today, it is mostly used as an event location. You will learn of the church's history, as well as that of a famous man who was born here: Erasmus.

    · 10 min

15. You have probably noticed them already: the Cubic Houses. These funny apartments (by Piet Blom) are a product of the 70's, built in the 80's, and they represent a typical way of building a 'village inside a city'. We will view one of the apartments from the inside! The price is included in the tour price.

    · 20 min· Admission included

16. We are in the Oude Haven (Old Harbour) area. This is now a lively recreational area with multiple terraces. See some more Piet Blom architecture and enjoy the old ships that are anchored here for restauration. Nowadays, the real port of Rotterdam is located many kilometers to the west from here.

    · 10 min

17. We will see the most prominent building in to the Old Harbour area: the White House (Het Witte Huis). This is the oldest skyscraper of Europe, dating from 1898. You will learn about its significance to the city. And if you look carefully, you can see the remnants of German bullet holes! Your guide will tell you all about it.

    · 15 min

18. Before walking back to the endpoint, we will make our way to the river Maas. From here you can truly see the skyline of Rotterdam.

    · 15 min

Pickup

Pickup or meet at the departure point.

If you book an option that includes a pick-up and drop-off, you will be picked up from the location you select, up to 1 hour before the tour starts. You are dropped off again afterwards. We will contact you beforehand to coordinate this. If you book an option that does not include a pick-up and a drop-off, you will meet your guide at the meeting point.

How to use your ticket

We will contact you to establish the pick-up location in Amsterdam.

Meeting and end point

What to know before you go

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• You will receive confirmation immediately when you book.

Travelers

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

• From 1 days before : 100% refunded
• From 0 days before : 0% refunded

Reviews

Product code: 399542P13

Activity offered by Discover Delft via Viator.