Delft & Rotterdam: Private Day Tour with Private Boat Ride

Overview

Discover two completely different sides of Holland on this full-day private tour: modern Rotterdam and historic Delft, with a private boat ride, tickets, lunch, and transfers all included. In Rotterdam, your guide takes you through the bold, rebuilt city: past the iconic Markthal, the old St. Lawrence Church, and the famous Cube Houses, one of which you step inside. The highlight is a private boat ride on the Maas, where you take in Rotterdam's skyline from the water. In Delft, you step into the Dutch Golden Age: the Market Square, the New and Old Church, the Prinsenhof where William of Orange was assassinated, and Royal Delft, the only Delft Blue manufacturer still operating since the 17th century. Lunch is included in Delft. You can do this tour in either direction. Pick-up 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. Gare centrale de Rotterdam

   Your guide will be waiting for you at Rotterdam Centraal Station. The tour starts here, the city's new train station. 170,000 people walk in and out every day!

   · 10 min

2. As soon as we leave the station, we see a the Groothandelsgebouw, a building that was the largest building of Europe when it opened in 1949. It is an icon of the reconstruction of Rotterdam.

   · 5 min

3. We walk over a seemingly normal roundabout, but for the people of Rotterdam this place almost has a spiritual meaning. Of course it has to do with football.

   · Non-stop passage

4. City Hall Rotterdam

   You will see one of the few buildings that survived the war in Rotterdam: the town hall. Who are those statues? Let's find out.

   · 10 min

5. The Timmerhuis housed the institution that managed the city's reconstruction after the war. The building itself also somehow symbolises the mix between old and new that Rotterdam is all about.

   · 5 min

6. Église Saint-Laurent

   Close to the modern Market Hall stands a 14th century church. Its tower miraculously survived the bombing of Rotterdam too. 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

7. Markthal

   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. And don't forget to look up and look at one of the biggest pieces of art on the planet! Inside, we will taste some Dutch cheese.

   · 10 min

8. You have already noticed the cube houses probably, but now we will walk under them, and even enter one from inside. You will find out if it is a bit comfortable to live there.

   · 20 min· Admission included

9. Willemsbrug

   We will walk towards the river Maas, close to the red bridge. This is where heavy fighting took place in May 1940, before the bombing of the city. From here on, we will have a clear view of Rotterdam's impressive skyline. You can also see the other side of the river,

   · 5 min

10. From here, we will get our own water taxi (fast yellow boats for small groups). We will go on a 45 minute tour over the river Maas, to really appreciate the skyline and (a part of) the port of Rotterdam.

    · 45 min

11. Oude Haven

    As we walk away from the river again, we are entering the Old Harbour area. This area is where the port of Rotterdam started in the 15th century. Nowadays, this is a place to go out for drinks or look at old ships being restored by hand and the actual port (the biggest of Europe) starts a few kilometers away!

    · 10 min

12. Maison Blanche

    We will walk closer to the river and see the Witte Huis.,the most prominent building in to the Old Harbour area. 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.

    · 10 min

13. We will now go underground, into the UFO shaped train station Blaak. From here, we will take a direct train to Delft city center (17 minutes).

    · 20 min

14. From Station Delft, we will make our way into the city.

    · 10 min

15. We will walk along the oldest canal of Delft. In the south of the city centre, we will pass by a large former weapons Armory of the V.O.C. Let's find out more about Delft's role in the golden days of the Dutch Republic. Also around here, we can take a look at the exact spot where Vermeer was standing when he made his famous painting 'View of Delft'.

    · 15 min

16. On our way to the Beestenmarkt square, we will pass by Delft's old neo-classicist synagogue, as you walk along another one of Delft's quaint canals.

    · 15 min

17. The newest church of Delft city centre! Only about 150 years old. It is a Catholic church, so it was not allowed before that time. How about the church's 2 distinct towers? You'll see.

    · 10 min

18. On this former animal trading market square, the Beestenmarkt, we will stop for a well-deserved lunch. Nowadays, this is a very popular square among locals

    · 1 h

19. We will see the second-highest church tower of the Netherlands, and home of the family grave of our royal family. The church is from the 14th century, but it has suffered quite some damage during the centuries. You'll learn more about it! If you want to, we will climb the tower (370 steps).

    · 20 min· Admission included

20. The old town hall of Delft is one of the most important historical buildings of the city. We will walk by it as we leave the Markt square on our way to the Old Church. What is so interesting about the town hall? Your guide will tell you.

    · 10 min

21. After leaving the market square and passing by the butter house, the weighing house and Anthony van Leeuwenhoek's old house, we will go to the old beer brewing quarter and see the Old Church, the leaning tower of Delft. Johannes Vermeer is buried there. But why is it leaning? We'll find out

    · 15 min

22. Opposite of the Old Church is the Prinsenhof, a former monastery. This place has played a deciding role in Dutch history, as our Father of the Fatherland has been assassinated here in 1584. You will find out more about it.

    · 10 min

23. On our way down the Oude Delft canal, we will see the oldest house of Delft. It now has a heavily decorated facade, as it houses the Water Board since 1645. What is this and why was (and is) it so important?

    · 15 min

24. We make our way back to the central Markt square, where there will be an electric tuktuk (threewheeler) waiting to take us to the Royal Delft Museum.

    · 20 min

25. We arrive at the only surviving original Delft Blue pottery factory, from 1653. Here, you will get an audio tour through the museum and the operational factory itself. Afterwards, you can visit their shop and café, before a tuktuk takes you back to Delft again (to the city or to the station).

    · 1 h· Admission included

26. You are back in Delft, with the night ahead of you. If you want to eat or drink something in Delft, everything is within a few minutes walking from here. We can help you with planning your evening if you want to. If you booked an option 'with pick-up/drop-off', you will be dropped off again afterwards, at your hotel or another location of your choice.

    · 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

You will receive the personalised Intercity Direct tickets (and instructions) from us the day before the tour date. During the tour itself, your guide will make sure that you can enter all attractions.

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
• We can accommodate all dietary wishes

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: 399542P12

Activity offered by Discover Delft via Viator.