What To Do In The Hague

The Hague Netherlands

Before you plan your day trip here, it’s important to know why Hague is such an important city to visit.

The Hague is a city in the Netherlands and it is also the seat of government. With a metropolitan population of more than 1 million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. – Source Wikipedia

While we were in Amsterdam last summer of 2019, we plan to do a side trip visiting the Hague because of its international identity.

You’re probably considering visiting the Hague if you are in the Netherlands.

Visiting The Hague In One day

From Amsterdam, it takes about 45 minutes to get to the Hague by train.

We took the train from Amsterdam Schiphol airport going to The Hague since this is the most convenient for us from the hotel that we are staying in.

Actually, there are several ways to get to the Hague from Amsterdam airport. You can take the Amsterdam taxi from the airport or take the train.

Taxis at the airport do not offer a fixed price for the journey, you will be charged on the meter based on your destination.

The average trip duration if no traffic is about 35 minutes to reach the city proper of the Hague.

You can compare the transportation & the cost if you decide to go to the Hague from Amsterdam airport.

The Peace Palace (The International Court of Justice)

Things to know about the Peace Palace in the Hague

The Peace Palace in the Hague is an international law administrative building.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the United Nation’s highest judicial body.

Fifteen judges make up the full bench and they are elected similarly to the UN Security Council.

During the First Hague Peace Conference of 1899, 26 countries participated. Source: Vredespaleis.nl

In 1907 a second peace conference was organized in The Hague, in which 44 countries participated. Source: Vredespaleis.nl

How To Get To The Peace Palace

There are two main train stations in The Hague.

1. The Centraal Station – from here you will have to walk about fifteen to twenty minutes, or take a tram, to get into the center of The Hague.

If you don’t like to walk, then you can take bus line 28 (Scheveningen – Voorburg) from The Hague central station and get off at stop Vredespaleis.

2. The Den Haag (The Hague Hollands Spoor) – from here you can take the Tram line 1, direction Scheveningen Noorderstrand and then get off at stop Vredespaleis.

How to Get Around The Hague

It is very easy to get around the Hague to see the different attractions.

You can walk to most sites or you can take the trams and buses to go around.

Since my family loves to walk, we explore the Hague mostly by walking.

The tram is not expensive at all. Like they also offer a 2-hour transport ticket that allows you to go around the city or visit the beach nearby.

The price is about 4 Euro.

You can check the local transportation while you are in the Netherlands here.

What To Do & See In Hague

The Binnenhof & Riddeszaal

The Binnenhof is the political heart of Holland that is also located in The Hague.

It is free to explore the inner area of the Binnenhof. It nice to walk around and look at those parliament buildings.

Beautiful Gothic architecture.

The Binnenhof area is also used for official royal receptions and government conferences.

Very nice important buildings in the center of Den Haag.

The Mauritshuis museum is just near the Binnenhof area.

The Ridderzaal is the main building of the 13th-century inner square of the former castle of the counts of Holland called Binnenhof – Source: Wikipedia

The buildings in and around the Binnenhof were originally built as part of the count’s castle as private residences, and currently, house the meeting chambers of Parliament and the offices of the Prime Minister.

The Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery

The Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery is a popular picture gallery in the Hague.

Masterpieces such as Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, and The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt.

If you are a fan of Rembrandt, this gallery is the best place for you to visit it is because the gallery is not quite as busy as some of the more popular museums and galleries.

Opening Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10 am to 6m, open until 8 pm on Thursdays; Monday 1 pm to 6 pm.

Mauritshuis Picture Gallery does not open until 1 pm on Mondays.

At the center of the Binnenhof you’ll see the oldest building of the Inner Court, and there are good areas for you to take some good photos.

If you are in the Hague you have to walk through Binnenhof, it’s really worth it to see and walk along with those old gothic buildings.

The Food You Must Try in Hague, The Netherlands

The Haring

Haring is a very traditional Dutch food in the Netherlands.

This is a raw herring fish.

And it is typically served with pickles, chopped onions, and can be eaten with or without bread.

Dutch herring is traditionally eaten by holding the fish by the tail and dunking it into your mouth.

You can find haring at street stalls all around Amsterdam.

I know the way you eat it, doesn’t seem appealing, but it tastes good.

To Conclude

The Hague can be visited all year round, but the best time to visit Amsterdam is in April, May, or September.

And if you want to avoid cold and wet weather, then better to avoid going to Amsterdam from November to February.

Overall, our visit to the Hague is really worth it. The Hague offers everything!

A blend of gothic old palaces and new architectures as you explore the Dutch exotic and delicious cuisines.

We visited The Netherlands last summer, from June 8-11, 2019.

Other Places To Explore

Things To Do in Amsterdam

There are several things to do in Amsterdam and I will walk you through to some places that we visited during our stay in Amsterdam last summer.

The Zaanse Schans is a typical traditional Dutch village from the country side.

It is a famous windmill village in Holland.

The village has many cute wooden houses where you can get a feel of an 18th Century charming village.

Dubrovnik Game of Thrones Tour

Are you a fan of Game of Thrones?

If you’ve ever wondered where is Game of Thrones filmed?

To tell you frankly, I never heard about this film, until my family had our vacation in Northern Ireland in 2017 and that was the first time I heard about Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones has several filming locations and one of them is in Belfast, Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and the United States.

What is the best time to visit Santorini Greece?

Santorini is one of my favorite places I’ve visited with my family. This is my 2nd time visiting Santorini because it’s simply AMAZING…and foods are delicious!

It’s a truly calming experience when you step the island of Santorini – the serene blue skies that will get you gasping at just about every corner of the island. The overviewing & stunning jewel blue ocean and the crystal white-colored fondant-like cake houses carved into cliffs are remarkable.