# The Hague and Scheveningen Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis, Escher in a palace, Madurodam and Scheveningen beach a tram ride away. About 50 minutes by train from Amsterdam. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/the-hague-and-scheveningen · Revisado: 2026-11-12 The Hague is the city where the Netherlands is governed even though the capital is Amsterdam: the Parliament, the king, the ministries and the international courts are all here. For the traveller that means an elegant, quiet centre, with avenues of lime trees, palaces and one of the best small museums in Europe, the Mauritshuis, where Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft hang. And twenty minutes away by tram is the sea: Scheveningen, the Dutch people's beach, with its grand hotel of 1818, its pier over the water and its fishing harbour. ## How do I get there from Amsterdam? By train, no need to think twice. From Amsterdam Centraal to Den Haag Centraal it is about 45 to 50 minutes, with very frequent trains that also stop at Schiphol, so you can come directly from the airport. You pay by tapping a contactless card or phone on the reader when you enter and leave. From Den Haag Centraal, the Mauritshuis and the Binnenhof are ten minutes on foot, and tram 9 takes you to Madurodam and Scheveningen. By car it is about 60 kilometres by motorway, but parking in the centre is expensive and rush-hour traffic is heavy. It only makes sense if you are going to Madurodam with small children (it has its own car park, €14.95 a day) or continuing along the coast. ## What to see in a day? Start first thing at the Mauritshuis, beside the Hofvijver pond. It is a 17th-century townhouse with a small, extraordinary collection: Vermeer, Rembrandt, Fabritius's The Goldfinch. It can be seen comfortably in an hour and a half. When you come out, walk round the Hofvijver to see the Binnenhof, the complex of Parliament buildings, now undergoing renovation, and go up the Lange Voorhout, the tree-lined avenue where you will find Escher in Het Paleis, the Escher museum in a former winter palace of the queen. Eat in the centre: at Schlemmer, a classic café-restaurant in the theatre district, or at De Basiliek, beside the Plein. In the afternoon, choose: the Panorama Mesdag, a circular painting of 1881 that puts you in the middle of the Scheveningen dunes, or tram 9 to Madurodam, the Netherlands in miniature. The tram carries on to the sea: end the day at the Scheveningen beach and pier and have fish for dinner at Simonis aan de Haven, in the harbour. ## The Hague or Delft? Both, if you can: they are ten minutes apart by train and complement each other. Delft is the small canal city where Vermeer lived; The Hague holds his paintings. With a night in either you see both and Rotterdam too, half an hour away. If you only have one day, The Hague has more variety, especially with children or if the weather is good and you want a beach. ## Is it worth sleeping here? Yes, if you want to combine city and sea. Sleeping in Scheveningen, at the Kurhaus, means sleeping facing the beach; in the centre, the Hotel Des Indes is the classic grand hotel on the Lange Voorhout, and the Stayokay is a hostel beside Hollands Spoor station with private rooms for families. The Hague is cheaper than Amsterdam and Amsterdam is 50 minutes away by train. ## When to go? From April to September, to have the beach, the pier terraces and the canal boats. In summer Scheveningen fills up on sunny weekends. In winter the plan works just as well thanks to the museums: the Mauritshuis, Escher and the Panorama Mesdag are indoors and open all year. Remember that Escher and the Panorama Mesdag are closed on Mondays, and that the Mauritshuis opens on Mondays at 13:00. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Delft (a 8.1 km), Leiden (a 14.4 km), Rotterdam (a 20.8 km), Gouda (a 28.0 km) ## Qué hacer - **Mauritshuis, Girl with a Pearl Earring and Vermeer** (1 h 30 · All ages; free up to age 18 · €21 · free up to age 18 · reduced rate from 16:00 to 18:00): The Mauritshuis is a 17th-century townhouse overlooking the Hofvijver, the Parliament pond, and holds one of the densest collections of Dutch painting in the world in very few rooms. Here are Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp and Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch, as well as Jan Steen, Frans Hals and Rubens. Tickets and opening hours Admission costs €21 and is free up to age 18. Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, except Monday, when it opens at 13:00. Since 2026 there is a reduced rate for entering between 16:00 and 18:00, the best time if you want to see Vermeer without groups in front. Buy your ticket on its website before you go in high season. How to fit it in An hour and a half is enough for the collection. It is ten minutes on foot from Den Haag Centraal and next to the Binnenhof, so it fits at the start of any day in The Hague. - **Madurodam, the Netherlands in miniature** (3 h · Families with children aged 3 to 12; some attractions from age 6 or 1 m tall · Price varies by day; cheaper online · free up to age 3 · parking €14.95): Madurodam is an open-air miniature city, open since 1952, with the country's best-known buildings and landscapes at 1:25 scale: Amsterdam canal houses, windmills, the Binnenhof, Rotterdam harbour or the runways of Schiphol. It is not just looking: there are models that activate, boats that load, dykes that close and attractions such as The Wind Chaser (from 1 m tall) or The Waterwolf, recommended from age 6. How to get there and how much it costs From Den Haag Centraal or Hollands Spoor, tram 9 towards Scheveningen Noord or bus 22 towards Duindorp drop you in front in about ten minutes. By car it has its own parking, €14.95 a day, no reservation. The admission price varies by day and is cheaper online; under-3s enter free. It is open 365 days a year and the ticket offices close an hour before closing time. - **Escher in Het Paleis, on the Lange Voorhout** (1 h 15 · All ages; hooks teenagers · €14.50 adults · €11 ages 13 to 17 · €8 ages 7 to 12): Queen Mother Emma's former winter palace, on the Lange Voorhout, holds more than 120 prints by M. C. Escher (1898–1972): his early landscapes of Italy, the tessellations of fish and birds, the impossible staircases and the Metamorphoses. Tickets and opening hours Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00 and the ticket office closes at 16:30. Adults pay €14.50; ages 13 to 17, €11, and ages 7 to 12, €8. Tickets have no date or time slot: if you buy them online, they are valid for a year. There is a combined ticket with the Panorama Mesdag. - **Panorama Mesdag, Scheveningen in 1881** (45 min · All ages; free up to age 18 · Free up to age 18; adults, check the website): In 1881 the painter Hendrik Willem Mesdag painted, with his wife and several pupils, a circular canvas about 120 metres long with the view of Scheveningen from a dune: the fishing village, the beach with the beached boats, the sea. You enter through a dark corridor, climb onto a dune of real sand and the painting surrounds you. The illusion works: it is hard to tell where the sand ends and the painting begins. Practical details It is at Zeestraat 65, fifteen minutes on foot from the Mauritshuis and on the way to Scheveningen. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. Under-18s do not pay. It has a café, the Café 1881, and a combined ticket with Escher in Het Paleis. - **The Hague canal boat with De Ooievaart** (1 h 30 · All ages; no dogs allowed · €14.50 adults · €10 children): Few visitors know that The Hague has canals: a ring more than 400 years old around the centre, almost intact. De Ooievaart, a city foundation, tours them in open boats with a volunteer guide who tells the story of the city from the water. The trip lasts an hour and a half and leaves from Bierkade 19, ten minutes on foot from Den Haag Centraal and Hollands Spoor. Prices and season Adults pay €14.50 and children €10. Arrive a quarter of an hour before departure. In 2026 there are works along the route, which may change and take a little longer. From June to October there is also a boat that goes to Delft in the morning and returns at midday. Dogs are not allowed. - **Scheveningen beach and pier, with the SkyView Ferris wheel** (2 h 30 · All ages · Promenade and beach free · SkyView wheel paid): Scheveningen is the beach of The Hague and of half the country: kilometres of wide sand facing the North Sea, a promenade with terraces and, in the middle, the Kurhaus, the grand spa hotel of 1818. In front leaves De Pier, a two-storey pier that goes out into the sea, with the SkyView Ferris wheel: closed, heated gondolas that rise to 50 metres above the water, with views of the coast and the city. How to get there and what to do Tram 9 from Den Haag Centraal arrives in about twenty minutes; by bike, another twenty along the cycle path. Stroll north along the promenade, go up the wheel (open every day: Monday to Thursday from 12:00 to 20:00 and at weekends from 11:00) and walk down to the harbour, about 25 minutes away, where the fishmongers and fish restaurants are. In summer the beach fills with wooden beach bars; in winter, the promenade is for wind and a warm coat. - **Peace Palace, seat of the International Court of Justice** (1 h · Teenagers and adults): The Peace Palace, of 1913, paid for by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie, is the seat of the United Nations International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. That is why you cannot just walk in: the site can only be visited on a guided visit, and there are three: inside the palace, outside around the building and through the garden. How to book Tickets go on sale on its website about two weeks before each date and sell out. If there is no space, from the gates on the Carnegieplein you get a good view of the façade, about ten minutes on foot from the Panorama Mesdag. ## Dónde comer - **Simonis aan de Haven** (Restaurant, Scheveningen, €). Qué pedir: kibbeling (battered cod chunks) with sauce, and a herring if it is Hollandse Nieuwe season. - **Restaurant De Basiliek** (Restaurant, Den Haag, €€€). Qué pedir: one of the fixed-price menus, which you put together by choosing dishes from the menu. - **Café Restaurant Schlemmer** (Restaurant, Den Haag, €€). Qué pedir: the three-course menu, with meat, fish or vegetarian, or a high tea in the garden. ## By plane: Fly to Amsterdam or Rotterdam and take a train to The Hague The Hague has two airports nearby. Amsterdam Schiphol receives direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and almost all the big Spanish cities, and its station, beneath the terminal, has direct trains to Den Haag Centraal. Rotterdam The Hague, smaller and closer, has direct flights from Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Valencia, Seville and the Canary Islands depending on the season. You do not need a car. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Des Indes** (Hotel): The place The Des Indes is The Hague's classic grand hotel, in a historic building on the Lange Voorhout, the tree-lined avenue in the centre. It has five stars, high tea, a lounge, a restaurant, a Champagne Lounge and a health club with spa. The rooms range from the Classic singles, designed for one person, to suites with classic decor. Why here For the location: you step out onto the street and in five minutes you are at the Mauritshuis, at Escher in Het Paleis, which is on the same avenue, or at the Binnenhof. The central station is a quarter of an hour on foot and the tram to Scheveningen is close. It is the hotel for a special night in The Hague without a car. How to get there From Den Haag Centraal, about fifteen minutes on foot through the centre or a short taxi ride. If you come by car, ask the hotel about parking before arriving: the Lange Voorhout has very few spaces. - **Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus** (Spa hotel): The place The Kurhaus is the building everyone photographs in Scheveningen: a spa of 1818, with a dome and white façade, planted on the beach. Today it is a five-star hotel with 270 rooms, eight of them suites, the Kurzaal, a hall with a painted dome that is worth seeing even if you only go in for a drink, and a spa with a pool with views of the North Sea. Its restaurant, Waves, and the large terrace look onto the promenade and the pier. Why here Because you sleep with the sea in front of you and the centre of The Hague a tram ride away. It is the base for a weekend of beach and museums: morning at the Mauritshuis, afternoon on the pier and Ferris wheel, which is right opposite, and dinner at the harbour. How to get there Tram 9 from Den Haag Centraal drops you on the promenade. Check-in is from 14:00. - **Stayokay Den Haag** (Hostel): The place A Stayokay network hostel in a building beside Hollands Spoor station, The Hague's second, with private rooms, family rooms and dormitories. It has a bar, breakfast (from 7:30 to 9:30 on weekdays and until 10:00 at weekends) and children's beds. Families and under-18s always sleep in a private room. Why here For the price and the station: Hollands Spoor has trains to Amsterdam, Delft and Rotterdam, and trams 1, 9, 12 and 16 arrive from Den Haag Centraal. It is a fifteen-minute walk to the centre and about twenty by bike to Scheveningen. How to get there From Hollands Spoor, five minutes on foot towards the Rijswijkseplein; the hostel is behind a building that looks like iron and is recognisable by the blue neon letters. From Den Haag Centraal, take a tram to Station Hollands Spoor. ### Servicios - **Den Haag Centraal station**: Trains from Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol in about 45–50 minutes; trams to the centre, to Madurodam and to Scheveningen. Contactless payment. - **Tram 9 to Madurodam and Scheveningen**: Tram 9 links Den Haag Centraal and Hollands Spoor with Madurodam in about 10 minutes and carries on to Scheveningen beach. ## Car-free: The Hague by train, tram and on foot The Hague can be done entirely without a car: the museum centre is walkable and tram 9 takes you to Madurodam and the beach. It is on the train line between Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam, so with one or two nights here you see half of South Holland. The budget per person per day includes sleeping, food and tickets. Presupuesto orientativo: 100–180 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Des Indes** (Hotel): The place The Des Indes is The Hague's classic grand hotel, in a historic building on the Lange Voorhout, the tree-lined avenue in the centre. It has five stars, high tea, a lounge, a restaurant, a Champagne Lounge and a health club with spa. The rooms range from the Classic singles, designed for one person, to suites with classic decor. Why here For the location: you step out onto the street and in five minutes you are at the Mauritshuis, at Escher in Het Paleis, which is on the same avenue, or at the Binnenhof. The central station is a quarter of an hour on foot and the tram to Scheveningen is close. It is the hotel for a special night in The Hague without a car. How to get there From Den Haag Centraal, about fifteen minutes on foot through the centre or a short taxi ride. If you come by car, ask the hotel about parking before arriving: the Lange Voorhout has very few spaces. - **Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus** (Spa hotel): The place The Kurhaus is the building everyone photographs in Scheveningen: a spa of 1818, with a dome and white façade, planted on the beach. Today it is a five-star hotel with 270 rooms, eight of them suites, the Kurzaal, a hall with a painted dome that is worth seeing even if you only go in for a drink, and a spa with a pool with views of the North Sea. Its restaurant, Waves, and the large terrace look onto the promenade and the pier. Why here Because you sleep with the sea in front of you and the centre of The Hague a tram ride away. It is the base for a weekend of beach and museums: morning at the Mauritshuis, afternoon on the pier and Ferris wheel, which is right opposite, and dinner at the harbour. How to get there Tram 9 from Den Haag Centraal drops you on the promenade. Check-in is from 14:00. - **Stayokay Den Haag** (Hostel): The place A Stayokay network hostel in a building beside Hollands Spoor station, The Hague's second, with private rooms, family rooms and dormitories. It has a bar, breakfast (from 7:30 to 9:30 on weekdays and until 10:00 at weekends) and children's beds. Families and under-18s always sleep in a private room. Why here For the price and the station: Hollands Spoor has trains to Amsterdam, Delft and Rotterdam, and trams 1, 9, 12 and 16 arrive from Den Haag Centraal. It is a fifteen-minute walk to the centre and about twenty by bike to Scheveningen. How to get there From Hollands Spoor, five minutes on foot towards the Rijswijkseplein; the hostel is behind a building that looks like iron and is recognisable by the blue neon letters. From Den Haag Centraal, take a tram to Station Hollands Spoor. ### Servicios - **Den Haag Centraal station**: Trains from Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol in about 45–50 minutes; trams to the centre, to Madurodam and to Scheveningen. Contactless payment. - **Tram 9 to Madurodam and Scheveningen**: Tram 9 links Den Haag Centraal and Hollands Spoor with Madurodam in about 10 minutes and carries on to Scheveningen beach. ## Luxury: The Hague in style The Hague has two grand historic hotels that give meaning to a luxury break: the Des Indes on the museum avenue and the Kurhaus on the beach. With one in the centre and one by the sea, you can have a weekend of Vermeer in the morning and a spa with views of the North Sea in the afternoon. The budget per person per day includes the hotel, meals and tickets. Presupuesto orientativo: From €350 por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir in style - **Hotel Des Indes** (Hotel): The place The Des Indes is The Hague's classic grand hotel, in a historic building on the Lange Voorhout, the tree-lined avenue in the centre. It has five stars, high tea, a lounge, a restaurant, a Champagne Lounge and a health club with spa. The rooms range from the Classic singles, designed for one person, to suites with classic decor. Why here For the location: you step out onto the street and in five minutes you are at the Mauritshuis, at Escher in Het Paleis, which is on the same avenue, or at the Binnenhof. The central station is a quarter of an hour on foot and the tram to Scheveningen is close. It is the hotel for a special night in The Hague without a car. How to get there From Den Haag Centraal, about fifteen minutes on foot through the centre or a short taxi ride. If you come by car, ask the hotel about parking before arriving: the Lange Voorhout has very few spaces. - **Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus** (Spa hotel): The place The Kurhaus is the building everyone photographs in Scheveningen: a spa of 1818, with a dome and white façade, planted on the beach. Today it is a five-star hotel with 270 rooms, eight of them suites, the Kurzaal, a hall with a painted dome that is worth seeing even if you only go in for a drink, and a spa with a pool with views of the North Sea. Its restaurant, Waves, and the large terrace look onto the promenade and the pier. Why here Because you sleep with the sea in front of you and the centre of The Hague a tram ride away. It is the base for a weekend of beach and museums: morning at the Mauritshuis, afternoon on the pier and Ferris wheel, which is right opposite, and dinner at the harbour. How to get there Tram 9 from Den Haag Centraal drops you on the promenade. Check-in is from 14:00. ## As a family: The Hague with the family The Hague works very well with children because it mixes in one day things that are far apart in other cities: a short museum with a famous painting, a miniature city and the beach, all linked by the same tram. Under-18s do not pay at the Mauritshuis or the Panorama Mesdag. ### What works best Madurodam, especially for ages 4 to 12 The Scheveningen beach and pier Ferris wheel The Panorama Mesdag, which looks real Escher in Het Paleis, with its impossible staircases ### Where to sleep Stayokay Den Haag, with family rooms Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus, with a pool facing the sea ### Where to eat Simonis aan de Haven, kibbeling and fried fish in the harbour Schlemmer, open all day on Sunday too ### Bear in mind Escher and the Panorama Mesdag are closed on Mondays The canal boat does not allow dogs ### Qué hacer as a family - Mauritshuis, Girl with a Pearl Earring and Vermeer - Madurodam, the Netherlands in miniature - Escher in Het Paleis, on the Lange Voorhout - Panorama Mesdag, Scheveningen in 1881 - The Hague canal boat with De Ooievaart - Scheveningen beach and pier, with the SkyView Ferris wheel ## With young children: The Hague with small children With children under six, the key is Madurodam and the beach, and keeping the museums to a short visit. Everything is linked by tram 9, so you do not need a car. ### What works best Madurodam, free up to age 3; The Wind Chaser from 1 m tall Scheveningen beach and the closed-gondola Ferris wheel The Panorama Mesdag, short and surprising ### Where to sleep Stayokay Den Haag, with children's beds ### Where to eat Simonis aan de Haven, no reservations and a reasonable rush ### Bear in mind Some Madurodam attractions are recommended from age 6 On the beach the wind blows even in summer: bring a coat ### Qué hacer with young children - Madurodam, the Netherlands in miniature - Panorama Mesdag, Scheveningen in 1881 - Scheveningen beach and pier, with the SkyView Ferris wheel ## With teenagers: The Hague with teenagers For teenagers, The Hague has two magnets: Escher, who plays with the mind, and the beach with the pier. The Mauritshuis is short and free for them, and the Peace Palace tells them what international justice is for. ### What works best Escher in Het Paleis, €11 for ages 13 to 17 The Mauritshuis, free up to age 18 The Scheveningen pier and the SkyView Ferris wheel The guided visit to the Peace Palace ### Where to sleep Stayokay Den Haag, with a hostel atmosphere Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus, facing the beach ### Where to eat Simonis aan de Haven Schlemmer ### Bear in mind Peace Palace tickets go on sale about two weeks beforehand and sell out ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Mauritshuis, Girl with a Pearl Earring and Vermeer - Escher in Het Paleis, on the Lange Voorhout - Panorama Mesdag, Scheveningen in 1881 - The Hague canal boat with De Ooievaart - Scheveningen beach and pier, with the SkyView Ferris wheel - Peace Palace, seat of the International Court of Justice ## Consejos ### Mauritshuis first thing or at the end It opens at 10:00. From 16:00 to 18:00 there is a reduced rate and fewer people. ### Tram 9 links everything From Den Haag Centraal it passes Madurodam and reaches Scheveningen. ### Under-18s free Up to age 18 they do not pay at the Mauritshuis or the Panorama Mesdag. ### Avoid Monday Escher in Het Paleis and the Panorama Mesdag are closed. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Amsterdam to The Hague? About 45 to 50 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal to Den Haag Centraal, with very frequent trains that stop at Schiphol. ### Where is Girl with a Pearl Earring? In the Mauritshuis, beside the Binnenhof, ten minutes on foot from the central station. Admission costs €21 and is free up to age 18. ### How do you get from the centre of The Hague to Scheveningen beach? On tram 9 from Den Haag Centraal, which passes Madurodam. By bike it is about 20 minutes. ### Can you visit The Hague and Delft on the same day? Yes. They are about ten minutes apart by train. The Mauritshuis in the morning and Delft in the afternoon makes a full day. ### Can you go into the Peace Palace? Only on a guided tour, inside, outside or in the garden. Tickets go on sale on its website about two weeks beforehand. ### Is Madurodam worth it with children? Yes, especially for ages 4 to 12: an open-air miniature city with interactive attractions, open all year.