Netherlands · LEIDEN TOURS
A trip always has one free day too few. These 15 leiden tours are worth the slot, priced and timed so the choice takes minutes.
See Leiden from its 17 miles of canals on a one-hour cruise led in Dutch and English by a local captain. You’ll pass City Hall, Hortus Botanicus, Museum De Lakenhal, and many of the city’s 88 bridges. Buy a drink or snack before boarding at Aalmarkt 4, and bring a jacket because the canal breeze can be cold.
“Extremely polite and nice guide/boat driver.!Well served in English!”
See Leiden from a quiet electric boat on a 50-minute guided cruise from Blauwpoortsbrug. Your skipper explains the city in Dutch and English, with an audio app available for other languages. Expect low bridges, canal views, the university, observatory, Hortus Botanicus, parks, and covered, heated sailing in poor weather.
“It’s not hard to see why this is the best rated cruise in Leiden. Really well located, friendly & knowledgeable staff a super boat & lovely route. Highly recommend !!”
Join Rederij van Hulst in Warmond for a one-hour cruise across the Kagerplassen. You will pass working windmills, low-lying polders, and traditional villages while an audio guide shares how the area stays dry, in places up to 5 meters below sea level. Boats have an open rear deck, onboard toilets, and guides in four languages.
“My birthday as well as the captain. All joined in with song for birthday wishes ! - Lovely !”
Take the helm of a private electric boat in Leiden for two hours, with room for up to eight people. Staff at Rondvaart Leiden provide a clear briefing and map, then you choose your own route through the city’s canals, stopping at waterside parks or for a coffee. No boating license is needed, but the boat’s slow acceleration calls for care around other boats.
“Very good activity. Staff very friendly, easy to use and figure out.”
You’ll spend one hour aboard a covered Rederij van Hulst boat on the Kagerplassen, with an open deck for photos of windmills, villages, and spring fields. Collect your Keukenhof ticket in Warmond before sailing, then drive yourself about 15 minutes to the gardens. The boat audio guide is offered in five languages.
“Rejs na, którym można odpocząć doświadczając widoków ze strony wody.”
Spend about 90 minutes exploring Hortus Botanicus Leiden at your own pace. See the garden where Europe’s first tulips were grown, then visit tropical orchids, carnivorous plants, the Japanese Garden, Clusius Garden, and glasshouse. The $13 ticket is valid for one day, with Dutch and English assistance and wheelchair access.
At Space Expo in Noordwijk, you can trace a space mission from design on Earth to launch, touch a real meteorite, see André Kuipers’ Soyuz capsule, and enter a life-size ISS model. Children ages 5 to 12 get a free expedition booklet with challenges, a secret message, and an astronaut diploma.
“Elias erg leuk voor onze zoon de speurtocht en de interactieve elementen waren een goed toevoeging”
Spend 2.5 hours aboard a boat crossing the Kaag Lakes, known as the Amsterdam Lakes. You’ll see working windmills, shallow water, polders, pasture, marinas, villages, and seasonal flower fields. The English, German, or Dutch-speaking crew offers a relaxed ride, with helpful boarding assistance and wheelchair access.
“The trip was really nice and pleasant. Both the captain and the service staff on board were super friendly and accommodating. During the tour you get a completely new perspective on your (holiday) region, see fantastic properties and great marinas. I would particularly like to mention the captain's willingness to help passengers who weren't quite able to stand their ground when getting on and off. The rollator was always moved first and then the person in question was given help. Really very commendable.Read more”
Join guide PJ for a compact English-language walk through Leiden, limited to nine people. You’ll see the Morspoort, windmill de Put, Rembrandtplaats, Pieterskerk, Hooglandse Kerk, city hall, and the Burcht, with entry to Young Rembrandt’s Art Studio included. The tour lasts about 70 to 90 minutes and returns to Leiden Central Station.
“PJ did a great job making the history of Leiden come to life. Friendly, easy to ask him questions. I would definitely recommend.”
You’ll use Qula’s free city game app to follow GPS clues around Leiden, solve riddles, answer questions, and complete search tasks. The roughly three-hour route begins and ends at Morsstraat 66 and visits sights including Pieterskerk, the Burcht, Molen de Valk, the Wall Poems, and several museums. Play privately with two to six people at your own pace.
“Was in the area on business and had a little extra time. Decided to do this scavenger hunt as a means to see the town. The questions were out dated, asking about paintings that were no longer hanging or businesses that were no longer in business. Also, the historical plaques did not have the same information in English as it did in Dutch. The questions were based on information not provided in English. But, the hunt took me to neat places.”
Explore Leiden with a self-guided Outside Escape game for up to six people. Use your internet-ready smartphone to solve riddles at Molen de Put, Rembrandtplaats, Doelenpoort, Pieterskerkhof, Van der Werfpark, and Koornbrug. The route takes about one to two hours, with no fixed start time and room for pauses along the way.
“A very nice challenging trip, the basic version was tricky enough and we saw nice parts of the city. Highly recommended!Auto-translated”
Explore Leiden at your own pace with the Discovery Trip app and The Stolen Keys puzzle route. In about 75 to 105 minutes, you’ll pass an 18th-century windmill, historic churches, Rapenburg, De Burcht, and Koornbrug. Bring a charged smartphone, mobile data, and patience for a few puzzles that may need extra explanation.
“The route was nice and indeed took 1 to 2 hours. Some answers/puzzles were either wrong or needed more info (like with the weights or pigeons).”
Join Suha for a two-hour, English or Turkish walking tour through Leiden’s overlooked corners. With a group of up to six, you’ll hear stories about eccentric characters, artists, scientists, churches, courtyards, and local life while walking from Central Station to Beestenmarkt. Wear good shoes and bring rain-ready clothing.
“Really nice tour and learned some fun facts about Leiden! Nice to be guided around the city to areas we probably wouldnt have found or gone on our own”
Explore Leiden’s compact historic center with a private guide in Dutch, English, German, or French. In about 1.5 hours, you’ll see canals and old streets while learning about Rembrandt, the Pilgrim Fathers, Leiden University, and the city’s role in the Eighty Years’ War. The pace and focus can be adjusted to your interests.
Rent a paddleboard from Rondvaart Leiden and explore the city’s canals for two hours. You’ll receive basic instruction at the harbor office, then follow a route past Rembrandt’s birthplace, the Academy Building, gates, bridges, windmills, and waterside courtyards. No guide joins you, so you set the pace in a private group.
“Paddleboarding on Leiden's canals was a fun and novel experience for me and my friend. The paddleboarding place was friend and accommodating. Perhaps because we were beginners some extra paddle boarding tips for stability would have been useful.”
Pick a canal, a gallery or a polder.
