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Voykit pocket guide · Netherlands
Leiden
Give Leiden one full day and one night: museums and canals on foot, then a train out — 15 min to Schiphol, 10–15 min to The Hague.
Leiden is a compact, walled university city 15 minutes by train from Schiphol, with four national museums, the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands and a canal ring you can walk in half a day. Most travellers see it as a day trip from Amsterdam or The Hague, but one night lets you use it as a quiet base for the bulb fields and the coast.
- Country
- Netherlands
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, higher room rates), late Dec–early Jan (some museums closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards dominate; some shops and cafés are card-only and a few supermarkets accept debit cards but not all credit cards, so carry both.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- KPN, Vodafone and Odido run the networks; Lebara and Lyca sell cheap prepaid SIMs in supermarkets and at Schiphol.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard continental two-pin; UK and US plugs need adapters.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up.; Restaurant: 5–10% for good service; tell the server the total when paying by card.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Not expected.
- Water
- Tap water is among the best in Europe; restaurants may charge for it, so ask.
- Toilets
- Stations charge about €0.70–1; cafés expect you to buy something; free urinals (and a few public toilets) in city centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2.50–4 |
| Museum entry (national museums) | €11–20 |
| Lunch, sandwich or soup | €8–15 |
| Dinner, main course | €15–25 |
| Beer, café / supermarket | €4–6 / €1–2 |
| Bus ride in the region | €2–4 |
| Bike rental, one day | from €15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AMS · Amsterdam Schiphol
- Direct NS trains to Leiden Centraal, about 15 min; the fastest airport-to-city link in the country.
Typical fares
- Schiphol → Leiden Centraal, NS train
- about €7, 15 min (check)
- Leiden Centraal → The Hague, NS train
- about €4–5, 10–15 min (check)
- Bike rental, one day
- from €15 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The old town inside the singel is walkable end to end in about 25 minutes. Rent a bike from Fietspoint Oldenburger at the station (from about €15 a day) for the coast or the polders. Local buses leave from the square outside Leiden Centraal; plan with 9292.nl. Driving into the centre is not worth it — park at a P+R or a garage on the edge.
See and do
Known for
- Leiden University, founded 1575
- Rembrandt's birthplace
- Rijksmuseum van Oudheden and three other national museums
- Hortus Botanicus, the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands
- Pieterskerk and the Pilgrim Fathers
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Katwijk aan Zee | Bus from Leiden Centraal toward Katwijk, about 25 min | About 45 min |
| Lisse and Keukenhof | Bus from Leiden Centraal toward Lisse, about 30 min | About 50 min |
| Noordwijk aan Zee | Bus from Leiden Centraal, about 35 min | About 1 h |
| Oegstgeest | Bus or bike, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Amsterdam | NS train from Leiden Centraal, 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| The Hague | NS train from Leiden Centraal, 10–15 min | About 30 min |
Sleep
- City centre (Breestraat, Nieuwe Rijn)
- Walk to every museum and canal; 10–15 min on foot from Leiden Centraal. Quietest nights are midweek.
- Station area (Stationsweg, Stationsplein)
- Best for one night with bags or an early flight; 5 min to the platforms, 10 min to the old town.
- Noordeinde and the singel ring
- Canal-side streets inside the old walls; 15 min walk to the station, fewer restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HalloHAH-loh |
| Thank you | Dank u weldahnk oo vel |
| Excuse me | Pardonpar-DON |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het?hoo-VAYL kost hut |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan ik met kaart betalen?kan ik met kart buh-TAH-lun |
| Where is the toilet? | Waar is het toilet?vaar is hut twah-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Hugging new acquaintances
- Directness: Say what you mean; expect honest, blunt answers; avoid: Taking bluntness as rudeness
- Punctuality: Be on time; diaries plan weeks ahead; avoid: Dropping in unannounced
- Money: Split bills; pay your share; avoid: Showing off wealth
- Homes: Bring flowers or a small gift; congratulate everyone at a birthday; avoid: Expecting dinner if invited for coffee
Scams and watch-outs
- Most museums close on Mondays; Naturalis is the main exception.
- Parking in the centre runs about €3.10–3.70 an hour, up to about €25 a day — use a P+R or a garage.
- Canal edges in the old town have no barriers in places, and bikes come fast along the quays.
- Late-night bars are student-run and can be closed to non-members; central cafés are the safe bet.
Leiden is a low-risk city; the real annoyances are bikes on the quays, canal edges without barriers and pickpockets around the station at night. 112 for emergencies, 0900-8844 for non-urgent police.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Leiden yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Leiden University, founded 1575
- Rembrandt's birthplace
- Rijksmuseum van Oudheden and three other national museums
- Hortus Botanicus, the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands
- Pieterskerk and the Pilgrim Fathers
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Leiden — official tourism site: www.visitleiden.nl/en
- VVV Leiden tourist information: www.visitleiden.nl/en/plan-your-visit/tourist-information
- Municipality of Leiden: gemeente.leiden.nl/
- NS (Dutch Railways): www.ns.nl/en
- 9292 public transport planner: 9292.nl/en
- Hortus Botanicus Leiden: www.hortusleiden.nl/index.php/english/
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center: www.naturalis.nl/en/
- Museum Boerhaave: www.museumboerhaave.nl/english/
- Pieterskerk Leiden: www.pieterskerk.com/en/
- Molen De Put: www.molendeput.nl/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Leiden
Naar dit adres, alstublieft
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance112
No embassies in Leiden; most are in The Hague, 10–15 min by train. The US embassy is in The Hague (check the address).
Tap in and out with a contactless bank card on NS trains and local buses; a paper ticket is not needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/leiden). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.