Things to do & places to visit in Leiden, South Holland Province, The Netherlands

Home to the Netherlands’ oldest university and the birthplace of Rembrandt, Leiden also served as a several-year stop-off between England and the New World for America’s Pilgrim fathers in the early 17th century. Today, lovely Leiden boasts the second-largest Dutch city center after Amsterdam. The National Museum of Antiquities has an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts. The Hortus Botanicus, established in 1590, was the site of the planting of Holland’s first tulip bulbs in 1593.

Leiden municipality in , South Holland Province, The Netherlands. Timezone: Europe/Amsterdam, current date and time: Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 1:25.

Leiden Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

60°F - 48°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Moderately chilly and breezy

Feels like

22%

Chance of rain

68.0 millimeters

Amount

15.5 mph

Wind speed

75%

Humidity

15.7

Daylight length

5:48 AM

Sunrise

9:28 PM

Sunset

47%

Cloud cover

Sweater

What to wear

Top things to do (22)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Escaperoom Leiden (222 reviews)
- Awesome experience!
Spent 1-2 hours Escape Games • Historic Sites

Just finished this Escape Room with a Rembrandt theme and it was awesome. It was the first time in an escape room for our the children aged 8, 10 and 12 and our sixth or seventh time. This was definitely the best escape room we've tried. Very friendly staff, beautiful 1485 built tower, excellent quality puzzles and a wonderful theme. Even though we narrowly missed escaping, we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would recommend this to all. See more..
5.0 Heilige Lodewijkkerk (16 reviews)
- A place to refresh the soul
Tuesday: 6:50 PM - 7:40 PM Spent 1-2 hours Churches & Cathedrals

This surprisingly white Roman Catholic Church was built in 1477 for pelgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Now this church is visited daily by locals and foreigners for Holy Mass with beautiful and devout liturgy. On Sunday the Holy Mass is in English at 18:00 See more..
4.5 National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) (570 reviews)
- Great Special Exhibitions
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Speciality Museums • Art Museums • History Museums

The National Museum of Antiquities is housed in an old monumental building and ‘Begijnhof’. It is the Dutch centre for archaeology. A large part of the collection consists of objects related to ancient Egypt. Unique is the two thousand year old Egyptian temple in the central hall of the museum. Besides ancient Egypt, the museum covers the Middle East, the Classical world and the early history of the Netherlands. The entire collection consists of more than 80,000 objects, including statues of Roman emperors, Etruscan tomb finds and mummies. See more..
4.5 Museum Volkenkunde (570 reviews)
- Interesting for everyone
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums

Museum Volkenkunde is a museum about people housed in a historic building just five minutes' walk from Leiden's central station. A huge totem pole greets visitors as they enter the museum through the garden. Museum Volkenkunde presents regularly changing exhibitions and its permanent display features objects from eight different cultural regions. Objects that all have a story to tell about humankind. See more..
4.5 Molenmuseum de Valk (497 reviews)
- Steep Stairs but worth it!
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums

Visitors to the Valk Windmill learn about the history, life, skills and techniques of the 18th-century Dutch miller. See more..
4.5 Wall Poems of Leiden (239 reviews)
- A city of poetry
Points of Interest & Landmarks

The city of Leiden is dotted by poems engraved on walls all over the old city as well as the surrounding areas. See more..
4.5 Rijksmuseum Boerhaave (221 reviews)
- Great Sicence Museum
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave is the Netherlands’ treasure chamber of science and medicine. What were the major discoveries in the history of science in the Netherlands? Who were the researchers behind them and how great is the impact of their discoveries on our lives today? Find out more about their inventions and join us in thinking about today’s big issues. With a collection spanning five centuries of research and innovation and based on close collaboration with prominent modern scientists, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave offers visitors of all ages a fascinating insight into the world of science. See more..
4.5 Museum De Lakenhal (205 reviews)
- Mercifully free from the ravages of mass tourism
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Art Museums • History Museums

Museum De Lakenhal is the visual arts, history and crafts museum of the city of Leiden. The city’s illustrious past is highlighted in seven collection presentations, including The Cradle of the Golden Age, Leiden University City, The Siege and Relief of Leiden, and Seven Centuries of ‘Leids Laken’. The internationally renowned collection contains numerous highlights such as Lucas van Leyden’s ‘Last Judgment’ (approximately 1526-27), beautifully stained glass, and paintings by Rembrandt and contemporaries. Since 1874 the museum has been located in a monumental 17thcentury hall for woollen fabrics, carefully restored in 2017-2019 and expanded with modern architecture. The unique encounters between past and present that occur here make Museum De Lakenhal a source of inspiration for all! See more..
4.5 Rijn (Rhine) (187 reviews)
- Walk the Leidse Loper (loop) and see how beautiful it is
Bodies of Water

There is no doubt Leiden on the Rhine (old and new) is a pretty town. Easily walkable as it is not very big. If you go to Visitor Centre next to Centraal Station you can pick up a map and follow a loop self guided walking trail that takes in the Rhine, some lovely windmills, Rembrandt's birthplace and the old wealthy district of Rapenburg. Well worth a few hours and the sign boards along the way have English and Dutch to explain what you are seeing. See more..
4.5 De Markt (165 reviews)
- Healthy and fresh
Flea & Street Markets

Fresh produce is available in this market, however the freshly squeezed fruit juices which include blood orange and strawberry make this market stand out by giving it a unique twist. See more..
4.5 Leiden American Pilgrim Museum (95 reviews)
- Historical sensation
Tuesday: History Museums

This was a very nice experience, walking straight into the early 17th century. It was as if we'd visit William Bradford himself in his humble home. It's tiny, but the collection and the explanation of the host made up for this. I'd recommend reserving a visit when in Leiden. See more..
4.5 Young Rembrandt Studio (24 reviews)
- Treasure Hunt
Spent < 1 hour Art Museums

A passing comment in a tourist information centre in Leiden, sent us on a bit of a hunt for the Young Rembrandt Studio. It was worth the hunt for we indeed discovered a treasure: the house where Rembrandt learned to paint and a short film about his experiences as a young artist. Film was short but gave insights into his young life. It was also free but we gave a donation to the studio. It was not easy to find so allow lots of time to wander in a most beautiful part of Leiden. See more..
4.5 Leidse Hout Park (23 reviews)
- close, but...great place to get away from Leiden...
Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks

you can usually find an area and relax...bring a blanket and...groucho marx...jack nicholson...joaquin phoenix...the site said there wasn't enough characters... See more..
4.5 Leidse Schouwburg (14 reviews)
- Stef Bos Show
Spent 1-2 hours Theaters

What a lovely theatre. I had really good and efficient service with booking my ticket as the theatre could correspond with me in English and helped me out by answering questions (as a foreigner) while being professional and friendly. The theatre itself is lovely - red, plush seats, a very comfortable & intimate atmosphere. Wouldn't mind watching another show there! See more..
4.5 Sint Anna Hofje (Sint Anna Aalmoeshuis) (12 reviews)
- a real gem
Historic Walking Areas

A tiny gem of a place, off the beaten tourist path. This is the oldest of Leiden's alms houses, founded in 1492. Because of its location and through some sheer good fortune, the small chapel was spared destruction during the waves of iconoclasm that gripped the Netherlands during the Reformation. As such, it contains the oldest stained glass in the Netherlands (sadly, some of which was later destroyed in the early 1800s when a munitions ship exploded on a nearby canal) and the original alter from 1492. While the courtyard of the almshouse is open every day, the chapel is open only on Saturdays from 14:00 to 16:00. The curator is delightful (he wears an actual monocle) and gives an informative, engaging history of the almshouse and the chapel. Highly recommended. See more..
4.0 CORPUS 'journey through the human body' (827 reviews)
- Nice visit also for adults
Tuesday: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Science Museums

At CORPUS you make in 55 minutes a spectacular journey through the human body. You will learn how the body works and what you should do to keep it healthy. Guided by an audiotour, available in eight languages, you will experience in groups of up to 16 people the 'journey through the human body'. After the journey you walk trough 'my CORPUS', the interactive part where you can play games and do tests about your own body. The minimum age to visit CORPUS is 6 years. Book on time! See more..
4.0 Botanical Gardens (Hortus Botanicus) (767 reviews)
- Beautiful
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Gardens

The gardens were gorgeous. We were very lucky to see the Amorphophallus titanum, though it wasn't in flower at that point. They had a beautiful sacred lotus that was in flower and the pond with the koi fish in was beautiful. The upper floor of the greenhouse was gorgeous. The giant lillypads were incredible. There were also lots of benches around if you wanted to sit down and listen to nature. I also really enjoyed looking at their carnivorous plant collection. See more..
4.0 Naturalis Biodiversity Center (672 reviews)
- Easy-going walk though different time periods
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Natural History Museums

Naturalis Biodiversity Center has been named European Museum of the Year 2021! The beautiful new museum is for anyone who wants to discover more about the treasures of nature. Go on a journey to the present and the past. Let yourself be seduced in the exhibition Seduction. And meet T.rex Trix in the Dinoage exhibition. Also visit the LiveScience hall and watch live how our experts clean dino bones. See more..
4.0 De Burcht (648 reviews)
- Worth a visit if you can find it
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks

Apparently built on highest ground in Leiden it is tricky to see as you walk through the adjacent streets though. Still worth setting off with a purpose. The entrance is grand and the tower itself well preserved with a nice parapet to walk around They lock gates so no access at night but a good day time site Nice restaurant in courtyard at bottom of steps See more..
4.0 Pieterskerk Leiden (230 reviews)
- Family Tree Research
Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Religious Sites

The Pieterskerk has been the central touchstone of Leiden for almost 900 years. St. Peter’s two keys form the Leiden coat of arms and symbolically unlock the gates to both Heaven and Earth. This symbolism is reflected in the use of the Pieterskerk. A transformation from a Catholic church into a reformed church and since 1976 a multifunctional meeting place in a monument of unique cultural-historical value. Feel free to discover the history of the Netherlands (and America) flowing through the Pieterskerk. Whatever area of the church you may visit, Floris V, Rembrandt van Rijn, John, Abigail & John Quincy Adams, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, George Bush Sr., Princess Beatrix and King Willem-Alexander have trodden this place before you. See more..
4.0 Sieboldhuis (143 reviews)
- Nice small museum
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums

Nice small museum with interesting information about japan. The special exhibition about japanese nude is worth to see. See more..
4.0 Molen de Put (133 reviews)
- A great free attraction
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites

Very photogenic and free entry into a working windmill, what more could you ask for? Well worth a visit but very steep stairs to climb to get in , so be prepared! See more..
4.0 Morspoort (126 reviews)
- Interesting area
Monuments & Statues

Peaceful spot with children’s playground, old gateway, nearby bars and restaurants. Like much of Leiden canals nearby very pleasant. See more..
4.0 Station Leiden Centraal (66 reviews)
- Clean, easy to navigate, has plenty shops and snacks
Architectural Buildings

Pretty station, very small and easy to navigate, not confusing at all like some of Dutch stations tend to be. Also has a couple of clothing shops, Hema and Etos for cosmetics/medicine, two mini supermarkets, and also a couple of place where you can buy a snack. For instance, Smullers. They sell typical Dutch snacks in a sort of man-operated vending machine. Seems like a common thing in the Netherlands, I've seen it in a couple other places as well. The snacks are usually not great, but the idea is quite fun. Anyway, there is enough stuff to help you kill time before the train. See more..
4.0 Hooglandse Kerk (64 reviews)
- Beautiful
Churches & Cathedrals

In this Saturday I walked around in Leiden and found this church. Beautiful architecture but closed. I heard it’s open on Sundays. See more..
4.0 De Zijlpoort (57 reviews)
- Leiden the old university town
Monuments & Statues

Leiden is a beautiful old city, situated between Den Haag and Amsterdam. It is also called museum city: it has 14 museums...to name a couple: National Museum of Antiquities - Naturalis - Boerhave - National Museum of Ethnology...it has one of the oldest universities in Europe..established by Willem van Oranje in 1575 when the town was freed from the Spanisch...it has an interesting history shown in museum "Lakenhal" One highlight is its collection of fijnschilder paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Great city to visit in spring and summer! See more..
4.0 het Stadhuis van Leiden uit 1596 (41 reviews)
- it amazes me how little attention this place gets from natives...
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings • Government Buildings

they ride by on the bikes and it's no longer 'art'. it's furniture. people should be charged a nickel for the privilege of riding by. quite the piece of historical architecture. and...you might catch a wedding party departing from the front doors OR collected on the steps taking photographs for their wedding album. i love this building. check it out if you have the chance. See more..
4.0 Koornbrug Leiden uit 1642-1825 (35 reviews)
- All In One Street
Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings

it is very good place to visit with lots things to enjoy; it is kind of all in one packet: historic building such as city hall, the life of canaling in new rhine, market, and lots cafes to just seat and relax. See more..
4.0 Leiden Tourist Office (33 reviews)
- Leiden channel boat trip.
Spent < 1 hour Visitor Centers

In the April we went to the Nederland. One day we spent on the boat were we going to channel trip. Fantastic weather, water whisper and family fun time. Unbelievable. See more..
4.0 Old Observatory Leiden (26 reviews)
- Nice tour to the dome
Spent < 1 hour Science Museums • Observatories & Planetariums

The Old Observatory of Leiden is the oldest surviving university observatory in the world. While students of Leiden University receive lectures in the main part of the building, the visitor center in the basement and the telescopes on the building serve the general public. It is not possible to enter the observatory by yourself, but we have tours Tuesday through Sunday. On this tour you will see some of the oldest and largest telescopes in the country! Check out our website for more information. See more..