You can do both. For history and art it is one of the easiest two-city days from Amsterdam: Delft in the morning for Vermeer’s town, the Markt and the two churches; the fifteen-minute train to The Hague after lunch for Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis and the palaces. If you must choose one, Delft is the prettier town and The Hague the richer city.
The two are fifteen minutes apart on the same railway line, and Vermeer connects them: he lived and painted in Delft; his surviving masterpieces hang in The Hague. Choosing between them is only necessary if you have three hours; with a day you can have both.
Side by side
| Delft | The Hague | |
|---|---|---|
| Train from Amsterdam Centraal | About 60 minutes direct | About 50 minutes direct to Den Haag Centraal |
| Between the two | 15 minutes by train | 15 minutes by train |
| Feel | Small historic town; canals; one square | Capital-scale city; palaces, ministries, embassies |
| Vermeer | His town, his grave, reproductions at the Vermeer Centrum | Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft at the Mauritshuis |
| Museums | Vermeer Centrum, Royal Delft; Prinsenhof closed | Mauritshuis, Escher, Kunstmuseum, Panorama Mesdag |
| Closures | Churches closed Sundays | Most museums closed Mondays; Binnenhof under renovation |
| Time needed | Half day | Half day for the centre; full day with the beach or the Peace Palace |
| Beach | No | Scheveningen, 15–20 minutes by tram |
Choose Delft if
- You want an old canal town and nothing else
- You have three hours
- You are visiting on a Monday (Delft’s churches are open; Hague museums mostly closed)
Choose The Hague if
- You want to see a Vermeer, not just his town
- Politics, palaces or the Peace Palace interest you
- You want the sea at the end of the day
- You are visiting on a Sunday (Delft’s churches are closed; the Mauritshuis is open)
Doing both
Leave Amsterdam by 9:00 for Delft (about an hour). Markt, Nieuwe Kerk, Oude Delft and the Oude Kerk by 12:30; lunch on the square. Train to Den Haag Centraal (15 minutes), walk to the Mauritshuis with a timed ticket for around 14:30, then Escher or the Lange Voorhout. Home from Den Haag Centraal in about 50 minutes. Book the Mauritshuis in advance and avoid Sunday (Delft churches) and Monday morning (Hague museums).
With a local guide
Either city works with our model: you take the train, a local guide who knows the city meets you near the station for two hours. Private Delft Introduction · Private The Hague Introduction
Questions people ask
- Should I see Delft or the Mauritshuis first?
- Delft first. The town explains the paintings; the paintings reward the town. And the Mauritshuis is calmer in the afternoon on weekdays.
- Can one guide do both cities?
- Ask us. Some guides cover both; otherwise we arrange a Delft guide for the morning and, if you want one, a Hague guide for the afternoon.
Facts checked 2026-09-10; sources on each city page.
