Rotterdam Travel Guide
Rotterdam is a city of buildings, bridges and water, with the Depot giving an unusual look at an art collection. The original Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen building remains closed. Add Binnenrotte market on a Tuesday or Saturday, or leave time for the riverfront after the museum.
Example spending plans
Use these room and meal budgets to plan a day. They are spending choices, not average prices or available room offers. Replace the room amount with your full booking price, including tax. If sharing, divide only the private-room cost. Airport and intercity travel are extra.
These are separate spending choices, not price or quality rankings. The alternative plan may have a lower total when its room, meal or activity allowances differ.
Simple stay
€101.50 / day
A bed, simple meals, local travel and an activity allowance.
Editorial planning estimate: 11 Sep 2026
A spending estimate, not a live price quote.
See the five allowances
- Room or bed budget
- €50.00
- Food and drinks
- €35.00
- Local transit
- €8.00
- Sightseeing and entry
- €3.50
- Miscellaneous
- €5.00
Private room
€192.50 / day
A private room, meals, local travel and an activity allowance.
Editorial planning estimate: 11 Sep 2026
A spending estimate, not a live price quote.
See the five allowances
- Room or bed budget
- €120.00
- Food and drinks
- €50.00
- Local transit
- €11.00
- Sightseeing and entry
- €3.50
- Miscellaneous
- €8.00
Alternative private room
€281.50 / day
A second private-room spending plan. Compare the five allowances before choosing.
Editorial planning estimate: 11 Sep 2026
A spending estimate, not a live price quote.
See the five allowances
- Room or bed budget
- €180.00
- Food and drinks
- €70.00
- Local transit
- €16.00
- Sightseeing and entry
- €3.50
- Miscellaneous
- €12.00
This example sets aside €50 for one bed or a simple stay, €35 per person for food and drinks, €8 for local travel and €5 for small extras. Sightseeing covers one Kijk-Kubus visit. These are spending choices, not measured averages or available room offers. Replace the stay allowance with your full booking price, including tax and cleaning. Divide only a shared private room; meals and tickets remain per person. Add airport and intercity travel separately.
At A Glance
- Currency
- EUR
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Walkability
- High (Modern, wide avenues)
- Best value season
- Compare spring and autumn dates outside large events
The Depot is open; the old museum is not
The original Boijmans museum is closed for a major renovation. Beside it, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen offers a visit centred on art storage and care. You look into spaces designed for different materials and see parts of the collection in a setting quite unlike a normal gallery.
Choose the Depot if the building and the work behind a museum interest you. The standard opening pattern is Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Give it enough time to be your main indoor visit instead of treating it as a quick photo stop with an entrance fee.
Leave room for the city outside
Our suggested day links Museumpark with a central lunch stop and a riverfront walk. The Binnenrotte outdoor market runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Compare a lunch there with the nearby Markthal food counters; several small snacks can cost as much as the meal you meant to replace.
You do not need to buy every available high-level view. Seeing the Depot from outside, crossing the city on foot where practical and spending time beside the water are worthwhile parts of a Rotterdam visit. Use local transport for the larger gaps and keep the remaining walking manageable.
Top sights and admission costs
Admission choices, ticket prices and practical advice for your visit.
Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen)
€3.50Booking and rates: Only the Kijk-Kubus museum house is open as a visitor interior; the other houses are private. Expect stairs.
Ways to save: The outside view is free. The museum house has separate child and concession rates.
Check current pricesMarkthal Rotterdam
€0.00Booking and rates: Food, shopping and any paid activities cost extra. Check opening hours before a special trip.
Ways to save: No general admission charge to look around during public opening hours.
Check current pricesWhere to Stay
Near Rotterdam Centraal suits a short rail stay. The centre or a room near a useful metro stop can make evening returns easier. If you choose across the river, include the actual crossing in your daily route.
Getting Around
Put Museumpark in one part of the day and the riverfront in another. Use RET transport for the longer link when it saves energy. A museum or sightseeing ticket does not automatically include the local journey to get there.
Eating for Less
For an outdoor food market, go to Binnenrotte on Tuesday or Saturday. The nearby Markthal offers more food counters indoors. Compare the meal you want at both, rather than assuming the famous building is the cheapest place to eat.
Worth Paying For
The Depot suits visitors interested in art behind the scenes, storage rooms and the building itself. Book the official visit and consider the available guided access if you want more explanation. It is normally closed on Mondays.
Skip / Save Your Money
You can see the Depot’s mirrored exterior and explore Museumpark before deciding on admission. Keep some of the day for architecture and river views that do not come with an entry charge.
Common Tourist Traps & Money Mistakes
The original Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is closed for renovation. The open mirrored Depot is a different experience, showing how art is stored and cared for. Choose it for that purpose rather than expecting the usual museum gallery route.