The Hague Travel Guide
The Hague brings together art, government buildings and a beach reached by tram. Those stops need more travel time than a glance at the city map might suggest. The Mauritshuis closure and the absence of Girl with a Pearl Earring affect September and early October 2026 visits.
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
€98 / 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
- Food and drinks
- €35
- Local transit
- €8
- Sightseeing and entry
- €0
- Miscellaneous
- €5
Private room
€189 / 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
- Food and drinks
- €50
- Local transit
- €11
- Sightseeing and entry
- €0
- Miscellaneous
- €8
Alternative private room
€278 / 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
- Food and drinks
- €70
- Local transit
- €16
- Sightseeing and entry
- €0
- Miscellaneous
- €12
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 an outdoor walk; the Mauritshuis is closed until 20 September 2026. 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
- Best value season
- Compare spring and autumn dates, with a weather plan for the coast
Two dates that change an autumn art visit
The Mauritshuis is closed from 24 August through 20 September 2026 for maintenance. Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is not on display from 15 August through 4 October. A museum reopening date therefore does not mean the painting is back that day.
If you come during the closure, use an open alternative such as the Prince William V Gallery and leave time for the surrounding centre. The Binnenhof Renovation Information Centre, at Plaats 22, is free and explains the works through models, finds and displays.
Make the market a proper stop
Haagse Markt runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9am to 5pm, on Herman Costerstraat. It has food as well as household goods, clothes and flowers. Use the journey there as part of the plan rather than squeezing it between central museum slots.
For a first day, choose the centre and one extra area. That might be the market for lunch or Scheveningen for time by the sea. Doing both alongside a museum is possible only with more travel and less time at each place.
Top sights and admission costs
Admission choices, ticket prices and practical advice for your visit.
Mauritshuis Museum
€21.00Booking and rates: The Mauritshuis is closed from 24 August through 20 September 2026. Girl with a Pearl Earring is away from 15 August through 4 October. Prince William V Gallery is an alternative during the closure.
Ways to save: Visitors under 19 enter free. Book the required time slot.
Check current pricesPeace Palace (Vredespaleis) Exterior
€0.00Booking and rates: Interior tours are a separate paid visit on limited dates, with booking and identification requirements. Check the official calendar.
Ways to save: The outside view from public areas is free. This does not include the palace interior or grounds.
Check current pricesWhere to Stay
Use the centre near Den Haag Centraal for a visit led by museums and city walks. Scheveningen makes sense if the beach is the main reason for staying, with travel back into the centre built into the plan.
Getting Around
Use local transport to link the centre with Haagse Markt or the coast. The market is on Herman Costerstraat, away from the Hofvijver. Allow for that journey instead of placing it between two tightly timed central bookings.
Eating for Less
Haagse Markt opens Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Go to Herman Costerstraat for food stalls and produce, then choose what you want to eat before moving on. It is a full market outing, not a stall beside the station.
Worth Paying For
For a Mauritshuis visit after the maintenance closure, book a time slot and check the display dates if a particular painting is your reason to go. Until then, choose an open collection such as the Prince William V Gallery.
Skip / Save Your Money
The Binnenhof Renovation Information Centre at Plaats 22 is free. It gives context, models and finds from the works, making a useful indoor stop near the Hofvijver while the complex is being restored.
Common Tourist Traps & Money Mistakes
The Mauritshuis is closed for maintenance through 20 September 2026. Girl with a Pearl Earring is off display through 4 October. The Binnenhof is also under renovation, so an autumn plan needs to distinguish the open alternatives from the famous names.