The 10 Best Budget-friendly Things to do in Leiden, South Holland Province

Get into one of our kayaks and experience the wonderful city of Leiden from the water. Zeebaard organises special kayak tours with instruction. We paddle in small groups up to 7 people. Suitable for everyone. Max. 8 km / 2 hours. Every Tuesday through Friday in Spring and Summer.

From a birthday celebration in the tulip fields to a cheese making workshop for the visually challenged. Verita’s Visit Holland started 5 years ago with organising tulip cycling tours. A guided small group bike tour to the best tulip fields, tulip farms and castles. Now Vera, the spin in the web of Verita’s Visit Holland, creates customised group tours, biking trips and day programs around typical Dutch themes: tulips, windmills, water, cheese. Every activity is a daytrip away from Amsterdam, has a Dutch local touch, is food-related and inspired by local events as the cheese market. Main goal is to connect with locals and dive into the local culture & countryside. Taste the authentic way of Dutch life in a Leiden countryside bike tour, a Gouda food tour or The Hague horse-drawn carriage ride. Verita’s Visit Holland has a fantastic network of cheese farmers, millers, tulip growers and other local producers to create a personal typical Dutch activity. We offer full service!

Do you love stories? You probably do… stories you'll remember, stories you identify yourself with. That’s why we love telling them during our tours! Listen to stories about the ancestors of many American presidents, to the Pilgrim Fathers, who lived in Leiden for several decades. You’ll hear stories of the young Rembrandt, born and raised in Leiden, who drove his teachers crazy by doing nothing but drawing. And of the vibrant cloth industry that made Leiden the biggest city after Amsterdam in the 17th century Netherlands. We’ll visit the the University of Leiden, the oldest centre of learning in the country. Founded as a gift for the people of the city for their steadfast resistance against foreign oppression during the Dutch War of Independence. Finally, Leiden has beautiful canals and Golden Age architecture similar to Amsterdam, but smaller and quieter. StoryTravel, because you love stories and we love telling them!

Leiden is a city rich of water and while boating you can enjoy the many beautiful and historical sights of the old and modern parts of the city. We take pleasure in organising an entertaining and relaxing boat trip through the old canals and green fringed moats of Leiden. Once out of Leiden, we sail into the green heart of Holland with its characteristic wind, water and green grassland. Nothing is too crazy for us! Let us know your wishes and we will take it from there. With our large fleet, we can organise a customised arrangement for anything from 2 up to 300 persons. Ranging from a relaxed boat trip through the 'green heart' of Holland to an exuberant and active trip through the ‘Key City’ (nickname for Leiden). Please check out our boat trip arrangements.

Renting a bike is the perfect way to explore Leiden. See highlights like de Burcht, Sterrenwacht and the Koornbrug. Go to the sea for a nice day at the beach at Katwijk or Noordwijk. Or cycle along the meadows, mills and lakes north of Leiden. Need some help getting to your destination? Use one of our detailed cycling routes. Take your time because you can bring the bikes back after opening hours as well. So you want to explore Leiden in an easy and fun way? Rent a bike for only €10 a day. Parked at our parking lot and you get a discount of 20% on the bike rental!

Visitors to the Valk Windmill learn about the history, life, skills and techniques of the 18th-century Dutch miller.

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.

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!

The place for - canal tours, - boat rental and - private tours. We offer comfortable and sustainable tours over the lovely canals of Leiden. You can also explore the beautiful lake area, Kagerplassen, close to Leiden.