What is the self-guided walking tour of The Hague?
The self-guided walking tour of The Hague is a walk through the city's court and government quarter, with audio narration on your phone telling the stories a guide would tell. Reckon on about 3 hours: 36 minutes of that is walking, the route covers 2.9 km, and there are 10 stops where you pause to listen. You choose the day and the hour, and nobody hurries you along.
At the first stop you learn that the palace on Lange Voorhout was Queen Emma's winter residence until 1934, long before Escher's endless staircases moved in. Outside the Mauritshuis the narration turns to Johan Maurits, governor of Dutch Brazil, and to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring inside. At the Gevangenpoort you hear how Cornelis de Witt was held there in 1672 before he and his brother Johan were killed by a mob, and near the end the World Peace Flame, lit in 2004 with flames from five continents, burns before the Peace Palace that Andrew Carnegie paid for.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 36 min · 2.9 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
What you do on the walking tour
Listen
Every stop has its history, its legends and the details most passers-by never notice. If you would rather read, the same text is on your screen.
Walk on
Google Maps shows you the way between stops: 36 minutes on foot over 2.9 km, at an easy pace or a brisk one.
Take a break
Stop for a coffee on Het Plein or an hour in a museum, then carry on later the same day or on another one.
Eat and shop
Tips for food and local shops near the route come with the stops, and in the app you can change the first stop and the order.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who the walking tour is for
A first visit
One walk takes you from the royal palaces and the seat of Dutch politics to the city of international law, and explains what you see.
Anyone who avoids groups
No flag to follow and no fixed departure: stay where something interests you and move on when you are ready.
Art lovers
The Mauritshuis and the Escher museum are both on the route, so the walk pairs well with an hour among Vermeer, Rembrandt or Escher's prints.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The walk stop by stop: Lange Voorhout, Mauritshuis, Binnenhof, Peace Palace
10 stops · about 36 min walking · start: Escher in The Palace · finish: Peace Palace
Your first stop is Queen Emma's former winter palace on Lange Voorhout, now Escher in The Palace. A few minutes away, The Hague Historical Museum and the Mauritshuis look out over the Hofvijver pond, and Het Plein with its statue of William of Orange leads into the Binnenhof. After the Gevangenpoort the route crosses to Noordeinde Palace and the Royal Stables behind it, then follows quieter avenues to the World Peace Flame and the Peace Palace, where the walk ends. Start and order can be changed in the app, and no stop asks for a ticket.
Open the route map ↗
1Escher in The PalaceStart
The Lange Voorhout Palace was the winter palace of Queen Emma, who lived here until her death in 1934. Today it houses a museum devoted to the Dutch graphic artist Escher, famous for impossible buildings, staircases that never end and endlessly repeating patterns.
2The Hague Historical Museum
The Hague Historical Museum is housed in the Sebastiaansdoelen, the 17th-century headquarters of one of the city's civic guards, on the bank of the Hofvijver pond. Its collection shows how The Hague grew from a village around the court of the Counts of Holland into the seat of the Dutch government.
3Mauritshuis
The Mauritshuis was built in the 17th century as the home of Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen, governor of Dutch Brazil, and is a classic example of Dutch classicist architecture. Since 1822 it has been a museum of Dutch and Flemish painting, home to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp.
4Het Plein
Het Plein is the square right next to the Binnenhof, lined with government buildings and café terraces. In the middle stands a 19th-century statue of William of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule and is remembered as the Father of the Fatherland.
5Binnenhof
The Binnenhof grew out of the 13th-century court of the Counts of Holland and has been the centre of Dutch politics for centuries. At its heart stands the Gothic Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights), where the monarch traditionally reads the speech from the throne on Prinsjesdag, the third Tuesday in September.
Read the full story →
6Gevangenpoort (Prison Gate)
The Gevangenpoort was once a gatehouse of the counts' court and served as a prison for centuries. In 1672 Cornelis de Witt was held here, and he and his brother Johan, the leading statesman of the Dutch Republic, were murdered by an angry mob just outside.
7Noordeinde Palace
Noordeinde Palace is the working palace of the Dutch king, where he has his office. At the end of the 16th century it was given to Louise de Coligny, widow of William of Orange, and an equestrian statue of William stands in front of it.
8Royal Stables
Behind Noordeinde Palace lie the Royal Stables, built in the late 19th century under King William III. They house the horses and carriages of the royal household, which you see on state occasions such as Prinsjesdag.
9World Peace Flame
The World Peace Flame burns in front of the gates of the Peace Palace and was lit in 2004 from flames brought together from five continents. Around it runs a path set with stones sent by countries from all over the world.
Read the full story →
10Peace PalaceFinish
The Peace Palace opened in 1913, paid for by the Scottish-American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and designed by the French architect Louis Cordonnier. It houses the International Court of Justice, the main court of the United Nations, as well as the Permanent Court of Arbitration and a large library of international law.
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