Historical Leiden: Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 6 languages
- Private tour
Highlights
Explore Leiden on a private walking tour through one of the most historically rich cities in the Netherlands. With your own knowledgeable local guide, you discover a city that played a key role in Dutch history, art, and science. Leiden is home to the country’s oldest university, beautifully preserved canals, and the birthplace of Rembrandt. During this guided tour, your guide brings the past to life with stories of painters, pilgrims, professors, and Leiden’s heroic resistance and relief during the Eighty Years’ War. The private tour of Leiden takes place entirely in the compact historic center and normally lasts about 1.5 hours. Because this is a private walking tour, the pace and focus are flexible and can be adapted to your interests. This tour is ideal for travelers who want insight, context, and stories rather than a simple checklist of sights.
Inclusions
What's included
- All fees and taxes
- Private guide
What's not
- Gratuities (optional)
Itinerary
Your guide will meet you in front of station Leiden Centraal. Form here, the private tour will commence. Have fun!
The first thing you will see during the tour is the famous Morspoort, one of the oldest entrances to the city.
We will walk past the iconic 17th century windmill Molen de Put. This is a typical landmark for Leiden. Your guide will tell you all about it!
This square is named after the famous Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn, who used to live in Leiden. Let's find out more about it.
We will see the Stadsgehoorzaal, as we are walking on the Breestraat. This is a much used concert hall. If it is open, you can visit the inside afterwards.
We cannot miss the Pieterskerk of course, the most famous church of Leiden. You will learn more about its history (going back to the 12th century!) and current use.
The old town hall of Leiden. It is an iconic building that we cannot miss during the tour. Your guide will tell you about it!
We will visit the exterior of the Burcht van Leiden, an old castle used for defensive purposes in war times. It is located on top of a hill and adds to the particular character of Leiden.
Near the station, we will end the tour in the Haarlemmerstraat, a very popular shopping street. From here on, you can decide if you go back, or whether you will discover Leiden further. Enjoy!
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 55
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 5 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Our guide will be waiting for you on Beestenmarkt square, in front of the McDonald's. It is a central location and it is easy to find. You won't start with a hamburger.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Holland City Tours
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
How it compares in Leiden
- Its from-price is 897% above the median of the 47 experiences we list in Leiden.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 12 of 47.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Leiden
Leiden is a canal city in South Holland with the Netherlands' oldest university, Rembrandt's birthplace, windmills and a botanical garden.
Leiden lies where two arms of the Rhine meet, and its old centre is a web of canals lined with gabled houses and bridges. The university, founded in 1575 by William of Orange as a reward for the city's resistance to a Spanish siege, is the oldest in the country, and its buildings crowd the Rapenburg canal. Rembrandt was born here in 1606, and the Burcht, a circular fortress on an artificial mound, looks over the rooftops.
Top-ranked sights in Leiden: Wall Poems of Leiden, Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden Rhine (Leiden Rijn).
Special offers in Leiden
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
