Day Trip Delft • Private Tour from Amsterdam

Take a day trip Delft, you’ll be enchanted by this picture-perfect city. Most visitors stay in Amsterdam. For good reason, of course. And when they do venture out, Delft is usually not the first thing on their mind. Don’t let this be you!
Delft is like a miniature Amsterdam but then more idyllic. The thing that we LOVE about this city is its size. The historic centre -which is almost car and bicycle free– is easy discovered on foot.

The centre of Delft is one of the prettiest and most unspoilt of all Dutch cities. This beautiful little university town with its many canals, and charming historic centre is absolutely perfect for a short break. A classic grid of canals lined with lime trees and red-brick houses, many of them dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

To get a grip on the historic centre of Delft your guided tour starts at the Oude Kerk, which was founded in 1246 but much adapted in later centuries – including the addition in 1350 of the tower which now leans so disconcertingly over the adjacent canal. The painter Vermeer is buried here and his tomb is marked by a modest plaque. When you turn and go through a small passage you arrive in the hidden courtyard of the Prinsenhof. This is where William of Orange was shot.

At the heart of Delft you find de Markt, this is the main town square – a huge open space defined by the 1618 Stadhuis (city hall) to the west and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) to the east. At this church William of Orange and his successors -the Dutch Royal family- have their burial crypt.

If the sun is out, so are the people. Outside terraces and patios pop-up everywhere. Even boat decks will be changed into terraces with chairs and tables. Friends catching up over a beer, girlfriends chatting with a good glass of wine, and kids playing in the streets. And when the sun is not cooperative, the Dutch know how to make it “gezellig” (translates roughly as “cozy”) indoors with a fireplace.

Delft is the type of town you’ll instantly love and have this, “I could live here” feeling.