Rotterdam in 4 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
4 days adds Delft to the core and Kinderdijk
Days 1-3 here are the exact plan in the 3-day itinerary : the Markthal, the Cube Houses, the Erasmusbrug and Delfshaven, the Euromast and Museumpark, then Kinderdijk. Day 4 adds Delft, the shortest and cheapest train ride on this list. If 4 days is more than you need, the 3-day itinerary covers the core plus Kinderdijk alone. Most days run 72-190 EUR a person.
Book these before you go
- A Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen timed slot for Day 2
- A Kinderdijk entry ticket online for Day 3, a 10% discount over the ticket office
- A room booked ahead for the summer peak (June-August)
Day 1: Markthal, Cube Houses and Delfshaven
The Markthal is free to walk through under its “Horn of Plenty” ceiling mural; lunch at a stall runs 8-12 EUR. The Cube Houses are free from the street, the Kijk-Kubus show cube an optional 3.50 EUR. Cross the Erasmusbrug, free, for the Kop van Zuid skyline. Spend the afternoon in Delfshaven, free to wander, the district that escaped the 1940 Blitz, where the Pilgrim Fathers left for America in 1620.
| Day 1 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 40 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 12 |
| Market lunch | 8 | 12 |
| Kijk-Kubus (skip / visit) | 0 | 3.50 |
| Dinner | 18 | 28 |
| Transit | 0 | 6 |
| Day 1 total | 72 | 151.50 |
Day 2: Euromast and the Museumpark
The Euromast runs from 13.50 EUR booked online, or skip it and walk Het Park at the base. Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen’s mirrored bowl is free to admire from outside, 20 EUR to go in; the main museum building next door stays shut until roughly 2030 regardless. Finish at Witte de Withstraat, free to browse.
| Day 2 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 40 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 12 |
| Euromast (skip / climb) | 0 | 13.50 |
| Lunch | 8 | 12 |
| Depot Boijmans (skip / visit) | 0 | 20 |
| Dinner | 18 | 28 |
| Transit | 3 | 6 |
| Day 2 total | 75 | 181.50 |
Day 3: Kinderdijk
The Waterbus WaterShuttle from Willemskade to Kinderdijk runs about 30 minutes, 19.50 EUR return. The public dyke path between the 19 UNESCO windmills is free; the visitor centre, windmill interiors and pumping station museums are a combined 21 EUR ticket.
| Day 3 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 40 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 12 |
| Waterbus WaterShuttle return | 19.50 | 19.50 |
| Kinderdijk entry (walk dyke only / full ticket) | 0 | 21 |
| Lunch | 8 | 15 |
| Dinner | 18 | 28 |
| Day 3 total | 91.50 | 185.50 |
Day 4: Delft
Delft is the cheapest, quickest trip on this list, about 4.40 EUR single and 12-15 minutes from Rotterdam Centraal, with frequent trains through the day. Walk the old centre and the Oude Kerk, where Vermeer and scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek are both buried (a small interior fee applies, verify current price); the Nieuwe Kerk holds the royal burial vault. Royal Delft, the historic Delftware pottery factory, runs optional factory tours (verify current ticket price). Return to Rotterdam for dinner.
| Day 4 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 40 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 12 |
| Train Rotterdam-Delft return | 8.80 | 8.80 |
| Church interior (skip / visit) | 0 | 8 |
| Lunch in Delft | 8 | 15 |
| Dinner | 18 | 28 |
| Day 4 total | 80.80 | 161.80 |
Getting around on 4 days: transit, ferry, and one train ride
Days 1 and 2 are walkable, Day 3 runs on the Waterbus, bought separately from RET transit, and Day 4 is a single NS train ticket each way. Full fare details are in the main Rotterdam guide .
Book both the Depot Boijmans slot and the Kinderdijk ticket online before you land, since both sell out on summer weekends, and check the current NS timetable for Delft the night before, since trains run more frequently on weekdays than weekends.