Rotterdam in 5 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
5 days adds The Hague to the core and both closer day trips
Days 1-4 here are the exact plan in the 4-day itinerary : the Markthal, the Cube Houses, the Erasmusbrug and Delfshaven, the Euromast and Museumpark, Kinderdijk, then Delft. Day 5 adds The Hague, the fullest day trip on the list, about 25-30 minutes further out. If 5 days is more than you need, the 4-day itinerary covers the core plus two closer trips. 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 Mauritshuis timed slot for Day 5, or plan around the 4-6pm reduced-rate window if you’re an EU resident
- 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, 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 below. Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen’s mirrored bowl is free from outside, 20 EUR to go in; the main museum 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 runs about 30 minutes, 19.50 EUR return. The 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 about 4.40 EUR single, 12-15 minutes from Rotterdam Centraal, frequent trains all day. Walk the old centre and the Oude Kerk, where Vermeer is buried (a small interior fee applies, verify current price); the Nieuwe Kerk holds the royal burial vault.
| 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 |
Day 5: The Hague
The Hague is about 6.40 EUR single, 25-30 minutes from Rotterdam Centraal. The Mauritshuis, home to Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” is 21 EUR standard, or just 4 EUR for EU residents visiting between 4pm and 6pm, a rate introduced 1 January 2026 (visitors under 19 are free either way). Walk the Binnenhof, the historic seat of the Dutch parliament, free to view from the courtyard, and Scheveningen beach, free to wander, if you have the afternoon for it.
| Day 5 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 40 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 12 |
| Train Rotterdam-The Hague return | 12.80 | 12.80 |
| Mauritshuis (EU 4-6pm rate / standard) | 4 | 21 |
| Lunch | 8 | 15 |
| Dinner | 18 | 28 |
| Day 5 total | 88.80 | 178.80 |
Getting around on 5 days: transit, ferry, and two train rides
Days 1 and 2 are walkable, Day 3 runs on the Waterbus, and Days 4 and 5 are single NS train tickets each way. Full fare details are in the main Rotterdam guide .
Book the Mauritshuis slot ahead if your dates don’t line up with the 4-6pm reduced-rate window, and confirm you actually qualify for that rate as an EU resident before counting on it, since it isn’t available to everyone.