Rotterdam in 6 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
6 days adds Dordrecht and rounds out the region
Days 1-5 here are the exact plan in the 5-day itinerary : the Markthal, the Cube Houses, the Erasmusbrug and Delfshaven, the Euromast and Museumpark, Kinderdijk, Delft, then The Hague. Day 6 adds Dordrecht, the oldest city in South Holland and the quietest day trip on the list. If 6 days is more than you need, the 4-day itinerary covers the core plus the two closest 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 4 EUR for EU residents visiting between 4pm and 6pm, a rate introduced 1 January 2026 (under 19 free either way). Walk the Binnenhof, free to view from the courtyard, and Scheveningen beach, free to wander, if you have the afternoon.
| 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 |
Day 6: Dordrecht
Dordrecht is about 6-7 EUR single (verify current fare), 13-20 minutes from Rotterdam Centraal, the oldest city in the present-day province of South Holland, granted city rights in 1220. Walk the compact historic centre, marked by the Groothoofdspoort gate where the Meuse, Merwede and Rhine rivers meet, free to see almost all of the 950-plus monuments packed into it; the Grote Kerk’s tower climb is a small optional fee (verify current price). It’s the quietest day on this itinerary, a deliberate change of pace before flying home.
| Day 6 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 40 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 12 |
| Train Rotterdam-Dordrecht return | 13 | 13 |
| Grote Kerk tower (skip / climb) | 0 | 8 |
| Lunch | 8 | 15 |
| Dinner | 18 | 28 |
| Day 6 total | 85 | 166 |
Getting around on 6 days: transit, ferry, and three train rides
Days 1 and 2 are walkable, Day 3 runs on the Waterbus, and Days 4, 5 and 6 are each a single NS train ticket out and back. Full fare details are in the main Rotterdam guide .
Buy NS tickets on the day rather than far in advance, since standard single fares don’t offer an advance discount the way some other countries’ railways do; the only real saving on this itinerary is booking the museum slots (Depot Boijmans, Kinderdijk, the Mauritshuis) ahead so you’re not turned away at the door.