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Leiden Travel
Indoors on a rainy day in a Leiden café by the window

Rain in Leiden? Then it is actually a good day

Leiden is built for bad weather: thirteen museums within a square kilometre, covered tour boats, brown cafés with steamed-up windows and a door to duck into everywhere.

Staying inside all day

  • Naturalis: the largest natural history museum in the Netherlands, easily half a day.
  • National Museum of Antiquities: Egypt, mummies and the Temple of Taffeh.
  • Museum De Lakenhal: Leiden masters, including early Rembrandt.
  • Rijksmuseum Boerhaave: the history of science, surprisingly good with children.
  • Wereldmuseum Leiden: world cultures in a 19th-century building.

Outside but dry

  • A covered canal cruise: the canals are at their best in the rain.
  • The Hortus botanicus with its tropical glasshouses and Winter Garden.
  • The covered market and the shopping streets around Haarlemmerstraat.
  • The university library and Leiden's bookshops.

And then a café

Finish in a brown café on the Nieuwe Rijn or Pieterskerkhof: apple pie, a local beer and a view of rain rippling the water. Expect a short shower — Dutch weather usually turns within the hour.

A flexible wet-weather route

Start with one museum that matches your interests, reserve a timed attraction if required, and connect it to covered stops rather than crossing the whole city in heavy rain. The museum quarter, Pieterskwartier cafés and central shopping streets form a compact route.

Bring a small umbrella and waterproof shoes: Leiden's old centre is walkable, but wind on open bridges can make short distances feel longer. Keep De Burcht and a canal cruise as optional additions when the weather improves.

Frequently asked questions

What can you do in Leiden when it rains?
Choose from thirteen museums, a covered canal cruise, the tropical glasshouses of the Hortus, or the shopping streets and cafés — all within walking distance.
How many museums does Leiden have?
Thirteen, five of them national museums. That gives Leiden the highest museum density in the Netherlands.
What is the best indoor attraction in Leiden?
That depends on your group: Naturalis for natural history, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden for archaeology, CORPUS for a timed family experience or the Hortus glasshouses for plants.
Do canal cruises run in the rain?
Some boats are covered, but schedules and comfort depend on the operator and weather. Check the current departure before walking to the quay.

Continue exploring Leiden