Walk the Lange Voorhout Before the Chalets Come Down
The Royal Christmas Fair on the Lange Voorhout runs from Thursday 3 to Wednesday 23 December 2026, daily 12:00–21:00, with free entry and no ticket. That means the Second Day of Christmas falls after the market closes: on 26 December, the chalets are gone and the square is quiet. Plan your trip so the 26th is not your only day in the city. Walk the Lange Voorhout while the fair is open, and you get "many dozens" of chalets, LED lights, fire pits, mulled wine, choirs, storytellers, children's activities and live music, with Santa appearing on almost every day. The ground is a crushed-shell path, most chalets have ramps, there are two accessible toilets, and dogs are welcome. Entrances are at the Kloosterkerk (Kneuterdijk/Parkstraat), Hotel Des Indes (Denneweg) and the former American embassy (Korte Voorhout). The organiser publishes the detailed programme closer to the date.
Spend 26 December in the Museums
The museums open on 26 December 2026, and this is the day to use them. Hours are:
- Mauritshuis: 10:00–18:00
- Prince William V Gallery: 12:00–17:00
- Escher in Het Paleis: 11:00–17:00
All three are closed on 25 December and 1 January 2027, and open on 24 and 31 December with early closing at 16:00 (the gallery also at 16:00). Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Panorama Mesdag hours were unconfirmed at the time of writing, so check before you go. At the Mauritshuis, an exhibition runs from 15 October 2026 to 17 January 2027: 25 works on loan from the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, including El Greco, Jan van Eyck and Piero della Francesca. Vermeer's View of Delft is off view during this period. The Mauritshuis to Hotel Des Indes is about 450 m, so you can walk between the museum and the old market entrance in a few minutes.
Skate at Scheveningen, Then Warm Up Indoors
Take trams 1 or 9 to Scheveningen, where two ice rinks keep the season going past Christmas. In front of the Kurhaus, Cool Event Scheveningen runs 7 November 2026 – 28 February 2027, daily 10:00–22:00, at €7.50–€12.50. On the boulevard, Skate by the Sea runs 5 December 2026 – 11 January 2027, weekdays 12:00–22:00 and weekends 10:00–22:00, with disco skating from 17:00, also €7.50–€12.50. If the sea air is too much, De Uithof's indoor rink stays open to 21 March 2027. After skating, the seafront is where you'll find the crowds and the cold-air appetite that goes with them.
Catch the Season's Concerts and the Circus
The Residentie Orkest gives Christmas concerts in the Nieuwe Kerk; one example is Sunday 20 December at 19:30, with tickets at €15–€42. The Groot Kerstcircus is on the Malieveld from 18 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, at €21.90–€59.90, so it is still running on 26 December. Check the organiser's schedule for that day's performances. For a day trip, Delft's Lichtjesavond, with the Christmas tree lighting on the Markt opening Delft Verlicht (running to 3 January 2027), falls on Tuesday 8 December 2026; trains from Den Haag Centraal to Delft take about 12 minutes.
Plan Around the Square, and Know What Comes Next
From Den Haag Centraal it is about 900 m (10–12 minutes on foot) to the Korte Voorhout entrance of the Royal Christmas Fair, and about 1.5 km (roughly 20 minutes) to the Kloosterkerk end. If your visit stretches to New Year, the Hofvijver hosts a free light and laser show on 31 December from 22:00 to 01:00, with the programme from 21:00 and no fireworks, and the Unox New Year's Dive at Scheveningen takes place on 1 January 2027 at 12:00, with registration from 10:30 and €4 on the spot. Build your trip around the fair's 3–23 December window, save 26 December for the Mauritshuis and the Escher, and let the quieter day after Christmas be the one where you look at paintings rather than chalets.