Find the next sunny weekend and head out to explore good ol’ Delft. Join a walking tour, a bike sojourn, hop on a boat or buy a special map and discover the city yourself. Here are your options.
Tour on water
This is one boat you don‘t want to miss. Rondvaart Delft lets you discover Delft via the canal network. The 45-minute boat tour includes highlights of the city and fascinating stories about how the city evolved. There are a number of tours through the day and start at the Koornmarkt. Tickets cost €7.75 for adults and there’s a 10% discount for groups of 20. It is also possible for people to rent a boat for the day and head out on your own.
www.rondvaartdelft.nl
Walk, bike, game
"About 90% of our guides have been with us for over 10 years and know Delft very well," said Corneel Adamse, the assistant manager of Gidsenservicedelft. The company offers tours in various packages including one that ends at a bowling alley and others that include lunch and dinner. They have a special tour for those interested in photography and even bike tours. Most of these are only available on group booking, but they have day walks every Wednesday for €5.00 that begin in the city centre.
www.gidsenservicedelft.nl
Offbeat Walks
Besides walks across the major landmarks such as the New Church, the City Hall and the Old Church, the Gilde Delft also offers smaller themedwalks on interesting topics. These include one on the history of Delft through the Middle Ages and the Golden Age, a tour of the 16th century city prison, a walk through the city's courtyards and even one about the dark side of Delft. For a group of more than four people a walk costs €4.00 per person.
www.gildedelft.nl
Open Walks
Throughout the week, some of these organisations and the tourism department of Delft organise open walks that visitors can join on the spot. Options include the Vermeer Walk, which costs €2.00 for the map, which takes you from Vermeer's birthplace in Beestenmarkt, to scenes from his paintings. The map corresponds to information cubes placed all over the city and these work as landmarks and give you more information on the artist and his work. Historical Walk for €3.95 and explore the city at your own tempo.
www.delft.nl
Wine or a DIY tour
Delft-based tour company Happy Day Tours organises a number of weekly tours, both in Dutch and English. If you want a touch of fancy, try their High Wine tour – a walk across the city's attractions that ends with wine and dessert. They also have a Do It Yourself tour. "Included in this tour is a leaflet with a city walk, entrance to the New Church of Delft, coffee and lunch. A ticket for a canal boat trip or a ticket to Museum Prinsenhof is also included," said Lia van der Loos of the organisation. TU Delft students get a 10 % discount.
en.happydaytours.nl/
Beer, beer everywhere
Once upon a time Delft had one of the largest beer industries in the country and the Beer Walk by tour organisers StadgidsDelft will walk you through those days for €12.50. The route includes old buildings and beer breaks at cafes that still serve traditional recipes.
www.stadsgidsdelft.nl
