A Private Active Experience in Leiden

The Active Leiden Experience starts at Aalmarkt in Leiden, about a 10-minute walk from Leiden Central Station.

You’ll cycle through Leiden Dutch-style, paddleboard on the canals, take on indoor climbing, and step into a Virtual Reality experience, with a healthy snack and a stop at De Burcht, a small medieval fortification in the heart of the city, along the way.

The Cultural Tour lasts 4–5 hours. At the end of the guided part, your guide steps back so you can enjoy dinner privately and at your own pace. If you wish to have a shorter or longer tour, send us a message and let's see how we can best accommodate your needs.

Your guide, a bicycle for the afternoon, paddleboarding, indoor climbing, the Virtual Reality experience, a healthy snack and entry to De Burcht are all included in the price of the Active Leiden Experience — there’s nothing extra to arrange or pay for on the day. You only have to get yourself to Aalmarkt at the start and we will take it from there.

The Cultural Tour is available in English and Dutch. Our guides speak both, so you don't have to select a language during booking.

Clothes and shoes suited to physical activity, and an extra set of clean clothes for afterward — paddleboarding may get you wet.

Plans can change and unforeseen things can happen; we understand! You can cancel or reschedule the Cultural Tour free of charge up to 48 hours before departure.

Please let us know about any dietary requirements or allergies in advance so we can make sure every stop on the tour works for you.

Leiden’s best historic sites aren’t always obvious from the street — a wall poem tucked around a corner, a museum entrance easy to walk past. A guided Cultural Tour solves that: your guide already knows the stories and the route, so you can spend the afternoon exploring rather than navigating. If food is more your thing, our Culinary Tour covers that ground instead, and the Active Leiden Experience is there for a more physical day out. Prefer to see the city from the water? Our sister site Discover Canal Cruises runs private boat tours through Leiden’s canals.

We advise arriving at Aalmarkt 10 minutes before departure so we can maximize your time on the tour.

The Cultural Tour is private for 2 to 6 people. Have a larger group? Send us a message and we’ll see what we can arrange.

Yes, the Cultural Tour runs all year round.

The Cultural Tour goes ahead in most weather. We recommend dressing for the conditions; if the weather becomes genuinely unsafe, we’ll contact you to reschedule.

We’re happy to create a custom, personal experience together with you — just tell us what you have in mind.

There’s a lot of history packed into Leiden, from Museum De Lakenhal and the Hortus Botanicus to its churches and wall poems. A Cultural Tour where your guide already knows what’s worth the stop is the easiest way to see it all in one afternoon. If you’d rather eat and drink your way through the city, our Culinary Tour covers that, and the Active Leiden Experience is there for something more physical. You can also see the city from the water with our sister site, Discover Canal Cruises.

Tickets for the Cultural Tour can be ordered through our website by clicking on the booking button under the tours. The button will open up a calendar where you can select your preferred date and time, select how many guests will be joining the tour, and select any other tour-specific options. For the Cultural Tour, you can find it on this page here.

Unfortunately not everything in the city is easily accessible for guests with limited mobility. Please contact us to discuss your situation so we can look for solutions together.

A dinner at the end is included in the Cultural Tour, but you are welcome to bring your own food and drinks along for during the tour if you like.
In case of special dietary requirements, please contact us.

Yes, during the Cultural Tour you’ll be accompanied by a local guide, who’s happy to answer questions along the way. For dinner, your guide steps back so you and your group can enjoy the meal privately and at your own pace.