Rotterdam & Delft Private Tour: Cube House and Golden Age canals

Walk the Golden Age in Delft, then step inside a Cube House in Rotterdam

A private half-day walking tour of Rotterdam and Delft with a live guide in your chosen language, including a train transfer between the cities and admission to one of the iconic Cube Houses. You walk through Delft's 17th-century canals and churches, then explore Rotterdam's postwar architecture and Old Harbour. The tour runs in either direction — start in Delft or Rotterdam — and pickup from Amsterdam or other locations can be arranged.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Delft and Rotterdam highlights

• Walk through Prinsenhof in Delft
• Visit old beer brewing quarter and Old Church
• See decorated facade of Gemeenlandshuis
• Pass old town hall at Grote Markt square
• Visit New Church and learn about royal burials
• Walk along oldest canal and former V.O.C. Armory
• Pass first catholic church and Vermeer’s home
• Stop at Beestenmarkt square for break
• Take train from Delft to Rotterdam Blaak
• Visit inside one Cube House apartment
• Explore Oude Haven and see old ships
• View White House, Europe’s oldest skyscraper
• Enter Market Hall and admire food and art
• See 14th century Church of St. Lawrence
• End tour at Blaak, original dam site

The Experience

Delft comes first on most bookings, and the walk opens at the Prinsenhof, the palace that shaped Dutch history. From there the guide takes you through the beer-brewing quarter and past the Old Church — a 14th-century building so tilted it seems to defy gravity — then into the Grote Markt to see the New Church, the second-highest in the Netherlands and the royal burial place. You'll walk the oldest canal in the city's south, passing the spot where Vermeer stood to paint his famous "View of Delft," and the guide will point out the V.O.C. weapons armory that speaks to Delft's role in the Dutch Golden Age. The walk takes about two hours and ends at the station.

The train to Rotterdam takes 18 minutes and costs €4.10, included in the tour price. When you arrive at Rotterdam Blaak station, the Cube Houses are waiting right there — a cluster of geometric apartments designed by Piet Blom in the 1970s as a "village inside a city." You'll go inside one of them to see how the space actually works. After that, the guide leads you through the Old Harbour, where restored ships sit moored and terraces line the water, then past the White House, Europe's oldest skyscraper from 1898 and one of the few buildings to survive the 1940 bombing. The walk ends at the Markthal, a modern market hall with a massive mural on its ceiling and food stalls from around the world, with the 14th-century Church of St. Lawrence standing beside it — its tower one of the few structures the bombing spared.

The whole experience runs 4 to 5 hours. You choose the language — English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Dutch or Portuguese — and the guide adjusts the pace to your interests. If you want to start in Rotterdam and finish in Delft, that direction works too. Pickup and drop-off from Amsterdam or other locations outside the two cities can be arranged when you book.

What’s included

• Private guide for the entire tour in your chosen language.
• two walking routes (one in Delft, one in Rotterdam, each about two hours).
• train transfer between the cities with the guide.
• admission inside one of the Cube Houses.
• hotel pickup and drop-off if you book that option.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Discover Delft

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to compare two eras of Dutch history—Golden Age Delft and postwar Rotterdam's radical rebuild—in one private outing with a guide managing the transfer between them.

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Top questions

What exactly is inside the Cube House when we visit it?

The Cube House is a residential apartment designed by Piet Blom. You'll walk through the interior to see how the geometric layout uses the space, with rooms arranged around a central core and windows positioned at angles that match the building's tilted walls. It's a working apartment, so the visit is brief but gives you a real sense of how people actually live in these iconic structures.

Do we have time to stop for lunch or a break during the tour?

The tour doesn't include meals, but you can take a break whenever you want — the pace is yours to set. Delft's Beestenmarkt square is a natural stopping point for lunch or a beer, and Rotterdam's Old Harbour and Markthal both have plenty of terraces and food options where you can eat and rejoin the walk afterward.

Can we do the tour starting in Rotterdam instead of Delft?

Yes. You can start in either city and finish in the other. The guide will adjust the route so the walk flows the same way, and the train transfer works in both directions — it's the same 18-minute journey either way.

What languages does the guide speak?

The guide is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Dutch, and Portuguese. You choose your language when you book, and the same guide leads the entire tour in that language.

How does the train transfer work between the two cities?

After the Delft walk ends at the station, you board a direct train to Rotterdam Blaak — it takes 18 minutes and costs €4.10, which is included in the tour price. The guide travels with you, so there's no confusion about where to go or what comes next.

Can we arrange pickup from Amsterdam instead of meeting in Delft or Rotterdam?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off from Amsterdam or other locations outside Delft and Rotterdam can be arranged when you book. Let the operator know your hotel or starting point, and they'll confirm the logistics before your tour date.