What to do in Leiden? Agenda today and this weekend

Climb up to De Burcht for the view, which is free, and walk the Rapenburg to the Hortus or a museum. In the evening there is a concert in the Stadsgehoorzaal or a night at Nobel. The weekend's events are listed on this page.

Molen De Valk is a windmill you can go up, and children from 6 to 15 pay a reduced price while younger ones are free. At the National Museum of Antiquities everyone under 18 gets in free, and Naturalis Biodiversity Center has the T. rex Trix. Around Sinterklaas there are arrivals and films.

Go indoors: the National Museum of Antiquities, Molen De Valk or Naturalis Biodiversity Center. The Hortus has greenhouses, and the cinemas are in the centre. The rainy-day page lists what is indoors, with what is on there next.

Leiden has three cinemas, all run together. Lido on the Steenstraat shows the biggest releases, with a sneak preview on Tuesdays and a monthly series of modern classics. Trianon on the Breestraat is the old cinema, with a foyer in its original 1927 style. Kijkhuis on the Vrouwenkerksteeg is the arthouse, with English-subtitled films on Wednesdays.

Leidens Ontzet is on 2 and 3 October every year. On the 3rd there are free herring and white bread in the morning (you register for them in advance), the Grote Optocht in the afternoon and fireworks at the end. The 2027 programme is not published yet, and some museums close on the 3rd.

The arrival is on Saturday 14 November 2026 at the Beestenmarkt, and the pre-party there starts at 11:30. The parade goes along the Haarlemmerstraat, the Breestraat and the Steenschuur to the Garenmarkt. The exact time the boat arrives is not published yet.