What De Pier Scheveningen is

The pier is a long structure stretching from the Scheveningen waterfront out over the North Sea, with a food boulevard, shops, terraces and a cluster of paid attractions at its far end.

Treat it as a Scheveningen attraction rather than a separate town: Scheveningen is a district of The Hague, and the pier sits on its seafront at Strandweg. That matters for planning, because transport, maps and tickets all sit under The Hague rather than under a standalone resort. For the wider set of city sights beyond the seafront, browse this collection of The Hague Attractions: 12 Visitor Guides before you fix your days.

Where it is and how to get there

The pier's address is Strandweg, 2586 JK The Hague, directly on the Scheveningen seafront. You approach it on foot or by bike along the boulevard, and the walk out to the far end is part of the visit rather than transport.

Public transport reaches Scheveningen from the city, and the pier's own page includes a directions tool that calculates walking, driving, cycling and train or bus options from your starting point. Use that rather than trusting a fixed route remembered from an old guide, because line numbers and timetables change. If you are building a day around the coast, pair the pier with the city centre sights and keep the tram or bike ride between them in mind.

Free access and what the pier costs

Access to the pier is free every day from 10:00, so a walk out over the water costs nothing beyond getting there. The Food Boulevard and shops are open daily from 10am to 9pm, while the pier itself is listed as open 10:00 to 22:00 each day. Set those two windows apart in your head: an evening walk can still happen after the food outlets start closing.

The named rides and activities are ticketed separately: the Ferris wheel, the zipline, Bungy Jump Holland and the indoor play areas each sell their own tickets. The official pages point to separate booking sites for the rides, and current prices sit there rather than in any fixed guide. Budget for the walk as free and then decide how many paid extras you actually want before you arrive.

The Ferris wheel above the sea

The Ferris wheel is billed as the first Ferris wheel above the sea in the Netherlands, and it gives a view over the long beach and The Hague's skyline. A ride lasts about twenty minutes, and the enclosed cabins are air-conditioned, which makes it a realistic option in changeable coastal weather.

Tickets can be bought online or at the box office on the pier. The wheel runs daily: Monday to Thursday 11:00 to 20:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 22:00, and Sunday until 21:00. It closes when the wind reaches force 8. On a blustery day, check before you commit an evening to it.

The zipline and Bungy Jump Holland

At the tower end of the pier you can ride a zipline from the 55-metre Bungy Tower, reaching speeds up to 70 km/h over the pier, sea and beach, either alone or alongside a second rider. Bungy Jump Holland runs from the same tower, with jumps from 60 metres above the North Sea about 300 metres from the coast, and it bills itself as the only bungy location in the Netherlands.

Both run seasonally rather than to fixed year-round hours: from April through September they are open daily from 11:00, with exact slots varying through the rest of the year. The pier directs you to separate booking pages for times and tickets. Book a slot if a jump or zip is the reason for your visit.

Surf lessons, play areas and games over the water

Surf's Cool runs surf lessons, camps and after-school sessions from the top of the pier, which doubles as a viewing point over the surfers below. For families, Play & Bounce combines a soft play park with a trampoline park, and The Workshop runs fitness sessions with a sea view. None of these suit a quick stroll: each is a booked activity that eats an hour or more.

Eating on the pier

Both the lower and upper decks have kiosks and terraces, including Beach Burgers & Beers, Happy Moodz, Coast Lounge and The Pier Pancakes. They are spread across two levels, so walk the full length before choosing a table rather than stopping at the first menu you see. The food boulevard keeps shorter hours than the pier structure itself, so a late-evening walk will not come with a full choice of food.

How long to give De Pier

A simple walk out and back takes well under an hour and costs nothing. Add a Ferris wheel ride of around twenty minutes plus a coffee and you have a comfortable two hours. Booking a zipline or bungy slot, or letting children loose in the play areas, turns it into a half-day, so decide which version you want before you go.

Weather sets the shape of the day more than anything else. The pier is fully exposed to the North Sea wind, so a short walk is the honest choice in poor conditions, while a calm day justifies booking a ride and lingering on a terrace. Wind force 8 closes the Ferris wheel, and the rides run seasonal hours, so confirm the day's times on the official site before travelling out.

Nearby in Scheveningen and The Hague

The pier opens onto the Scheveningen boulevard and beach, and the Kurhaus stands as the landmark on the seafront behind it. The Panorama Mesdag in the city centre paints the old Scheveningen seafront in a single 360-degree canvas, a natural follow-up if the pier's history catches your interest.

Inland, The Hague's museum quarter holds the Mauritshuis, home to Girl with a Pearl Earring and a compact, high-quality Dutch Golden Age collection. The Peace Palace, The Hague is a short trip from the centre and works well alongside a museum morning. If you have a car or a spare afternoon, the Louwman Museum, The Hague covers the history of the motor car in depth.

For a calmer counterpoint to the coast, the Haagse Bos is a large wooded park close to the centre, and Clingendael Estate, The Hague combines woodland walks with a Japanese Garden that opens only in short seasonal windows. Escher in Het Paleis, The Hague displays the graphic artist's work in a former royal palace and suits a rainy afternoon.

Is the pier worth the walk?

Yes, if you treat it as a free seafront walk with optional paid extras rather than a theme park. Walk out for the sea view, then add the Ferris wheel on a calm day or a booked jump if you want the adrenaline version. Skip the paid attractions in strong wind and poor weather, when a short stroll and a museum inland is the better use of a day.