Shopping in The Hague: Streets, the Mall and Where to Browse

Where shopping in The Hague happens

The city's shopping geography has two centres of gravity. One is the historic core around the Binnenhof and the surrounding streets, where arcades and boutiques sit among canal houses; the other is Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, described by The Hague's official tourism site as the first mall of its kind in the Netherlands, in Leidschendam-Voorburg. They serve different purposes: the centre is for strolling between sights, the mall for concentrated browsing under one roof. Get your bearings with our guide to The Hague City Centre before you start walking.

The centre rewards walking, and it slots naturally into a day of looking at the Binnenhof, the Mauritshuis and the Hofvijver. Treat it as a browsing area rather than a single destination, and let the arcades and side streets do the work. If you want a structured route between the sights and the shops, our guide to the The Hague walking tour pairs well with an afternoon of browsing.

The city-centre core: arcades and historic streets

The historic core is best treated as a browsing area rather than one named shopping street: arcades, side streets and small boutiques sit among the canal houses around the Binnenhof and the Hofvijver. Our guide to the The Hague walking tour helps you thread the sights and the shops together without a tram ride.

The streets around the Binnenhof and the Hofvijver connect naturally to the city's sightseeing core, so base your browsing loop on that historic centre so that shops and landmarks share the same walk. That way a morning at the Mauritshuis or the Binnenhof leads straight into lunch and a couple of hours of shopping without a tram ride or a map.

Independent, vintage and second-hand shops by neighbourhood

The most distinctive shopping in The Hague is in the independent and second-hand shops spread across the neighbourhoods. The city's tourism board names Little Green Shop, Design Room, Emmaus, ReShare Store, The Chocolate Shop, Wen, De Huishoudwinkel, Sprinkel & Hop and Ilka's Vintage. These are small, individual addresses rather than a retail quarter, so plan a walk through two or three of them rather than expecting a shopping street.

Several have distinctive settings. Emmaus sells pottery, books, clothing, electronics, furniture and antiques from a building on the Prinsegracht, while ReShare Store, run by Leger des Heils, occupies a shop on the Paviljoensgracht. Sprinkel & Hop in the Weimarstraat deals in vintage furniture and accessories, and Ilka's Vintage in the Archipelbuurt carries second-hand clothing with a separate designer section. The Chocolate Shop sells organic and fairtrade chocolate, and its Haagse Hopjes truffles are among its stock.

Design Room focuses on English and Scandinavian furniture and objects from the 1950s and 1960s, and Little Green Shop mixes vintage pieces, plants and work by local designers. Wen on the Prinsestraat and De Huishoudwinkel cover sustainable household goods and gifts. These shops reward a slower pace than a high street: pick your neighbourhood first, then wander within it.

Westfield Mall of the Netherlands: 250-plus shops and how to reach it

Westfield Mall of the Netherlands is the big indoor option, with more than 250 shops and restaurants in a single building in Leidschendam-Voorburg, next to the A4 motorway. There are five parking locations, all free. If you are driving, that removes one of the usual costs of a mall day.

Public transport is straightforward. DenHaag.com lists direct connections from The Hague and Delft, with trams 2, 6 and 19 stopping at Leidsenhage, Leidschendam. Arriving by bike is also catered for, with bicycle stands at the main entrance, at the entrance near H&M and The Sting, and at Jumbo Foodmarket. If you plan to cycle out, our cycling guide covers the practical side.

The mall's published opening hours are Monday 11:00 to 20:00, Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00, and Sunday 12:00 to 18:00. Check them against your travel date, since hours can change around holidays. Those times make Monday a late start rather than a lost day.

Food and leisure under one roof: the eettheater, Kinepolis and Peppa Pig World of Play

The mall is built as a day out rather than a quick shop. Its eettheater, in the central area, gathers kiosks, bars and sit-down restaurants; DenHaag.com gives separate eettheater hours of 11:00 to 22:00 Monday to Wednesday, 11:00 to 23:00 Thursday to Saturday, and 12:00 to 22:00 Sunday. If you come mainly to eat, park at P1 or P2 as the site recommends.

Kinepolis Leidschendam has 11 theatres and more than 1,600 seats, including an MX4D screen with moving seats, weather effects and scent. For families, Peppa Pig World of Play is a 1,500-square-metre indoor playground with more than 12 play zones, and a Peppa Pig shop in the same building. Cinema, playground and shop are run by their own operators, so check details directly before you travel.

Two shopping areas inside the mall are worth knowing about. The Gallery is the section for concept and pop-up stores from local designers and younger brands, while Fresh! gathers food stalls with specialities from different countries. Both suit browsing rather than a specific shopping list.

Local favourites and market shopping in passing

Beyond the shops, The Hague's tourism page also points to The Hague Market, whose merchandise reflects the city's multicultural population, and to Van Kleef, a distillery museum in the historic centre. A coffee bar, Lola bikes & coffee, appears on the same page. These are useful additions to a browsing day rather than a substitute for one.

Building a shopping day around opening days and Monday mornings

Monday is the day to plan around. The mall opens at 11:00 on Monday, later than its 10:00 start from Tuesday to Saturday, so a morning visit there means a late start. Save a Monday morning for sightseeing and use the afternoon for the shops.

A sensible pattern for a one-to-four-day trip is to keep the centre for a sightseeing day and the mall for a bad-weather or family day. The centre is walkable between shops and sights; the mall needs a tram ride or a drive but rewards you with everything in one place. If you want more options beyond shopping, our guide to the things to do in The Hague covers museums and landmarks that share the same days.

What to buy: local chocolate and design-led gifts

The Chocolate Shop sells organic and fairtrade chocolate and stocks Haagse Hopjes truffles, making it a strong local edible souvenir. Beyond that, the independent shops lean towards design, vintage furniture and second-hand clothing rather than conventional souvenirs. That makes them good places to find something you would not see on a standard gift stall.

If you want art-linked gifts, The Hague's museums have shops that pair naturally with a gallery visit. Our Things to Do in The Hague lists the main sights in the same neighbourhood, so you can combine a gallery visit with a browse.

Half-day versus full-day: honest trade-offs

The centre works as a half-day, with shops woven around the Mauritshuis, the Binnenhof and the Hofvijver. The mall needs more time because of the journey and the scale: trams 2, 6 and 19 from The Hague, or a drive to the A4, plus more than 250 shops, a cinema and the eettheater. On a short trip, choose one rather than trying to do both in a day.

The mall is the indoor option in poor weather or with children, thanks to the playground and cinema under one roof. The centre lets you combine shopping with the city's historic streets and canals. Whichever you pick, keep an eye on the clock: a late Monday start at the mall can eat into a short break.

Which shopping day suits your trip

For a short break, put the city centre first: it fits around the Mauritshuis, the Binnenhof and the Hofvijver without costing you a sightseeing day. Choose Westfield Mall of the Netherlands if you want a full indoor day, are travelling with children, or the weather has turned. Check the mall's published hours against your date, and remember that Monday starts later.