Easy by train
Amsterdam Centraal
- Typical journey
- around 35–40 minutes
- Destination
- Leiden Centraal
- On arrival
- From Leiden Centraal, the meeting point is a short walk away.
Travel photography day trip from Amsterdam
Visit Leiden and learn to photograph every trip better
Leiden is one of the Netherlands’ most photogenic historic cities — and a beautiful place to practise travel-photography skills you can use long after this holiday.
Direct trains from Amsterdam Centraal to Leiden Centraal typically take around 35–40 minutes. From Schiphol, it is even shorter.
🚆
Ask the Leiden Day Trip Assistant
Make the train feel easy.
Tell me where you’re staying and I’ll turn the train journey into a simple Leiden day-trip plan around your travel-photography experience.
Why leave Amsterdam for Leiden?
The Netherlands, with room to breathe.
Amsterdam is iconic — and often very busy. Leiden gives you canals, bridges, old streets, museums, university history, hidden courtyards, windmills, and beautiful photo spots in a calmer setting.
Not Just Cheese turns that day trip into something richer: practical travel-photography coaching in a beautiful historic city. You go home with better Leiden photos, plus a clearer way to notice light, compose, and capture memories on future trips.
Book Your Learning ExperienceHow easy is it to get here?
Amsterdam → Leiden Centraal → photo experience.
Amsterdam / nearby city
→
Leiden Centraal
→
Short walk to the meeting point
Easy by train
Amsterdam Zuid
- Typical journey
- around 30–40 minutes
- Destination
- Leiden Centraal
- On arrival
- From Leiden Centraal, the meeting point is a short walk away.
Easy by train
Schiphol Airport
- Typical journey
- around 15–25 minutes
- Destination
- Leiden Centraal
- On arrival
- From Leiden Centraal, the meeting point is a short walk away.
Easy by train
Haarlem
- Typical journey
- around 25–35 minutes
- Destination
- Leiden Centraal
- On arrival
- From Leiden Centraal, the meeting point is a short walk away.
Easy by train
The Hague
- Typical journey
- around 10–20 minutes
- Destination
- Leiden Centraal
- On arrival
- From Leiden Centraal, the meeting point is a short walk away.
Easy by train
Rotterdam
- Typical journey
- around 30–40 minutes
- Destination
- Leiden Centraal
- On arrival
- From Leiden Centraal, the meeting point is a short walk away.
Easy by train
Utrecht
- Typical journey
- around 45–60 minutes
- Destination
- Leiden Centraal
- On arrival
- From Leiden Centraal, the meeting point is a short walk away.
Static travel times are approximate. Open your route in Google Maps before travelling for current step-by-step directions.
Suggested day trip itinerary
A relaxed half-day — or the anchor of a full Leiden day.
This can fit comfortably around a morning or afternoon travel-photography experience, with enough space for coffee, museums, lunch, shopping, or extra practice along the canals.
Morning
Take an easy train to Leiden Centraal
Arrival
Coffee and a relaxed walk into the historic centre
Experience
Join Not Just Cheese for stories, photo stops, and practical coaching
Afterwards
Choose lunch, a museum visit, or a slower canal walk
Optional
Stay for shopping, extra photography, or golden-hour views
Return
Take a simple train back when your day feels complete
Is Leiden worth it if I’m staying in Amsterdam?
Yes — especially if you want a beautiful Dutch city without the heaviest crowds.
You still get canals, history, architecture, university stories, and postcard views. The difference is that Leiden gives them to you at a gentler rhythm — and the experience turns them into practical lessons in light, framing, perspective, and visual storytelling.
Ask before you commit
Not sure whether the trip fits your day? Ask the assistant.
It can translate “we’re in De Pijp” or “our hotel is near Schiphol” into a practical Leiden plan, then suggest how to combine the experience with lunch, museums, or extra photo practice. It will not pretend to sell train tickets.
🚆
Ask the Leiden Day Trip Assistant
Make the train feel easy.
Tell me where you’re staying and I’ll turn the train journey into a simple Leiden day-trip plan around your travel-photography experience.
Easy day trip Netherlands
Make Leiden the day that changes how you travel.
Come for the historic city. Leave with sharper eyes, stronger travel photos, and practical skills for every future holiday.