Keukenhof and Mauritshuis in 1 Day

Most substantial hotels have a land-services partner who can arrange this for you, maybe even charged to your hotel bill. It will be quite expensive, so you should get a quote from the Concierge (or similar person) before you travel. You may have an exaggerated idea of the proximity of Den Haag and Keukenhof. Have you looked on Google Maps yet, just so you know what you're asking for, and don't choke on your iced coffee when you get the quote?

Note that a driver sitting in a car for four hours while you see Keukenhof is not much cheaper than a driving actively driving you somewhere. This is not like an Uber ride home from a bar.

Because of your second paragraph, I would suggest that you are underestimating the quality and importance of the Mauritshuis and the Kunstmuseums. You could easily spend a whole day in Den Haag with those two museums. And the train from Amsterdam is convenient, and much cheaper than a car and driver.

FWIW, the Mauritshuis is a wonderful, but small museum. A little gem. One nice thing about seeing the Girl there normally is it is in a room with only two other paintings—both Vermeers! When I was there a year ago in October, I was the only one in that room for an extended period of time. Of course, the other two paintings will still be in the Amsterdam Exhibit this year. But it is still a great place to visit, and may be slightly less crowded seeing the girl there than in the Rijksmuseum exhibit (although I'll bet most people going to the Rijksmuseum exhibit after March will make the trek to The Hague).

When are you going? The Veermer exhibition runs until June 4th. Tulips will be gone by the first week in June.

We're going in early April, but the Girl With The Pearl Earring is moving back to the it's original home on April 1.

https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/visit/

Interesting. The Rijksmuseum gives the impression that "the Girl" will be in the Vemeer exhibition the through June. I recommend the train from Amsterdam to the Hague. Mauritshuis is a short walk or taxi. You could do VGM or Rijks in the morning (get timed entry tickets in advance) then the Hague in the afternoon. Also, Viatour has a bus & ticket tour to Keukenhof. (I have not used them...not a recommendation).

I will do my best to have a Vermeer Exhibition trip report posted by the end of February.

I'd love a review.

I think we're going to get a driver to take us and our four kids to the Keukenhoff and the Hague for the day, round trip, for about $600. It's a lot of money but it's a splurge b/c it's also our 15th wedding anniversary on the day we want to go, the tuiips and the painting are dreams of ours, and we're saving money elsewhere by staying in less pricey hotels and we aren't ones for expensive dinners.

I guess you need a special vehicle to carry six passengers and a driver. You may prefer Keukenhof on a weekday, for smaller crowds. Presumably there is business road-traffic near a big city like Den Haag, as well as Amsterdam. Find out if you should buy dated or timed tickets in advance.

As others have noted, you need to be very sure that the painting is there, and on exhibit. During renovations some years back, I think, it was on loan to places like the Frick Collection in NYC.

I don't have any Art History credentials, but I'd point out that The Bull and The Goldfinch are among other Mauritshuis paintings of tremendous interest.

Congratulation on your anniversary. Almost 20 years ago we took our children for our 20th anniversary to France and England. Funniest memory is our son being totally freaked-out by walking on the graves inside of Westminster Abbey.

If the kids are old enough, I also suggest you get a recommendation of a good rijsttafel. It makes for an interesing conversation about how the Dutch globalized trade hundreds of years ago.

I see you are planning for the private driver so just a word about Viator for any lurkers. This is a 3rd party tour consolidator owned by Trip Advisor. I'd recommend booking directly with the company providing the tour which is available usually under "more information" on the Viator site.

With a party of 6 I'd go with the private driver as well! It will be easier than herding everyone on/off buses/trains etc.

The Mauritshuis also has some cool paintings by Avercamp...he's one of the ones that paints big scenes of frozen Dutch canals with dozens of people in them. Have your kids look for someone pooping or peeing (usually in a corner of the picture) or someone who has fallen and is showing their bare bottom, lol. There are also usually men playing "colf" - looks like either golf or hockey on the ice with a stick. Yes, I have the mind of a 9-year-old.

https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/our-collection/artworks/785-ice-scene/

This museum is small enough that you can do the whole thing in an hour to 1.5 hours without much problem.

I also recommend you download the Mauritshuis app to help you get thru the museum.

I spent 9 hours at Keukenhof last April. Any less would be a travesty for flower lovers.

“ The Rijksmuseum gives the impression that "the Girl" will be in the Vemeer exhibition the through June”

It has been made very clear right from the start that The girl with the Pearl Earring would only be in the Rijksmuseum for the first part of the Vermeer exhibit. This painting is what draws most visitors to the Mauritshuis, so they simply can’t afford it to have her gone for too long. Most museums, including the Mauritshuis, are still recovering from Covid closures. Their most famous painting being away during the time of year when the number of tourists in the Netherlands is at its peak, is a luxury the Mauritshuis can’t afford.
It has been confirmed, that the painting will be back in the Mauritshuis on April 1, 2023.