Attraction · Leiden · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Hortus botanicus Leiden

Hortus botanicus Leiden is an attraction in Leiden, South Holland. This place has an audio tour of 2:10, in English or Dutch. 11 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 80 m you find a bench, a water point and a public toilet.

Directions in Google Maps

The story

Wikipedia ↗Official website ↗

Audio tour · Hortus botanicus Leiden

2:10

You're standing at the Hortus botanicus in Leiden, the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands. It sits behind the Academy Building on the Rapenburg canal, right in the old city centre. In 1590 the young university was given this plot for a garden where medical students could study healing plants. And unusually for the time, it was open to the public from day one.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Opening hours: Sep 21-Mar 20 10:00-17:00; Mar 21-Sep 20 09:00-18:00; Oct 03 off; Dec 25-Jan 01 off
Admission: Paid
Wheelchair: Partly accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

1 / 10

Photo: Tubantia · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Facilities near Hortus botanicus Leiden

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 11 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Keukenhof · 13.4 km

Photo: Balou46 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden · 290 m

Photo: Goodness Shamrock · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave · 700 m

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Wereldmuseum Leiden · 810 m

Photo: Sneeuwvlakte · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Naturalis Biodiversity Centre · 1.2 km

Photo: Hay Kranen · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Keukenhof on the spot with the app

All 31 points of interest in Leiden →

Also within walking distance

The 9 nearest points of interest with a story, within 2 km.

All 31 points of interest in Leiden →

Walks within 2 km

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Cycle routes within 5 km

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VelostradaEasy · 2.1 km away9.2 km

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Frequently asked questions

When is Hortus botanicus Leiden open?

Sep 21-Mar 20 10:00-17:00; Mar 21-Sep 20 09:00-18:00; Oct 03 off; Dec 25-Jan 01 off (according to OpenStreetMap). Check the official website for public holidays.

Is Hortus botanicus Leiden wheelchair accessible?

Partly: according to OpenStreetMap it is only partly wheelchair accessible.

Is there a toilet or drinking water nearby?

Yes: a water point at 20 m and a public toilet at 80 m.

How does the audio tour work?

When you stand at Hortus botanicus Leiden, the Outdoor Pitstop app tells the story of the place in 2:10, in English or Dutch.