How do you get from Rotterdam to Delft? Cruise port, Centraal and Blaak compared

The quickest way from Rotterdam to Delft is the train from Rotterdam Centraal: 12 minutes by Intercity and 13 to 14 by Sprinter, around ten departures an hour, with at most one intermediate stop. If you are starting at the cruise terminal on the Wilhelmina Pier, add a 3 to 4 minute walk to Wilhelminaplein metro station and a 7 minute metro ride on line D or E to Rotterdam Centraal. The journey itself is 35 to 45 minutes door to door, walks and the change at Centraal included; from the moment the gangway opens, count on 45 to 60 minutes with the disembarkation queue and a little waiting. A taxi does it in 20 to 25 minutes in normal traffic. You pay for metro and train by tapping a contactless bank card or phone at the gates.

Our guides make this journey every week, in both directions, with guests who arrived by ship and guests who are staying in Rotterdam. The one thing they see go wrong at the terminal is not the transport, it is the clock: people underestimate the queue to get off the ship, and then rush the return. The minutes below come from the RET and NS timetables.

What is the fastest way from Rotterdam to Delft?

Metro to Rotterdam Centraal, then the train. Nothing else comes close on a normal day.

From the cruise terminal, walk 3 to 4 minutes to Wilhelminaplein metro station on the pier itself. Lines D and E both go to Rotterdam Centraal. On the RET timetable for Saturday 17 October 2026, a line D metro leaving Wilhelminaplein at 06:22 reaches Beurs at 06:25 and Rotterdam Centraal at 06:29, so the ride is 7 minutes. On that Saturday timetable line D alone runs every 10 to 15 minutes, and line E adds to that on the same platform, so you rarely wait long. Both lines leave from the same platform in the direction of Rotterdam Centraal, so the platform side matters little: check only that the train says Rotterdam Centraal or Den Haag Centraal, not De Akkers or Slinge. Timetable: ret.nl, metro D.

At Rotterdam Centraal, the metro is underground and the trains are above it. Take the escalator or lift up into the main hall, tap out of the metro with your card and tap in at the NS gates with the same card. Trains to Delft leave from the platforms for Den Haag, Leiden and Amsterdam. Intercity trains on the Dordrecht to Den Haag, Leiden and Amsterdam route stop at Delft, and so do the Sprinters towards Den Haag Centraal. Do not board the Intercity Direct towards Schiphol and Amsterdam, or the Eurostar: neither goes to Delft. One Intercity to Den Haag Centraal does leave from the high-speed platform 13 and stops at Delft, so go by the list of stops on the board, not by the platform. Check the departure boards for “Delft” in the list of stops, or look up the next departures on ns.nl. The ride takes 12 to 15 minutes.

If you are starting at Rotterdam Centraal, skip the metro and walk straight to the platforms. If you are at Blaak (Markthal, Cube Houses), the Sprinter towards Den Haag Centraal that passes through Blaak and Rotterdam Centraal also stops at Delft; otherwise ride the metro two stops to Centraal and take any train that lists Delft.

How long is the whole journey from the cruise terminal to Delft?

About 35 to 45 minutes of travel from the terminal doors to the Markt, and 45 to 60 minutes from the moment the gangway opens. Here is what a morning looks like if your ship is cleared at 08:00.

• 08:00: Disembarkation opens. The first guests are usually through the terminal 15 to 20 minutes after the gangway opens; if you are in no hurry, let the first wave go.
• 08:20: Walk out of the terminal, turn towards the Erasmus Bridge and go down into Wilhelminaplein metro station, 3 to 4 minutes.
• 08:25: Tap in, take the next metro D or E towards Rotterdam Centraal.
• 08:32: Arrive at Rotterdam Centraal, up to the hall, tap out, tap in at the NS gates, find the platform. Allow 5 to 8 minutes.
• 08:40: Board a train towards Den Haag that stops at Delft.
• 08:52: Arrive at Delft station (12 minutes by Intercity, 14 by Sprinter).
• 09:05: Walk into the old town, 10 minutes, flat and signposted, and you are on the Markt with the Nieuwe Kerk in front of you.

That leaves you a full morning and afternoon in Delft before the return. If you want the day planned from this point, our post Delft in one day walks you through it hour by hour.

How do you pay for the metro and the train?

Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gate when you enter, and tap the same card at the gate when you leave. That is all. The system is called OVpay, and it works on every metro gate, tram, bus and NS train gate in the country. The rules that matter:

• One card per person. Two people cannot share a card; the system would charge one tap-in and leave the other person without a valid journey.
• Tap out. If you forget, you are charged for an incomplete journey, which costs more than the ride.
• The metro and the train are separate systems. At Rotterdam Centraal you tap out of RET (metro) and tap in at NS (train) with the same card, then the reverse on the way back.

If you prefer a paper ticket, the machines at Wilhelminaplein and in the hall at Rotterdam Centraal sell them. With a bank card the metro ride from Wilhelminaplein to Rotterdam Centraal costs about €1.66 (RET basic fare €1.16 plus €0.18 per kilometre, ret.nl fares). RET also sells a 2-hour ticket for €5.50 and a 1-day ticket for €12.00 (2026 prices), valid on metro, tram and bus in Rotterdam but not on the train. The train to Delft is a separate NS fare: €4.40 one way, second class, full fare, when we read the planner on ns.nl for 20 October 2026, and the planner priced the whole trip from the terminal, metro plus train, at €6.06. The machine shows the price for your date before you pay. For the full picture of cards, tickets and tapping, see how to use Dutch trains, trams and buses.

Is a taxi or Uber from Rotterdam cruise port to Delft worth it?

For a group of three or four, or if someone walks with difficulty, yes. For two people on a normal day, the metro and train are faster once you count the queue at the rank.

Taxis wait outside the terminal exit. The drive to the centre of Delft takes 20 to 25 minutes in normal traffic, longer in the morning rush. Insist on the meter and politely refuse any fixed price offered at the door. Uber operates in Rotterdam and the app shows the price before you book. Set the pick-up to the terminal address, Wilhelminakade 699.

Is there a bus from Rotterdam to Delft?

Yes, RET bus 40 runs from Rotterdam Centraal to Delft station, but it is the slow option.

On the RET timetable for Friday 16 October 2026, the bus leaving Rotterdam Centraal at 07:02 reaches Station Delft at 07:37, so about 35 minutes, against 12 to 15 by train. It runs every 20 minutes in the morning and evening peaks and every 30 minutes in the middle of the day, and it winds through Overschie, the polder and the TU Delft campus before it ends at the station. The weekend timetable differs, so check the day’s times on ret.nl, bus 40.

Can you take the water taxi or the WaterShuttle to Delft?

No. Both are river services on the Nieuwe Maas, and Delft is inland.

The Watertaxi Rotterdam has a landing at Hotel New York, two minutes from the terminal, and it crosses to the city side and runs the river from Hoek van Holland to the Brienenoord Bridge; payment on board is card only. The Kinderdijk WaterShuttle leaves from the Willemskade on the city bank, Friday to Sunday only since October 2025, about 30 minutes each way to the windmills. Neither service goes anywhere near Delft or The Hague. If the windmills are your goal, read Kinderdijk from Rotterdam cruise port instead.

How do you walk from Delft station to the Markt?

Ten minutes, flat, and you cannot really miss it.

Leave the station on the city side, cross the water towards the old town and follow the signs for Centrum and Markt. Within a few minutes you walk along the Oude Delft canal with the leaning tower of the Oude Kerk ahead of you, then two more turns bring you onto the Markt, with the Stadhuis at one end and the Nieuwe Kerk at the other. The walk is step-free and suitable for a pushchair or a wheelchair; the only awkward surfaces are a few stretches of cobbles near the Markt.

What should you do in Delft with two hours or six?

With two hours: the Markt, the Nieuwe Kerk with the tomb of William of Orange, a canal loop along the Oude Delft and a coffee. With six hours: add the Oude Kerk, the Vermeer Centrum and the Royal Delft factory south of the station, with lunch in between.

A guided walk saves you the orienting. Our Discover Delft private tours start on the Markt, which is exactly where you arrive on your own, and the guide meets you there at the time you choose. The Highlights of Delft private tour covers the old town in 2 hours. If Delft Blue is the reason you came, Delft and Royal Delft adds the factory, and Vermeer’s Delft follows the painter through his own city in 2.5 to 3 hours. For planning on your own, these posts help: Is the Royal Delft factory tour worth it?, Where to buy real Delft Blue and Vermeer’s Delft.

Opening times to know: the Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk share one €10 ticket and open at 10:00 from February to October and at 11:00 on weekdays from November to January; both are closed on Sundays. The Vermeer Centrum opens daily 10:00 to 17:00. Royal Delft, at Rotterdamseweg 196, opens daily 09:30 to 17:00, €17.50 including the audio tour; it is 25 minutes on foot or a short bus ride south of Delft station and takes about 90 minutes to visit. Museum Prinsenhof is closed for renovation until further notice; no reopening date has been announced, and the museum’s own site looks ahead to spring 2028.

If you would rather not do the metro and train at all, the alternative is a shore excursion with a minibus from the terminal. Our sister brand Holland City Tours runs the small group Delft and Kinderdijk shore excursion, about 8 hours, with the guide waiting at the terminal exit holding a sign. On a shorter call, its Small Group Kinderdijk Windmills by Boat takes about 4 hours by private boat, but goes to the windmills, not to Delft. Ship’s tour or independent? weighs the two approaches.

What is closed in Delft on a Sunday or Monday?

The two churches are closed on Sunday, and most shops in the centre open at 12:00 on both Sunday and Monday.

The Vermeer Centrum and Royal Delft are open every day, so a Sunday or Monday call is still a good Delft day: do Royal Delft first, be back on the Markt for lunch, and the shops are open by the time you want them.

How do you get back to the ship on time?

Work backwards from all-aboard with two fixed rules: the last train you take out of Delft leaves 90 minutes before all-aboard, and the last metro you take from Rotterdam Centraal leaves 60 minutes before.

With all-aboard at 16:30, that means a train from Delft by 15:00 and a metro from Centraal by 15:30. The journey itself needs about 35 to 45 minutes; the rest is margin for a delayed train, a wrong platform or a queue at the gangway. Our back-to-the-ship calculator does the arithmetic for your own ship’s times, and the Rotterdam cruise schedule shows which ships are in on which day.

On the way back, metro D and E both stop at Wilhelminaplein. Any metro from Rotterdam Centraal towards De Akkers or Slinge takes you there in 7 minutes.

Is the journey step-free?

Yes. The metro stations at Wilhelminaplein and Rotterdam Centraal have lifts, and Delft station, rebuilt underground in 2015, has lifts and escalators between the platforms and the hall.

Check the lift status for the day on the NS station page for Delft on ns.nl before you travel, since a lift out of service is the one thing that turns this into a difficult journey. NS offers free travel assistance for wheelchair users at Rotterdam Centraal and Delft if booked in advance through the same site.

Which option is best: a comparison

Option	Time to Delft station	Cost	How to pay	Best for
Metro D or E plus train	7 min metro, 5 to 8 min change, 12 to 15 min train; 35 to 45 min door to door from the terminal	About €6.06 with a bank card: metro about €1.66, train €4.40 full fare	Tap in and out with a contactless card, one card per person	Almost everyone, and anyone starting at Rotterdam Centraal or Blaak
Taxi or Uber	20 to 25 min in normal traffic	Metered, or shown in the app	Card in the taxi, app for ride-hailing	Groups of 3 to 4, reduced mobility, a late start
RET bus 40	About 35 min from Rotterdam Centraal, every 20 to 30 min on weekdays	RET fare	Tap in and out with a contactless card	Travellers with time who want the countryside route
Water taxi or WaterShuttle	Does not go to Delft	n/a	n/a	River banks and Kinderdijk only
Shore excursion with minibus	Pick-up at the terminal exit	From €199 per adult, small group	Booked in advance, free cancellation up to 24 hours before	Guests who want the day organised and the ship times tracked

Frequently asked questions

How far is it from the cruise port to the train?

The nearest station is Wilhelminaplein metro, 3 to 4 minutes on foot from the terminal doors. From there it is 7 minutes by metro D or E to Rotterdam Centraal, where the trains to Delft leave. You do not need a taxi to reach the station.

We would have to take a taxi to the train station, right? Or is there Uber or Lyft?

No taxi is needed; the metro station is on the pier. Uber works in Rotterdam and shows the price before you book; use it rather than Lyft. A taxi or ride straight to Delft takes 20 to 25 minutes if you prefer to skip the metro and train.

Can you give a bit more information about the train to Delft?

Trains leave Rotterdam Centraal several times an hour towards Den Haag, Leiden and Amsterdam, and the Intercity and the Sprinter on that route both stop at Delft. The ride takes 12 to 15 minutes. Avoid the Intercity Direct and Eurostar, which do not stop at Delft, and check the day’s departures on ns.nl.

Is there a day pass we could buy, or should we just buy single tickets at the machines?

You do not need either: tap a contactless bank card at the metro gate, tap out at Rotterdam Centraal, tap in at the train gates and tap out at Delft, then do the same on the way back. The RET 1-day ticket (€12.00) covers metro, tram and bus in Rotterdam but not the train, so for a Delft day it rarely pays off. Machines at Wilhelminaplein and Rotterdam Centraal sell paper tickets if you prefer them.

What is the cost per person?

About €6.06 each way with a bank card: roughly €1.66 for the metro and €4.40 for the train, second class, full fare, as the NS planner showed for 20 October 2026. The planner on ns.nl and the ticket machine show the price for your date before you confirm.

Our ship is in Rotterdam from 07:00 to 17:00. Is Delft doable on our own?

Comfortably. You can be on the Markt before 09:00 and still take a train back from Delft at 15:30, which is the 90-minute rule for a 17:00 all-aboard. That gives you about six and a half hours in Delft, enough for the old town, lunch and Royal Delft.

We dock on a Sunday. Is Delft worth it then?

Yes, with one adjustment: the Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk are closed on Sundays, and most shops open at 12:00. The Vermeer Centrum and Royal Delft are open as normal, and the canals and the Markt are quieter than on a Saturday.

Planning a Delft day from Rotterdam

If you are arriving on your own, a Discover Delft private tour starts on the Markt at the time you choose: Highlights of Delft, 2 hours, €199 per group; Delft and Royal Delft, from €224; Vermeer’s Delft, from €275. All tours are listed at /all-tours/. If you would rather be collected at the terminal, Holland City Tours runs the Delft and Kinderdijk shore excursion from €279 per adult.

Sources: RET metro D timetable, RET bus 40 timetable, NS journey planner, Cruise Port Rotterdam, Cruise Port Rotterdam water taxi.