Leidsche Vaart
Kayak spot · Netherlands
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
77Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: Wind 2 kn gusting 10, Air 11 °C
Tue 3 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Wed 4 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 274, good
- Tue 367, good
- Wed 468, good
- Thu 567, good
- Fri 679, good
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 874, good
- Mon 985, good
- Tue 1074, good
- Wed 1180, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Jun–Aug6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 74, good | 5 kn | 12kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 67, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 11°C | 0.1 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 68, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 67, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 79, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 3 kn | 6kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 74, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 85, good | 2 kn | 10kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 74, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 11°C | 4.2 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 11°C | 7.8 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Leidsche Vaart on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- Leidsche Vaart 1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Leidsche Vaart
A launch on the Leidsche Vaart. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.8 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Alphen aan den Rijn. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Leidsche Vaart
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.8 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,330–US$2,500 each
about US$1,330–US$2,500 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to AMS, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$462–US$958 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$33–US$54 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$563 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$328–US$610 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$167–US$315 |
| Total | about US$1,330–US$2,500 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Alphen aan den Rijn
11 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Alphen aan den Rijn its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$127 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 13h 20m
About 13h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → AMS, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → AMS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Alphen aan den Rijn · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Alphen aan den Rijn · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
kanovereniging De Kromme Aar 4.8 km
Nikano 8.9 km
Kanovereniging Lisse 11 km
Kanovereniging Rijnland 12 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits