Delft Blue Tour: Discover Dutch Porcelain History

Experience the rich history and craftsmanship of Delft Blue porcelain at the Royal Delft Factory and Museum. Discover how this iconic Dutch art form was born and explore the stunning collection of blue and white ceramics. Book your admission ticket now!

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Royal Delft - Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles - From the approximately 32 potteries that were founded in the 17th Century, Royal Delft, established in 1653, is the only remaining Delftware factory left in Delft. It is a national heritage and a must-see when visiting Holland! Here, the renowned Royal Delftware is still entirely hand painted according to centuries-old tradition. In 1919 the company was awarded the prefix ‘Royal’ confi rming its special relationship with the Dutch Royal family. For generations the Dutch Royal family have been true admirers of Royal Delftware.

Nowadays Royal Delft is not only a factory for Delft Blue and a knowledge institute for ceramics, but also a museum. When visiting Royal Delft you discover the complete history and the production process of Delft Blue and Royal Delft in an audiovisual presentation. You witness a painter at work and are introduced to the other two icons of Delft in the themed chambers: the dining room of Johannes Vermeer, the famous 17th century painter from Delft and the Royal Chambers containing the collection of Orange Ceramics that has been produced over the centuries for the Dutch Royal family. In the museum, you can admire the collection of antique and modern pieces of Delft Blue earthenware and in the factory you can witness the authentic production process. In the showroom a comprehensive collection of hand painted earthenware by Royal Delft and a collection of souvenirs is on show.

Royal Delft offers workshops during which you can try your hand at painting Delft Blue. Overlooking the beautiful courtyard the Brasserie serves delicious coffee, tea, lunches and High Teas. Tours are available in various languages.

What's Included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • 1 Hour audio tour in 8 languages
What's Not Included
  • Tour
  • Guide
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information

400 Years ago the first Dutch East India Company ships arrived back in Holland filled with the Chinese blue and white porcelain. This porcelain became very popular among affluent families such as the European Royals. When the import of Chinese porcelain declined as a result of civil wars in China, the Dutch potteries seized the opportunity and developed their own version of this blue and white porcelain. This resulted in the birth of Delft Blue in the Netherlands. Nowadays, Delft Blue is one of the true Dutch icons.

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Royal Delft - Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles
Rotterdamseweg 196,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(106 Ratings)
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Nancytj6104dv
Oct 3, 2024
Great Visit to Delft - We took the train from Amsterdam. We enjoyed an interesting tour of the Delft factory. I also enjoyed shopping in the gift shop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Keith_b
Aug 28, 2024
Great to see - Great to see history being made! Very interesting g to see the whole process unfold in front of us, as it has been done for hundreds of years!
Review provided by Viator
Janice_m
Aug 26, 2024
Unexpected Surprise - Loved Night Watch made out of tiles. Enjoyed the history of tile making and seeing the old ceramics.
Review provided by Viator
Brett
Aug 12, 2024
Worth a visit - First toured through the museum portion and ended up viewing their manufacturing area. Cool. Then of course, bought some items.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
3dominiquek
Aug 8, 2024
Amazing. - Visit using an Audio Guide in French. Museum fully accessible to PMRs. A short film and an “educational workshop” allowed us to understand the history of Delft’s earthenware, we then wandered through the museum and then through the factory with the staff to finish in the store. A real visual pleasure. Enriching and amazing visit, cheap. Count 1 hour. Finally, we spent some time at brewery 1653 in the beautiful cloister. Museum living to do absolutely!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
697ilseg
Jul 26, 2024
Delft Blue, the history from past to present. - Interesting overview of the history of Delft Blue. Large range of both utensils and wall decoration. Very nice to see the production in operation. Audio guide provided. Friendly and helpful staff.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fabdog
Jul 26, 2024
Great museum! - We visited the museum and also did the painting class in which we made tiles. The museum is fascinating, covers the origins in China, and how the industry grew and then faded away. They even made building products till 1980. Some fantastic displays, including a full size reproduction of Thr Night Watch made from 480 tiles. You can walk thru the factory area, there were several people working on various phases of product including a lady painting a vase For the workshop, they show you how to use brushes to desired effect, then you can create your own design or pick from one of theirs. It's helpful if you have some skill as it's a bit more than paint by number, my wife made a very nice tile, mine was I think serviceable Overall a great experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vanessa_c
Aug 4, 2024
Best collection of Delftware in the Netherlands - Excellent collection of Delft pottery & history, throughout the ages. Museum is pretty small & can be toured in an hour to 1.5 hours total
Review provided by Viator
Lien
Jul 31, 2024
Interesting visit - Instructive experience, very interesting because there is a rich history behind the factory. Lots of beautiful and surprising work to view. The visit goes through the factory where you can see the employees busy. You're pretty quick around. Downside: The films were set up in English, so the older Dutch-speaking audience and young children do not understand (while English subtitles are provided). I was very sorry for the elderly lady sitting in the room, she could not follow at all. Moreover, an important (female) piece of history was not discussed here, only in passing in the museum, so it was an incomplete story.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meg250
Jul 28, 2024
Nice short tour. - This is a well done tour that begins with a short video overview. It continues with displays of some of the beautiful pieces and an overview of the history. You get to see an artist at work painting one of the pieces. It’s about a 20-30 walk to the factory from the old town center.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
October 2024
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