The Tulips of the Netherlands
- Takeabreak
- Jun 27
- 3 min read
The Netherlands is know for their tulips. The top spot to see these beauties is at Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse. Every Spring over a million visitors travel to see the tulip gardens here.
Keukenhof Gardens is a large 79 acre park, boasting over seven million tulip bulbs! The park consists of more formal gardens, flower shows, and fields. Visitors can take their time strolling around the gorgeous grounds and take in the Springtime scenes.
Seeing the tulips in the Netherlands was one of my "bucketlist" items. I had seen photos, and knew I had to see them in person one day. Last Spring I was so excited to see these beauties in person on a trip to the Netherlands with my good friend.
When to Visit
The peak tulip bloom date varies year to year. It is hard to plan your trip around this, unless you are a local or visiting the area for a few weeks. A safe bet would be to visit sometime in April. It may not be at peak bloom, but typically there will be a lot of tulips in bloom during this month. I visited the last week of April and we were just able to catch the end of the season.
If you are able to, I would recommend visiting on a weekday and first thing in the morning. It will be much less crowded at that time, and you will get the best pictures.
How to Get to the Gardens
The easiest way to get to the gardens, in my opinion, is to book a ticket for the Keukenhof Express Bus. There are a few pickup locations in and around Amsterdam. When you book your bus ticket, you also have the option to bundle in your ticket to the gardens and a "skip the line" bonus. This is what we did, and I thought it was helpful. The ride from Amsterdam is about 35 minutes.
Another option is to take public transport to the gardens. There are local trains and buses that stop near the gardens.
You can also always drive if you have a rental car. There is a large parking lot outside of the gardens.
If you're really feeling Dutch, you can bike! It is no small feat though. The ride out to the gardens from Amsterdam is about a two hour bike ride each way.
Cost
You will need an entrance ticket to the gardens. I would highly recommend buying them in advance on the garden's website (https://keukenhof.nl/en/). At the time of writing, tickets to the garden cost as follows:
Adults (18+): 18 Euro
Children (4-7 years): 9 Euro
Children (0-3 years): Free
Ticket sales start Mid-November the year before.
Parking: 9 Euros
Keukenhoff Express Bus (without park entrance ticket): 17 Euro
Keukenhoff Express Bus (with park entrance): 32 - 37 Euro (depending on pickup location)
Bike rentals at the gardens cost the following:
Full Day Regular Bike Rental: 16 Euro
3 Hour Regular Bike Rental: 11 Euro
Tandem or Cargo Bike Full Day Rental: 30 Euro
Tandem or Cargo Bike 3 Hour Rental: 25 Euro
Navigating the Gardens
Keukenhof Gardens is fairly easy to navigate. There are many walking paths that wind through the gorgeous groves of tulips. There are signs around the paths to direct visitors as well as paper maps at the entrance.
If you would like to explore the outer fields, I would recommend renting a bike. They have bike rentals just outside of the the garden entrance. The surrounding area is absolutely beautiful, and well worth a scenic bike ride. We also found the ride very easy as the trails are paved and flat, and mostly separated from cars. I did the full loop while 4 months pregnant, so it really wasn't too rigorous.
Park Amenities
Keukenhof Gardens has many amenities within the park. There are cafes throughout the park to grab a snack or meal, picnic spots, restrooms, and a souvenir shop.
Comments