The Ultimate Guide To Keukenhof Gardens for Tulip Season (2024)

If you’ve ever looked into visiting the Netherlands, then you know that the best time to visit is during the tulip season, which occurs from mid-March to mid-May. During this time, Amsterdam tulips fields are in full bloom and majestic. The Keukenhof Gardens is one of the best places to see these lovely spring flowers.

Keukenhof Gardens is actually located in the town of Lisse, approximately thirty minutes from the center of Amsterdam. It is one of the world’s largest flower gardens, with more than 7 million flower bulbs planted yearly. The vibrant European garden opened to the public in 1950 and quickly became an international sensation.

The world-famous garden welcomes over a million visitors annually to its amazing and colorful tulip festival. Any visitors planning to head to Amsterdam in the springtime should definitely add this place to their list of must-sees!

Since the Keukenhof tulip gardens are not in a huge city, some preparation goes into visiting. We’ve prepared this ultimate guide so that you are equipped with everything you need to know about the gardens, where to stay, how to get there, and everything in between!

About Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof (“Kitchen Garden” in English) is the most famous tulip garden in the Netherlands and one of the world’s largest flower gardens. It’s located in South Holland, and the entire Keukenhof Park spans 32 hectares filled with winding paths, beautiful flower fields, and indoor flower shows.

The park is divided into several gardens, indoor exhibits, and multiple other features. In addition to the wonderful blooms, visitors can enjoy a playground, photo spots, boat rides, and food trucks. At the main entrance, you can buy fresh flowers and souvenirs to take back home.

Admire the seemingly endless tulip fields with trails of pink, yellow, white, orange, and ombre flower bulbs as you wander through the fields. Other spring flowers at Keukenhof include daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses.

Each spring, the best things to do in Amsterdam always involve tulips, and there’s no better place in the world to do it than Keukenhof.

Admission

To visit Keukenhof Gardens, you will need to purchase an entrance ticket. Keukenhof tickets are slightly cheaper when booking online versus at the on-site ticket office, so keep that in mind. Children 3 and younger are free, while groups with more than 20 people can get a reduced-rate group ticket.

If you’re planning to spend a while in the Amsterdam area, you can purchase a Keukenhof annual pass, which is valid all season and includes parking.

Flower Fields and Gardens

To the right of the main entrance is the main flower field, where you can see the tulips that are grown to be harvested and sold. The sea of flowers at the tulip farm seems to go on forever. There are a few observation decks where you can get a closer look. They also make for awesome photo spots to get the lovely tulip fields in the background.

The surprising inspirational gardens were my favorite part about visiting Keukenhof. Each garden has a specific theme, and every year, there’s something new. Themes include a romance garden, tropical garden, tea garden, and more. There are a ton of photo opportunities in each themed garden.

Some gardens don’t only focus on tulips. For example, the Japanese country garden includes four rotating pavilions of flowers. There is also a traditional English landscape garden with long, winding paths.

Flower Exhibits

Five main indoor flower show exhibit areas are located at each corner of the park. Each exhibition features a different theme and is created by flower artists from over the Netherlands. Since spring is pretty chilly in the Netherlands, the indoor flower shows also make for a great place to get some warmth.

The Orange Nassau Pavillion is known for having some of the most intricate and amazing flower shows. Flower shows last only a certain amount of time, some even less than a week before being changed to a different flower show. It’s when art meets flowers, and many flowers like roses, anthuriums, and orchids are displayed.

Windmill & Boat Ride

Two other fun parts of visiting Keukenhof were the windmill and boat ride. They are right next to each other, so you can buy a ticket for the next boat trip and trek up the stairs of the old windmill while you wait. The boat trip is an extra fee and is not included in the price of the entrance ticket.

The windmill features a winding staircase that you can take to the top. Once you’re at the top, you’re rewarded with 360° unobstructed views of the park and the flower fields. It’s certainly worth the trek up and down the creaking wooden stairs.

In my opinion, the boat ride is an absolute must. It takes about 45 minutes, and each boat can accommodate around 20 people. Everyone is given an audio guide to learn about the gardens in their language.

While you hear about the history of Keukenhof Gardens, you take a peaceful ride around the tulip fields. It was super enjoyable, even for my friend’s toddler.

How to Get to Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof Gardens is accessible by car, bus, and bike. If you plan to visit more than just Amsterdam, you’ll probably want to rent a car in the Netherlands.

If not, however, there is the Keukenhof Express bus that goes directly from all of the major cities and places nearby, including Amsterdam, Schipol Airport, Haarlem, and Leiden. Combination bus and entrance tickets are available to purchase online.

You can arrive at Keukenhof by bike for an even more eco-friendly option. Bike racks are available near the main entrance of the park.

See Related: Best Tours in Amsterdam

Where to Stay Near Keukenhof Gardens

Where you stay should be based on what you plan to do on this trip. If the main purpose of your trip is to visit Holland and explore its majestic tulip fields, you might want to stay in the Dutch cities of Lisse or Haarlem.

If this is your first time in the Netherlands or you want to do more city exploration, stay in Amsterdam. It is just a short drive or bus ride to Keukenhof gardens from the city, so you’ll still have lots of time to explore.

Amsterdam

Since Keukenhof Gardens is just a thirty-minute drive from Amsterdam, I’d say it’s the best place to stay. Amsterdam has so many things to see, do, and experience, but a visit to Keukenhof makes for an amazing day trip and a great addition to any Amsterdam vacation.

Since this is the largest city in proximity to the tulip gardens, it offers the biggest terms of accommodation options. You can find accommodations for any budget and any group size.

• Best Amsterdam Budget Hotel: Moxy Amsterdam Houthavens
• Best Amsterdam Mid-Range Hotel: INNSiDE by Meliá Amsterdam
• Best Amsterdam Luxury Hotel: Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam

Lisse

If your trip is focused on visiting Keukenhof and other tulip gardens throughout Holland, it’s worth staying in the town of Lisse. Lisse is in the heart of Holland’s flower bulb region and home to Keukenhof Gardens.

Lisse is a stunning little town filled with spring flower fields. It’s a great little place to explore by bike to really take in the wonderful spring colors.

• Best Lisse Budget Hotel: Hotel Restaurant de Engel
• Best Lisse Mid-Range Hotel: Hotel de Duif Lisse
• Best Lisse Luxury Hotel: Boutique Suites Lisse

Haarlem

Haarlem is an awesome city and the capital of North Holland. It’s located just north of Holland’s flower bulb region, so it’s great for city life and visiting Keukenhof tulip fields.

If you’ve seen and experienced all that Amsterdam has to offer, Haarlem is a wonderful place to stay instead. The lively city is home to amazing museums, cozy cafes, and beautiful cathedrals.

• Best Haarlem Budget Hotel: ibis Styles Haarlem City
• Best Haarlem Mid-Range Hotel: Van der Valk Hotel Haarlem
• Best Haarlem Luxury Hotel: Brasss Hotel Suites

Best Keukenhof Gardens Tours

While Keukenhof offers guided tours with a park guide, it’s geared toward larger groups of 20-25 people and comes with a hefty price tag, especially if your group is small. If you want to explore Keukenhof in the most convenient way, tour groups are the way to go.

There are many tours offered to Keukenhof that range from Keukenhof only to a whole Holland extravaganza. Tour operators can give you a lot of insight into the region. Here are just a few great options:

• Keukenhof Gardens and Tulip Experience – This tour includes a 3.5-hour guided tour of the Keukenhof Gardens as well as admission into the Tulip Experience Amsterdam. At the Tulip Experience, you can learn all about the history of tulips in Holland as well as the breeding and growing process of the iconic flower. There is also an optional canal cruise offered for an additional fee.
• Keukenhof & Windmill Village Guided Tour – This full-day trip includes a stop at Keukenhof as well as a tour of the historic Zaanse Schans windmill village. Other fun highlights of this tour include a clog-making demonstration, a cheese-making demonstration, and cheese tasting.
• Holland Spectacle – This tour takes you to Keukenhof and the beautiful canal village of Giethoorn. Giethoorn is one of the most beautiful European towns I’ve ever seen, and I highly recommend visiting. This tour includes a canal boat ride through Giethoorn and a three-hour tour of the Keukenhof Gardens.

Other Tulip Gardens in The Netherlands

Blooming tulip fields can be found all around North and South Holland. When on the road, you’ll pass by many private tulip fields that may not be open to visitors. Don’t worry, though! Below are some amazing places to visit and things to experience to ensure you’ll get your fix of tulips while in the Netherlands.

Annual Flower Parade

While this isn’t a tulip garden, it’s a fun way to celebrate Dutch tulips and the spring season. The flower parade follows a 26-mile route through Bollenstreek (the flower bulb region) from Noordwijk to Haarlem with a pass by Keukenhof.

Make sure to arrive early, as the road is closed at 11:00 am.

Keukenhof Castle

The Keukenhof Gardens is located on the estate of Keukenhof Castle, but the castle is also a main attraction. Unlike Keukenhof Gardens, the Keukenhof Castle is open year-round and is free to visit.

It also has its gardens, which date back to the 1850s and are free to visit. Other attractions at the Keukenhof Castle include a petting zoo, a sculpture garden, and a restaurant.

De Tulperij

De Tulperij is located in the small village of Voorhout and just a few minutes from Keukenhof Gardens. This family-run tulip farm has some of the most beautiful flower fields.

The farm is open daily during the tulip season. The husband and wife duo offer guided tours of their tulip fields for an affordable price. After your tour, you can enjoy coffee or tea (and a stroopwafel) in the beautiful flower greenhouse.

Hanneke’s Pluktuin

Located in Flevoland, Hanneke’s Pluktuin is a pick-your-own flower field that is free to visit. They grow various flowers, including sunflowers, dahlias, marigolds, and baby’s breath.

The pick-your-own tulip field is open starting in mid-April. The farm also has a beautiful greenhouse to relax and enjoy tea.

Tulip Island

Tulip Island is a man-made island located in Zeewolde. The flower-shaped island is quite a sight to see, especially in the spring! During tulip season, the island is covered with over 120,000 bulbs. Think of it as the Netherlands’ version of Dubai’s palm tree-shaped island.

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