The tulip season is almost upon us – so everyone start getting ready! Holland will soon be filled with rows and rows of colorful flowers. It’s a natural beauty that many visitors flock to see. But when actually is the best time to visit Amsterdam for tulips?
In this post, I’m going to share with you some common FAQs about visiting Amsterdam during the tulip season. All of your burning questions will be answered, like where is the best place to see the tulips, how to get to the tulip fields from Amsterdam and when is the best time to visit Amsterdam for tulips. Of course, if I miss any of your questions, feel free to drop them in the comments!
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When is the best time to visit Amsterdam for Tulips?
Tulip season typically begins from the beginning of April until the beginning of May. That means that the best time to visit Amsterdam for tulips would be around mid-April since the flowers would be in peak bloom. They are predicting for 2024 that peak blooming will be from April 12th – May 5th! In 2024, you can expect Easter weekend (March 29-April 1st) to be particularly busy as well as April 27- May 5th, which is a Dutch school holiday.
To keep in mind: They actively harvest the flowers from when they bloom. The flowers are used for the Tulip Festival and are, of course, also used to be sold. That means you should expect no matter what to find empty fields. But don’t worry, I’ll share some tips below about how to admire the tulip fields.
Where should you stay?
Staying in Amsterdam is recommended since it’s where most people will be traveling to and there are plenty of ways to visit the fields from the city (read more below!). However, you should also remember that the best place to see the tulips is along the coast and in the countryside. This is where growing conditions are best.
Towns such as Haarlem, Lieden, or beachside towns are much closer to the fields than cities like Rotterdam or Amsterdam. Depending on your preferences, you can choose whether or spend more time in the cities or more time in the tulip fields.
Here are some ideas depending on where you want to stay:
✨Hotel in Lisse (very close to the tulip fields and Keukenhof Gardens)
✨Beachside Hotel
✨Hotel in Amsterdam (close to RAI Amsterdam)
✨Hotel in Rotterdam
✨B&B in Leiden
✨My recommendation: Cute Farmhouse Airbnb in the Countryside. I’d recommend staying here if you have access to a car. We found it was a bit cheaper than staying in the cities and having a car meant we could get around easily. Without a car, I’d recommend one of the places listed above!
What is the Amsterdam Tulip Festival?
The Tulip Festival, of course, corresponds with the tulip season in the Netherlands. It celebrates the spring season and is a time to welcome the warm, sunny weather! During the Amsterdam Tulip Festival, there are tonnes of activities taking place. There are tours, parades, and the iconic Keukenhof gardens are opened (read more below).
In 2024, the flower parade will take place on April 20th! Remember, the best time to visit Amsterdam for tulips is mid-April, so this particular weekend will be extra busy!
It’s important to note that events will be taking place all across Holland, not just in Amsterdam. For example, the Flower Parade route runs through 7 different towns! For a full list of events, check out their official website here!
Where to see the Tulips in Amsterdam?
The tulip fields are about 30 minutes away from the city of Amsterdam, so to really experience and see the flowers, you have to venture out of the city. However, you will find tulips all over the city – there is no shortage of tulips! I would suggest visiting a flower market such as Bloemenmarkt! They are covered in flowers and even sell bulbs for you to take home with you.
PRO TIP: if you want to bring tulip bulbs home with you, make sure you follow the rules. If you’re bringing them to another country in the EU, there is no concern. However, bringing them overseas, most likely they will need an official certificate to show they are thoroughly cleaned. Make sure to check the regulations for your home country!
Where is the best place to see the tulips?
Without question, Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse is the epicenter of the tulip season in the Netherlands. Surrounding these gardens are the iconic, colorful tulip fields. To get the full experience, a visit to Keukenhof Gardens and the tulip fields is necessary.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Best Weekend Itinerary: Seeing the Tulips in Amsterdam
🌷 Keukenhof Gardens is only open during the tulip season and the grounds are massive! Inside you can find 800 types of tulips, flower shows, and 7 million flowers.
⏰ They are open every day from 8 am to 7:30 pm. We spent the entire day here!! Important to note, since 2023 you cannot exit and re-enter the park!
💰 It cost us 20 euros per adult, plus 6 euros for parking. We booked both our tickets and parking in advance and had a timed entry!
🍟 You can bring picnic items into the park if you’d like but there are also restaurants and food trucks inside. The fries were amazing!
🐶 Dogs are allowed in the park, but biking is not allowed inside the park.
🚌 From Amsterdam, there are tonnes of tours that include shuttles – you can check out some options below! But you can also take the Keukenhof Express Bus.
Learn more about the events at Keukenhof or more FAQs!
How to get to the Tulip Fields?
To get to the Tulip Fields, you definitely need to be in the Keukenhof area. Whether you are staying there for a few days, or just popping down for a day trip, this is where all of the tulip fields are found! There are a few ways to visit, such as self-driving tours, boating tours, or guided tours, but from my experience the most memorable way to see experience the tulip fields is by bike!
🚲 We booked a bike rental from Rent-a-Bike Van Dam prior to our visit. I’m glad we did because we didn’t have to wait in line! They are located in the Keukenhof parking lot so it was perfect for us.
🗺️ There are 4 routes you can take from Keukenhof and I’d highly recommend asking them which route has the best flower visibility. As I mentioned above, the tulips are also being harvested during this period so you want to make sure you are visiting the fields that haven’t been picked yet. The staff will have the most updated information!
💰We opted for just the bike rental, not the guided tour, which cost us 16 euros for the full day. You can also rent the bikes for 3 hours which costs 11 euros.
To keep in mind: As I said above, Keukenhof doesn’t allow you to enter and exit the park anymore. This means that you should plan your biking experience before or after your visit to the park.
🌷If you’d prefer to have a guide, there are plenty of tours to choose from as well! You can check them out below! There are even tours available that take you to visit a local tulip farm – I’ve linked it below!
Tips for visiting
🏨 Try and book accommodations as soon as you can
Do not hesitate, book your accommodations as soon as you can! This is an extremely popular time to visit this region so things will book up quickly. I’d recommend booking at least 3 months before you plan on visiting!
🚲 Avoid renting bikes in Amsterdam
If you’ve been to Amsterdam you’ll know how chaotic it is with the number of bikes, pedestrians, and cars. There are so many cyclists and everyone is experienced and knows the road rules well. So unless you are a pro, I’d avoid renting bikes in the city. Renting bikes in the tulip fields is a much safer, and more enjoyable option! If you still want to rent bikes in Amsterdam, maybe consider some Travel Medical Insurance to be on the safe side!
🎟️ Book tickets in advance
You should not only book your accommodations in advance but book your tickets as well! For one reason, everything will be sorted and you won’t have anything to worry about when you’re there besides showing up on time. Another reason is that things book up quite quickly, especially in this period. For instance, I have visited Amsterdam several times and I have yet to visit the Anne Frank House. Every single time I try to go, it is completely sold out, WELL in advance.
📆 Plan at least 2-3 days to visit
You would need a minimum of 2 full days to get the most out of your visit. Check out my Best Weekend Itinerary: Seeing The Tulips In Amsterdam (2024)! I’ve planned your weekend for you which includes a day in Amsterdam, a day in the tulip fields, and a quick visit to the iconic windmills!
Enjoy the tulips!
By now you should be fully prepared to embark on an epic, floral adventure to the Netherlands. I tried to answer the most important questions such as the best time to visit Amsterdam for tulips, where to find the tulips, and how to get to the tulip fields. But if I missed anything, feel free to drop a question in the comments!
Personally, visiting the Netherlands during the tulip season was one of my favorite trips I’ve ever been on! I hope you have the same memorable experience! You can find my exact weekend itinerary here!
4 Responses
Great article. Very informative.
We arrive on May 5th. Is that week too late to see the tulips? And is the.patk closed May 5th?
The park closes on May 12th 2024! And from what I’ve read, the park stays open for the entire tulip season, so there will still be tulips blooming inside the park! The predicted flowering season for tulips in 2024 is from early April until early May, so you’ll be at the very end of the window but still within the window!!
Thanks for the tips about renting and riding bikes in Amsterdam.
So happy it was helpful!! Hope you enjoy your trip!! 🙂