For the next installation in our mini-series on Dutch day trips, look no further than the breathtaking Keukenhof Gardens, located in Lisse, Zuid-Holland.
Keukenhof is one of the most spectacular open-air gardens in the world. It’s also called the “Garden of Europe,” because about 7 million flowers bloom on its 32 hectares each spring. While most notable for its tulips, there are also hyacinths, daffodils, and other spring blooms to enjoy.
Keukenhof is a super easy day trip from Amsterdam, with direct buses running from a few places in the city.
The garden itself dates back to the 15th century, but it was originally a “kitchen garden,” growing produce to feed the residents of nearby Teylingen Castle. (“Keuken” in Dutch means kitchen!)
In the mid-1800s, it was redesigned by father-and-son architect team Jan and Louis Zocher in the style of an English landscape garden, which was very in vogue at the time. Fun fact: this duo also designed Amsterdam’s most famous park, the Vondelpark.
In 1949, the concept changed slightly. A group of bulb exporters came up with the idea of showcasing spring blooms there, and the Keukenhof as it’s known today opened officially in 1950.
Nowadays it’s one of the most famous attractions in the world, open for just 8 weeks each year. About 1.5 million people visit each year, mostly from France, Germany, and countries outside of Europe.
Hundreds of flower growers showcase their best blooms, and consider it the networking opportunity of the year. If you’d like to know more about a particular grower, there are signs next to the flowers, some even with QR codes!
Dutch flower culture is definitely nothing new, also dating back to the 16th century. This part of Zuid-Holland is known as “Duin en Bollenstreek” (roughly “Dunes and Bulbs”) for the sand dunes at Scheveningen in The Hague and the flower fields around Lisse.
While tulips aren’t native to the Netherlands, the soil has a lot of peat in it, which is ideal for growing gorgeous tulips. During the Dutch Golden Age, people went absolutely crazy for tulips, then imported from Turkey. There was a time during “Tulip Mania” (as they called it) when a single tulip could cost as much as a canal house. The rise and fall of the tulip market is thought to be one of history’s first “bubble” markets.
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Getting There
When we moved to Amsterdam, we heard some mixed reviews about Keukenhof– with some people saying it’s too touristy, too expensive, and even that it’s overrated…!
We wholeheartedly disagree. While it is certainly a pricey outing (18.50€ to get in, plus 12€ for the round-trip bus fare), it’s absolutely, positively worth it to see the flowers in peak bloom.
The key, as we often say, is to really prioritize getting there first thing in the morning, and avoid weekends if you can. We took a Tuesday off of work, and made sure to buy tickets for the first bus leaving Schiphol Airport at 7:30 AM. We wanted to arrive at Keukenhof at around 8:00 or so when the park opened, and we had the whole place to ourselves! By the time we left at around 1:00, it was absolutely jammed, which really changed the ambiance of the visit.
It’s really easy to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam. The park offers a “combi-ticket” departing from Amsterdam RAI or Schiphol Airport. You pick a date and time slot (you’re allowed to cancel if you need to pick a different time or if the weather looks iffy), and there are lots of signs for the Keukenhof Express buses.
- If you go from RAI, take bus 852 from Europaplein.
- If you go from Schiphol, take bus 858 from the exit by Arrivals hall 4.
- If you want to do a joint day trip to Haarlem, Leiden, or Noordwijk, there are also direct bus connections there.
If you’d rather drive, there is a large parking area right outside the entrance– just be sure to buy a parking token when you buy your ticket online!
There is also ample bike parking nearby for the aspiring Dutchies who choose to bike there, and bikes available for rental to explore the surrounding areas.
Many day tours are also available, if you want a more in-depth guide to the park, but we think the bus option is definitely the easiest.
When to Go
The million dollar question each year is when to go. The park is only open from late March to mid May, and the exact timing of the blooms varies widely. Don’t worry too much about this, though– the growers plan for the flowers to bloom in phases, so there’s always something beautiful to see.
The daffodils and hyacinths bloom first, and the tulips seem to bloom somewhere in mid-to-late April. We went on April 19 and seemed to have hit the sweet spot where we were able to see everything for the 2022 season, but it really depends on the weather conditions.
Note that your entrance to Keukenhof is just for the gardens! While Lisse and its surroundings have loads of tulip fields, Keukenhof itself doesn’t include this. Keukenhof is unbelievably stunning, but it’s definitely very manicured and picture-perfect.
If you want to visit fields, we’ve heard from many people that the best way to do so is to bike around until you see one that’s open for visitors. Of course be super careful not to deviate from the paths– these tulips are being grown to be sold, and represent the livelihoods of the farmers, so that selfie in the middle of the field is probably not a good idea 😉
What to See
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with just wandering around the park. We spent 4 hours just meandering around looking at the flowers and had an absolutely marvelous time. They are truly so spectacular that the time will fly by.
We don’t think there’s necessarily any logic to how you should explore– unlike other attractions, it really is nice just to wander around and enjoy the flowers and fresh air.
The park is huge, and subdivided into a few areas, named after the Dutch royal family.
- Right in front of the main entrance is the Oranje-Nassau exhibition space, with the flower Walk of Fame and mosaics.
- To the left from the main entrance is the Juliana area, or the Tulip-mania area. This is chock-full of tulips, and was where we headed first. There is also an exhibition about the history of tulips here.
- Beyond these two areas toward the center of the park is the Willem-Alexander greenhouse, where you can see tulips if they haven’t bloomed outside yet. There’s also a maze nearby!
- To the right of the greenhouse, there’s a really neat windmill and views of the bulb fields. We were hoping to get a bit closer, but apparently the only way to do this is with an (extra) boat tour. You can’t walk on the flower fields here to keep the flowers safe.
- In the top-left corner of the park, the Beatrix pavilion is full of all sorts of orchids, including bulbs that you can purchase.
- There are also a few pavilions, like Wilhelmina and Irene, where you can go to the bathroom, get a snack, or sit down for a bit at outdoor seating.
Tip: It’s also possible to visit the Keukenhof Castle nearby. It’s not included in the garden entrance, but is a totally separate ticket/visit. We are hoping to check this out next time we are in the area.
Ultimately, we didn’t find Keukenhof overrated whatsoever. It’s absolutely one of those bucket list destinations that you should prioritize seeing once in your life.
At risk of sounding preachy, though, make sure to do it right: get tickets for the very first bus, bring a picnic and water, and make sure to grab a paper map at the entrance so you don’t miss anything.
Food inside the park is pricey, and there’s no limit to what you can bring in with you. This way, you can bring exactly what you’d like to have and enjoy it with a view of the gorgeous flowers.
Getting there as early as we did meant that we had the park practically to ourselves for the first hour or so, and we weren’t stressed at all.
We hope this guide was helpful as you plan your day trip! If you’re searching for more inspiration, keep an eye out for the next few Amsterdam day trips coming your way soon– we’ve got Delft, The Hague, Haarlem, Utrecht, and more queued up!
In the meantime, you can pin this guide for later on Pinterest here or by clicking on the photos below, and don’t miss our first day trip guide to cute-as-a-button Zaanse Schans. If you’re staying in the area, be sure to check out Haarlem, or perhaps journey over to chic The Hague.
