Tulips are almost synonymous with the Netherlands during Spring. We were lucky enough to spend a few days in Amsterdam and luckily, the famous Keukeonhof Gardens had also just opened. Keukeonhof is the world’s largest flower garden and known as the “Garden of Europe”. Here are some of our tips and experiences visiting this floral paradise.
Located in the town of Lisse and about (15.5 miles) 25 km far from Amsterdam in the Bollenstreek (bulb-growing) area, Keukeonhof is usually open between late March and mid-May. It makes for a wonderful Spring destination.
They feature over seven million blossoming flower bulbs spread out across many gardens on 32 hectares (79 acres) of land. This quickly became one of my favorite gardens and unlike any place I’ve seen.
History of Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof’s origins started in the 15th century when the Countess Jacqueline of Bavaria gathered fruits, vegetables and herbs for the Teylingen Castle’s kitchen. Its name actually translates to “Kitchen Garden” in English.
They also used this particular location as hunting grounds at that time. Keukenhof Castle was built here in 1641 and its surroundings grew which included English style gardens.
Keukenhof eventually became a Spring park and garden when a group of flower bulb growers used the estate to display and showcase their products to help the Dutch export industry. The garden’s grand opening was in 1950 that started with 236,000 visitors. Seventy years later, it is an incredibly popular attraction visited by about 1.4 million despite it only being open for 7-8 weeks annually.
The Keukenhof Gardens
This large expanse of tulips greeted visitors as we entered the park. I could only imagine how stunning this must look when the tulips were in full bloom and how wonderful it probably smelled.
There is a free, foldable walking map available for visitors to use to leisurely stroll through the many gardens. Take one since it can be very useful.
We decided to go left after entering the gardens. It seemed like many people were going the other direction and we wanted to avoid most of the crowds.
One of the first things we encountered was this outdoor exhibit of painted cows and elephants. I’m not sure if this was a temporary or permanent one. We’ve seen these painted elephants before near us for a fundraising. But, I really loved the cows decorated with many Dutch references.
I love visiting gardens and have dragged my family to them over the years. My husband usually comes despite some pollen allergies. I was a bit worried traveling to a garden that hasn’t fully blossomed yet but there was still plenty to see and do.
It was also quite a challenge with an allergic husband and a then 13-year old boy who doesn’t care much for looking at flowers too long. It was unfortunate that my teen daughter wasn’t with us due to a school commitment because I know she would have loved this place.
But, the variety of gardens, flowers and exhibits in Keukenhof actually kept them interested and engaged. My husband actually took more close-up iPhone shots of flowers than I did.
I have never seen him take so many pictures of flowers which was quite amusing. We now have a vast collection of tulip photos in every color.
The Walking Paths
The park has many meandering pathways and about 15 km of walking paths. Despite the crowds, there were many benches tucked among bushes and under trees to relax and enjoy the flowers or for people watching. It’s easy to spend a day here exploring.
Most of the flowering and colorful flowers we saw were tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. But, they arranged the flowerbeds in patterns and rainbows that makes this park so beautiful and scenic.
It’s hard to miss the large pond in the middle of the park. The trees surrounding this area was still bare during our visit in late March so I’m sure it’s even more picturesque a month later. There was one section of the pond where visitors can go on stepping-stones on the water too.
Pavilion Exhibitions
Don’t miss visiting the Tulpomania or Tulip mania exhibition in the Juliana Pavilion. There is usually a free-guided tour during the day here. If you’ve ever wanted to know anything about tulips, this was the place to visit for the best information.
Did you know that tulips were originally cultivated in the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) and them imported to Holland in the 16th century? There were many interesting stories displayed here including finding famous people’s names on tulip varieties.
It’s a great place to learn how tulips are cultivated. There were some tips on how to grow some in your own garden too.
Sprinkled among the millions of flowering bulbs and flowers, Keukenhof also has an extensive collection of local art works and sculptures. It’s easy to be distracted by all the flowers but also keep your eyes open for some amazing works of art especially around the pond area.
The Pavilions at Keukenhof Gardens
One of my favorite areas was the Willem-Alexander pavilion that has the flower shows. It was a bit overwhelming to see so many flowers here.
Keukenhof is much more than a flower park and gardens. It is a staging area for the Dutch floricultural sector and hundreds of companies and exhibitors to show their offerings of flower bulbs, floral varieties and plants.
It still partly holds the same purpose much like the garden’s original intentions as a floral showcase for growers in 1949. We learned that there were 800 different tulip varieties around the gardens. Who knew! This was a small sample of them inside the pavilion.
Keukenhof has a different theme every year. It was “Flower Power” during our visit with many nods to the 60s and 70s. Think groovy, peace signs and many tie-dyes including a vintage Volkswagen van.
There was an indoor and outdoor exhibit and also some areas demonstrating the theme. The theme for the next year was “A World of Colours” which is fitting for a place with so many color variations of flowers.
Of course, there was a traditional 19th century Dutch windmill here and a giant clog too. Visitors could go inside and climb the mill or get inside the clog. There was a small row boat here to get on and pose with the windmill as a background.
Visitors could also get on an electrically propelled whisper boat. It’s one of the best ways to relax and enjoy the colorful landscape and surrounding flower fields around Keukenhof.
The 60-minute boat trip has a lot of information about the flower region. Tickets for the boat trip are not included in the Keukenhof admission and can be purchased at the windmill.
When to Visit the Keukenhof Gardens
The flower park’s short opening season ensures visitors are getting some sort of experience and visual sightings whether they visit the park during the opening week or during its last days. They planted the flower bulbs in different layers and periods so there are always something blooming.
The crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and some smaller tulips bloom at the start of the season occupy the outdoor gardens. As the season progresses, many of the tulips, usually the larger ones, bloom which is usually what many Keukenhof marketing materials show. The last few weeks show the full bloom for many flowers and the trees finally have leaves on them.
Though, the pavilions always feature many indoor flower shows. So, no matter when you visit, you are guaranteed to see some beautiful and colorful flowers.
The crowds are another story. I can imagine during the peak season that it may be harder to find some open spots to pose along the gardens for that important selfie.
But, the park recommends coming during less busy periods like before 11 AM or after 3 PM especially during the weekends and public holidays. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are also recommended for lesser crowds.
We arrived around 9 AM on a Thursday during the park’s second week of opening. There were already plenty of tourist buses parked and a crowd at the entrance.
By the time, we left around 1 PM, it looked like the number of buses had doubled. So, come early to have some time to enjoy some parts of the park to yourself.
How to get to Keukenhof Gardens
Keukenhof is only 15 miles from Amsterdam and 13.6 miles from the Schiphol airport as well as near other cities like The Hague and Rotterdam. There are several ways to get to Keukenhof whether by public transportation or renting a car. You need advance planning either way.
We rented a car for a few days which allowed us to see other places like Giethoorn (Venice of the North) and Zaanse Schans at our leisure. There is a small parking fee of about 6 euros but plenty of parking spaces. Another convenient way to get there is through the Keukenhof Bus Express which are direct lines from various locations.
There are also several guided tours that start in Amsterdam. Visitors can also take the train from Amsterdam Central Station to the airport and then take the express bus.
More Tips for Visiting Keukenhof Gardens
- Check out the Keukenhof Gardens official website for official opening dates every year and what’s already blooming. It can vary based on weather and natural elements.
- There is free Wi-fi inside the park in case your teens need some distractions or to post freely on social media.
- Save some time to shop for souvenirs especially at the store by the entrance. There were many themed items especially if you like tulips. Surprisingly, the souvenirs were actually reasonably priced. You can also buy flower bulbs to take home here.
- Keukenhof is very kid-friendly. In addition to the many open spaces for kids to sit and run around, there is also a playground, petting farm, hedge maze and a chance to do a treasure hunt.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes. There will be a lot of walking, squatting to smell the flowers or posing next to them or taking close up shots.
- Wear layers. Our late March visit was still a bit chilly for us from Southern California but it did warm up a bit towards the afternoon. Be prepared for possible rain too.
- Where to Eat. Some of the pavilions have self-service restaurants with various snacks, teas, coffee, sandwiches and Dutch specialties. There are also some small vendor carts throughout the park.
- Visit the Keukenhof Events page. There is always something going on to entertain visitors from shows, musical performances to a flower parade. There are also Dutch cultural and heritage activities.
Biking Around the Tulip Fields
One of the things I’ll remember most about Springtime in The Netherlands was the colorful flower fields. We live by the vibrant Carlsbad Flower Fields here in Southern California but that only has a small patch of land. The tulip, narcissus and iris fields surrounding Keukenhof Gardens were vast and were so vibrant.
We saw many of the bright fields while driving in our rental car. But, another way and one we highly recommend doing is through a bike ride among the fields.
There was a bike rental kiosk at the parking lot of Keukenhof Gardens. Rates start at one hour to a few hours with a variety of bikes including some children bikes and ones with carrier for kids. They provided color-coded routes depending on how much time you wanted to spend biking.
Considering this was a country where bike riding was a norm, there were many wide bike lanes that took us to the nearby countryside and along these flower fields. We stopped a lot along the way to admire the scenery. If you go, please be respectful of the fields and don’t go beyond any No Trespassing signs.
Keukenhof Gardens is one of the best day trips from Amsterdam. The gardens and flower shows are truly a visual feast.
It’s a wonderful family-friendly trip that can delight the kids and adults (even those with allergies). We really enjoyed our visit here and hope to return one day soon but later in the season when the tulips are in full bloom.
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Where to Stay in Amsterdam
- Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam / Arena Boulevard – We stayed for four nights at this hotel. Located about 15-20 minutes by train from the airport and the central area, it is a convenient location and a great price point. It is located right by the Arena train stop with restaurants and an IMAX theater nearby. We enjoyed the complimentary buffet breakfast and the spacious rooms.
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Amsterdam Centraal Station– Several friends have stayed at this hotel and recommend it. Located near the Centraal Station and within walking distance to the heart of Amsterdam and its many attractions. Its SkyLounge offers great city views. Of course, they have the delicious and famous chocolate chip cookies.
- INK Hotel Amsterdam – MGallery – A friend was looking at this hotel and brought it to my attention. I would love to stay here next time. It is housed in an old newspaper building and the rooms look so neat. The hotel looks so interesting. It is also located in a great central location with a tram stop outside and within walking distance to many attractions.
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Keukenhof Gardens is a wonderful place to visit when you’re in The Netherlands. It’s best to visit Keukenhof from mid-April to early May.