Amsterdam Tulip Festival - A Guide to Tulip Viewing

Tulips are considered a significant part of Dutch culture & history, and Amsterdam is one of the finest places to see Tulips. The Dutch capital hosts a Tulip Festival, a city-wide event that offers the sight of prepossessing tulips everywhere. Every year, the locals plant around 800,000 tulips for this annual festival during fall that begin to bloom in spring right during the Tulip festival. The Amsterdam Tulip Festival is a splendid way to welcome spring into your life. Numerous tulips are flowering at over 85 venues or spots across the city and its outskirts that, vivify the city with their phenomenal hues and beauty.

During the Tulip Festival in Amsterdam, you will find tulips in the gardens of the museums and hotels of the city, in the public areas, by momentous buildings in the city center, and in various surrounding districts. Notably, visitors can enjoy all displays in public areas for free, and general ticket charges apply to some museum gardens. The festival is a highlight of the Dutch calendar that observes more than a million visitors yearly. The motto of the Amsterdam Tulip Festival is 'A Tulip for Every Citizen,' and it attempts to conserve the iconic Dutch flower that has been observing a decline in numbers. It includes various enjoyable events that unite the city, such as a children's carnival, Cruise Tours, Dutch dance workshops, and open-air concerts.

The magnificent Keukenhof Tulip Gardens is the major highlight of the tulip season in Amsterdam and the entire Netherlands. The Keukenhof Tulip Gardens is open only for 60 days in the spring season, and it hosts the Keukenhof Tulip Festival during this time.

When is the Amsterdam Tulip Festival hosted?

Traditionally, the Tulip Festival marks the beginning of spring in Holland. The Amsterdam Tulip Festival is held in the tulip season, which begins in late March and lasts till the mid of May. The Amsterdam Tulip Festival 2024 will be tentatively held from 21 March (Thursday) to 12 May (Sunday). During this time, the Keukenhof Tulip Festival is hosted, and tulips cover the notable parts of the nation just like a colorful patchwork. Various flower events are hosted in Holland during this Tulip Festival at the Keukenhof Gardens, alongside the Dutch Flower Parade and various sightseeing tours of the spectacular tulip fields. You should travel to Amsterdam in mid-April to see the tulips, as these flowers are at their best halfway through April.

Visiting Keukenhof Tulip Festival

Keukenhof Tulip Gardens in Amsterdam — Source

The Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam, also called the Garden of Europe or Dutch Flowering Fields, are the largest flower gardens in the world. Sprawling over an area of around 79 acres and featuring more than seven million flowers, Keukenhof is not a regular park. The Keukenhof Tulip Gardens are situated in the town of Lisse in the region of Bollenstreek, and it takes a short ride of 30-40 minutes to reach the Keukenhof Gardens from Amsterdam city. It hosts various exhibitions of artworks & sculptures, displays of landscaped flower beds, inspirational themed gardens, installations, and other events to celebrate the Amsterdam tulip season. Also, there are multiple bicycle routes along the tulip fields near Keukenhof, and visitors can easily rent a bicycle to explore the colorful fields.

Every year, during the Tulip Festival, the garden observes the flowering of beyond 7 million flowers, including more than 800 varied tulip species. Remarkably, the Tulip Gardens are the most renowned attraction at Keukenhof, which are open in spring during the Tulip Festival. For 2024, the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens will remain open from 21st March to 12th May. Please note that you must choose a day and time slot to enter the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens when booking the tickets. Keukenhof will operate with a specific number of tickets per day at specified times of arrival, and the tickets are likely to sell out for most days and time slots during the Flower Parade and sightseeing tours, like the helicopter trips, so you must pre-book your tickets to reserve a suitable time slot. The location is easily accessible by bus, metro, taxi, rented cars, and bicycles. Also, there is a large parking lot for private vehicles at the entrance.

Location: Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM, Lisse, Netherlands

Tulip Festival Timings: Monday - Sunday: 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM

Ticket Prices: Here are prices for the Tulip Festival 2023, as the prices for 2024 are not known yet -

Adults (18+): EUR 19.50

Kids (4-17 yrs): EUR 9.00

Kids (0-3 yrs): Free

Tulip Festival Card (Keukenhof + transport from Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport & Haarlem): EUR 51.00

Parking Facility: Parking at Keukenhof Gardens costs EUR 6 / day (Free of cost parking for bicycles and coaches).

How to Reach the Keukenhof Tulip Festival

Keukenhof Express Bus for Conveyance — Source

By Air: Once you land at the Amsterdam Airport in Schipol, you can take the Keukenhof Express Bus, the easiest mode of public transport available to get to the Keukenhof Gardens. Keukenhof Express Bus No. 858 will drop you to the gardens. It is affordable and a quick option to travel to the Keukenhof Gardens.
By Train: Visitors have to board the Metro Line M52 from Amsterdam Centraal Train Station towards the RAI Amsterdam. From that metro station, you need to walk to the Keukenhof Express Bus (No. 852) departure point and board the bus, which will take you directly to the gardens. You can also take the train to Haarlem Station from the Amsterdam Centraal and then take the Regional Bus Line 50 to the Keukenhof Gardens.

Here are the Train Stations from where visitors can take the direct Keukenhof Express Bus:

Amsterdam RAI Station - Bus No. 852

Haarlem Station - Bus No. 850 / Bus No. 50

Leiden Station - Bus No. 854

Katwijk Beach / Noordwijk - Bus No. 90

By Taxi: Keukenhof Gardens are snuggled between Amsterdam and The Hague. Taking a taxi or driving down your private or rented vehicle is one of the fastest ways to reach the Keukenhof Tulip Garden. However, hiring a taxi is the most pricey mode of traveling. The one-way taxi ride from Amsterdam City to Keukenhof Gardens costs around EUR 100.

Other Venues & Experiences In The Amsterdam Tulip Festival

1. Dutch Flower Parade

The Dutch Flower Parade in Amsterdam — Source

The world-renowned Flower Parade in the Netherlands lets you enjoy the colors of spring. Many volunteers work across the year for this parade, which is a Dutch tradition called Bloemencorso Bollenstreek. It is also referred to as the Keukenhof Flower Parade by many people. In 2024, the Dutch Flower Parade will be celebrated for the 77th time and will be held on Saturday, 20th April. It is the most unique and popular parade in the nation because it uses spring flowers like Tulips, Hyacinths, and Daffodils to decorate the parade floats and offers the absolute spring feeling in Holland.

The parade route is over 42 kilometers long, with several viewing locations along the route. Notably, four Grandstands are available to watch this event in different locations, including Lisse, Hillegom, & Sassenheim, that embrace various extra facilities like nearby parking close, sanitary facilities, and decent catering. Most visitors view the flower parade passing through the Keukenhof route and combine the parade viewing with a visit to the Keukenhof tulip gardens.

Route: The Flower Parade will hurl from the seaside resort of Noordwijk to the famous city of Haarlem via the flower fields near Lisse.

Charges for the Grandstand: EUR 25.95 per person (Additional Parking Charges of EUR 7.50 per car).

Timings: On 20th April 2024 - 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM

2. Visit to Tulip Farm De Tulperij in Voorhout

The Tulip Farm De Tulperij is a must-visit location for visitors who want to visit a tulip farm to adore the beauty of flower fields. It is situated just 5 km away from Keukenhof Gardens. This tulip farm can be conveniently visited with the Keukenhof Gardens tour as it is open during the opening season of Keukenhof Gardens. De Tulperij is a small child-friendly tulip farm but a bonafide family business that cordially welcomes its visitors. You can get a guided tour of the tulip fields in the springs, where you can enjoy the nice flower greenhouse with tea/coffee and a Dutch waffle.

Location: Tulip Farm De Tulperij - Oude Herenweg 16B – 2215 RZ Voorhout

Spring Opening Hours: March 22 to May 12, 2024 - Monday - Sunday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

*Guided Tours at 9:45 AM, 12:15 PM (Tour in Dutch language only), and 4:00 PM.

Guided Farm Tour Prices: Adults (13+) - EUR 6.95; Kids (4-12 yrs) - EUR 3.95

3. Helicopter Tour Above Tulip Fields

A Helicopter tour above Tulip fields — Source

You can enjoy the mesmerizing view above the Tulip fields in Amsterdam with the exclusive helicopter flight near Keukenhof Gardens. The helicopter tour is available for only seven flying days, mostly in April. The helicopter can accommodate four persons and departs from a spot near Keukenhof Tulip Gardens amidst the flower fields area. It is an unrivaled sightseeing experience to have during the Tulip season in the Netherlands. Notably, the helicopter flying days for 2024 are not yet known, and once declared, you can pre-book your ride online.

Helicopter Tour Prices: 10 minutes flight - EUR 159.00 per person; 15 minutes flight - EUR 235.00

4. Tulip Experience Amsterdam

An Outdoor View of Tulip Experience Amsterdam Museum — Source

Set just 2 km from the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, Tulip Experience Amsterdam lies in the flower village Noordwijkerhout. It is a tulip museum that was established by a flower bulb grower business to entail the story behind growing tulip bulbs. In 2023, the museum was open from 24th March to 14th May. It takes you on a tour through the development of tulips in the country. After visiting the vibrant tulip museum area, you can enjoy the vast outdoor tulip show garden, where you can snap the best photos. It encompasses one million tulips with over 700 different varieties from their own tulip farm to admire. Besides, there is a restaurant and gift shop onsite. A visit to Tulip Experience Amsterdam has a duration of approximately 45-60 minutes, and you need to pre-book an online ticket for the preferred day and time as suitable to you.

Location: Delfweg 37, 2211 VK, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands

Open: 21st March - 12th May 2024: Monday - Sunday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Admission Fee: Here are the admission fees for the Tulip season 2023 -

Adult (12+): EUR 9.50

Children (3-11 yrs): EUR 6.50

Children (0-2 yrs): Free

Parking: Free

Day trip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof and Tulip Experience: EUR 74.50

*The ticket prices include a self-picking bouquet of tulips from the indoor picking garden.

5. Explore the History of Tulips at the Amsterdam Tulip Museum

A Visit to the renowned Amsterdam Tulip Museum — Source

Visitors who want to learn about the history of the unofficial national flower of the Netherlands should definitely visit the Amsterdam Tulip Museum set in the district of Prinsengracht. The museum is situated in the city center of Amsterdam, and you will get to learn a lot about the celebrated tulip flower in this small privately-owned museum. The Amsterdam Tulip Museum remains open throughout the year and offers the unusual and suspenseful history of the tulip. Here, the tulip industry stirs up in pictures, videos, & illustrations that make you feel an imposing adventure. Also, a gift shop offers a selection of tulip bulbs as souvenirs.

Location: Prinsengracht 116, 1015 EA Amsterdam

Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Admission: Adult ticket - EUR 5.00; Students - EUR 3.00; Family ticket - EUR 10.00

6. Tulip Exhibitions at Museum De Zwarte Tulp (Black Tulip Museum)

Nestled in the center of Lisse, the Museum De Zwarte Tulp is a small museum set in a building that was a former bulb shed. The Museum De Zwarte Tulp is a 40-minute drive from the Amsterdam city center and just a 10-minute walk away from the Keukenhof Gardens. It is set along several cycling and walking routes through the Bollenstreek. The venue remains open across the year and lets you learn more about Bollenstreek. Being in the heart of the Flower Bulb region, Museum De Zwarte Tulp tells about flower bulb culture, art, and around 500 years of history of the region, including the labor in the fields of a century ago and today, the development of new varieties of tulips, & more. It exhibits a collection of paintings, glassware, chinaware, & silverware, and also hosts alternating exhibitions on contemporary art. Besides, there is a museum shop and cafe serving refreshments.

Location: Heereweg 219, 2161 BG Lisse, Netherlands

Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM; Monday - closed.

Tickets: Adults - EUR 10:00; Children 5 - 18 yrs EUR 5:00; Children (< 4 yrs) - Free.

7. Tulip Selfie Garden - The Tulip Barn

The Tulip Barn - Tulip Selfie Garden near Amsterdam — Source

The Tulip Barn has come up with a marvelous tulip garden for visitors who want to take exceptional photos amidst tulips. It is one of the best locations for clicking the most beautiful photos with lots of tulips. There are exceeding 400,000 varicolored tulips in over 175 varieties at Tulip Barn. Remarkably, there are some nice & fun photo elements or props, like a swing, bicycle, & more, to enhance your pictures. The garden is usually open from April to mid-May, and after the visit to the tulip selfie garden, you can also have snacks & beverages in the greenhouse or sunny terrace. The tickets for The Tulip Barn can be reserved online.

Location: 3e Loosterweg 130, 2182 CX Hillegom, Netherlands

Open: 1 April - 9 May 2023: Monday - Sunday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Ticket Prices: Adult (12+) - EUR 7.50, Kids (0-11 yrs) - EUR 2.50, Family ticket (2 adults + 2 kids) - EUR 17.50

*Tickets are available in different time slots of one hour, and the last slot is 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM.

The Amsterdam Tulip Festival is the pre-eminent celebration of spring in Holland, during which one can experience eye-catchy tulips flowering everywhere across. The Tulip Festival hosts various amusing events, and a visit to the world-renowned Keukenhof Tulip Garden is a must and absolutely worthwhile. Plan your visit to the tulips & Keukenhof this spring to experience some magnificent moments to be cherished lifelong!