How to Visit The Keukenhof Tulips From Amsterdam (2026)
Are the Keukenhof tulips on your travel bucket list this spring?
Well, I love tulips (they’re my favourite flower), and I’ve seen them in multiple countries across Europe – but nothing compares to Keukenhof when it’s in full bloom!
Yes, it’s popular, and yes, it can be busy… but there’s a good reason why people fly halfway across the world just to come and see them.
So in this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about visiting Keukenhof Gardens.
From the best ways to get there easily (without stressful transfers!) and the best time to visit, to what to do once you’re inside and how to avoid common mistakes tourists make.
Ready? Let’s plan your dream trip to the Keukenhof tulips from Amsterdam!
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Quick Overview: Keukenhof Gardens
When to go: The Keukenhof tulip season is usually late March to early May, with mid to late-April normally the safest bet for peak bloom.
Opening times: In 2026, Keukenhof is open daily from 19th March to 10th May.
How far from Amsterdam: Around 45 minutes (40km), depending on transport.
How to get there: A direct shuttle bus from Amsterdam RAI drops you straight at the Keukenhof tulip park entrance.
Best guided tour: This top-rated guided tour that I took combines Keukenhof with a spectacular windmill cruise!
Is Keukenhof worth it: If you want to see spectacular displays of tulips, enjoy photography or simply want an iconic spring trip in Europe – absolutely yes!
Katie’s Top Tip: Aim to visit on a weekday morning if you can. This will completely change how peaceful the gardens feel to explore.
What Are the Keukenhof Tulips & Why Everyone Talks About Them
The Keukenhof tulips aren’t just a few pretty flower beds – the garden is home to more than 7 million flower bulbs, planted every year, over a huge 79 acres.
This makes Keukenhof one of the largest flower gardens in the whole world!
So the Keukenhof tulip park is essentially a huge landscaped garden designed to showcase the prettiest spring blooms, including blossoms, daffodils and, of course, the famous tulips.
But as well as the flowers, there are also winding paths to walk, lakes and ponds dotted throughout, indoor pavilions, and viewpoints like the famous Keukenhof windmill.
It’s also worth knowing the difference between Keukenhof and the surrounding tulip fields you’ve probably seen in photos online.
Keukenhof is a curated park, NOT a natural tulip field.
The tulip fields in the Netherlands are working farms and not always walkable or open to the public, whereas Keukenhof Gardens have been purposefully designed for visitors.
When is the Best Time to Visit the Keukenhof Tulips?
The Keukenhof tulip season usually opens in late March and closes in early to mid-May.
In 2026, the dates are from 19th March to 10th May, 8am to 7pm.
But it’s important to know that the state of the blooms changes weekly (or even day by day), depending on the weather and the time of the season.
As a general guide:
- Early season tends to have fewer crowds and cooler temperatures, with blooms starting to emerge into their full colours.
- Mid-April is generally seen as the time of peak bloom, with full, colourful displays and often nicer weather – but it’s also busier.
- And later in the season can still be lovely, but some beds may be fading, depending on the weather earlier in the season.
The good news is that Keukenhof plants different flower varieties to bloom at slightly different times, so there’s always something to see throughout the season!
The time of day you visit also matters for seeing the Keukenhof tulips from Amsterdam.
Weekdays are a lot quieter and calmer than weekends.
And arriving close to opening time (8am) or in the evening (last entry 6:15pm) also makes a difference to your experience.
Afternoons are the busiest time to visit, as tour buses tend to arrive then. But I visited with a guided tour on a weekday in mid-April, and didn’t find it overwhelmingly busy.
If you were on a tour on a weekend, though, it would probably be a different story!
Katie’s Top Tip: For the best bet at seeing the most beautiful blooms, I recommend mid-April as the sweet spot (this is when I visited and the beds were bursting with colour!) And for a quieter Keukenhof, I recommend visiting in the morning independently, or on a weekday with a tour.
Where Are the Keukenhof Gardens Located?
Keukenhof is located in the Netherlands. Specifically in the small town of Lisse, which is around 45 minutes (40km) outside of Amsterdam.
But while the park isn’t actually located within the city of Amsterdam, it is still easy to see the Keukenhof tulips from Amsterdam in one day – if you plan your transport in advance.
Plus, you’ll be travelling alongside plenty of other visitors doing the exact same trip, so there’s always someone around to ask if you get stuck!
How to Get to Keukenhof From Amsterdam
Driving to Keukenhof
Of course, you can drive yourself to see the Keukenhof tulips from Amsterdam, if you have your own car or are renting one.
From Amsterdam, the journey takes around 45 minutes, depending on traffic, and the roads are all well-maintained and clearly signposted when you get close.
Once you arrive at Keukenhof, there is a large main parking lot by the entrance.
You can purchase your parking ticket separately, for €9, at the same time that you purchase your entrance ticket to visit Keukenhof.
If you don’t pre-purchase parking, the cost to park will be an extra €5 (so €14 total!)
Katie’s Top Tip: If you’re driving, I 100% recommend visiting on a weekday or aiming to arrive as close to opening time as possible, before the traffic has time to build. Especially on weekends or in the afternoons, traffic can stack up on the approach to Keukenhof.
The “KeukenhofBuzz” Bus (From Amsterdam RAI)
One of the most straightforward options to get to Keukenhof is with the Keukenhof Express Bus, also called “KeukenhofBuzz” line 852, which runs from Amsterdam RAI Station.
To get to Amsterdam RAI, slightly outside the city centre, you can take Metro 52 from Amsterdam Centraal Station.
From RAI, the bus runs up to 12x per hour and takes you directly to the entrance of Keukenhof with no stops, in around 35 minutes.
This service means you’re not juggling multiple changes or navigating public transport on your own. You simply board, sit back, and get dropped right where you need to be!
I also like this option because you decide when you arrive at and leave from Keukenhof, so it’s fully flexible:
- The first bus TO Keukenhof is at 7:15am
- The last bus FROM Keukenhof is at 7:30pm
Katie’s Top Tip: I recommend you book the combo ticket, which includes entrance to Keukenhof and your round-trip bus ticket. The cost is €38.50 at time of writing.
Direct Shuttle Bus (This Is Holland)
Tour group “This Is Holland” also offer direct shuttle buses to and from Keukenhof, with your entrance ticket included in the price.
And, like with the “KeukenhofBuzz” service, you are then free to spend as much time as you want inside the gardens.
Return services depart Keukenhof every 30 minutes, with the last bus leaving at 6:30pm.
The only difference is where the buses depart from.
Instead of leaving from Amsterdam RAI (slightly outside the centre), This Is Holland runs shuttle services from Overhoeksplein, right next to the A’DAM lookout in central Amsterdam.
This means that the journey time is slightly longer (45-50 minutes), but you don’t have the added hassle of taking the metro to RAI!
Katie’s Top Tip: If you’re staying in central Amsterdam, this is by far the easiest option to get to Keukenhof by bus without also having to get the metro to RAI.
Train to Sassenheim + Local Bus
If you want to DIY your day completely, you can also see the Keukenhof tulips from Amsterdam by public transport.
First, get a train from Amsterdam Centraal to Sassenheim, which takes around 30 minutes.
Then, at Sassenheim station, hop on bus 50 or 361 for another 10 minutes to Keukenhof.
Katie’s Top Tip: This is a good choice if you want complete freedom (for example, if you want to visit very early or very late). But for most travellers, one of the shuttle buses would be a much better option, without limiting your freedom.
Taxi to Keukenhof
The final “public transport” option is to take a taxi from Amsterdam to Keukenhof Gardens.
This is the door-to-door, zero-navigation option – but it is also by far the most expensive option (taxis in the Netherlands are PRICEY and the journey time is around 45 minutes).
But, if you’re splitting the fare with a friend or you value convenience over budget, it could absolutely be worth the cost for you.
Katie’s Top Tip: When I used taxis in the Netherlands, I always booked through booking.com. This allowed me to agree on the fare in advance, so there were no awkward surprises!
Best Keukenhof Tours From Amsterdam
As well as public transport, you can also visit the Keukenhof tulips from Amsterdam on one of three amazing guided tours.
Each of these tours combines plenty of free time at Keukenhof with another bucket-list experience, like a windmill cruise, visiting Zaanse Schans or visiting a tulip farm.
Plus, a tour sorts your entry ticket for you, provides easy transport, and your guide will give you a bit of extra context about Keukenhof along the way!
Especially for solo travellers (like me!), tours remove a lot of logistics stress and also give you the comfort of knowing that there is a guide on hand to ask questions or for advice.
Let’s break down the best Keukenhof tours – starting with the one I took!
Tour to Keukenhof Gardens with Windmill Cruise
This is the tour I personally did, and I would 100% recommend it!
The tour I chose left from central Amsterdam (next to the A’DAM lookout) at 10am – although you can choose to leave from as early as 8:30am or as late as 11:30am.
After a short drive, we arrived at our boat for a relaxed 60-minute cruise through the countryside, passing by beautiful windmills and the low-lying grasslands that the Netherlands is famous for.
It was a perfect, peaceful start to the day!
Then, after our cruise, we hopped on a seamless bus transfer to Keukenhof, arriving at the gardens at around 1pm, where our tickets were already taken care of.
Inside the Keukenhof gardens, we were then able to spend as long as we wanted exploring.
(You can take any bus back to Amsterdam until the last service at 6:30pm!)
I loved having this flexibility, as it meant I wasn’t constantly watching the clock or stressing about getting back to the bus on time. But equally, I wasn’t waiting around when I finished.
Personally, I spent four hours exploring Keukenhof before hopping on one of the clearly signed buses back to Amsterdam.
Katie’s Top Tip: Although we arrived at “peak time”, I didn’t find 1pm to be too busy when I visited on a weekday in mid-April. But if you’re concerned about crowds, join the earlier 8:30am tour.
Tour Keukenhof & Zaanse Schans Windmills
This tour is perfect if you want to combine the flowers of Keukenhof with classic Dutch scenery (and another must-see spot in the Netherlands), in just one day!
Like with the boat tour I took, you depart central Amsterdam (next to the A’DAM lookout) at your pick of times between 8am and 11am.
And after a short drive, you reach the famous Zaanse Schans windmill village.
The village is dominated by 12 absolutely beautiful windmills, and you’ll have plenty of free time to explore, take photos, and even attend a live demonstration or two!
Your tour includes entry to a wooden clog shop, where live demonstrations are held. Or, if cheese is your thing, you can also enjoy a cheese-making demonstration (with samples!)
I personally visited Zaanse Schans separately during my trip to Amsterdam in spring, and can confirm they are well worth visiting – regardless of whether or not you join this tour.
After free time at the windmills, you’ll then take a seamless bus transfer to Keukenhof.
On arrival, your entrance ticket is already included. And you can spend as much time as you want visiting Keukenhof, as flexible return buses leave every 30 minutes until 6:30pm!
Keukenhof Gardens, Cruise & Tulip Farm Tour
The final tour is perfect if you adore tulips and want to see even more than just Keukenhof!
Like the other tours, you depart central Amsterdam (near the A’DAM lookout) at 8:30am and enjoy a relaxed transfer to a dedicated, working tulip farm.
Once at the farm, you will enjoy a walking tour through the flower fields (with plenty of time for photos!) And you’ll also meet the local farmer, who will share fascinating insights into the farming process and the significance of tulips to the Netherlands.
You will have 2 hours at the farm, with a balance of a guided tour and time meeting the farmer, plus free time for photos or a relaxed walk through the fields.
After the visit to the farm, you will also enjoy a relaxed, 1-hour windmill cruise through the stunning countryside in the Netherlands.
Before, finally, you will continue to Keukenhof for 1pm, where your entrance ticket is already taken care of for you.
Like with the other tours, you can stay as long as you like in Keukenhof, with flexible returns by bus until the last service at 6:30pm!
Honestly, this is the tour I’d book if I were choosing again! I love that you get double the tulips and still enjoy a boat ride past the stunning windmills, which I loved on my tour!
Things to Do at Keukenhof Gardens
Okay, so we’ve covered how to get there – both by public transport and by guided tour – but what do you actually do when you arrive at Keukenhof?
The Keukenhof tulip park is HUGE, and if you just wander without any plan, it can feel overwhelming. So these are a few things to look out for:
Walking Routes
One of the best things to do at Keukenhof Gardens is simply following the marked walking paths, taking you past the highlights of the park – including flowers, fountains and lakes.
On my visit, I especially loved walking the relaxed, circular route around the main lake, admiring the flowers and fountains, and stopping for endless photos!
But there are so many different paths to follow, some quieter than others, depending on what you want to experience.
You can see the Keukenhof map here.
Windmill Viewpoint
So, I’m guessing that if you’ve heard of Keukenhof, you’ve probably heard of the windmill!
Constructed in 1892, it is by far one of the most iconic spots to visit in the entire park.
From the top, you can see the surrounding tulip fields beyond the boundaries of the garden and also look down on the curated beds of tulips within Keukenhof.
And, of course, it is also a must to photograph the windmill itself, surrounded by all those gorgeous, colourful spring blooms!
Just keep in mind that, because the windmill is so popular with visitors, it does get crowded.
You definitely won’t have the iconic viewpoint to yourself, and you might also have to queue at peak times.
Boat Rides
If you want a quieter perspective of Keukenhof, the small, electric “whisper boat” takes you through the surrounding countryside around Keukenhof.
You’ll sail slowly from the meeting point at the Keukenhof windmill and out of the park boundary, passing beautiful, natural tulip fields and waterways along the way.
It’s lovely to see a different side to the structured, curated gardens inside Keukenhof!
The full trip is 45 minutes, and you’ll need to pay an additional fee. I recommend booking your ticket for the whisper boat in advance, as it is very popular.
There is also an audio tour on the boat for you to learn more about the Netherlands’ tulips.
Exhibitions & Indoor Pavilions
The indoor pavilions are easy to overlook, but are well worth a visit, as they are home to yet more stunning flower displays!
Each pavilion showcases different varieties and themed displays, which means even if the weather turns chilly or rainy, you still have colourful spaces to explore.
Here are different exhibitions taking place in the Keukenhof Pavilions:
- A show featuring more than 500 varieties of tulips in the Willem-Alexander Pavilion
- Orchid and Anthurium show inside the Juliana Pavilion
And these inside the Oranje Nassau Pavilion, at different times:
- Tulip and Hyacinth show
- Freesia and Chrysanthemum show
- Rose show
- Daffodils, Calla and special bulb show
- Alstroemeria and Calla show
- Gerbera, Lisianthus and Calla show
- Carnation and Summer Flowers show
You can find out exactly which indoor exhibitions will be on during your visit on the live Keukenhof events page.
The Spring Flower Parade
If your dates happen to line up with the annual flower parade (Bollenstreek), you’re in luck!
It’s held for just one day a year in the Netherlands, and this year that’s April 18th.
A huge parade of giant floats is completely covered in fresh flowers, to follow a 42km route from Noordwijk to Haarlem, passing by Keukenhof on the way.
I recommend booking a combined Keukenhof and Spring Parade ticket, so you’re guaranteed a prime grandstand seat to watch as the colourful parade passes by Keukenhof.
But also keep in mind that, while the parade is spectacular, it also attracts huge crowds to Keukenhof. So if you’re hoping for a peaceful experience in the gardens, this might not be the day for you!
Join A Guided Tour
A guided garden tour inside Keukenhof Gardens is the perfect way to enhance your visit!
You’ll walk through the gardens for 60 minutes with an expert guide, who will tell you everything you need to know about the history of Keukenhof, planting techniques and the various flower shows on at the park.
It’s amazing how much you walk straight past without noticing, so a guided tour ensures you don’t miss a single colourful detail – and the context that goes with it!
Plus, for solo travellers (like me!), joining a guided tour is a nice middle ground between exploring Keukenhof independently all day and enjoying some company for an hour.
Tours can be given in Dutch, English, German or French, and there is a small additional cost to join one. I recommend reserving your spot in advance online.
Katie’s Top Tip: Book your tour near the start of your visit, then explore alone afterwards. A guided tour is the perfect introduction to the park and will help you get your bearings!
Food & Shopping
There are also plenty of opportunities for food and shopping at Keukenhof.
Food & Drink
Inside the Beatrix pavilion or the Blooming Dutch restaurants, you’ll find indoor and outdoor seating for breakfast, coffee, lunch and dinner.
Plus, dotted throughout the park, there are also food trucks, serving anything from pasta and hamburgers to smoothies and drinks.
I had the most delicious takeaway strawberries and cream at Keukenhof! And then I also packed myself a picnic lunch and ate it in the gardens, instead of going to the restaurant.
Shopping
For shopping, there are small gift shops selling souvenirs that are well worth a browse.
I personally got myself and my mum some matching ornament clogs with tulips on them, as a souvenir from my visit.
But you can also buy magnets, postcards, fake tulips, and even real tulips!
Tickets, Costs & Budget
At the time of writing, standard tickets for Keukenhof currently cost €21 for adults and €10 for children. But this doesn’t include extras like transport, parking or a whisper boat tour.
Tickets sell out for peak times, sometimes weeks ahead, so I would always recommend keeping an eye on the availability and booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
You can buy tickets in a few different ways:
- Standard entrance for Keukenhof Gardens
- Keukenhof Gardens entrance + round-trip bus transfer
- A guided tour that includes entrance to Keukenhof
I personally like the option of a guided tour + Keukenhof, as all transport is taken care of for you, and you can combine it with another bucket-list Netherlands experience!
What to Wear & Pack for the Tulip Gardens
Think comfortable, practical, and flexible to the changing weather.
The gardens are bigger than most people expect, so you’ll be walking a lot. This means that trainers or supportive walking shoes are non-negotiable.
And even if you’re going for pretty photos, choose outfits you can comfortably walk in, in flexible layers, so that you can adapt to whatever the Dutch spring weather throws at you!
Even on a sunny day, you’ll want at least a light jacket or waterproof.
For the rest of your packing, keep it minimal. I packed:
- A reusable water bottle
- Snacks
- Portable charger
- Lip balm
- Sunglasses
- A small umbrella or a foldable waterproof
- A tote bag for souvenirs
Where To Stay For Keukenhof
Choosing where to stay really comes down to whether Keukenhof is your main focus or part of a bigger Netherlands or Amsterdam trip.
Staying in Amsterdam is the most practical option for most people visiting Keukenhof.
You have easy access to all of the transport options and guided tours to get to Keukenhof, as I’ve mentioned. Plus, you have endless things to do, restaurants, shops, and other guided tours right on your doorstep!
I recommend areas like the Museum Quarter, Jordaan, or near Amsterdam Centraal station.
A hotel I recommend is ibis Amsterdam Centre, very close to the central train station. Or the Sir Adam Hotel, next to the A’DAM Lookout, where the tours and transfers leave from.
Lisse, where Keukenhof is located, is much smaller and quieter. And staying there means you’ll be within easy walking or cycling distance of the tulip park.
But accommodation is more limited and books up quickly during tulip season. And keep in mind that you will have fewer restaurants, shops and things to do close by.
The hotel I recommend in Lisse is Hotel Lowietje, which includes free parking and is just a short walk from the Keukenhof Gardens.
Katie’s Top Tip: If this is your first Netherlands trip, base yourself in Amsterdam and day-trip to the gardens. If this is a return visit or you just want to see the tulips, Lisse is a great base.
Final Thoughts: Is Keukenhof Gardens Worth Visiting?
A lot of people debate whether the Keukenhof tulips are worth visiting or just highly overrated, and honestly, I get why.
If you show up late morning on a sunny weekend during the peak Keukenhof tulip season, it can feel busy and a bit overwhelming, rather than magical.
But when you time it right and visit with realistic expectations (with the help of this guide!), it’s one of the most beautiful flower displays you’ll ever see in Europe.
I’ve seen tulips in multiple countries, but the sheer scale and design of Keukenhof is on a whole other level!
FAQs About Visiting the Keukenhof Tulips From Amsterdam
Can you see tulip fields without entering the park?
The famous patterned flower beds you see all over Instagram are actually inside Keukenhof tulip park, so you do need an entry ticket to walk through those landscaped gardens.
However, the surrounding Lisse region has commercial tulip fields that you can sometimes view for free from public roads or cycle paths during tulip season.
But the important thing to know is that those fields are working farms, not tourist attractions. And you shouldn’t walk into them or step between the rows, as it damages the bulbs.
How long do you need to visit Keukenhof?
Most people need around 4–6 hours at Keukenhof, including travel time from Amsterdam. And that’s the sweet spot where it feels like a relaxed, enjoyable experience rather than a rush.
The gardens alone usually take 2–4 hours to explore properly if you’re stopping for photos, visiting the indoor pavilions, and not just rushing from spot to spot.
Are Keukenhof tours worth it?
They can be, but it really depends on your travel style. Tours that include entry tickets and transport from Amsterdam remove all the logistics of how to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam, which is ideal if you’re short on time or simply don’t want to think about bus schedules!
That said, you absolutely don’t need a tour to enjoy the Keukenhof tulips from Amsterdam. The shuttle buses are very straightforward and well-run.
Is Keukenhof Gardens crowded?
During peak bloom in April, yes, Keukenhof does get very busy – especially in the late morning through to the early afternoon. But even though I visited at those peak times (although on a weekday), I found that busy didn’t mean chaotic or unbearable.
The gardens are large, so even when queues are long, the space inside spreads people out. There are always busier hotspots (like at the windmill), but I was always able to find a quiet corner!
As a general rule, weekdays are quieter than weekends. And visiting around opening time or late afternoon also feels far more relaxed.
Can you bring your own food to Keukenhof?
Yes, you can bring your own food and drinks into Keukenhof Gardens, which is great if you’re travelling on a budget!
There are cafés and food stands inside, but prices are slightly higher than the city cafés (think typical theme park prices). So bringing a picnic saves money and means you’re not wasting time queueing for food at lunchtime.
There are also plenty of benches and grassy areas where you can sit comfortably and eat. Just avoid glass, and please dispose of any rubbish properly.
Can you visit Keukenhof without a car?
Absolutely, and most people do! You do not need a car to visit Keukenhof.
The easiest option is the direct shuttle bus from Amsterdam, which runs frequently during the season and drops you right at the entrance. Alternatively, you could join a guided tour.
The journey from Amsterdam to Keukenhof Gardens is around 45 minutes.
Is Keukenhof safe to visit?
Overall, Keukenhof tulip park is very safe, even for solo travellers. It’s well-staffed, clearly signposted, and literally designed for tourists.
The main safety concern is the same as anywhere popular in Europe: pickpocketing.
Keep your phone and camera secure, don’t leave any bags hanging open or unattended, and be mindful in queues or on shuttle buses where crowds bunch up.
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