I’ve visited the Bollenstreek by bike many times over the last 8 years. And no, I’m not sick of it yet. The Bollenstreek aka the flower region, is still one of my favorite parts of the Netherlands. And it’s best visited in April or May (it depends on the year).
I always get excited for the tulips to bloom. This year, the magic equation happened. The tulips bloomed, the sun was shining, and it all took place on a weekend when I was in town. Perfect Bollenstreek cycling time.
When is tulip season in the Netherlands?
Typically tulip season lasts from late March to early May. But every year is different. In late March you’ll mostly see daffodils and hyacinths. Once the purple flowers from the hyacinths begin to fade, it’s tulip season. Visit the Bollenstreek in mid-late April for the best chances of catching the tulips in full bloom.
Visit this page to see the average blooming seasons.
What is the Bollenstreek?
The Bollenstreek is the Dutch flower region. Bollen translates to ‘bulbs’ and streek translates to ‘region’, so quite literally the ‘bulb region’. The Bollenstreek is not only known for tulips, but all bulbs. First comes daffodils, then hyacinths and later tulips.
What is the Bollenstreek flower route?
The Bollenstreek flower route is a 35 kilometer (21 mile) cycle route. The route visits some of the most lush flower fields in the Bollenstreek region of the Netherlands. The whole route takes about 2-3 hours to cycle.
Since it’s quite manageable, you can also lengthen the journey or visit some of the tulip attractions, like the famous Keukenhof Gardens along the way. In the map, you’ll find other attractions highlighted as well.
My favorite part of the Bollenstreek is that you don’t just visit the tulip fields, but also the beach. You pass through the dunes, see some nature (so many deer) and visit the flower-loving towns of Lisse and Noordwijkerhout.
How to cycle the Bollenstreek flower route
It really is easy. Here, you’ll find the map for the main loop. You can make it longer or shorter by connecting it with other bike paths in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is connected with an entire network of cycle junctions. Just write down the numbers, and go node to node. Many hotels as well as information desks in the Bollenstreek also have free paper maps to take. I prefer these to my phone.
Getting to the Bollenstreek flower route from Amsterdam
From Amsterdam, we traveled with our own bikes to bike the flower route. We took the train from Centraal Station to Hillegom. We decided to get off early and bike an extra hour from Haarlem, since the weather was so nice. That and the conductor was a little upset by how many bikes were on the train. Most trains only have space for 3 and there were at least 8 of us that day. So we did him a favor.
To get to Haarlem or Hillegom from Amsterdam with your bike, go to ns.nl to plan your route. Then, be sure to buy yourself and your bike a ticket for the day. Bike tickets cost €7.50 / day.
To ease your stress, you can also rent a bike in Lisse, Hillegom, Noordwijkerhout or another town. Here you’ll find some bike rental and car parking recommendations.
From Amsterdam Centraal to Haarlem Central takes 15 minutes and to Hillegom takes 30 minutes.
Extension from Haarlem to Noordwijk aan Zee
We followed the route I linked, but added the section between Haarlem and Noordwijk aan Zee. This meant we connected to the mapped route at node 79. To add this section, from Haarlem Centraal we followed 22 – 1 – 21 – 36 – 37 – 77 – 79. The addition took about 1 hour.
For more cycle paths in the Netherlands, this book is great.
Where to stop on the flower route
I absolutely loved our day in the flower fields and the dunes. We stopped for lunch at Strandpaviljoen De Zeespiegel. The food is very average, but the restaurant is directly on the beach, which I loved. We caught some rays and enjoyed the peace before the crowded flower fields. We got there just before noon, and beat the lunch rush.
After making our way around the flower fields, we stopped in Lisse to explore the town briefly. If you wanted to stop for an ice cream or another snack, this is the place to do it. The Pannenkoe Lisse is also one of the cutest pancake houses I’ve seen.
We did not stop at the Tuliperij, Tulip Barn or the Dutch Tulip Experience, but these are great additions to your tour if you want to learn more about the tulip fields or take photos directly in them. Note, you are not supposed to walk in the other tulip fields – this can cause disease and kill the tulips. Please be respectful of the farmers and their crops.
And lastly, veel plezier! That’s ‘have fun’ in Dutch.
For more Dutch things to do, start here.
