The most well-known and largest flower park in all the world is called Keukenhof. Keukenhof is also famously known as the Land of Tulips, and rightfully so.
Where is Keukenhof, The Land of Tulips?
Keukenhof is just a one-hour bus journey south of Amsterdam in a village called Lisse. If you’re staying in Amsterdam, they make it quite easy to travel to and from the park. Each year they post instructions on their website with the most up-to-date information.
How to Get to Keukenhof
You can easily book your entry ticket and transfer from Amsterdam or from Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport in advance on Get Your Guide. This is a really great option, because tickets always sell out every year. You get to stay at the park as long as you like, with flexible return times.
There are also some cafes and food carts in the park. In my opinion, the best (and cheapest) way to enjoy the gardens is to pack a lunch. There are plenty of benches in the gardens and free luggage lockers at the main entrance to store your stuff for the day.
What Time of Year is Best to Visit Keukenhof?
The Netherlands is always a bit unpredictable when it comes to weather. The first time I visited Keukenhof, I planned my trip to the Netherlands knowing that I was going to be there a few weeks premature for prime tulip season. After living here for ten years, I’ve learned every year is truly different, but your best bet is late April to early May.
To see the greatest variety and entire spectrum of colors, mid-April is best. The season is said to last from late March through mid-May. Of course, this all depends on Mother Nature. If you want to be safe, plan at least a week in the Netherlands and choose the best weather day to visit Keukenhof.
What Will you Find in Keukenhof’s Land of Tulips?
The gardens are overflowing with over seven million varieties of bulbs. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in over 800 varieties, colors and sizes. It really is a sight to seen.
The park has elaborate gardens, bulb fields, outdoor exhibitions and indoor flower exhibitions. The indoor exhibitions go beyond tulips and include everything from orchids and lilies to gerberas and roses. The indoor exhibitions change weekly throughout the season so the flowers are always looking their best.
Tulpomania
One of the most interesting parts of Keukenhof is called Tulpomania. Tulpomania is the indoor flower exhibition held inside the Juliana Pavilion.
The sweet but delicate aroma filled the air before I even entered the sliding doors. Once inside, I was able to admire the enormous rainbow of colors that make up all the different varieties of tulips.
There are informational exhibits to learn about the different varieties, cultivating tulips and planting your own. But what stood out to me most were the names.
All the bulbs in Keukenhof had clever names. Some were named after celebrities and fictional characters such as Anne Frank or Shakespeare. But most were whacky. A few of my favorites were Victoria’s Secret, Life’s a Cabernet, Budlight, and Spryng Break.
A Signature Theme Each Year
Each year, there’s a different theme for the Land of Tulips. When I first visited in 2015 the Netherlands was celebrating Vincent van Gogh. His death was 125 years earlier.
Throughout Keukenhof, there were fun exhibits inspired by the artist like the Selfie Garden and the giant flower mosaic.
Unfortunately for me, the tens of thousands of tulips that make up van Gogh’s portrait in the giant flower mosaic were not in bloom yet.
Add on a Bike Trip in the Bollenstreek
Are you up for a little more adventure?
In addition to your visit to Keukenhof, you are free to explore the beautiful Bollenstreek, or “Flower Route” on your own. It’s best to explore by bike in my opinion, and I wrote a complete guide for visiting the Bollenstreek Flower Route by bike to help guide you.
If you are not confident to do it on your own, or simply don’t feel like thinking, you can also book a guided bike tour with a local to visit the flower fields.
Prefer not to bike? Now there are these mini cars that you can use to explore the flower region as well, like this option available on Get Your Guide.
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