The Netherlands Tulip Season

The Best Times And Places To See Tulips In The Netherlands

During certain times of the year parts of The Netherlands are transformed into a vast sea of flowers by the beautiful tulip fields. These tulips are only in bloom for a few weeks so below I have put together the complete tulip season guide to recommend the best spots and the best times to see the tulips in full bloom.

The Best Times To See Tulips…

From mid-march to early May is when the tulips will begin blooming but one of the best times to see them in colour is mid-April. This is truly when all of the tulips have bloomed and their colour is absolutely vibrant. Unfortunately towards the end of April farmers will begin to cut the tulip’s heads off so you will get there just in time before that happens.

Where to see the Tulips…

Keukenhof

Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens and one of the best places to see tulips in The Netherlands. The park is only open for a few weeks each year and every year almost 7 million bulbs are planted including tulips daffodils and roses. Keukenhof has a new theme every year with past years including the Romance and Flowers, Van Gough and Holland

From the moment you step into the park, you are welcomed by thousands of colourful tulips. Brimming with tulips, daffodils, orchids and many other flowers it is truly a magical experience.

Keukenhof is one of the most popular tourist attractions in The Netherlands during the months the gardens are open and it can be extremely busy no matter what day of the week. I would highly recommend buying tickets online in advance so you can skip the line and head in straight away.

Bloemenmarkt

Right in the heart of Amsterdam city, you will find the Bloemenmarkt which is the world’s only floating flower market and another great place to go and see some tulips. Though these tulips are already picked they have an amazing range of very rare flowers that you can take home for yourself. Just be careful buying bulbs here as some shops won’t sell the bulbs that are advertised or bulbs that won’t even grow so make sure you buy bulbs that are big and firm.

Flevoland

Flevoland is one of the most spectacular regions in the north of The Netherlands. With more than 5,000 hectares of tulip fields, it is the perfect place to see tulips in bloom. One of the best ways to explore the vast area of tulip fields is by walking, or cycling around the guided route. The Tulip Route Flevoland brings you around some of the most beautiful countryside completely covered in fields and fields of gorgeous tulips. The routes can range from 10 to 70km with some stops along the way which allow you to take part in some local activities.

It is extremely important to note that all of these fields are working tulip fields and you should not enter the tulip fields without the owner’s permission as the flowers are very delicate and you will be on private grounds, so be sure to keep an eye out for signs that will say if you are allowed to enter or not.

You can find more information as well as the map for the tulip route at https://www.visitflevoland.nl/en/see/new-nature/tulips.

Tulip Museum

Why not go and completely immerse yourself in Tulips with the Tulip Museum? The Tulip Museum is located right across from the Anne Frank House and here you will learn that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to tulips. You will be completely immersed in Tulip history with six rooms detailing the origin of tulips and how they came over to The Netherlands in the 16th century. The gift shop also offers all things tulips so you can take some home and grow your garden.

Annemieke’s Picking Garden

Get hands-on and pick your own tulip bouquet and Annemieke’s Picking Garden. The garden has more than 300 varieties of flowers which are open to the public. You will be allowed to wander through their gorgeous flower fields and pick your own flowers to take home with you.

I hope you all enjoy your tulip adventures and that this tulip guide has helped you find some of the best spots! Again please be careful around public Tulip Fields as farmers can get very upset if they find you picking or entering any of their fields without their permission.

Hayley x