Best Tulip Fields in The Netherlands (Includes a Map)

Visiting the tulip fields in The Netherlands is an experience that’s on most people’s bucket list. And honestly, it deserves to be. What’s more magical than seeing endless fields of brightly coloured tulips?

I recently spent a few days exploring the tulip fields in the Netherlands, and I couldn’t get over just how beautiful it was in real life. Trust me when I say it looks even better than it does in the photos!

This guide covers the best tulip fields in the Netherlands, what to expect at each one, and some helpful tips to help you get the most from your trip.

Best tulip fields in the Netherlands

The list below covers 5 of the best tulip fields in the Netherlands, all of which I visited on my recent trip.

1. Keukenhof

Keukenhof is the most popular place to see tulips in the Netherlands. It’s one of the largest flower gardens in the world and every year, more than 7 million flowers are hand planted there.

The grounds used to be part of the estate of a 15th-century castle, and it was originally used as a hunting ground and herb garden for a local countess – the name Keukenhof means “kitchen garden” in English.

Then in 1949, a group of leading flower growers decided to use the estate for spring-flowering bulbs, and it opened to the public in 1950.

It remains a spring garden and is only open for around 8 weeks each year, usually from late March to mid May, but obviously this all depends on mother nature and when the flowers bloom!

Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Keukenhof as much as I did, I thought it would be overwhelmingly busy and not as beautiful as the smaller tulip farms.

But I was so wrong, it’s definitely busy, but because it’s so big, it’s easy to find more secluded spots where you can step away from the crowds.

There’s a huge variety of tulips, as well as lots of other flowers, themed gardens, art installations, boat tours, a maze, petting zoo and a playground.

There’s something for everyone here, and so my biggest piece of advice would be to actually allow a few hours to explore it all properly. I only had an hour and a half and it wasn’t enough!

Keukenhof is one of the most popular places to see tulips in the Netherlands, and you absolutely need to book your tickets in advance. Do not leave it until the last minute because the tickets sell out quickly and you’ll be left disappointed.

2. The Tulip Barn

The Tulip Barn is a family run tulip farm that’s been specifically designed for tourists (it’s not a working farm).

There’s over 1.5million tulips, with around 200 different varieties in all different colours, and a lot of time goes into the placement of the tulips so it looks as beautiful as possible.

This place is a photographers dream, there’s props scattered across the fields including a windmill, clogs, a swing, a bridge, and lots more! I timed my visit with golden hour, just before sunset, and it was absolutely stunning.

There’s also a large barn here with coffee, cakes, and a restaurant, as well as a really good outdoor seating area with a couple of food stalls.

As The Tulip Barn is only a 12 minute drive from Keukenhof, I’d recommend visiting them together. Tickets cost €10 for an adult and €4.50 for children.

3. Tulip Experience

Tulip Experience is a family-run farm located just outside Noordwijkerhout, less than 10 minutes away from Keukenhof.

It was created in 2019 by a local tulip grower who wanted to create a space for tourists to come and take pictures without damaging the farmers fields, and to learn more about the bulb growing process.

There’s 4 million tulips planted here each year, as well as an indoor museum, cinema, farmers market and restaurant.

It’s also one of the few tulip farms where you can pick your own tulips, inside at their picking garden. The cost of picking the tulips is included in your ticket price so it’s a really lovely extra to be able to take home a bunch of tulips as a souvenir!

Tickets cost €12 for an adult and €6.50 for children.

4. Fam Flower Farm

Fam Flower Farm is run by the lovely Marlies and Linda. They’re lifelong friends who both married flower growers, and their flower fields have been in their families for generations.

They only open their fields to the public for a couple of days during tulip season, and only allow 20 visitors in each time slot, which means you can enjoy a much more relaxed experience.

This was by far the least crowded tulip farm I visited on my trip, and easily my favourite one.

It is also the most expensive place on this list, a ticket costs €45 and that includes a 1.5 hour visit, tea, coffee, stroopwafels, and a bunch of tulips to take with you.

But, for me it was more than worth the money to experience somewhere as beautiful as this with hardly anyone else around.

Tickets are advertised on their Instagram and they go quick, so make sure you sign up to their newsletter so you know when they’re released.

5. De Tulperij

De Tulperij is run by married couple Daan and Anja and entry is free, but you can pay for extras like a guided tour or to pick your own tulips, which is something I chose to do.

It’s a really unique experience as it’s not offered at many tulip farms, and it cost €7.50 for 10 flowers.

There’s also a restaurant here, and enjoying a a slice of cheesecake and a cocktail overlooking the tulips was the perfect way to end my trip!

Tulip fields map

How to get to the tulip fields in the Netherlands

To get to the tulip fields, you’ll first need to fly into Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

If you’re travelling from the UK, you can fly to Amsterdam in just over 1 hour from London! Or, you can take the Eurostar which will get you there in around 4 hours.

Whilst flights to Amsterdam are usually pretty affordable, tulip season is the most popular time to visit, so make sure you book well in advance to get a good deal.

If you’re travelling from the US, you can fly direct from New York, Chicago, LA and Boston, with a flight time between 6-11 hours depending on your departure city.

Where are the tulip fields in the Netherlands?

The most popular place to see tulips in the Netherlands is in a region called Bollenstreek, which is just a 25 minute drive from Amsterdam airport.

I’d recommend basing yourself in Lisse, which is where the most popular tulip garden, Keukenhof, is located. From there you can easily reach all of the tulip fields on this list.

Do you need to hire a car?

If you want complete freedom to see the tulip fields on your own schedule, and to stop as much as you want, I’d recommend hiring a car.

I rented a car for my trip and I’m so glad I did, it meant I could spend as much time as I wanted in each tulip field, and I could arrive early to avoid the crowds.

I used Discover Cars to book my hire car in the Netherlands – they compare prices across loads of different providers to find you the best price.

But, if you don’t want to drive, don’t worry! There’s lots of other ways to reach the tulip fields.

Day trip from Amsterdam

There’s loads of day trips that depart from Amsterdam to Keukenhof and the tulip fields in the surrounding area.

A day trip is ideal because everything’s organised for you, so you don’t need to worry about traffic or parking.

On this trip to Keukenhof, a shuttle bus will take you from Amsterdam to Keukenhof, where you’ll get fast track entry to the garden.

You can stay as long as you like and catch a bus back to Amsterdam when you’re ready to leave (they depart every 30 minutes).

Public transport

If you’d prefer to make your own way to the tulip fields, there’s multiple bus routes that will take you there, or you can catch a train from Amsterdam to Hillegom, followed by a walk or cycle to the tulip fields.

I’d recommend using this website to find the best route for you.

Speaking of bikes, you can hire bikes in Lisse and cycle between the tulip fields. The cycle paths are really well set up and it’s such a fun way to explore the area!

When is tulip season in the Netherlands?

Tulip season in the Netherlands runs from late March to early May, but the tulips are usually at their best around mid-April.

I visited the Netherlands in the 3rd week of April and the tulips were incredible, but of course this changes every year depending on the weather.

I’d recommend keeping an eye on the tulip farms websites and social media, as they’ll post updates on when the tulips are blooming.

Because the tulips bloom at different times every year, this isn’t the easiest trip to plan in advance, so be prepared to book it last minute if you want to catch the tulips at their best.

Stick to the path!

Every tulip field I mention in this post is one that’s open to the public, where you’re allowed to walk through the tulips on designated pathways, and you can even pick your own tulips in some of them!

But as you drive around you’ll notice tulip fields on the side of the road. These belong to farmers, who make their living growing tulips. Please do not walk through these fields.

I saw so many people carelessly walk through these fields (despite the signs telling them not to) and doing this can destroy the flowers and hugely impact the farmers ability to make a living.

Tulip experiences in Amsterdam

If you’re travelling all the way to the Netherlands to see the tulip fields, then I’d really recommend spending a few days in Amsterdam too.

It’s one of my favourite European cities, with postcard-worthy streets at every turn, a brilliant food scene, and a museum for just about everything.

And if you haven’t got your tulip fix, then you’re in luck, because there’s even more tulip-related activities in Amsterdam.

The Tulip Museum

The Amsterdam Tulip Museum is a small museum located in the Jordaan neighbourhood, across the road from the Anne Frank House.

It’s a great place to learn about the history of tulips in the Netherlands, and how the country became such a popular place for tulip farming. It’s also a great place to buy tulip souvenirs.

Tickets:

• Adults – €5
• Children – €3

Tulip Cruise

Nothing beats seeing Amsterdam from the water, apart from doing it on a boat covered in tulips. I mean, need I say more?

The tulip cruise is run by Flagship cruises and it was hands down my favourite thing I did in the city.

You’ll embark on 1 hour cruise where you’ll pass by Amsterdam’s main sights with an expert guide and captain, and because they limit the boat to a maximum of 10 guests, it never feels overcrowded.

And this cruise doesn’t stop at the end of the tulip season, it runs all throughout summer! And even better, if it’s raining, you get the option to reschedule or have a full refund.

Make sure you book your tickets in advance for the tulip cruise as it’s a really popular activity

Bloemenmarkt (the floating flower market)

The Bloemenmarkt is Amsterdam’s famous floating flower market, located along the Singel canal in the city centre.

The stalls sit on top of boats and sell fresh bouquets, wooden flower souvenirs, and even tulip bulbs, so you can grow your own tulips at home!