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You are here: Home / Travel / Netherlands / Visiting Keukenhof – 9 tips to make the most of your trip

Visiting Keukenhof – 9 tips to make the most of your trip

by Jeanne Horak on April 22, 2016 23 Comments in Netherlands

Keukenhof-Tulips-Title

** VISITOR INFO UPDATED MAR 2022**

** IN 2022 KEUKENHOF WILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 24 MARCH – 15 MAY **

For reasons I can’t explain , I have never been a big fan of the term “bucket list”.  It’s a term that is derived from the old phrase “to kick the bucket” meaning to die and was apparently coined by the creators of the eponymous 2006 film to refer to a list of things you want to do before you die.  It was kind of fun and quirky the first time you heard it, but after reading the 7 billionth Buzzfeed post about “a gazillion things to add to your bucket list that you have no hope in hell of ever experiencing”, the novelty kind of wears off. So I am rather resistant to make anything headed “Jeanne’s bucket list”.  But of course, that does not mean that I don’t have a wishlist of things I want to do.  I first made a list like this when I was in my early 20s and it included things like seeing Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss in Vienna (seen!); staying in a house on stilts in the Maldives (yet to happen); hearing Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia performed live (heard!); and watching orcas in the wild in British Columbia (still waiting…).

Also on that list was visiting Keukenhof garden to see the Spring tulips – and that has also been ticked off! Keukenhof (literally translated as  “kitchen garden”) is situated in the small town of  Lisse in the Netherlands.  It gets its name from the fact that in the 15th century it used to provide herbs for the kitchens of Jacqualine, Countess of Hainaut’s nearby castle. The present garden, one of the largest flower gardens in the world, was established in 1949 by the then-mayor of Lisse, with the idea of presenting an annual floral exhibition where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrid tulips. Today, the park comprises a massive 32 hectares (just short of 80 acres) and 7 million bulbs are reportedly planted each year. It is one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions too, and has attracts over a million visitors a year – remarkable, considering it is only open to the public for two months of the year. Here are some of the beautiful images from my visit as well as my top tips for visitors who want to tiptoe through the tulips at Keukenhof!

 

KeukenhofTulipsRed

 

1.  Time your visit

The gardens are open annually from mid-March to mid-May.  Being living things, the bulbs will not flower on demand and much will depend on the weather in a particular year.  But although peak flowering time may vary from year to year, the safest time to go is probably mid-April.   Go too early and most flowers will still be in bud (and the weather is likely to be cold and wet); go too late and most of the displays will be past their prime.  When you go will also to an extent determine what you see – they hyacinths, for example, tend to bloom early as do the narcissi, so the later you go, the fewer of them you would expect to see. But whatever time you go, something will always be in bloom, so don’t get too hung up on this.

 

KeukenofNarcissi

 

KeukenhofBlueHyacinths

 

KeukenhofGrapehyacinths

 

2.  Set aside at least half a day for your visit.

32 hectares is big. Very big! There is a lot to see, so if you want value for money, don’t think you are going to be able to skim through the gardens in an hour or two. All those selfies among the flowers take time to get right, and you may have to wait for a stray tourist to walk out of your perfect shot 😉 There are a number of restaurants in the gardens, so you could easily spend an entire day there.

 

KeukenhofBeds1

 

KeukenhofHyacinthsPink

 

KeukenhofBedsRedYellowTulips

 

3.  If you are planning to arrive by public transport, book your ticket in advance.

It’s super-easy to get to Keukenhof direct from Schipol airport. An adult entrance ticket to Keukenhof costs €17, but if you buy a travel combo ticket, you will get both the travel and entrance cheaper than you would if you bought them individually. You can ordert a combi ticket including both entrance to the gardens and bus trip on the Keukenhof Express bus from Schipol airport  for €25.  Alternatively you can order a combi ticket including train and bus travel to Keukenhof from any station in the Netherlands for € 35.00 (2nd class) or € 40.00 (1st class) per person. Both these tickets are available online via ns.nl/spoordeelwinkel. The only downside of booking your ticket in advance is that you don’t get to choose the weather on the day of your visit. You might be lucky but we visited on a day when it started raining less than an hour after we arrived, which meant we spent less time there than I would have liked to. So if you are driving, I’d say wake up, look at the weather and then decide if today is the day – but be warned, the traffic jams to get in and out are significant, I’m told.

 

KeukenhofTulipsVariegated

 

KeukenhofGrapeHyacinthRiver

 

KeukenhofTulipsPink

 

4.  Take a map.

There are free maps available at the entrance – make sure you take one! The gardens are huge and without a map you are almost sure to miss something interesting. Keukenhof features a variety of different gardens and garden styles. For example, in 2016 there are the following gardens: the Golden Age, Delft Blauw, Vegetable, Romantic, Sensory, Beach and Vintage. All are subtly different in terms of design and plantings – some offer a woodland feel, some feature water, others are more formal – and it is well worth it trying to see them all. There are also five pavilions throughout the gardens, featuring restaurants and different indoor floral displays and flower-arranging demonstrations. There is also a working windmill. And did I mention the gardens are HUGE? Take my advice – grab a map!

 

KeukenhofbedsCherryTree

 

KeukenhofTulipsRedYellow

 

5.  Go early or late in the day, or wander further afield if you want to avoid crowds.

With over a million visitors packed into just two months, the gardens are never really going to be empty. But your chances of relative serenity are increased if you arrive as the gates open at 08h00 and make it inside before the tourist busses start disgorging their passengers. Alternatively, plan to arrive mid-afternoon when the early-birds have started going home and stay until closing time (19h30). It’s also true that many people will not even get to the more remote parts of the garden, so the further from the entrances you are willing to go, the emptier it is likely to be. Most people are basically like me: walk in, see the first banks of tulips, squeal, take pictures, and in their excitement they forget about any plans you had to explore further. So take the road less-travelled – or alternatively, go on a cold and rainy day like we inadvertently did. Instant crowd-control!

 

KeukenhofBeds2

 

KeukenhofPinkHyacinthBeds

 

6.  Don’t miss the sculptures

Keukenhof not only provides a superb space for viewing its seven million spring flowering bulbs, but it also functions as an outdoor art gallery featuring sculptures and other works of art nestled among the colourful tulip beds.  Every spring, artists are invited to display one ore more of their works in the park – we were pleasantly surprised by the pieces we stumbled upon and it adds an extra dimension to your park visit.

 

KeukenhofSculpture

 

KeukenhofTupilsVariegated2

 

7.  Visit the indoor exhibits in bad weather

If you are unlucky enough to be rained on during your visit to Keukenhof, remember that not all the flowers are outside.  Within the gardens there are five large indoor pavilions and there is a different indoor display in each of the.  Some also contain bulbs but others show off cut flowers and host flower arranging demonstrations.  Each week, there is also a themed exhibit focusing on a particular family of flowers like amaryllis, freesias, roses, anthuriums, lilies and more.  It’s a bit like a mini Chelsea Flower Show, really!

 

KeukenhofTulipInRain

 

KeukenhofStream

 

KeukenhofAzalea

 

8.  Bring the kids!

You might think that bringing unruly toddlers to a garden filled with delicate tulips would be a bad idea – but Keukenhof is really well prepared for young visitors. Other than the park and flowers, there is also a petting zoo with sheep, rabbits, turkeys and the like; a maze; and several playgrounds.  They will also enjoy seeing a working windmill.  To entertain kids while tha parents enjoy the flowers, there is also a scavenger hunt which requires kids to use various landmarks in the park to answer questions, solve clues and unscramble a word to win a prize. They can also have silly photos taken with their feet in giant Dutch wooden clogs 😉

 

Keukenhofjeanne

 

KeukenhofTulipsMulti

 

9.  Bike through the bulb fields outside Keukenhof.

You might have seen the iconic images of fields of tulips in dead straight rows stretching as far as the eye can see, and imagined this is what Keukenhof looks like – but these are in fact the commercial bulb fields surrounding Keukenhof and not in the garden itself.  The fields are privately owned and access is not included as part of the Keukenhof entrance ticket.  But while Keukenhof may only be explored on foot, it is possible to explore some of the bulb fields on that most Dutch of vehicles:  the bicycle.  Bike rentals are available from a rental kiosk (Rent-A-Bike Van Dam) just outside the Keukenhof entrance, and maps can be obtained from tourist information offices and bike rental shops.  Suggested routes are available ranging from 4 or 7 km around Keukenhof – ask the shop to mark on the map where the flowers are blooming best on the day of your rental. Bike rental at Keukenhof costs around €10 per day for standard bicycles and €20 for tandems or electric bikes. (In the interests of full disclosure I have to say that we never did manage to do the bike ride – by the time we left Keukenhof we were so cold, wet and miserable that we went straight back to town for a restorative beer! Next time.) Please note that the bulb fields are private property – visitors are not allowed to walk amongst the bulbs as this damages the flowers. Please stick to the roads!

 

KeukenhofTulipsRedYelloLines

 

KeukenhofTulipColourBands2

 

KeukenhofTulipColourBands4

 

VISITOR INFO  **UPDATED MAR 2022**

Keukenhof is open annually from mid-March to mid-May (in 2022 it is 24 March – 15 May), with the best time being about mid-April.  The Keukenhof gardens are open 08h00-19h30.  Tickets are ONLY available online, for a specified date and timed arrival and cost €18.50 for adults and €9 for kids aged 4-17 while kids under 4 go free. Parking on site costs €6. 

The gardens are wheelchair accessible and you may bring your own wheelchair or rent a manual wheelchair at the ticket shop for €5. Bicycles and drones are not allowed in the park, but dogs are allowed on a leash.

Keukenhof has implemented measures suitable for 1.5-metre social distancing; provides sufficient, clear on-site information; as well as additional hygiene measures.  Because of Covid-19, Keukenhof can receive a maximum number of visitors per day and so as to prevent crowding during busy times they have implemented time-specific visitor tickets.

The closest airport is Amsterdam Schipol and a number of daily direct flights depart daily from London’s various airports. The closest town is Noordwijk on the coast, which is about a 15 minute drive from Keukenhof.  Alternatively, while the gardens are open, you can take the Keukenhof Express (bus 858) from the Schipol Airport bus station direct to the gardens.  Schipol is easy to reach from central Amsterdam, so doing Keukenhof as a day trip from Amsterdam is entirely feasible. The bus ride takes about 35 minutes and buses leave Schipol every 15 minutes. There is no direct public transport link from central Amsterdam to Keukenhof though. Tickets cost €6,50 single or €10 return and can be purchased from the driver. You can also buy a combi-ticket (entrance to the gardens + return bus travel to/from Amsterdam) which costs €33.50 for adults and €15,50 for kids.

 

Keukenhof
Stationsweg 166A
2161 AM
Lisse
Netherlands
Email:  [email protected]

Want to read more of my travel tips?  Check out:

9 tips for making the most of your visit to the Singapore Grand Prix

8 excellent reasons to visit Jersey

7 South African wine estates you need to visit

 

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  1. [email protected] says

    April 23, 2016 at 10:19 am

    Lovely photos Jeanne and great tips. Btw not a fan of the term bucket list either

    Reply
  2. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

    April 23, 2016 at 10:38 am

    Haha yes the term ‘bucket list’ is a bit morbid isn’t it. Every photo in this post is stunning – SO beautiful!

    Reply
  3. Camilla @FabFood4All says

    April 23, 2016 at 11:23 am

    Oh my the flowers are just out of this world, I could happily look at them all day, what a wonderful place to visit!

    Reply
    • La Torontoise says

      May 12, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      Camilla, indeed, it feels like out of this word! Millions of tulips. It’s impressive in so many ways.
      What a pity that the months of April and May are the rainiest in the Netherlands 9in April we had snow this year, and only in the past few days is real spring:-)
      (I’ve been living in the Netherlands for 12 years now, and managed to see the garden on a sunny day only once. it was April 2005).

      Reply
  4. Kavey says

    April 23, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    I’m sure the bucket list term is a lot older than 2006 but agree that it’s hugely overused. Luke you I’ve always had things on my wish list but prefer to label it as such rather than the constant reference to my impending death!! Loving all your photos and the tips are excellent!

    Reply
  5. Herschelian says

    April 23, 2016 at 3:09 pm

    Oh thank you for this post Jeanne – it really takes me back.
    In 1972 when I left SA en route (I thought) to NY, I stopped in Holland to spend three weeks with my godmother.
    One of the places she and her late husband took me to was Keukenhof, somewhere I had never heard of. I was bowled over by the place, the stunning colours, the amazing varieties of tulips – it was overwhelming. I know it is all carefully managed, the bulbs are planted carefully in the best possible situation, so you know it is contrived; never-the-less it is a triumph of nature – as anyone who has bought and planted bulbs knows, it can be hit and miss!

    I also recall that on our way back to their home after a day at Keukenhoff, we stopped at a local smokery and bought freshly smoked eels for supper – a first for me, and entirely delicious!
    Happy memories.

    Reply
  6. Yvonne Horak says

    April 23, 2016 at 6:21 pm

    Hi there Jeanne,

    Thanks for sharing these amazing photos and info. Absolute stunning. As the years pass, one tends toforget how beautiful Keukenhof really is.
    Keep well and take care Jeanne and your husband as well.. Such a pleasure to receive your articles.
    Happy traveling and exploring.
    Regards,
    Yvonne Horak- Mosselbay..

    Reply
  7. Jenny Andréason says

    April 25, 2016 at 4:41 pm

    Beautiful flowers, makes you happy! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Teresa says

    April 27, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    It is a gloomy day here in Cape Town but this post has cheered me right up! Some gorgeous specimens here and what an informative post. I’m sorry I didn’t make it here when I visited the Netherlands years ago.

    Reply
  9. Tandy | Lavender and Lime says

    April 28, 2016 at 9:13 am

    I do not think we are going near here when we are in Holland, but I will look at the map as the flowers look amazing and worth a visit 🙂

    Reply
  10. Meeta says

    April 28, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    Oh I loved my visit to Keukenhof too. I think my images were very similar to yours! Borg on the wild orcas … hoping to tick that off my bucket list in Alaska this year!

    Reply
  11. Rosana @ Hot&CHilli Food and Travel Blog says

    April 28, 2016 at 10:06 pm

    Good tips and fantastic images – as usual, so pretty. Booking marking this post. R

    Reply
  12. Andrew says

    May 2, 2016 at 10:45 am

    What a stunning riot of colour. Even ‘limited palette’ me can see the attraction; I’d have a field day…

    Reply
  13. La Torontoise says

    May 12, 2016 at 4:14 pm

    Jeanne, that’s the best the Netherlands could offer:-)
    I totally agree it should be on the wish list of any explorer/traveler.

    Living and working in the Netherlands, I must disclose that the rainy weather greatly interferes with any travelling plan to Lisse in April and May. I’m a mother of a 11 years old, and with work and all, the weekends are our only chance to get there (I live 2 hours east of Lisse).
    Unfortunately, all weekends so far have been cold and rainy. And trust me, it’s not much fun exploring the garden in the company of little children while holding umbrellas: -)

    Regardless of the weather, colors are magnificient. I assume you saw the black tulips too?

    Reply
  14. Tami says

    May 25, 2016 at 3:15 pm

    So much gorgeousness. Those colours!

    Reply
  15. A fellow traveler says

    July 3, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    Amazing pictures! I feel both inspired to make the trip and prepared to make the most of it! And I completely agree about the “bucket list.” It just feels like such an overused term these days. Congratulations on crossing something off your wish list of things to do! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Grace @ Sandier Pastures says

    February 16, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    My family and I visited Keukenhof Gardens with our then 2.5 year old daughter in 2006. I had a horrible camera back then so I want to go back again and take better photos and document the trip!

    Your photos are all lovely. You perfectly captured the beauty of the place.

    Reply
  17. Niamh says

    May 11, 2017 at 10:47 am

    Such a gorgeous place! A treat for the eye and the senses. And so inspiring.

    Reply
  18. Anita says

    November 22, 2018 at 2:26 am

    Hi Jeanne.Anita from India.Your post is too good n very informative.Photos are par excellence.I will definitely visit keeping your tips in mind.Will try to reach there by 8am.Rest God willing.Thanks for these tips.

    Reply
  19. rohit aggarwal says

    December 28, 2019 at 9:39 am

    thank you for giving me wonderful information

    Reply
  20. Janet Slater says

    February 15, 2022 at 2:41 pm

    Is it possible to rent disabled electric scooters at keukenhof?

    Reply
    • Jeanne Horak says

      February 19, 2022 at 11:32 am

      Hi Janet – you can rent normal wheelchairs at Keukenhof but not electric mobility scooters. However, I think you can bring your own mobility scooter if you rent one from elsewhere in Amsterdam. Keukenhof is generally very accessible and the paths are wide and flat enough to accommodate mobility scooters. Hope that helps!

      Reply
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📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

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