The Bloemencorso Bollenstreek is a colorful flower parade from Noordwijk to Haarlem in the tulip bulb fields region of the Netherlands — visit Keukenhof only on tours on parade Saturday.
Several Bloemencorsos (flower parade festivals) are held in the Netherlands but the one in the Bollenstreek (bulb flower fields region) to the south of Amsterdam is particularly popular. In the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek floats decorated with flowers are the main attraction in a large parade that follows a route past Keukenhof from Noordwijk to Haarlem. The main parade is all-day Saturday with a shorter evening parade the Friday before and the floats on display in Haarlem on Sunday. These parades are beautiful to see but cause tremendous traffic chaos in the region. Avoid traveling to Keukenhof on parade days, except when booking a specific Bloemencorso tour.
Keukenhof Area Flower Parade / Bloemencorso in 2024
In 2024, the main Bloemencorso Bollenstreek flower parade is on Saturday 20 April from Noordwijk to Haarlem, with an evening parade on Friday 19 April in Noordwijkerhout, and the floats on display in Haarlem on Sunday 21 April. It is also possible to see the floats being prepared by volunteers (and lend a hand) from Wednesday to Friday morning in Sassenheim.
The Saturday parade starts around 9 am in Noordwijk and slowly travels via many small towns and Keukenhof to reach Haarlem around 21:30 to 22:00. It causes terrible traffic jams and travelers with limited time should avoid the region on parade Saturday except if booking a specific tour — even public transportation buses are likely to get stuck at times. Traffic near Keukenhof will be particularly affected from around 13:00 to 17:00 on parade day.
The main Bloemencorso Bollenstreek flower parades in coming years are planned for 12 April 2025, 18 April 2026, and 17 April 2027.
Book Tours from Amsterdam to Keukenhof and the Bloemencorso Flower Parade
Guided bus tours from Amsterdam are a good way to visit Keukenhof and see the Bloemencorso flower parade. Specific bloemencorso tours schedule departures and arrivals to avoid road closures and delays. (If not interested in the flower parade, visit Keukenhof on a different day.)
The following tours are from Amsterdam and include bus transfers and entrance to Keukenhof in addition to specific aspects of the parade:
- 18 April — a behind-the-scenes tour of the parade build-up day.
- 19 April — travel to the illuminated evening flower parade (add an Amsterdam canal cruise or Van Gogh Museum tickets for a small saving).
- 20 April — grandstand parade seats and lunch (add Van Gogh Museum tickets for a small saving).
- 21 April — tulip tour of Haarlem (add Van Gogh Museum tickets).
Adding further sights and tickets usually gives a small saving — the visits to these added sights are usually possible on different dates than the visit to Keukenhof and seeing the flower parade.
Using the train to see the parade in Haarlem is a sensible do-it-yourself option, as the parade may be reached on foot from the train station. Seeing the stationary floats on Sunday in Haarlem is also a good choice.
See the full program and timings at Bloemencorso Bollenstreek.
Visiting Keukenhof Tulip Gardens near Amsterdam in the Netherlands in 2024
- Visit Keukenhof Tulip Gardens — Opening Hours, Tickets, General Visitors Information.
- Transportation to Keukenhof — Cheapest and easiest by Keukenhof Express bus from Amsterdam or Schiphol Airport.
- Cycling at Keukenhof — Rent a bike outside the tulip gardens and cycle the beautiful bulb flower fields region.
- Bloemencorso – Flower Parade — avoid traveling in the Keukenhof region on flower parade weekend, except when booking a specific flower parade tour.
- Buy Keukenhof tickets online, buy combination tickets (transportation and admission), or book guided tours from Amsterdam to Keukenhof.
- Photos on Flickr of Keukenhof and the flower fields.
