Visit Keukenhof near Lisse on an easy day trip tour or public transportation from Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, and other cities in Holland to see tulips and other flowers in the world’s largest bulb flower park.
Keukenhof in the Netherlands claims to be the world’s largest flower park. Each year, Keukenhof is open only two months in spring each year to show off the best of Dutch tulips, crocuses, narcissus (daffodils), and other bulb flowers. The park is an easy day-trip destination from Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, and most cities in Holland. It is popular with visitors of all age groups – from families with small children to tour groups of pensioners that tend to recall that the park was better on a most memorable visit x years ago. Buy skip-the-line tickets online — advance time-slot reservation tickets are essential to visit Keukenhof in 2023.
Note: Entry tickets for Keukenhof sold out for the Easter vacations and some other weekends in 2022. Tickets may still be available with transportation from Amsterdam or with other guided tours.
In 2023, Keukenhof is open from 23 March to 14 May 2023.
Visit Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands
The variety of flowers and colors at Keukenhof are overwhelming – around 7 million flower bulbs are planted in this famous 32-ha (80-acre) garden every year. The Dutch, of course, know a thing or two about tulips – using a mix of early, regular, and late flowering bulbs, tulips are usually seen for most of the two-month season. Crocuses, narcissus (daffodils), and hyacinths are more prevalent early in the season when Japanese cherry blossoms can also be seen.
The main attraction of Keukenhof is obviously the flowers but the park is truly a destination for visitors of all ages. Small children will enjoy the various playgrounds while a full-scale windmill, public art, and performances, as well as special displays add further entertainment to visitors of all ages.
Restaurants at Keukenhof are mostly self-service but budget-conscious travelers may bring along their own picnic.
- Several Bloemencorsos (flower parade festivals) are held in the Netherlands. One of the largest is the Bollenstreek parade at the end of April from Noordwijk through the bulb region and past Keukenhof to Harlem. These are beautiful to see but cause traffic chaos.
Book Keukenhof Tours at Get Your Guide:
Keukenhof Opening Hours and Tickets
Note: Entry tickets for Keukenhof sold out for the Easter vacations and some other weekends in 2022. Tickets may still be available with transportation from Amsterdam or with other guided tours.
In 2023, Keukenhof is open from 23 March to 14 May 2023.
Admission to Keukenhof in 2023 will be by advanced reservation time-slots only — buying tickets in advance is highly advisable as the numbers will be restricted compared to previous years.
Keukenhof’s flower gardens are only open for two months in spring – end March (around the 20th) to mid-May. During this period, Keukenhof is open daily from 8 am to 7:30 pm. (Last admission at 6 pm.)
In 2023, Keukenhof is scheduled from 23 March to 14 May 2023, daily from 8 am to 7:30 pm. Standard ticket prices for Keukenhof are €19 (€9 for children 4 to 17).
Skip the lines and buy tickets online — mobile phone or email printed tickets accepted to go directly to the entrance gate.
- The best time to visit Keukenhof depends on the weather but mid-April to early May is usually the most reliable for tulips. Avoid weekends and school vacations, especially Easter weekend. The garden is usually quieter early morning (up to 11:00) or late afternoon (after 15:00) than around lunchtime. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are usually quieter too.
Transportation to Visit Keukenhof in the Netherlands
Getting to Keukenhof is easy by car or public transportation. It is an ideal day-trip destination from Amsterdam or even directly from Schiphol Airport. Many guided tours with the option to see other sites too are available from especially Amsterdam.
By Car to Keukenhof
The easiest way to Keukenhof is by car – it is near Lisse, a small town situated in the province of South Holland between Harlem and Leiden. From highway A4, use exit 4 and from highway A44, use exit 3. The route is well signposted to Keukenhof once close to Lisse. Ample, reasonably priced parking is available — most online tickets allow parking to be added, which saves on queueing and trying to work the vending machines at the park. Note that cars should exit the parking area by 19:30 at the latest.
Suntransfers gives online quotations for pre-booked transfers, which may be convenient and even reasonably priced for small groups. Use Lisse as the destination for instant quotes.
Cheap Public Transportation to Visit Keukenhof
Several public transportation options are available for visitors going to Keukenhof:
Important: tickets are NOT sold on the Keukenhof Express buses (858 from Schiphol, 852 from Amsterdam-RAI, or 850 from Haarlem). A regular OV card may be used, or an Amsterdam & Regional Travel Ticket (or similar travel pass), or buy a combination Keukenhof and public transportation ticket online.
Note that the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket covers transportation from anywhere in Amsterdam to Keukenhof on the three main routes (Schiphol, RAI, Haarlem) explained below. Visitors with such travel cards should simply buy the Keukenhof admission ticket separately and not the combination tickets.
Travel to Keukenhof from Schiphol Airport:
Bus 858 (Keukenhof Express) goes directly from Schiphol Airport to Keukenhof during the season. The bus departs from exit 4 of the arrivals hall (near Starbucks) and takes about 30 min. The combi ticket including bus and Keukenhof admission is €29.50 from Schiphol Airport (€15.50 for children 4 – 11) — this ticket does not include further transportation from the airport to Amsterdam. A bus-only ticket is €11.50 return — buy in advance, or use an OV-Chipcard, as tickets are not sold on the Keukenhof Express buses.
Travel to Keukenhof from Amsterdam on public transportation:
Several options are available for travel by public transportation from Amsterdam to Keukenhof – the first option via Europaplein (RAI) is usually the best choice:
- Direct Keukenhof Express Bus 852 from Europaplein (RAI) Metro Station – easily reached by metro train from Amsterdam Central Station or any other metro station. This is generally the best choice from most parts of central Amsterdam. The combi ticket including bus and Keukenhof admission is €33.50 from Amsterdam RAI, or €16 for a return bus-only ticket. (Note this ticket does not cover the metro from Amsterdam to RAI — an Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket at €19.50 may be better value, especially if bought as a multiple-day travel pass).
- Alternatively, but seldom a better option, is to travel to Schiphol by bus or train and then onwards on bus 858 — a combination ticket is €29.50 or return bus-only €11.50.
- In some cases, a train to Haarlem and then proceeding by bus 50 (or Keukenhof Express 850 on weekends) to Keukenhof could also work out and is handy if planning to do more sightseeing in pretty Haarlem on the way back. In such case, buy the Keukenhof admission ticket and transportation tickets such as the Amsterdam regional pass separately.
- Keukenhof bus transfers from near Amsterdam Centraal station are possible on direct buses that are similarly priced to public transportation combination tickets — these are handy for travelers from Central Amsterdam as there is no need to travel to RAI first.
Further regional buses also run to Keukenhof during the flower season:
- From Leiden: Bus 854 (Keukenhof Express) goes directly to Keukenhof
- From Harlem: Bus 50 pass Keukenhof (Keukenhof Express 850 on weekends)
- From Lisse: Bus 57 runs to Keukenhof
- From Katwijk and Noordwijk: Bus 90 goes to Keukenhof.
Important: bus tickets are NOT sold on the Keukenhof Express buses (858 from Schiphol, 852 from Amsterdam-RAI, 854 from Leiden, or 850 from Haarlem). A regular OV chip card may be used, or an Amsterdam & Regional Travel Ticket (or similar travel pass), or buy a combination Keukenhof and public transportation ticket online.
Day-trip tour buses are faster but slightly more expensive – tours are available from many nearby cities including Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Brussels.
By Bicycle to Keukenhof
Keukenhof can easily be reached on bicycle – it is a beautiful ride as Keukenhof is in the heart of Holland’s largest flower build area. Tulip fields can be seen from Keukenhof but exploring the region by bicycle is particularly pleasant – rental bicycles are available from Keukenhof.
See Cycling at Keukenhof and the Tulip Fields for more details.
- Bicycles may be parked for free outside Keukenhof but may not be used or taken inside the flower park.
Day Trips to Keukenhof from Amsterdam
Keukenhof is a very pleasant day trip (or rushed half-day trip) from Amsterdam. Several companies offer guided tours from Amsterdam and other Dutch cities during spring, e.g. Get Your Guide or Tiqets. These tours often call en route at the Aalsmeer flower market near Schiphol airport, which is more a very interesting display of logistics than of the flowers that are sold, or at a working tulip farm.
Many combination guided tours are available of Keukenhof and other small typical Dutch towns such as Zaanse Schans, Volendam, Giethoorn, or Delft. Such guided tours are a great option to see many sights in one day when on limited time. Fun options at Keukenhof also include guided bicycle tours, self-drive electric car excursions, or even the occasional helicopter flights. Adding an Amsterdam Canal cruise onto a tour reservation often gives small discounts.
Private tours are also available and a good option for families and small groups — often the small group price may even be cheaper than individual tour bookings. In addition to Keukenhof, private tours often include the windmills of Zaanse Schans.
Many transportation routes pass through Leiden, the birthplace of Rembrandt. Further pleasant day-trip destinations from Amsterdam include Zaanse Schans and Kinderdijk where historical working windmills can be seen year-round.