Tulip Fields in the Netherlands

🤩 My reflection

Unlike my expectations, I really enjoyed all kinds of tulip fields. I thought I’d get rather bored, but they are both pretty and interesting. There are many different ways to see them. The most famous and well-known one is Keukenhof, but there are also actual tulip fields where you can get closer to rows of colorful tulip blocks. I mean, imagine being right in the middle of huge tulip fields, surrounded by all the colors, who wouldn’t be impressed by that?

✍🏻 Itinerary

The tulip fields around Lisse are one of the most famous flower-growing regions in the Netherlands, especially in spring when the fields bloom in colorful stripes. It’s located about 35-40 minutes from Amsterdam by car. Because of the short distance, it’s perfect for a relaxed day trip. You have a couple of different options to choose from depending on what kind of experience you’re looking for🌷

Keukenhof

Keukenhof is the most popular and well-known tulip garden. It’s not a tulip field per se, but more like a showcase garden with beautifully designed landscapes and themed flower displays. The upside is that you get to see a huge variety of tulips - many you probably didn’t know existed - and there are countless picturesque spots for photos (think bridges, windmills, and curated flower beds everywhere). There are also indoor pavilions with different flower exhibitions, which is nice if the weather isn’t great. However, it’s very touristy, often crowded, a bit theatrical, and on the expensive side.

Price: 21.00 euro per person

Amsterdam Tulip Experience

This was a great experience! It’s the only one that really offers proper information on tulips - their history, cultivation process, and different varieties - so it feels a bit more educational compared to the others. The large, colorful tulip fields are truly impressive and give you that classic “endless rows of tulips” view. There are also plenty of social media–friendly setups if that’s your thing. The included tulip picking is a nice bonus (you get to walk through a small picking garden at the end), even though the flowers were a bit overgrown when we visited.

Price: 12.50 euro per person (including 5 tulips to pick - basically a free bouquet)

De Tulperij

This one is fairly well-known too. It was a bit disappointing that the paid-access field was very small (at least in early May - maybe the tulips had already been picked). However, their free-entry garden has 1–2 rows of tulips and is still worth a quick visit, especially if you’re passing by. The real highlight here is the cozy, family-run café with sunny outdoor seating. It’s a lovely place to relax with coffee and cake if the weather is nice.

Price: Free! (10 euro per person if you want to enter the main tulip field)

The Tulip Barn

Tulip Barn has similar vibes to Amsterdam Tulip Experience. Although there is no museum part, there are still big rows of colorful tulips in a large area, so it's quite impressive. There are also different backdrops here and there to make it more social-media-ready. It was very crowded on the day we visited; it would have been more enjoyable to have a bit more space to ourselves. The blocks of tulips were also mixed in color rather than being single-color sections, which made it look a tad less impressive, although still beautiful.

Price: 10 euro per person

Free, open tulip fields on the way

On the way to and from Tulip Barn, we also saw free tulip fields along the roads. They were basically big blocks of tulip corridors mixed with some other flowers. There were already people taking photos there, so we parked the car on the side of the road and went in to see the beauty of the tulip fields and take some photos like everyone else. There were also people with rented bicycles, so that might be a good option if the weather is nice and guaranteed to hold. Honestly, this is very similar to what you get from the paid experiences I listed, and it's completely free. The only thing is that you potentially won't see as many colors and varieties.

Price: Free!

📢 Essential tips

What's the best time to visit tulip fields?

It’s officially open from the end of March to mid-May. But realistically, I’d advise you to visit between mid-April and early May to really enjoy what you see. I’ve also visited at the end of March, and I can say that the difference is major, because there are no tulips 🙂

How to reach to the tulip fields?

You can go by Keukenhof’s dedicated buses, by car (MyWheels, Greenwheels, or Free2move are good options), or by public transport - there are buses from Amsterdam RAI and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

What is your favourite tulip experience and why?

My favourite one is Amsterdam Tulip Experience. Because 1) it’s not a touristic show garden like Keukenhof, it has real tulip fields, 2) it’s the only option that gives proper information about tulips and how they are grown, and 3) it has a very large space with color blocks that are very appealing to the eye and in photos.

🔗 All travel links

Tours

Keukenhof - You can book here

Amsterdam Tulip Experience - You can book here

De Tulperij - You can book here

The Tulip Barn - You can book here

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