During our trip to the Netherlands we learned the saying “De bloemetjes buitenzetten”. It translates to “to put the flowers out” but it has a deeper meaning. It means to go out and have a good time! This saying really resonated with us and is very fitting for todays post, going to see the famous tulips in the Netherlands.
When is tulip season?
Tulip season in the Netherlands is generally from the end of March through the first few weeks of May. It has been a dream of mine to make it to the area during this time of year, and we finally made it happen in 2022! This post is specifically about how we did it, although there are innumerable different ways to go about tailoring this trip for each age, activity level, length of stay, etc. I would be happy to share any research I did, answer any questions you have, or help you come up with an itinerary that suits you better than this one, just send me an email!
Where to base
If you are planning to see the Tulips in the Netherlands, you’ve probably looked at it from a few different angles. You’re probably considering staying in Amsterdam and making a day trip, or maybe considering a stay in the town of Lisse itself, which is home of the famous Keukenhof Gardens and sprawling tulip fields. I am going to propose a middle ground approach to each of these two options, one that also affords the opportunity to see another fabulous town in the Netherlands, which is Haarlem.
I find staying in Haarlem and visiting Lisse to be a great option for several reasons.
Haarlem is far smaller than Amsterdam. It is a charming and quaint town, but it also has a ton of fun options for restaurants, bars, historical sites, and places to stay. When we considered staying in Lisse, part of what held me back was how small it is. I feel we would have spent quite a few meals at whatever hotel we had chosen, and had less to do in the evenings. Haarlem gave us the entertaining evenings we were looking for after a great day of stopping to smell the tulips.
When it comes to places to stay, Haarlem has a lot to offer. For our lodging, we rented a room in the most amazing bed and breakfast ever! It was on the ground floor of an historic building, which had been beautifully renovated while still maintaining its old world charm. Each morning, the wonderful owner (who lives in a separate wing of the building) wheeled in a cart FULL of incredible, homemade food to get us ready for our impending day full of adventure.
The place was called B&B Het Hart Van Haarlem, and we got it through booking.com. We started off our day with fresh breakfast and coffee from tulip themed mugs and fresh tulips on our table, while looking at their well maintained garden through giant windows. Our room had thick, tapestry-like fabric wall coverings, the furniture & decorations were beautifully crafted antiques, and to top it off there was gold accent everywhere and a giant crystal chandelier over the bed. We felt like royalty, and the room could have come right out of a movie!
It actually inspired us to buy a chandelier for our bedroom at home. Click here to book this amazing experience for yourself!
Rent Bikes if you’re able
The Netherlands is known for being an extremely bike-friendly country, so we took part & rode e-bikes to Lisse from Haarlem. They were very easy to rent from “Rent a Bike Haarlem”. We rented bikes in advance to make sure they would have some available on our chosen day. We picked them up first thing in the morning and got right on the road. Most GPS phone apps have “bike” settings these days, so it was very easy to follow the bike path directions to get to the Keukenhof.
The whole ride is easy, basically a straight shot, and time flew by. The e-bike was also a great idea to still look “cute” and prevent too much sweating. Before you know it, you’re starting to pass by tulip fields that just get more and more beautiful and expansive as you go. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the Garden, and we couldn’t help but stop a few times to take in the exciting views along the way.
Pre Purchase Tickets
We had pre-purchased tickets to the Keukenhof, which I highly recommend as it is common that they sell out. It was very easy to park our bikes right outside of the Gardens safely and spend a few hours inside. If you go to the Keukenhof website, they have all sorts of options for tickets. We just purchased entry tickets since we got ourselves there, but you can also purchase bus and entry, car and entry, groups, wheelchairs, etc.
Take your time
We tend to be fast movers wherever we are, it’s just our style. We worked hard to slow down, enjoy the moment, and really make sure we saw everything we wanted to see while we were in the Keukenhof. We were there for a few hours, and you could spend as short or long a time as you want, but we highly recommend you take the time to see it all. Every inch of the place is worth it!
BYO Picnic
Another great tip is to bring your own picnic in! You are allowed to basically set up shop anywhere you want among the beautiful flowers and have a snack and a drink, and just relax. We packed sparkling wine and some charcuterie and sat in the bright sunshine of a gorgeous garden to have our lunch. There is food and drink for purchase inside the Keukenhof as well, but we enjoyed the experience of bringing our own and eating among the flowers.
Explore on your own
After exiting the Keukenhof, we rode our bikes all around the area to see some of the surrounding tulip fields. This was what I had been waiting for, and it truly felt like the bucket list experience that I had wanted. It is easy to navigate, as there are a lot of people doing the same thing, so if you don’t know where to go, just follow the other bikers! We rode past endless fields of tulips and even stopped to pick up a little bundle for ourselves. We took so many photos and had the most beautiful day riding all around and taking photos.
No matter where you choose to start and end your day, seeing the tulips in Lisse and going to the Keukenhof is an extremely enjoyable experience. It is, without a doubt, an activity that I would highly recommend during your time in the Netherlands.
If you’re interested in more information about visiting and basing in Haarlem, you can check out my post here —> Haarlem, Netherlands
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