Spring is in the air again and perhaps it is the best moment to explore the Netherlands. There are plenty of things to do during spring, such as visiting a castle, walking in the flower park, and going on a Dutch beach or an amusem*nt park. Keukenhof is a popular destination by many internationals living in the Netherlands and visiting tourists. It is considered as one of the world’s largest flower garden. Located in Lisse, The Netherlands, Keukenhof covers an area of 32 hectares and is millions of visitors come to visit every year. This garden is mainly popular for its tulips field, but there are also other flowers to find such as daffodils, hyacinths, roses, irises, carnations, and lilies. In this blog, I will tour you around the Keukenhof by discussing what you can see and do in the park (including photos) and how you can prepare your visit.
What to do in Keukenhof garden?
1. Enjoy the flower fields and take photos in every corner of this flower garden.
Keukenhof is a large and well-maintained landscape garden. Wherever you go, there will always be flowers. In fact, there are around 7 million spring flowering bulbs in Keukenhof. Grab this moment to take photos with the flower field, you’ll be amazed with the postcard effect of your photos.
2. Take your kids to children paradise.
This flower garden is not only for adults, but also for children. There are various children activities to do when in Keukenhof, such as scavenger hunt, playing with the animals, playing in the playground, or finding themselves in the maze.
3. Experience the traditional Dutch symbols and various inspirational gardens.
Keukenhof park is not only field with flowers and/or tulips, but also traditional Dutch symbols such as the windmills, clogs, and Dutch designs. You can find these in various locations of the park.
4. Enjoy picnic in the park
The best way to enjoy the park is of course by going on a picnic especially on a good weather. There are lots of peaceful places in Keukenhof. So find your spot and bring some food to share with your family and/or friends!
5. Have fun with the artworks
Keukenhof does not only showcase millions of flowers, but also many artworks. Interestingly, Keukenhof collaborates with many artists to feature their artworks. At the same time there are also flower festivals and shows in the area. Art lovers as well as public visitors can definitely enjoy the shows and exhibitions.
When is the best time to go to Keukenhof?
Keukenhof is open every year from March-May, but its a bit hard to predict the best time to go to this park. Dutch weather is unpredictable. Dutch have a saying March roert zijn staart, when translated in English it means March stirs its tail. This means that around March, even though it is the beginning of spring, it can be stormy and unpredictable. During April, they say April doet wat hij wil (April does what it wants to do). April can be the cruelest month and it is still possible to snow in April (during spring!). If lucky, it can also be sunny in April. The Dutch saying for May is In Mei leggen alle vogels een ei (All birds lay an egg in May). This means that May days are a real spring, with warm temperature and days getting long. In relation to Keukenhof, different flower bulbs are planted there and thus may have different seasons. Sometimes March is too cold that the flowers are not yet in full bloom. Sometimes May is too warm that other flowers are now over their stage. Or when it is too stormy in April, flowers may not grow properly. There are also some bulbs and flowers that are blooming only on certain periods and after few weeks, they are done. But regardless of the months you choose, there will always be various variety of flowers that bloom.
In addition to month, also time in the day or time of your visit. Keukenhof can be very busy because it is a popular tourist destination. Therefore try to visit during the non-busy days such as during weekdays and in the early morning or late afternoon.
How do I go to Keukenhof?
Keukenhof is quite accessible from major Dutch cities such as Schiphol, Leiden, or Haarlem. In fact, there are buses that directly go to Lisse from these stations. If you see a row of people falling in line for buses, they are most likely heading for Lisse. Depending on which cities you take, travel time can be from 20-40 minutes by public transport. If coming from Amsterdam and is traveling by car, it takes 40 minutes to reach Keukenhof.
Where can I buy tickets to Keukenhof?
In order to get discounted tickets to Keukenhof, the rule of thumb is to always buy your tickets in advance of your visit. Buying the ticket in the park itself will cost the full price plus you need to que in a long line. Full ticket costs around 19,50 euros for adults and 9 euros for ages 4-17 years old. Tickets can be bought online in the website itself www.keukenhof.nl, or in various websites and travel arrangements. For instance, when going on a day trip and by public transport, there is an arrangement in NS Spoordeelwinkel. you You can also buy a ticket in combination with hotel arrangements, such as on Fletcher Hotels and Van der Valk Hotel websites. Other discount websites to look for tickets include Voordeeluitjes, Hotelspecials, and ANWB.
Other activities to do in combination with Keukenhof
Keukenhof is close by many Dutch cities and therefore can be combined with other activities, especially when on 2-3 days trip. For instance, it is possible to visit the city of Amsterdam. Check out my blog on Amsterdam Netherlands: Fun facts and experiences for more information about this city. Going on the southern part of Keukenhof, you can visit the city of The Hague. From there you can visit famous attractions such as the Madurodam. You can find more information on what to do when in Madurodam in this blog: Madurodam The Hague: A kid’s play. It is also possible to visit close by Dutch beaches. In this blog you can find the various Dutch beaches close to Lisse. And if you want to simply discover the surrounding places to close to Keukenhof Lisse, you can also check my blog about North and South Holland.
