Planning Your Perfect Visit to the Keukenhof Gardens

Last updated on November 21st, 2022 at 03:01 pm

As winter begins to let go of its hold on the land, the first signs of spring begin to show their faces. The weather begins to warm slightly, snow melts, signs of new life begin breaking out from the soil, and the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens in Lisse opens. Each year, over 2 million people, including us, time their visit to the Netherlands specifically to around this spectacular event. So, if you are also planning to visit Keukenhof, keep reading! I have included all kinds of information about our experience. My ultimate goal is to provide you with all the information you need to make your own visit to the Keukenhof as successful as possible!

***Disclaimer: Be sure to check the restrictions and regulations for entry into the Netherlands as well as any activity you wish to participate in before booking any part of your journey.

Tulips and Daffodils at Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands

Red and Yellow Tulips at Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands

The Tulip’s Impact on Dutch History

Did you know that tulips are not even native to the Netherlands? It’s true! They were first imported from Turkey in the late 16th century. By the 1630s, “tulip mania” had gripped the Dutch people. Prices rose so high that a few tulip bulbs could cost as much as a house! This led to one of the most famous economic bubbles and crashes of all time.

While the tulips were highly prized for their beauty, they were used for a slightly different use towards the end of WWII. The combination of the hardships of German occupation and a harsh freeze that lasted from 1944 into 1945 caused serious famine in the Netherlands. In order to combat starvation, tulip growers began selling the stockpiled tulip bulbs for food. Newspapers and magazines even published recipes, teaching people how to safely prepare and cook the bulbs. While it did get them through the war, it is not a very common practice to eat tulips nowadays.

Today, the tulip continues to be a major part of the country’s culture and image. Tens of thousands of hectares are designated for growing tulips ever year. In fact, the Netherlands produces approximately 90% of the world’s tulips!! So, if you are also in love with these darling flowers at the Dutch, there is no place more ideal for experiencing them than the Netherlands!

4 Fun Facts About the Keukenhof Gardens

The name Keukenhof translates to “Kitchen garden” in English. This originates from the fact that the garden was the kitchen garden for the Teylingen Castle

The Keukenhof Gardens welcomed the first visitors in 1950. The goal was for bulb growers and exporters to feature the products they were selling.

It takes approximately 3 months for the more than 7 million bulbs to be planted by hand in the Keukenhof each year.

The Keukenhof, nicknamed Europe’s Garden, is one of the largest flower gardens in the world.

When To Visit The Keukenhof Gardens

The Keukenhof is only open for 8 weeks during the spring. The dates for 2023 are: 23 March – 14 May. Although the weather conditions vary from year to year, mid April to early May is considered the most ideal time to plan your visit.

Ticketing For the Keukenhof

Keukenhof tickets go on sale each year in October on the Keuenhof Gardens website! It is best to buy your tickets as early as you can in order to secure your desired spot. Please note that as of 2023, tickets will only be available online!

In order to assist with traffic flow, tickets are assigned to a specific time slot. According to the website, you can enter the gardens up to 30 minutes before or after your time slot.

Please Note: If you leave the gardens, you will NOT be allowed to re-enter the Keukenhof! The only exception for this is on the Tulip Parade Day (which I cover in a later section).

Getting to the Keukenhof Gardens

The closest airport to the Keukenhof is the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. From here, you have the opportunity to rent a car or take public transportation to your final destination.

If you are going straight from the airport to the gardens, it can take approximately 20-30 minutes by car. (Please note that this is an estimate and is dependent on traffic conditions.) If you are driving from the airport or anywhere else, be sure to purchase your parking pass at the same time you purchase your entry tickets into the Keukenhof!

There is also the option to purchase tickets that include transportation directly from the airport via the Keukenhof Shuttle Bus! Please note that the shuttle bus lines also connect to other places such as Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Katwijk Beach and Noordwijk Beach. To find out more about this option, please click here.

***Many people visit the Keukenhof Gardens directly from the airport. If you fall into this category, fear not, there is a place to store luggage at the Keukenhof! For more information, please click here.

Where You Should Stay

The Keukenhof is located in Lisse, which is a rather small village. While it might be more convenient to stay there, just know that the options will be more limited. Other nearby places include Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, Katwijk Beach and Noordwijk Beach. Especially if you don’t have a car, it will be easier to get to the gardens from these locations since the Keukenhof Shuttle route connects to them.

Personally, we stayed just north of Amsterdam in Oostzaan. The Airbnb was lovely, could easily accommodate our travel party of 4, and it was a fantastic price compared with the other options available at the time of booking (Just a heads up, lodging in The Netherlands can be quite pricey!). It took us approximately 30-40 minutes to get to the gardens. If you are interested in booking the same home, please click here.

Christine in a Tulip Field at Keukenhof Gardens

Planning Your Day at the Keukenhof

To avoid heavy crowds, you will most likely want to visit on a weekday versus a weekend or holiday. (Be sure to check the holiday schedule for the Netherlands as it will be different from your home country’s schedule!)

Typically, guests spend anywhere from 2-4 hours at the Keukenhof. Remember, this is a garden and you will be outside the whole time. I recommend wearing something comfortable and weather appropriate (especially shoes).

You will also want to bring a small backpack with all the things you might need for the day. If it is at all possible for you to bring your own lunch, I highly recommend this. As with many places like this, the food options are limited, overpriced, and the the lines can be quite long.

Here is a Quick List of Items I Recommend You Take With You

Picnic Lunch
Camera (and accessories such as tripod, extra batteries, etc.)
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Kleenex (especially if it’s still cold outside)
Rain jacket/umbrella (if the weather looks like it might be rainy)
An extra layer
A small towel or something that could be used as a picnic blanket
Small, portable chairs (especially if you are planning to go to the parade

Visit During the Keukenhof Flower Parade

Toucan Float at Tulip Parade in the Netherlands

Chinese Float at Tulip Parade in the Netherlands

If you are looking to make your visit to the Keukenhof extra festive, you can plan it for the weekend of the Keukenhof Flower Parade. At this special event, you can watch floats made of flowers drift down the street, hear marching bands play, and buy yummy Stroopwafels from local vendors.

Some Quick Facts to Help You Plan Your Parade-Day Schedule

The parade route is very long, stretching from Noordwijk all the way up to the city of Haarlem. Therefore, you should expect that there will be multiple road closures on the day of the parade. In order to have a smooth experience, I recommend buying your tickets for the earliest time slot available.

Due to road closures, you will not be able to access the Keukenhof by vehicle after a certain time (check for the most up to date information on the Keukenhof website). You also won’t be able to leave again until after the parade has passed.

Do I Have to Be at the Keukenhof to See the Parade?

The good news is: No, you do not need to be at the Keukenhof to watch the parade! The parade covers approximately 26 miles during its 12 hour duration. Therefore, there are many places you can enjoy the spectacle along the parade route.

Of course, an advantage of NOT being at the Keukenhof on parade day is that the gardens can be quite crowded. Our experience was that it was busy on parade day 2022, but I don’t have a way to compare it to other Saturdays during the tulip season. The road closures can also cause some chaos, but we got there early and didn’t experience any problems.

I won’t lie, it is convenient, seeing as the parade passes by the entrance to the Keukenhof in the mid afternoon (3:30pm-ish). I would recommend heading to the parade route around 2:30pm (or 3pm at the absolute latest) to secure a spot along the street. One really nice thing about our experience was that once the parade was over, most people left immediately. That meant that we had a couple of hours to enjoy the gardens without the crowds (which I thoroughly enjoyed).

There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. Your decision will boil down to what you think will best serve the needs of your own travel group.

In Conclusion

I hope that you have found this post helpful and insightful as you plan your own visit to the Keukenhof Gardens. My wish is that your experience is as wonderful and magical as ours was!

Happy Travels,
<3 Christine