A Guide to Visiting the Flower Fields near Keukenhof, Netherlands – Tulips and more!

As spring was approaching the Netherlands, I was planning a visit to Keukenhof which is world famous for its tulips.

Strangely enough, as I was going through articles on the net, the images of vast strips of flower fields was not what I found related to Keukenhof – It was filled with carved gardens; too man made and perfect for my liking. In addition, I read that it is madly crowded.

Where to find the flower fields near Keukenhof

If never ending strips of flowers is what you want to see (and with a fraction of the crowds), the private farms around Keukenhof is where you should head to. The farms grow the flowers and bulbs that are actually exported worldwide. The area is known locally as the Bollenstreek (Bulb Region or Flower Strip), including villages like Voorhout, Lisse, Hillegom and Noordwijkerhout and is home to the world famous Dutch tulip fields. More info here.

The best (and most Dutch) way to get around the area is on a cycle. We rented ours from Rent a bike van Dam which has an office right in front of the entrance to the Keukenhof gardens (it may be good to book before hand to skip long queues and also as they are rented out very soon).

We used FlowerRadar to decide our cycle route (you can also get maps from Rent a bike van Dam). I will include the routes we took on Google Maps for easy navigation. Of course we didn’t stick to this route and wandered here and there at the sight of a hidden farm.

We did 2 trips around the Bollenstreek –

1) Day 1 (Weekending  April 6th) – The fields were brimming with daffodils and hyacinths and the tulips were just beginning to bloom. The smell around these fields is heavenly!

Google Maps Route –

• Keukenhof to Noordwijkerhout 
• Noordwijkerhout to Lisse

2) Day 2 (Weekending April 20th) – Tulipmania!! All the fields were filled with tulip carpets. Such a delight to see! This time we took a tandem bike and it was such a wonderful experience (except when you shout at each other for not letting the other person know about stopping or slowing down :P).

Google Maps Route –

• Keukenhof to Lisse
• Lisse to Hillegom

One of a kind

We also came across a cozy little spot by a teeny water body and we stopped here for lunch. I love finding such hidden gems!

Such a cozy spot for a lunch break!

• There are fields that are completely blocked to tourists – do not try to climb over.
  As you move farther away from Keukenhof (and the crowds), the farmers have not placed any barricades on their farms. We also saw a few farmers in such farms. But please DO NOT trample the flowers or pluck them. Respect the farmers.
• The cycle route was very flat and easy to bike. The area gives such a beautiful sight into the Dutch countryside, homes, farmers and friendly people (aside from the flowers of course!)

Us 🙂

When to visit

April is generally the best month to see the flower fields in bloom, although it can vary greatly from year-to-year depending on the weather. As mentioned above, using FlowerRadar  is a great way to find what is in bloom currently.

I love the spring PhotoDiary volumes – PhotoDiary Spring 2018 and PhotoDiary – Spring is here! . I guess this has to be my ultimate “Spring is here” volume!

Have you been to Keukenhof and the nearby fields?

How do you like it?