Amsterdam Tulip Festival & Spring Celebrations in the Netherlands

Tulips in the Netherlands

The tulip has enchanted lovers of floral beauty around the globe for millennia, and it has evolved into a beloved symbol for the Netherlands.​ With its great variety of colors and shapes and its role as one of the first flowers announcing spring, tulip time is the perfect time to go on a tour of The Netherlands. Acres of rainbow fields crisscross farmlands. Gazing across the neat rainbow ribbons of tulips blooming in the Dutch countryside and wandering among acres of stunning gardens is an awe-inspiring immersion in color and beauty.

Tulip Season in the Netherlands can range from late March to mid-May, but the flowers are usually at their best halfway through April. During the Spring, tulip love grips the country, bringing visitors from near and far to wander the famous Keukenhof Gardens and view the bulb fields. Festivals, public displays, parades, and gardens across the city celebrate the kingdom's favorite flower. Book a Netherlands or Amsterdam tour or cruise package and get a true sense of the Netherlands’ extraordinary connection to these blooms.

Discover Keukenhof: The World’s Most Beautiful Spring Park

Keukenhof, the iconic spring garden in the Netherlands, is a must-visit destination for flower enthusiasts, nature lovers, and tourists alike. With its 32-hectare landscape blooming with over 7 million flower bulbs every spring, Keukenhof offers an unforgettable experience. Known as the "Garden of Europe," this historical park combines stunning floral displays with rich history and innovative garden designs.

A Park Rooted in History

The origins of Keukenhof date back to 1857, when the renowned Zocher family designed the park in the English landscape style. However, its current purpose as a spring garden was established in 1949 by a group of flower bulb growers and exporters aiming to showcase the Netherlands’ flourishing bulb trade. Today, Keukenhof stands as a testament to centuries of horticultural tradition, with its name harking back to the area’s history as Countess Jacoba van Beieren’s kitchen garden.

Keukenhof’s Floral Splendor

Keukenhof’s floral displays are its main attraction, featuring:

• 1,600 varieties of bulbs, including 800 types of tulips.
• Carefully crafted designs that change annually, ensuring fresh and unique experiences every year.
• Gardens inspired by diverse styles, from English landscapes to French Baroque themes.

The park’s inspirational gardens provide visitors with ideas for their own spaces, whether large backyards or cozy balconies. From romantic gardens to tropical displays, Keukenhof shows how flower bulbs can transform any area into a vibrant masterpiece.

Highlights and Attractions at Keukenhof

Keukenhof goes beyond being a mere garden. Visitors can explore:

• Pavilions with themed floral exhibitions, such as orchids at the Beatrix Pavilion and roses at the Oranje Nassau Pavilion.
• Historic Windmill, built in 1892 and donated to Keukenhof in 1957.
• Sculpture Collection featuring approximately 100 art pieces in various styles.
• Family-friendly Activities, including a maze, petting zoo, and playgrounds like the Miffy-themed area.

The park also delves into tulip history, showcasing heirloom varieties cultivated for over four centuries in the Historic Garden.

A Photographer’s Paradise

Keukenhof is a dream location for photographers, with millions of pictures taken annually and shared on social media platforms. The vibrant displays and stunning backdrops have made Keukenhof synonymous with Dutch spring beauty, drawing international media coverage and global attention.

Fascinating Facts About Keukenhof

• Pathways: 15 km of scenic paths weave through the park.
• Trees: Over 2,500 trees representing 100+ species add depth to the landscape.
• Cherry Blossoms: More than 100 varieties of prunus trees bloom spectacularly.
• Tulip History: Features authentic tulip varieties from the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Art and Culture: Approximately 75 art objects enhance the natural beauty of the gardens.

Keukenhof's Royal Connections

Since its inception in 1950, Keukenhof has enjoyed a close association with the Dutch royal family. Queens, princes, and princesses have visited the park for official ceremonies, garden contests, and anniversary celebrations. International dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth and the Queen of Sweden, have also graced Keukenhof with their presence.

Plan Your Visit to Keukenhof

Keukenhof operates for approximately eight weeks every spring, typically from mid-March to mid-May. For more than 50 years, travelers have depended on our dedicated team of Travel Specialists to help them plan amazing vacations. With just a call or click, our team can help you choose the perfect trip, find you the best savings, book your flights, and can even offer a comprehensive travel insurance plan so you're protected while exploring the world.

Why Visit Keukenhof?

Keukenhof isn’t just a garden; it’s an experience that encapsulates the beauty, culture, and innovation of the Netherlands. Whether you're captivated by the breathtaking floral displays, intrigued by its history, or seeking inspiration for your own garden, Keukenhof offers something for everyone. Make it a must-see stop on your next visit to the Netherlands!

Amsterdam Tulip Festival

Amsterdam, the cultural capital of the Netherlands, has several celebrations of the beloved bulb. Every January, National Tulip Day brightens this beautiful canal-crossed city. A temporary garden of over 200,000 tulips takes over Dam Square offering a tulip for every citizen: people are invited to pick out their own free tulip. Come Spring, hundreds of tulip displays bloom in public areas for the Amsterdam Tulip Festival.

Why Should You Visit the Amsterdam Tulip Festival?

The Amsterdam Tulip Festival in April is a horticultural lover’s dream. Similar to the Chelsea Flower Show in London, gardens of the city’s museums and hotels bloom with color, displays peek around distinguished buildings in the city center, and market stalls overflow with flowers to take home and share.

Other Tulip Festivals and Attractions to Visit in the Spring

Bloemencorso Bollenstreek Flower Parade

Tulip season also inspires one of the world’s largest floral parades, the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek Flower Parade. It travels a 26-mile route, starting from the beaches at Noordwijk and ending in Haarlem; the parade can take over 11 hours! The floats remain on display in Haarlem on Sunday after the procession.

Since its inaugural run in 1947, it has attracted crowds to admire huge floats artfully bedecked with flowers, and beautifully embellished cars. It’s free to watch, although spectators may pay for seats in grandstands with better views and weather protection.

Tulips in Flevoland

With more than 5,000 hectares of tulip fields, annual festivals, and a host of unique activities to enjoy, Flevoland is another spectacular region in the Netherlands to explore the country’s amazing flower production.

The History of the Tulip in The Netherlands

Sultans of the Ottoman Empire were dedicated tulip enthusiasts, featuring beautiful tulip displays in their lavish gardens. European diplomats to the Ottoman court admired the flower and brought bulbs to Europe, where they swiftly transitioned from horticultural rarity to symbols of wealth and nobility. Even after their rise and fall in popularity during the 17th century, the flower remained a national emblem, frequently depicted in Dutch Golden Age paintings by artists such as Rembrandt.

Tulip Fields in the Netherlands

Tulips are relative newcomers to the Netherlands. The flower is native to a wide swath of territory from southern Europe to central Asia. According to the Amsterdam Tulip Museum, the first tulip bloomed in the Netherlands in 1594. This was an era of booming economic prosperity in Holland, and the exotic bloom became hugely popular.

Today, more than 8 million flower bulbs bloom throughout the Netherlands in spring. The area known as the Bollenstreek (Dutch for flower region) is located along the northwestern coast of the Netherlands, in the historical region of Holland just southwest of Amsterdam. Known for Dutch icons like windmills, cheese, and wooden shoes – it’s also the best place to see some of the most stunning tulip fields in the country.

Tour the Tulip Fields

Tulip Bulb Sales in the Netherlands

Tulips vary in shape and size. The classic oval single tulip is joined by double tulips, also called peony tulips, as well as fringed and “parrot” tulips with ruffled feather-edged petals. About 75 species of tulip deliver nearly every color. A truly black tulip hasn’t yet been achieved, but there are deep midnight purple blooms. While there are no blue tulips, some do have blue accents on petals near the stem. While candy-striped, color-streaked tulips were once the result of a virus, today careful genetic selection is responsible for incredible multi-color combinations. Altogether, there are over 3,000 registered varieties.

Tulips thrive in mild coastal climates with at least three months of sustained cold weather. Because they the flowers do so well in the Dutch climate and the well-drained sandy soil by the North Sea, they rose to play a dominant role in the nation’s agriculture.

Because of this, flower bulbs are a huge industry in the Netherlands. The tulip fields that bloom so prolifically in Spring primarily supply the bulb industry, not the cut flower market, so the flowers are headed (cut off) two to three weeks after the bloom begins, to ensure the plant’s energy goes to the bulb, not to seed production. The small country exports over 1 billion flower bulbs annually to the U.S. alone. Tulips dominate this trade, but the country also exports crocus, daffodil, hyacinth bulbs, and more. It’s the world's largest exporter of cut flowers, making the enormous Aalsmeer Flower Auction a big tourist attraction and an economic driver for the region.

Can you bring or ship tulip bulbs home?

If you’re thinking about buying bulbs from Keukenhof or perhaps having items shipped home, ensure the vendor provides the documentation necessary for importing bulbs or plants into your home country. Regulations for importing plant material can vary and is subject to change. Please research current rules before you go, ask your guide, and ensure that any bulbs you wish to import have the right documentation.