The tulip is a national symbol in the Netherlands. Every spring, the Netherlands burst into a rainbow of yellow, purple, red, pink, white and orange blooms. Tulips are literally everywhere (from farmers’ fields to cute souvenirs shops), making the country overwhelmingly beautiful. This patchwork of colors attracts millions of visitors each year. If you plan on visiting Amsterdam, finding tulips are just a bike or train ride away! In the article, I’ve listed down the best way to see the tulips near Amsterdam.
Travel Tip: I highly recommend getting an I amsterdam City Card. It gives you free entry to 70+ museums like Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh, unlimited public transport (tram, bus, metro), a complimentary canal cruise, 24-hour bike rental, and discounts at attractions and eateries, available for 24-120 hours!
N°1. Experience National Tulip Day & Check Out Bloemenmarkt
A lot of people come to Amsterdam thinking that they will see tulips everywhere in the capital. Actually, there are no tulip fields in Amsterdam! The only day you can see a tulip garden is during National Tulip Day, in January when a temporary patch of 200,000 tulips is set up on Dam Square and all visitors can pick a tulip to bring back home for free.
The second place in Amsterdam where you can see tulips is at the floating flower market on Singel called Bloemenmarkt. Permanently established in Amsterdam, it is one of the city’s main attractions.
Travel Tip: you should go on a Tulip Boat Tour — perfect for content creators with vibrant tulips, iconic views and only for small groups of max 10!
However, if you truly want to experience the tulips in the Netherlands and see the fields, the best is to get out of Amsterdam. It might sound difficult to get out of the capital if you have never been to Holland but actually, since the country is fairly small and the transport system incredible, it is super easy to get around! Below are the best places to go to to see tulips around Amsterdam as locals do!
N°2. Pick Your Own Tulips at Annemieke’s Picking Garden
Annemieke’s Picking Garden is just a short ride away from Amsterdam and it is one of the best ways to discover the region. Owned by the lovely Ammemieke, this organic flower farm located in Hillegom, lets you pick your own bouquet from mid-February to mid-May. You can choose from more than 300 varieties of flowers in all kinds of colors!
Travel Tip: You can take this private photoshoot at Zaans Schans, available for solo travelers, couples, or groups, with a pro photographer amid windmills and Dutch scenery!
N° 3. Bike or Drive Through Bollenstreek
Annemieke’s Picking Garden is located in the “Bulb Region” or Bollenstreek, which is a gorgeous place to see the tulip fields. Located in Western Netherlands, this area stretching from Haarlem to Leiden is where a lot of flower fields are located. This “Flower Strip” is all around the cities of Leyde, Noordwijk, Noordwijkerhout, Lisse and Hillegom, offering a spectacular display of blooming tulips but also hyacinths or daffodils. You can drive through the Bollenstreek but the Dutch way is to bike around!
Travel Tip: Contrary to the picking gardens, most of the fields on the “Flower Strip” are private and don’t allow free entry. Please always ask the owner if you can enter the field. Don’t forget that those flowers are the owners’ hard work and income so avoid stepping on any of them, don’t pick the tulips, and be respectful.
N°4. Check Out the Flower Parade
One of the most spectacular spring events in the Netherlands is the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek, also known as the Flower Parade. Every April, enormous floats covered with thousands of fresh flowers (mainly hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils) travel through the colorful bulb-growing region of Bollenstreek. The parade follows a 40-kilometer route from Noordwijk to Haarlem, passing through towns such as Lisse, near the famous Keukenhof Gardens. Accompanied by marching bands, music groups, and beautifully decorated vehicles, the Flower Parade celebrates the Netherlands’ long tradition of flower growing and attracts visitors from all over the world each year.
Travel Tip: You can take this Amsterdam day trip to catch the Flower Parade from a VIP grandstand seat; admire tulip-adorned floats passing by, then explore Keukenhof’s blooming gardens at your leisure!
N°5. Visit the Black Tulip Museum
If you are staying in Lisse a little longer, a visit to the Black Tulip Museum is a must! There, you can learn about the history of tulips and flower bulb culture while admiring how artists, over the centuries, captured tulip’s beauty in art.
Did you know? Tulips aren’t originally from the Netherlands! They were first cultivated in the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey) and brought to Holland in the 16th century.
N°6. See and… Eat the Tulips!
After a visit to Keukenhof and the Black Tulip Museum, why not eat tulips for dinner? The Restaurant De Vier Seizoenen, in the center of Lisse, offers aflower-themed 4-course menu available from mid-April to mid-May. Located in a 17th-century building which was once the mayor’s residence, this restaurant makes sweet and sour tulip bulbs and eatable tulip petals! My favorite part of the meal was the dessert. The white chocolate and tulip bulb vodka mousse was complimented withhibiscus flower ice cream and violet flower meringue. Incredibly delicious!
Travel Tip: You can take this full-day Amsterdam tour to another real tulip farm (plus apple pie!), a scenic 1-hour windmill cruise, and unlimited time at dazzling Keukenhof gardens, pure Dutch spring bliss!
N°7. Visit the Keukenhof Gardens
Right in the heart of the Bollenstreek, in the city of Lisse, lies thelargest flower garden in the country named Keukenhof. Only open for two months each year, Keukenhof welcomes 1 million visitors annually! Boasting up to seven million bulbs, the park reinvents itself each time, showcasing an amazing collection of colorful flowers. Tulips are, of course, the icon of the Netherlands and occupy a prominent place in the garden. However, Keukenhof features other flowers such as roses, orchids, and lilies. The park also has its own sculpture garden and even a children’s area with a maze, playground and a petting zoo. There is also a cute windmill there!
Travel Tip: Since it is incredibly popular, the crowds can be insane! I would advise you to go as soon as the park opens or during the last few hours before it closes. You should also book your ticket online to skip the lines.
N°8. Check Out the Aalsmeer Flower Auction
Today, the Netherlands is the world’s leading flower exporter. In the village of Aalsmeer, close to Schiphol Airport, you’ll find the world’s largest flower auction. Flowers from all over the world are traded here every day, with around 20 million flowers sold daily. Visitors can watch the Dutch auction from a special gallery. Known as afmijnen, this open-outcry descending-price auction is fascinating to witness. Please note that the auction is only open to visitors on weekday mornings.
Travel Tip: You can hop on this 70-minute 420 smoke-friendly party boat for a chill canal cruise, glide past the Seven Bridges and Skinny Bridge, with unlimited drinks for that perfect Amsterdam high!
N°9. Go to the Flower Art Museum
Also in Aalsmeer, you can visit the Flower Art Museum which is the first museum in the world that is entirely dedicated to art inspired by flowers and plants. Every three months, this museum displays new exhibitions by contemporary artists from the Netherlands and abroad. You can even admire the sculpture garden on the roof, facing the water tower by the Westeinder lake.
Travel Tip: head to Tulip Experience and wander through a massive show garden with 4 million tulips in 700 varieties, dive into the interactive museum on tulip history and cultivation, pick your own bouquet indoors (included), plus art exhibits, cinema, and coffee with field views!
N°10. Enjoy the Tulip Route in Flevoland
About an hour from Amsterdam, Flevoland turns into a patchwork of color during tulip season, with an annual Tulip Route that changes every year based on where growers plant. You can drive or cycle past huge fields, stop at viewpoints and farm stands, and enjoy a much quieter, more local feel than the classic spots. The Tulip Route in Flevoland is only available from mid-April until around the beginning of May, during tulip season.
Travel Tip: Skip the tourist traps and dive into the real deal: a full-day road trip from Amsterdam tracing the 100km Tulip Route through endless farm fields, packed with vivid blooms and perfect photo ops!
Seeing tulips in the Netherlands is truly a magical experience. From wandering through colorful fields in the Bollenstreek to visiting world-famous gardens like Keukenhof, there are countless ways to admire these iconic flowers just a short trip from Amsterdam. Whether you choose to cycle past endless rows of blooms, pick your own bouquet at a local farm, learn about tulip history in a museum, or even taste tulips in a restaurant, each experience offers a unique glimpse into the country’s deep connection with flowers.
Spring in the Netherlands is brief, but incredibly beautiful. If you happen to visit between March and May, make sure to take the time to leave the city and explore the vibrant tulip landscapes that have made Holland famous around the world. It’s a colorful adventure you won’t forget!
