Keukenhof, the world famous spring garden, is not located in Amsterdam but in a small town called Lisse, southwest of the Dutch capital. Despite its somewhat remote location, it’s very easy to get to.
Keukenhof covers an area of 32 hectares and has about 15 kilometers of footpaths, which means you’ll need a whole day to see everything there is. In case you don’t have that much time, make sure to at least lay your eyes on the following.
Inspiration gardens (marked with the “Get Inspired!” sign on the map). A perfect place to draw inspiration for your own garden.
Exhibition Tulpomania telling “the tale of the tulip”, from the 17th century to the present day.
Various viewpoints overlooking the famous Flower Strip. One of the viewpoints is a typical Dutch windmill – yet another highlight of the park.
The so-called “Walk of Fame” located in front of the Oranje Nassau Pavilion. There you can find flowers planted by celebrities and named after them.
The Royal Lime Tree planted by Queen Máxima – not far from the “Walk of Fame”.
Sculptures located all over the park. There are about 100 of them, so you will definitely bump into a few while simply walking around.
Various activities for children, including the playground, the petting zoo, the maze and the stepping stones on the lake. Children can also go on a quest in the park, solving puzzles and discovering more about flowers. Pick up the quest form (Scavenger hunt) at the information desk for free.
Finally, don’t forget about the flower shows and various events organized in the park: Flower Parade and Food & Flower Festival.
How to Explore the Park?
By foot
Pick up a free map at the entrance and explore Keukenhof at your own pace. Follow our list of highlights to get the most out of it. In Keukenhof, you are very likely to meet some of the gardeners – don’t miss a chance to talk to them! No one else could give you more information on flower bulbs and gardening.
On a boat
Want to take a closer look at the Flower Strip? Hop on a boat tour departing from the Windmill and enjoy the endless bulb fields up-close for 45 minutes. Beautiful pictures guaranteed! The price for a boat tour is €8,00 (€4,00 for children aged 4-11).
Cycling around
You can’t ride a bike in Keukenhof, but you can (and should!) cycle through the tulip fields surrounding it. Rent a bike in front of the main entrance and follow one of the available routes, with distances ranging from 5 km to 25 km.
Interesting to Know
The park welcomes over 1 million visitors of more than 100 nationalities in only 8 weeks.
Keukenhof Tulip Gardens were designed by Jan David Zocher, the famous Dutch architect who is also famous for the Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the park of the Soestdijk Palace in Baarn.
Keukenhof works with about 100 Dutch flower bulb growers who provide the bulbs to be planted in the park for free.
To ensure the 8-week long blooming season in Keukenhof, the so-called “lasagne technique” is used. Flowers are planted in three layers: the late-blooming flowers in the bottom layer, the April-flowering bulbs in the middle layer and the early-blooming varieties in the top one.
There are over 2,500 trees of 87 varieties in the park.
With more than 100 statues, Keukenhof is the largest statue garden in the Netherlands.
Believe it or not, but most pictures in the world are taken in Keukenhof.
How to Get There?
The best way to reach Keukenhof Tulip Gardens is with a Combi Ticket. It includes both the entrance ticket and a bus ride directly to the park. Buses to Keukenhof run from Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport), Haarlem, Leiden and Noordwijk.
The entrance fee is €16,00. A Combi Ticket is more expensive since it also covers transfer costs, but it’s a good value for the money you pay.
Top tips before you go
Buy your tickets online to save some time. The lines for Keukenhof are huge!
Don’t forget to pick up a free map at the entrance or use the large ones available all over the park. Click here for a digital version.
In case you have some luggage, there are free lockers by the main entrance.
A note for Internet addicts: Wi-Fi is available for free in the whole park.