Dutch bulb fields where to stay and when to go?

If you want to see the tulips fields in bloom you should aim to be here during the second half of April. The flower parade in the bulb region will be held on Saturday April 20, 2024.
Both Leiden and Haarlem are great cities to stay in to explore the bulb region. Or you can stay in the village of Lisse, where the Keukenhof garden is located.
How will you get around? Are you comfortable on a bike?

Thank you for your response on the dates. We will use public transportation or a bike could be an option.

Thanks Dutch Traveler, from me, we also have similar plans for 2024. Safe travels!

This year there were specific buses going out to Keukenhof from Amsterdam. I just looked on their website and they've removed all the transportation information so can't tell you what the locations were. In previous years a specific flower bus left from Amsterdam Centraal Station and also from a kind of suburban one.

https://keukenhof.nl/en/

Be aware that King's Day is April 27 which is a huge holiday. Easter is March 31.

If you are on FB I encourage you to "friend" the gardens. They will post when they start planting, etc. Very fun to watch things progress! By the end of April I think most of the bulb fields have been cut. They are grown for bulb production not flower production as I understand it. There are some fields you can see from Keukenhof to add to the ambiance.

BTW, I am not a gardener but enjoy gardens. This was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. So much color, texture, movement. Gorgeous.

This past spring, we bought the combi ticket with entrance and express bus to and from The Keukenhof from the Leiden central train station. Besides Leiden, several stops in Amsterdam and Schipol airport, I remember seeing limited bus availability from Haarlem. I think there were other towns with express buses but can’t remember which ones. We were staying in Den Haag and traveled to Leiden by train to catch the bus. We’ve stayed in Leiden on a previous trip and agree with others who’ve suggested it could be a good base.

Thank you all for your responses. We decided to also postpone this trip until 2025. It was the Netherlands or Italy and Italy won out as we got a great deal on a flight and an old friend has just moved there. But I will keep this information for future reference.

The info is great for us, thx so much!

That will work! I'd still suggest you look at the Keukenhof Gardens website next spring when they are open as they will have their transport options listed. That will give you an idea of how you want to structure things for 2025!

I was there a few months ago (April)...stayed in Haarlem and took the public bus to and from Keukenhof. Nice ride. As soon as I got off the bus I was met by a gigantic field of tulips in different colors. Mindblowing! I went to Keukenhof twice, from Haarlem. Once for the gardens and the 2nd day I rented a bike (outside the gardens) and explored the surrounding fields of tulips. I stayed at the Hotel Malts in Haarlem and loved it. Also went to Ghent and Bruges and stayed a few nights in each town. In Ghent I stayed at Hotel Erasmus which worked for me. (very old fashioned...no tv in room) and in Bruges I stayed at B&B Setola which was on a nice quiet street yet in the middle of the action.
You need to book Keukenhof ahead of time. I opted for late afternoon and stayed til closing. It was fairly crowded when I got there but emptied out after an hour or so. At closing and they seem to let you linger well past closing time. If you can ride a bike and get a nice day...do so and take one of the suggested routes. I enjoyed that even more than the gardens.

Thank you Don. Good to know about the bikes. I haven't ridden in awhile, so I may need to get my bike out of the garage and get riding again. Sounds like cycling there is a lot of fun. Thanks for the accommodation recommendations. I don't need anything too fancy as I try to keep things on a reasonable budget.

mpaulynsettle

I hope Italy is great for you.

When you do get to the Netherlands, my experience is that I have always found a really good display at Keukenhof a few days either side of the 21st of April, weather dependent. Many of the nearby bulb fields will be in good nick at that time too, fully up but not quite yet harvested.

Always have a brolly - it is wetter than Essex, And a windproof - it gets blowy. But it can get warm too.

Nigel,

Thanks for the tip on the date. I plan to meet my two sisters from Essex who both do beautiful flower arrangements. I can't believe they live so close but have never been to the Netherlands. I mean as the crow flies it's not that far! Anyhow, I thought it would make a lovely sister's trip. I will keep the brolly handy and suggest good jackets.

Nigel's suggested dates for the tulips are spot on... that's exactly when I was there.
The bicycle paths around Keukenhof are easy. A good place to see the bulb fields from inside the gardens: The windmill. Go up there and you'll see some fields. I didn't do the boat ride. The boats pass by the fields but I'm told you don't see much of the fields from the boat because you're too low. You will see some if you climb up to the windmill.

Right now I wouldn't mind being in Essex! I have a friend in Wivenhoe.

Don, I did take the boat ride and I’d say pass. We were there on a cool overcast day in late April. The boat was OK and interesting for the first 15 or 20 minutes, but it went on maybe another 30 minutes longer. It was windy and cold at water level and my cold-averse husband was miserable by the end. There are so many great land-based viewpoints to the fields from the gardens.

Don, Thank you for the information regarding the boat tours - I may have been tempted without knowing this.

Wivenhoe is about a 20 min drive from where I was born. You must visit again soon, very much off the tourist path, but places like Mersea Island and Dedham and Flatford Mill (Constable country) are hidden Essex gems.

Nigel, thx, on my radar for next spring!

Dutch Traveler, is the Flower Parade April 24 , 2025, something to attend or avoid because of the crowds? Thx for all your helpful info!

I am not Dutch Traveler but I have been to 3 Flower Parades - Bloemencorso....

Each time we stayed in Haarlem, each time we had our (English) car, once I had my elderly parents (2004), and each time we settled in a small town along the route where we were able to see well and able to get easily to our car.

We always loved it. It has now been a few years - don't know what the crowds might be like next year.

But that's why we always chose a town along the route - don't ask me the name because I would have to look it up and it is late here - around midway but not near Lisse, because the parade was easy to see streetside and crowds weren't there.

I think if we had been closer to the start or finish I think we would have run into more folks. We were usually 3 or 4 deep on the roadside.

We did enjoy visiting the floats after the parade in Haarlem.. That was quite busy but fun...

hope that helps

Nigel,
I think COVID got my brain. Our trip is April 2024, and we just booked flights.
So if we are staying in Haarlem , we will see the floats at the conclusion of the parade?
Thx so much for all your continuing help!

Looking for some info please. I'm taking my 91 year old mom 2024 to the parade. Question for those who have been there. I am brining her portable wheelchair /walker. How difficult will it be to get around? Hotel _ location as close to keukenhof gardens. But still in a small town. Thanks in advance for all info. Ps. She a good walker. But get tired after a while