Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam tour, how long?

You may want to go with the 5 hour option. By mid-afternoon, the gardens can become quite crowded, particularly the in-door displays.

Sue, I've been to Keukenhof twice (and plan to go again). In my opinion, the five hour tour of the gardens is a bit long. If you were comfortable going on your on, I would suggest heading there really early in the morning because by mid-morning the tour buses start rolling in (from all over Europe, not just Amsterdam) and it gets really crowded. It's a beautiful place but I think you can see it all in a morning. If you stay longer, you can get in line to order bulbs or get a snack in the large, cafeteria style restaurant.

A third option would be to take a local bus and go on your own so you can stay as long as you want. Regularly scheduled buses leave from AMS airport and the Haarlem & Leiden train stations.

i would agree with tim. i have twice taken the train from amsterdam, then the bus. it is easy and you control how long you stay. if you take the tour, 5 hours is really too long. the gardens are amazing, have a great time.

I'll also agree with Tim and Jeff's recommendation. I have also taken the train/bus combination to Keukenhof. It was quite easy and I liked having the flexibility. I think that I probably spent about 3 to 4 hours in the gardens (including a break for lunch). I took the bus from Leiden and it was easy to find and well marked. You can also take the train from Amsterdam to Schipol and then switch to a bus. If you check the Keukenhof website and look under accessibility you will see the train/bus options.

Thanks for all the advice! We're looking forward to seeing the beautiful flowers at Keukenhof. Happy Travels