Where to see the iconic tulips in and around Amsterdam

Amsterdam

National Tulip Day

In the spring, the Netherlands’ famous flower fields become a blanket of tulips — but the season starts much earlier than that. The Dutch tulip season in Amsterdam kicks into gear in the heart of January on National Tulip Day when Dutch growers present 200,000 tulips in a temporary garden on Dam Square. These beautiful blooms are not just for viewing, either — all visitors can pick a tulip from the garden to bring home free of charge. Head to Dam Square to pick your own tulip from a specially constructed ‘picking garden’.

Tulp Festival

And when spring has indeed sprung, the Amsterdam Tulp (Tulip) Festival arrives for the entire month of April to give visitors a glimpse of the blooms in their natural habitat. Marvel at the city's parks, streets, and sidewalks, which are brightened with colourful tulips adorning various locations in Amsterdam. The festival's goal is to eventually have one tulip for every Amsterdammer — amounting to 800,000 tulips in the city alone. All visitors need to do to experience the festival is go tulip-spotting around the streets and attractions of Amsterdam: participating locations regularly include the Rijksmuseum, Vondelpark, Rembrandtplein and EYE Filmmuseum.

Open Garden Days

For one weekend each year, a selection of canal houses and museums open their doors to the public and reveal the beautiful gardens hidden behind Amsterdam's brick facades. For three days in mid-June during Open Garden Days, you can visit 30 of Amsterdam's secret gardens - often with special events such as classical music performances included in the programme.

Gardens and parks

If you'd rather stay in the city, stop and admire the flowers in one of the many parks and gardens in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, Vondelpark is a favourite of residents and visitors alike, whilst Erasmuspark, Amstelpark and Nelson Mandelapark have their own dedicated rose and magnolia gardens. Hortus Botanicus is a magical escape in the middle of town with over 4,000 plant species growing in their gardens and greenhouses. Or check out the secluded but still stunning Botanical Gardens Vrije Universiteit (Zuidas). At the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest), you can wander past budding trees and botanical gardens in the city's most sprawling public park. 

Just outside Amsterdam

Flower Strip

Take a trip through the Netherlands to view the Flower Strip or Bollenstreek, a spectacular 20-kilometre display of blossoming crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and the famous tulips. Fields stretching from Haarlem to Leiden come alive with colour beginning in late March, reaching a vibrant peak in mid-April. The trip can be taken by car, but perhaps the best — and most Dutch — way to visit the Flower Strip is on a cycleseeing route. Another unique way to see the region is hiring a 100% electric two-seater vehicle from Renzy. The firm's excursions take you around the colourful tulip and flower fields, featuring a GPS and an audio guide to tell you about the destinations you're driving through.  

Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof is the country's most magnificent flower show, brimming with tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring bulbs for just a few months each year (usually from mid-March to mid-May). The world-famous park boasts 32 hectares bursting with flowers and 15 kilometres of walking and biking paths. The park includes several pavilions with unique displays and various weekly special activities. Don’t forget your camera - with over 7 million flowers, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful spring setting!

Read our 5 reasons to visit Keukenhof this spring.

Tulip Experience Amsterdam

If you find yourself in the Amsterdam Area during tulip season (mid-March to mid-May), a visit to Tulip Experience Amsterdam is a must. This unique experience invites you to immerse yourself in 4 million tulips featuring 700 different varieties. It was created by the Pennings family, who have been growing tulips for over 30 years. In the interactive museum, learn all about the tulip – from its history to the growing process. After exploring the museum, enjoy a relaxing stroll through the stunning show garden. Whether you’re here for a fun day out, a photoshoot, or to enjoy the spring, the show garden offers plenty of space for the ultimate spring activity. Located near Keukenhof in the heart of the Bollenstreek, Tulip Experience Amsterdam is easily accessible from Amsterdam.

Royal FloraHolland

Early birds should make a memorable trip to the flower auction held at FloraHolland in Aalsmeer. Each day, 19 million flowers and two million plants are sold in an area of almost one million square metres. The auction is open to the public from 7:00 to 11:00, Monday to Friday. The earlier you arrive, the more fun you’ll have to watch the action unfold. Buyers haggle for the best prices, and the blooms are dispatched all over the globe within hours of being sold. The flowers are sold in a “Dutch auction” – as the clock ticks down, the price of the flowers gets lower! 

Museum de Zwarte Tulp

Since the tulip came into prominence in the Netherlands in the 16th century, Dutch artists and collectors have sought to capture the tulip’s beauty and fame in art. At Museum de Zwarte Tulp (Museum of the Black Tulip) in Lisse, visitors can view tulip artwork, botanical illustrations and flower bulb glasses and learn about the history of tulipomania and the current science of flower bulb cultivation.