BHPian scorched_earth recently shared this with other enthusiasts: This year I went on a museum and nature tour with my family to France, Belgium and Netherlands and I would like to highlight a particular place in Netherlands that touched my heart – Keukenhof gardens (https://keukenhof.nl/en/). If one is planning to be in Netherlands in spring then one should definitely pay a visit to the Keukenhof gardens near the Lisse village. It showcases lakhs of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths across its 80 acres garden. I have seen more than I remember and whatever you see in the photographs is just 25% of the experience. I went in the third week of April when the blooming is at its crescendo. In addition to the blooming flowers, what I liked was that there were several who brought their old parents even in wheelchairs. This is what makes this place so special. It was only recently I came to know that Netherlands flower export market is valued at around USD 5 billion (as of 2025), everyday there’s a flower auction at Aalsmeer and these flowers are then transported to different parts of world. Some practical tips from me before I flood the article with photographs of tulips. One can get a background history and current status of contribution of planters/sponsors of Keukenhof at https://keukenhof.nl/en/about-keukenhof/ The website is very informative and has all the information one needs for visiting Keukenhof, especially the FAQ section. The park is open only from the third week of March till the first week of May every year. The crescendo of blooming happens around the third week of April. Keukenhof can be reached by the Keukenhof Express bus from Amsterdam RAI, Schipol International Airport, Leiden Central Station or Haarlem Central Station, Leiden being the nearest to Lisse. When buying the Keukenhof tickets buy the combo ticket which includes the Keukenhof Express bus ticket which departs from Leiden Central Station, Amsterdam (Schipol and RAI) and Haarlem Central Station. The locations Haarlem and Leiden are interchangeable which means that while going one can board the bus from Leiden and while coming back take the bus back to Haarlem and vice versa. For Amsterdam (Schipol or RAI) it is not allowed, one cannot change the embarking/disembarking points if the boarding point is Amsterdam (Schipol or RAI). For Leiden and Haarlem, the bus departs from outside the Central train station. Buy the tickets from their website and avoid resellers. Also combo tickets works out cheaper (garden entrance + Keukenhof Express bus + whisper boat ride). Keukenhof Express bus and whisper boat ride is optional but I recommend it. As of 2025, Entrance + Express bus from/to Haarlem/Leiden was 32 euros and whisper boat ride was 10 euros. So total 42 euros per person. All the flowers in the gardens are sponsored by the commercial flower growers. They just put a QR code in front of the blooming plants scanning which one can get the details of the growers. One will not find a single advertisement banner or cutouts of models popping out of the flower bed advertising the planters. There’s an orchid greenhouse and I recommend that, it’s included in the ticket price. I recommend entering the park and going anticlockwise. First take the whisper boat ride which is on the far right side of the gardens, then walk all the way anticlockwise and come back to the starting point. In between there are toilets, cafeterias and food carts. Don’t miss the carts selling strawberries with fresh cream – highly recommended. Keukenhof is completely cashless, so get your credit card. There are plenty of food stalls and one can bring food and have a family picnic. I didn’t find a single piece of garbage lying in the park, people eat, drink and dispose the trash in the right place. This is something I wish we practiced here. The place is huge, so get good walking shoes and also an umbrella (when visiting in spring time) though we were lucky to get a sunny day. For the optional whisper boat ride, one can buy the ticket while buying the combo ticket. I suggest buying it early as it sells off very fast. The electric boat (they call it whisper boats as they move silently) takes you through the canals around the tulip and daffodil fields that surrounds the Keukenhof gardens. It’s a beautiful experience. There are several tulip and daffodil plantations around Keukenhof and one can visit them for a fee. Avoid going on weekends or public holidays as it’s super crowded; and avail public transport as the place is well connected by train and Keukenhof Express bus. Make it a day trip and avoid clubbing this place with other things, one needs one full day to do justice to this place. I found the soil on which these plants grow a bit sandy and loose in texture. Climate change will definitely impact this place as the blooming time will become shorter and the flower size will shrink. And now the tulips from Keukenhof… Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.
