The most well-known and largest flower park in all the world is called Keukenhof. Keukenhof is also famously known as the Land of Tulips, and rightfully so.
Where is the Land of Tulips?
Keukenhof is just a one-hour bus journey south of Amsterdam in a village called Lisse. If you’re staying in Amsterdam, they make it quite easy to travel to and from the park. Each year they post instructions on their website with the most up-to-date information.
Logistics for getting there
The CombiTicket is usually the best way to visit the park. It includes public transportation and park admission. You can buy your tickets in advance and use them anytime during the season. This is a big perk considering it’s always raining in Amsterdam.
There are also some cafes and food carts in the park. In my opinion, the best (and cheapest) way to enjoy the gardens is to pack a lunch. There are plenty of benches in the gardens and free luggage lockers at the main entrance to store your stuff for the day.
When’s best to visit?
I vote mid-April. The Netherlands is always a bit unpredictable when it comes to weather. I planned my trip to the Netherlands knowing that I was going to be there a few weeks premature for prime tulip season.
To see the greatest variety and entire spectrum of colors, mid-April is best. The season is said to last from late March through mid-May. Of course, this all depends on Mother Nature. If you want to be safe, plan at least a week in the Netherlands and choose the best weather day.
What will you find in the Land of Tulips?
The gardens are overflowing with over seven million varieties of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in over 800 varieties, colors and sizes. It really is a sight to seen.
The park has elaborate gardens, bulb fields, outdoor exhibitions and indoor flower exhibitions. The indoor exhibitions go beyond tulips and include everything from orchids and lilies to gerberas and roses. The indoor exhibitions change weekly throughout the season so the flowers are always looking their best.
Tulpomania
One of the most interesting parts of the flower park is called Tulpomania. Tulpomania is the indoor flower exhibition held inside the Juliana Pavilion.
The sweet but delicate aroma filled the air before I even entered the sliding doors. Once inside, I was able to admire the enormous rainbow of colors that make up all the different varieties of tulips.
There are informational exhibits to learn about the different varieties, cultivating tulips and planting your own. But what stood out to me most were the names.
All the bulbs in the park had clever names. Some were named after celebrities and fictional characters such as Anne Frank or Shakespeare. But most were whacky. A few of my favorites were Victoria’s Secret, Life’s a Cabernet, Budlight, and Spryng Break.
A new theme each year
Each year, there’s a different theme for the Land of Tulips. When I visited in 2015 the Netherlands was celebrating Vincent van Gogh. His death was 125 years earlier.
Throughout the park, there were fun exhibits inspired by the artist like the Selfie Garden and the giant flower mosaic.
Unfortunately for me, the tens of thousands of tulips that make up van Gogh’s portrait in the giant flower mosaic were not in bloom yet.
Choosing only a few photos to share was super difficult. Does anyone else go a little camera crazy when they see pretty flowers?
I’ve also got plenty more suggestions on what to see, do and eat in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands.
