Keukenhof is the flower garden in the Netherlands that attracts millions of tourists each year. Also known as the largest flower garden in Europe, or, according to some, the most beautiful garden in Europe. Some would say Keukenhof is too touristy and will advise you to skip it. Others, myself included, will say that you have to visit Keukenhof at least once in your life.
The flower park Keukenhof is located in Lisse, a village in the province of South-Holland. This amazing park spans over 32 hectares and showcases millions of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and other springtime blooms. Each year, the park welcomes visitors from around the globe to experience its vibrant floral displays, carefully designed gardens, and impressive landscape architecture. Open only for a few weeks each spring, Keukenhof offers a breathtaking glimpse into the rich horticultural traditions of the Netherlands, making it a must-visit destination for nature lovers and flower enthusiasts alike.
👉 Keukenhof is open every year between the end of March and mid-May. In 2026, the park will be open from 19 March to 10 May.🌸
Content:
- What is the best time to visit Keukenhof?
- How to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam
- Keukenhof Tickets: How to Buy and How Much They Cost
- What to do at Keukenhof Gardens
- FAQ
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What is the best time to visit Keukenhof?
The park is arranged in such way that, at any time during the opening season, there will be certain flowers in bloom. However, the best month to visit Keukenhof is April. That’s the maximum blooming season and when the weather should be better as well.
✨Day-trip suitability
International visitors: ● ● ● ● ● — A must on a first visit
NL-based day-trippers: ● ● ● ● ● — Worth planning a day/weekend around
● Circles indicate suitability, not quality. Some subjectivity included. How to read these ratings 📜
How to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam 🌷
The park is open from 8 AM to 7 PM every day during the season. There are a few options to get to Keukenhof, and you can choose the one that is most convenient for you. You will spend many hours there so I recommend you dedicate a full day to this visit.
Public transport to Keukenhof. With public transport you travel quickly and comfortably to Keukenhof. Please refer to Keukenhof’s website to find all the info regarding the transport, because there are multiple options. But, in a nutshell, these are the main ways in which you can reach this amazing park:
- You can buy a combiticket to get both your entrance ticket for Keukenhof and the ticket for your journey by public transport on that day (round trip). This is the option that will be the most comfortable because you don’t have to worry about anything. The departure locations are located next to NS train stations. The driver will drop you off at the main entrance.
- By train and bus. If you want to have more freedom of moving, you can buy the entrance ticket separately and then get to the park by train and bus. Also in this case, you can use the regular bus lines to Keukenhof or the Express lines. You can board these buses in Amsterdam, Schiphol, Haarlem or Leiden.
Going to Keukenhof by car. Note that parking at Keukenhof is only possible with a pre-purchased ticket that you can buy online, together with the entrance ticket.
Keukenhof Tickets: How to Buy and How Much They Cost 🌷
An important thing to know before visiting Keukenhof is that is best to buy your tickets online. This way you avoid queues and also pay less.
Ticket prices for 2026:
Entrance:
- Adults: Online €21, at the entrance €25
- Children aged 4–17: Online €10, at the entrance €14
- Children aged 0–3: free
Boat Ride: Adults €11, children aged 4-11 €5,50
Bike rental (to visit the surrounding area with flower fields): 3 hours for adults €12,50, children aged 4-11 €9
It’s also possible to reserve a wheelchair for €5.
Combi-tickets (entrance + return bus):
- From Amsterdam RAI: adults €38.50, children €17.50
- From Haarlem, Hoofddorp or Leiden: adults €33.50, children €15.00
- From Amsterdam city center (direct transfer): from €35 per person
Tickets are available at keukenhof.nl. When you book, you choose a specific date and arrival time slot. Once inside, you can stay until closing time. Tickets can be rescheduled up to 24 hours before your visit.
🌷 If you are interested in more tickets combo, check out this link: Amsterdam to Keukenhof and various tours
What to do at Keukenhof Gardens🌷
The best thing to do is to walk around at your own pace and enjoy the flowers, stop on a bench or at one of the restaurants when needed. I want to mention that Keukenhof is not only a tulip garden; there are many other flowers to be admired. The park chooses a theme for each year, and the team works hard the entire winter to bring the garden to life for two months in the spring. Apart from the garden, there are a few pavilions that can be visited and where you might spend more time than expected: they are filled with orchid, lilies, roses and more.
When you think you’ve seen all the flowers that are out there, there is always one more. Time flies when you are at Keukenhof. You’ll find yourself in awe at the beauty of flowers and the craftsmanship of the gardeners. You’ll take too many flower pictures and videos, and dream about your future garden. And, next year, you’ll want to visit again.
There are quite a few activities that you can do at Keukenhof, apart from walking around and taking photos:
- A boat ride with the whisper boat around Keukenhof. This electrically-propelled whisper boat will take you around the surrounding fields where you can admire the Dutch landscape and the tulip fields. You will have an audio tour as well.
- Cycle through the flower fields. Rent a bike and explore the flower fields on your own. You can explore on your own or book a guided tour.
- Guided Tour of Keukenhof park. You can book a guided tour that will tell you everything about the history, the theme, the various planting techniques, the inspiration gardens, the mill and the various flower shows. It lasts one hour, after which you can explore on your own.
- Activities for kids: scavenger hunt, the maze, animal meadow.
- You can combine the park with a visit to the Keukenhof Castle and a visit to Lisse, the village where this park is located. In Lisse you can visit Museum de Zwarte Tulp (the Black Tulip Museum) to learn about the history of the Bulb District and the origins and the development of bulb culture.
Keukenhof is spectacular on its own, but you can combine it with other activities that will make your day more memorable (and yes, you need a full day for this).
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR KEUKENHOF VISIT:
Keukenhof & Zaanse Schans: Full-Day Guided Tour
FAQ:
- How long does a visit to Keukenhof take? They say the average visit is 3 hours, but from my experience you can stay longer than that. However, when you buy a ticket, it will have an entrance time on it: that is the time when you can enter the park, and you can stay until closing.
- Is Keukenhof worth visiting? Definitely! If you love flowers, this is a garden you don’t want to miss. You can visit the tulip fields or tulip farms instead, but you won’t see the same variety of tulips and other flowers.
- What is the best time to visit Keukenhof? The park is arranged in such way that there will be flowers blooming at any time of the season. However, this varies also depending on the weather of that year. To be absolutely sure you see the best of it, April/ mid-April is the best. However, the park can look amazing also on its last days (see my article below).
- Can I bring my own food and drinks to Keukenhof? Yes, and you can eat it in the designated picnic areas. You cannot bring it inside the restaurants, though.
- Is Keukenhof crowded? Yes, the park is crowded most of the time. For more quiet times, visit in the morning. Also, pay attention to the most crowded days of the year: Easter days and the day of the Flower Parade (if you want to see the flower parade, it’s best to do it from a different location, as the park will be crazy busy that day – 18 April in 2026).
- Accessibility: the park is accessible for electric wheelchairs.
- Dogs are allowed in Keukenhof if they are kept on a lead and there is a maximum of 1 dog per person. Dogs are not allowed in the pavilions and restaurants, with the exception of guide dogs. Keep in mind that this experience might be stressful for the dog, because of the crowds and the narrow paths.
- Keukenhof Spring Pass: if you want to visit more than once, buy the Spring Pass and admire the garden in all its blooming stages.
Want to see more of Keukenhof? Check out my other articles:
- Dreaming of Spring: Keukenhof Gardens
- Keukenhof at the End of the Season
- Visiting Keukenhof – Part 1
- Visiting Keukenhof – Part 2
- Visiting Keukenhof – Part 4 – The orchids
- Visit the Dutch Tulip Fields: a Complete Guide
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Check out my photo book: Amsterdam Through the Seasons!
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Mogen er honden binnen
Honden zijn toegestaan in Keukenhof als ze zijn aangelijnd en er geldt een maximum van 1 hond per persoon. In de paviljoens en restaurants worden honden niet toegelaten, met uitzondering van geleidehonden voor hulpbehoevenden.
On our bucket list
🙂
Keukenhof Gardens offers a magical display of flowers that feels like walking through a living painting