How To Get To Keukenhof Gardens & What To Expect [2025]

Want to visit the amazing Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam and are not sure how to get there? Or what to expect when you do? Read on to learn more. This guide covers all the details on this amazing park: where to get tickets, how much they cost, how to get here, and all the other tulip activities you can experience while the park is open.

Keukenhof is one of the biggest flower gardens in the world with around 7 million hand-planted flower bulbs in a dazzling array of color on a 79 acre garden, something you can’t miss. And it’s not just tulips, although they are definitely a star with about 800 varieties, there’s also crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, lilies, and more, set traditional English style amongst beautifully wooded gardens and lakes.

About Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof means ‘kitchen garden’, as Keukenhof started as an herb garden in the 15th century for the kitchen at Telylingen Castle (now in ruins). In the 17th century, Keukenhof Castle was built, and the estate grew. In the 19th century, the gardens were redesigned into the luscious English landscape that you see today. Now it’s one of the world’s largest flower gardens, visited by over a million people in the few short weeks it’s open.

The Best Time To Visit Keukenhof Gardens

The gardens are open late March to mid-May, when the flowers peak. The dowside to such a short window is that this park gets really busy. Especially on weekends and mid-day. Because of this, it’s best to visit early in the morning or late afternoon during the week, especially Monday through Wednesday.

Although Keukenhof is renowned for its tulips, there are also crocus, daffodil, and hyacinth, each peaking at different times. These peak times fluctuate annually based on weather changes. Generally, however, the key times are as follows:

• Crocus mid- to late-March
• Daffodil mid-March to mid-April
• Hyacinth mid-March to the third week of April
• Tulips from the end of March to mid-May, with some varietals peaking early and some (like the larger ones) peaking later.

The busiest days at Keukenhof are the days surrounding the Flower Parade, which is Saturday April 12th in 2025. Tickets for Keukenhof will sell out far in advance on this day and the days surrounding it. If you want the full experience and don’t mind the crowds, this is the best time to go. Of course, if you only want to see the gardens, choose another day.

Tickets For Keukenhof

In 2025, the park will be open March 20th to May 11th. Tickets for 2025 are on sale now at the Keukenhof website. They are €20.00 for adults, €9 for ages 4-17, and children 3 and under are free. Parking is 9€.

Tickets are best purchased online, in advance, however they can also be purchased at the box office for a higher price (if they are not sold out). For example, adult tickets at the door in 2025 will be €25.00 (€5.00 higher).

Tickets are sold for a specific date and arrival time, so you need to determine which day and time is best for you in advance. Unfortunately, this means you cannot select the day to visit based on the weather. Thankfully, I was very lucky and had a beautiful sunny day for my visit. You enter the park at the time designated on your ticket, but then you can stay until the park closes that day.

If you need to change your date or time later, use the link in your confirmation email to see if it is still available. If you need to cancel your ticket, see their website for more details.

Entrance tickets combined with transportation are also available. These are called combitickets. Combitickets for 2025 will not be available until mid-January. I will update this post when they are up.

Tip: If the regular day ticket you want is sold out, check to see if a combi ticket is available for that day/time. You will pay more, but it may be worth it to you if you really want to visit Keukenhof on a certain day when regular tickets are sold out.

How To Get To Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof is in Lisse, which is 25 miles (40 km) southwest of central Amsterdam. If you are driving, which is the easiest way to visit, the address is:

Stationsweg 166A

2161 AM Lisse

If you are using public transportation, don’t worry, the Netherlands makes it easy to get to Keukenhof on your own without a car.

The variety of ways to get here are listed below. Note that these are what were available for 2024. While they may change, they often remain the same…so this is just FYI for now. I will post updates as soon as they are available in mid January.

Combitickets

There were 5 departure locations for busses to Kuekenhof in 2024. These will probably be similar for 2025 (although prices will probably go up).

The combitickets for the bus from Sciphol, Harlaam, and Leiden were €31.50 in 2024. From RAI, the combiticket was €36.50. These included round trip transportation and your entry ticket to Kuekenhof Gardens. You get dropped off at the main entrance of Kuekenhof.

Schiphol Airport (2024 Info)

If arriving directly from the airport, bus 858 departs from Schiphol at the exit of arrival hall 1. Departures are 6 times an hour, taking about 30-minutes to get to Keukenhof.

Alternately, from central Amsterdam, you can take the following buses to Schiphol airport and then take bus 858 to Keukenhof:

• 397 from Leidseplein, Concertgebouw or Museumplein
• 300 from Amsterdam Bijlmer or Amstelveenthen
• 341 from Station Zuid

The cost for the 3 bus tickets above to Schiphol are not included in the combiticket. Only bus 858 to and from the airport in in the cost.

Europaplein (RAI) (2024 Info)

This is the closest Kuekenhof bus (852) departure from Amsterdam city center. To get here, take metro 52. It departs every 5-minutes and takes about 8-minutes to get to the Express bus stop (Bus 852). Exit the Europaplein metro stop. Up to 10 buses an hour leave Europaplein for Kuekenhof, taking about 35-minutes.

Haarlem Station (2024 Info)

Keukenhof Express bus line 850 leaves Haarlem Station for Kuekenhof up to twice an hour, taking 40-minutes. The bus departs from the bus station on the centre side of Haarlem station.

Leiden Central Station (2024 Info)

Located directly south of Keukenhof, Keukenhof Express bus 854 leaves Leiden Central Station from the centre side of the railway station up to 6 times an hour, taking 30-minutes to get to Keukenhof. 

Bus Line 90

You can also take Bus 90 from Katwijk, Noordwilk, or Noordwijkerhout, which are located south west of Amsterdam. This is a regular bus line to Keukenhof, so you just need the bus ticket and an entrance ticket. Note the this is not a combiticket.

This post may use affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you choose to make a booking or purchase through one of these links. This is at no additional cost to you. If you find my content helpful, please consider booking through me as it is completely win win!

Car

Renting a car provides you with the ultimate flexibility in travel, but will be more expensive than the bus. And while driving the roads in Amsterdam is relatively safe, driving in Amsterdam itself can be challenging, as the narrow roads are often full of cyclists (they are serious here) and whizzing electric trams.

Driving is on the right hand side of the road. Every country has different regulations, so check the rules for yours in advance. Americans can drive in Amsterdam with a valid drivers license and an International Driving Permit (IDP), which can be obtained from AAA in advance of your trip.

Most rental car agencies require a credit card for the deposit, so if you do not have one, call in advance to find one that does not. You must be 21 to rent a car, and drivers under 25 may need to pay a young driver surcharge. Parking at Keukenhof is €9 (a camper is 12.50€) for 2025. You can also purchase this online.

Taxi

You can also take a taxi to Keukenhof, although this can get expensive. Uber is available in the Netherlands as of this writing (December 2024). The Uber price currently costs about €40 to €60 each way. I used Schiphol Airport as a starting point to get this range.

Surprisingly, the one way cost of a taxi is about the same cost as the cheapest rental car for one day. Although you would need to add in gas and parking (and maybe insurance). This may change closer to the opening, due to demand, so I will check this again later.

Tours

Keukenhof Guided Tours

You can also book a 60-minute guided tour of Keukenhof with a Kuekenhof guide. You book it on their website just as you would a day ticket or a combiticket. For 2025, tickets for guided tours do not go on sale until January 2025.

For 2024 the cost was $150 per person, but it will probably go up a little. This does not include the entrance ticket to the park and is for groups of up to 25.

Other Guided Tours

There are also plenty of tours available from operators outside of Kuekenhof. They’re perfect if you want the ease of a guide and camaraderie of a group. However, these tours provide limited flexibility and usually visit the gardens at peak hours, when they are busiest.

These are already available for 2025. Here are a few that cover a variety of options:

• Amsterdam: Keukenhof Ticket & Roundtrip Shuttle Transfer – $36.25
• Amsterdam: Tour to Keukenhof Gardens with Windmill Cruise – $56.48
• Amsterdam: Keukenhof, Tulip Farm Full-Day Tour with Cruise – $87.57
• Amsterdam: Keukenhof & Zaanse Schans Guided Day Tour – $92.75

What To Expect At Kuekenhof Gardens

First and foremost, be prepared for crowds. In 2024, almost 1.4 million people visited Keukenhof in the few weeks it was open. This is over 26,000 people every day! That’s a bit crazy if you think about it.

If you want to take pictures, or just want to avoid the crowds, try to be at the park first thing, at 8 AM, or late in the afternoon. The park is open until 7:00 PM with the latest admittance at 6:00 PM.

Second, the park is very large, so be prepared to walk a lot. Keukenhof is 79 acres, which is about the size of 60 football fields! Soccer fields are more than twice the size of football fields, so less than half of those, but still, it’s big!

Review the map below to select which areas you want to see in advance. Otherwise, you may feel a bit lost wandering the park. If you prefer to just roam, however, that’s fine too! It’s all beautiful!

If you will need a wheelchair, you can also reserve this in advance online. For 2025 it is €5.00.

Themes

Usually, the garden has a different theme every year, but the theme for 2025 has not been announced yet. The theme for 2024 was “Let’s Dance”, to honor the park’s 75th anniversary.

Map

Here is the most recent map. You can also pick up the latest map at the park entrance. Trails wind around the park to showcase the floral arrangements. It’s a never ending display of color and texture. There are ponds, fountains, picnic benches, and even a maze made of greenery for kids and adults. Explore as much of the park as you can, but try not to feel too pressured to see it all.

One sight not to miss includes the flowers planted in the wooded area by the meandering stream (my favorite) and the old Dutch windmill on the right hand side of the park. In addition to the windmill, the latter area provides a view of the nearby tulip fields. Try to get to the windmill early morning or later in the afternoon as when crowded, which it usually is, you end up waiting for your turn to walk up and down the steps of the windmill. This can be a little frustrating.

Pavilions

When you need a break, or get hungry, there are several Pavilions to stop for food and beverages, and shops, as well as restrooms. They include the Willem-Alexander, located in the center of the park, Beatrix, Oranje Nassau, Juliana Tulpomania, Irene, and Wilhelmina.

Cash is not accepted at the pavilions. You can bring your own food and beverages into the park, but can only eat food purchased from the pavilion in the pavilion (which is respectful and makes sense).

There are also flower shows at the most of the Pavilions, including tulips, orchids, hyacinth, freesia, roses, and more.

You can buy flowers and bulbs at Keukenhof. If you do, make sure you can bring them back to your home country and understand any procedures you need to follow or documents you need to have so they are not taken away from you in Customs.

Tulip Field Whisper Boat Cruise

There’s also an optional 45-minute boat cruise to see the tulip fields and learn more about them. This must be booked in advance and seating is limited. The cost for 2025 is €10 for adults and €5 for children (4-11 years old). Purchase on Kuekenhof.nl. These are available now.

How Much Time To Spend At Keukenhof Gardens

One of the advantages of not taking a tour is that you can be flexible with how long you want to stay. You’ll want to stay at least 3-4 hours at a minimum.

If you’re really into flowers, or photography, or want to add the whisper boat tour, plan to spend even longer. After all, unless you plan to visit annually, this is a limited time event.

More Tulip Events

In addition to visiting Kuekenhof Gardens, there’s a lot more going on to celebrate tulips.

Visit Keukenhof Castle

Visit Keukenhof Castle, where Keukenhof Gardens originated when it was built in the 17th century. The castle is located just across the street from the gardens. The grounds are free to walk around, but to tour the inside, you must purchase a guided tour.

Unfortunately, their website is only is Dutch, so you need to use a web translation tool to read it in English.

Bloemencorso Bollenstreek, The Dutch Flower Parade

There’s an annual Dutch Flower Parade with floats made of flowers like hyacinths, daffodils, and, of course, tulips! This is a huge annual event, known to the Dutch as Bloemencorso Bollenstreek. One that requires about a year of preparation with many volunteers.

The Bloemencorso Bollestreek parade date for 2025 is Saturday, April 12th. Events usually start prior to this and end afterwards. I will update this when more information is available. They have announced that on the 13th, you will be able to see the beautiful Corso floats in the city center of Haarlem.

To see the route for 2025, click here. It travels from the seaside village of Noordwijk to the historic city of Haarlem. There are many places to see the parade, but one of the best is in front of Keukenhof Gardens on Keukenhof Boulevard. For 2025, the Flower Parade is scheduled to pass at 3:45. This is important for buying your ticket if you want to be there when it passes!

There will be several grandstands for the Flower Parade in 2025. They will be in Lisse, Voorhout, Noordwijk, Sassenheim, and Hillegom. You can get grandstand tickets at bollenstreek.nl. The grandstand tickets sell out quickly, so make sure to buy them in advance. The cost for 2025 is 77€. A parking card is an additional 10€.

As this is a very popular time to visit, Keukenhof WILL sell out early on parade day, and the days surrounding it, as most tulip lovers will want to visit both. If you only plan to visit the park (and not the parade), this would not be the best day to visit due to crowds and availability of tickets.

The Amsterdam Tulip Festival

The Tulip Festival lasts the entire month of April, with the city literally bursting with tulips…everywhere! Over 880,000 tulips, more than one for every person in Amsterdam, are arranged in almost 100 public areas of Amsterdam.

The displays in public areas are free. To learn more, see the Tulip Festival Details.

Ride A Bike Around The Bollenstreek

If the weather is nice, rent a bicycle and ride along the flower fields, or Bollenstreek, near Keukenhof (available same days the park is open). Note that you cannot ride a bicycle inside the park.

There are 4 color-coded Keukenhof Cycle Routes, ranging from 5 km to 25 km. They are easy to follow routes and are designed to optimize your experience.

• The blue route is 5 km (3 miles) around the Kuekenhof Flower fields (< 1 hour). This is best if you have limited time. It also goes by Kuekenhof Castle.
• The purple route is 10 km (6 miles) by the flower fields of Lisse and Voorhout as well as other locations (1-2 hours).
• The green route is 15 km (9 miles) and includes flower fields in Lisse, Hillegom, and Noordwijkerhout. You also pass the Tulip Experience Amsterdam and the Tulip Barn (1-3 hours).
• The red route is 25 km (15.5 miles) and includes flower fields, the lake, the sea, and the dunes as well as the Tulip Experience Amsterdam and the Tulip Barn (2-4 hours).

You can start anywhere on the route, but parking and starting at Keukenhof is a good option (with the parking fee purchased online above).

For 2025, you can buy your bicycle ticket at the Keukenhof website for €11. These are also on sale now.

Tulip Experience Amsterdam

Tulip Experience Amsterdam is a show/selfie garden that also has a picking garden and a museum. It is designed to allow people to take photos, or selfies, without damaging the tulips in the fields. For 2025, this experience will be open March 20th to May 11th.

See their website at Tulip Experience Amsterdam for more details and to buy tickets.

The Tulip Barn

The Tulip Barn is another attraction near Kuekenhof with a selfie garden with over 750,000 tulips.

See the Tulip Barn website for more details and ticket costs. 2025 ticket information will be posted here when they are available.

Amsterdam Tulip Museum

Although the Amsterdam Tulip Museum is open year round (except select days of course), it’s a great stop to add to your list when visiting Keukenhof. You can learn about the history of tulips, how they came to Holland, and about the tulip mania that swept the Netherlands in the 17th century.

This museum is open daily from 10 to 6. It’s closed Christmas Day and April 27th. The entrance fee is €5.

Museum De Zwarte Tulp, or The Black Tulip Museum

The Museum De Zwarte Tulp, or the Black Tulip Museum is located in Lisse, about a 10-minute walk from Keukenhof. This little museum is located in a former shed barn and covers the history of the tulip, flower-bulb cultivation, and other details.

I have not been to this museum, but reviews note that there is not much in English. The website does state that there is an audio guide in English though.

This museum is open from 1-5 Tuesday to Thursday and 11-5 Friday to Sunday, but closed on Mondays. The entrance fee is €10 for adults.

This post may use affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you choose to make a booking or purchase through one of these links. This is at no additional cost to you. If you find my content helpful, please consider booking through me as it is completely win win!

Where To Stay In Amsterdam

There are many great places to stay in Amsterdam. I’ve selected a few that get excellent reviews. There are a few in the budget and moderate category, but most accommodation with the best reviews are in the moderate to affordable category.

I’ve noted what other attractions are nearby to provide a sense of the area they are located in.

Budget

• The Bee Hostel offers female only and mixed dorm beds around a 10-minute walk from the Rembrandt House and Dutch National Opera & Ballet. 

Affordable

• The ecological-minded Hotel La Bohème is housed in an historic building in Amsterdam city center. Museum Square (which has The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum) is only a 10-minute walk away. Guests can enjoy a simple Dutch breakfast buffet every morning. 

Moderate

• Amsterdam Central Guesthouse is centrally located in the city center of Amsterdam. The accommodations offers a shared kitchen. The Rembrandt House and Dutch National Opera & Ballet are both 1.4 miles away, while the Royal Palace Amsterdam is 1.9 miles away and the Anne Frank House is 2.1 miles from the property.
• Canal House Inn, set in a traditional Amsterdam mansion, offers modern style rooms with a Nespresso machine and a refrigerator. It’s  a 15-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Railway Station and Rembrandt square.
• Monet Garden Hotel Amsterdam is a boutique hotel near the canals. Most rooms have canal views and garden views. For an extra cost, they offer an extensive breakfast. Theres also a fireplace and a fitness center. Rembrandtplein is 2625’ away and the  Dutch National Opera & Ballet is nearby. 

Splurge

• Canal House offers sumptuous, boutique-style rooms in the heart of Amsterdam on the Keizersgracht Canal. The Amsterdam Tulip Museum and Anne Frank House are less than a 5-minute walk from Canal House and Amsterdam Central Railway Station is less than a 15-minute walk away.
• Right in the heart of the city overlooking the Royal Palace, the National Monument on Dam Square and the Rokin, you will find the newly opened high-end 5-star Suite hotel, Hotel TwentySeven. This luxurious accommodation has sixteen individually designed suites along with a diverse range of personalized services and fine dining experiences like BougainVille, awarded with a Michelin star. The Royal Palace is a 1-minute walk from the hotel.

Want To See More Of The Netherlands?

Amsterdam is truly an amazing city, offering things to see and do for virtually everyone. With its historic architecture standing proud along its beautiful canals, charming houseboat and bicycle culture, world-class museums, featuring famous Golden Age Dutch masterpieces, as well as a museum devoted to Van Gogh, it’s an incredible cultural experience.

To learn more about the Netherlands, see an overview of its top sites, how to get around, safety, scams, important money matters, and more, see my Netherlands Travel Guide.

Safe Travels!

Julie

Have you been to Keukenhof? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience. Please add a comment below.