Keukenhof - Everything you need to know before you go

The most beautiful park in the world

The Keukenhof is without a doubt the most beautiful man-made park I've ever been to! It's out of this world, the tulips don't even look real, they're so perfect.

I confess that I wasn't even that excited about visiting the Keukenhof, but of course, being in the city at the time it was open, I wasn't going to miss the chance to see it.
I went with no expectations, on a rainy and ugly day, until the first step off the bus.... WOW! A glimpse of what was to come, and that more than cheered me up.

Beautiful flowery fields, with colors so vibrant they looked like they had been painted, it was like that all the way to the Keukenhof, one sigh after another.

Keukenhof theme

Every year the Keukenhof brings a different theme, which makes each visit unique. What we do know is that the park will be beautiful and full of tulips the following year, but it will certainly be very different from the previous year. I already want to go back next year, you'll understand why.

In 2018 the theme was romance. Everything to do with it, isn't it? Flowers and romance were born for each other and each sector of the exhibition was more beautiful than the next. The mosaics, the pavilions, the arrangements... Ahhhh l'amour...

This mosaic (pictured above) was planted in two layers with more than 50,000 tulip bulbs!!!

I was delighted with the care and affection that everyone has for the park, that's what makes the Keukenhof out of this world!

This year the pavilion I liked the most was Orange - Nassau, full of everything that oozes romance. We even played on a beautiful swing...lol

I'm already looking forward to next year's theme, 2019 comes with Flower Power, recalling the 60s with lots of peace, love and flowers.

Period of operation

The period of operation is fluctuating and changes every year, both the opening and closing dates, but it is always between the middle of March and the beginning of May.

This year, 2018, it was open from March 22 to May 13. In 2019, it will be from March 21 to May 19.

The Keukenhof is only open for a very short time each year, but unfortunately there's not much way of changing that, simply because it's a tulip park, which only blooms in spring.

Of course, the Keukenhof does its best to extend the park's season as much as possible, but it's still too short =(

They plan every moment, from the opening, when the park is in full bloom, to the closing, when the flowers begin to die. The exhibition changes according to the season and the weather, which doesn't always go according to plan.

We heard that this time the park was more beautiful at the end of the season, precisely because the rainy season was delayed. As luck would have it, we went right at the end of the season.

When is the best time to visit the Keukenhof?

The opening season is very short, but is it better to go at the beginning, in the middle or at the end?

I prefer the middle, because as I've already said, the Keukenhof is scheduled to have flowers for the entire opening period. But at the beginning it's still colder and the flowers planned for the middle and end of the season haven't bloomed yet. By the end, however, the early flowers have died, and in a short time the park changes a LOT!

On the day we visited, the King's pavilion was already completely different, the tulips in the garden had already died and other arrangements had been put in their place. I've never seen such a variety of flowers in one place. Don't go expecting to see only tulips!

It's great to see how the park changes during the season.

If you want to see the park in full bloom, opt for the middle of the season, between the 3rd and 4th week of April, when there are more flowers open at the same time.

Remember, nature is not so controllable and this can vary.

Flower parade

The Flower Parade is an incredible parade with cars full of... guess what? Flowers lol.
It's reminiscent of our carnival with floats, but with decorations all made of flowers.

The cars parade from Noordwijk, past the Keukenhof and on to Haarlem. It's simply incredible and I want to experience it one day.

Don't forget to check the date of the parade in the year you're going, this date also changes from year to year. In 2018 it took place on April 21 and in 2019 it will be on April 13!!!

We arrived exactly one week after the flower parade and I was suuuuper sad, but if I was going to see the flower parade, I wouldn't see King's Day either, so I opted for King's Day and left the flower parade for next year.

Keukenhof opening hours

The Keukenhof is open from 8:00 to 19:30, but be aware that the ticket office closes at 18:00.

We spent the whole day at the Keukenhof, arriving around lunchtime and leaving at the last minute for the closing.

We explored and played all over the park. As we were with the 3-year-old, we enjoyed a very slow pace, spending some time on the little farm and in the playground too, which by the way are perfect for adding a touch of fun to the adult program.

But if you don't have a child, I think 3 to 4 hours is enough to get to know the Keukenhof.

When putting together your itinerary, don't forget to include the travel time to the park. Remember that the Keukenhof is outside Amsterdam.

Check out the transport options, you can save money by buying the ticket together with the bus from Amsterdam.

When is the best time to go to the Keukenhof?

Well, the park opens less than three months a year, so imagine if it's not full? IT IS FULL.

We went on a rainy day and it was still very crowded, but I noticed that it empties out considerably around closing time. In addition, of course, you can count on the golden hour, a unique moment to make the most of your photos.

We weren't lucky, but even on a rainy day the photos turned out wonderful.

Attractions and map

The Keukenhof has several pavilions, each with its own particularity

• Orange of Nassau:

The theme of the year and the flowers become one, with beautiful decorations every year.

• Willem Alexander:

It is in this pavilion that you will see the most varieties of tulips in one place.

• Beatrix:

The tulips are not the queens of this pavilion, but the orchids! One more beautiful than the other, take the opportunity to make a wish at the wishing well.

• Juliana or Tulipomania:

It's where the history of tulips is told, as well as curiosities such as the world's first commercial bubble! A tulip is worth much more than you might think and, contrary to what you might think, it's not originally from Holland, it was brought from Turkey.

• Farm and playground:

In addition to the pavilions, there is also a beautiful little farm where Emmanuel spent a few hours! He loves farm animals and interacting with them is really cool.

When I say that kids are never forgotten in Holland, I'm not kidding. There's also a very nice playground where the kids can let off steam, and there's lots of fun to be had along the way.

We even walked on water...lol

How to get there

The Keukenhof is located in Lisse and is a bit far from Amsterdam.

We left and returned from the same place, Haarlem, but we took two completely different routes on the way there and back.

Buses

Ida -> Haarlem / Keukenhof

We took bus 50, which took about 40 minutes, but we still had to walk for another 20 minutes. By the way, it wasn't difficult at all, as we passed through beautiful landscapes among the tulip fields until we reached the park.

Back -> Keukenhof/Haarlem

We took the 858, which goes straight to Schiphol Airport and at Schiphol another bus to Haarlem.

If you're leaving Amsterdam, you can either go to Schiphol and take the bus to the Keukenhof, or go to Haarlem and take the 50. On the way back it's the same.

It is also possible to buy the park ticket with the bus already included, check the departure points on the official website. They have lots of great tips!

We only took one bus on the way, but we walked more. On the way back we took two different buses, but we walked less, which was MUCH better, as it was raining a lot when we got back.

As we had the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket, it made no difference how much transportation we took. Read more here.

By car

The route is very well signposted, but I suggest you get a good GPS to help you, there is plenty of parking and it costs 6 euros. Of course, the car is much better in terms of freedom and if you can go that way, you'll be fine.

Take the opportunity to visit the beautiful Lisse countryside. I'd love to go back and explore those fields.

Where to eat

There are huge cafeterias in the pavilions, but I found the food expensive and not very appetizing. I had some very bland pasta and Emmanuel stuck to French fries, so if you can, bring your own snack. I also had a coffee which was "ok".

You are allowed to take food to the Keukenhof, but of course nothing that spoils easily.

If you're in the mood for a snack, there are lots of stalls there.

Go further

If it's not raining like it was on the day I went, take the opportunity to walk around the park and see the beautiful tulip fields. Or take the boat trip that leaves from the Keukenhof itself and passes right through the middle of the fields.

There are also options for cycling between the fields. Unfortunately, the weather didn't help us to take this enjoyable ride, but we did get a glimpse of the beauty of these fields when we got off the bus and walked into the park.

What we think of the Keukenhof

I was simply blown away! I already want to go back in 2019 and I'm super curious to see how the park will look with the new theme: Flower Power.

One thing that struck me was the size of the Keukenhof, it's gigantic and has 1600 varieties of tulips, I was amazed. I didn't even know there were so many varieties, I saw tulips that looked more like roses, BEAUTIFUL!

The tour and visit to the Keukenhof is more than worthwhile, it's not to be missed.

And you know what?

In addition to the playground and farm, the Keukenhof has prepared another surprise for the little ones. A treasure hunt, really!

Ask for yours at the entrance. It's a simple game, but it keeps the little ones entertained looking for the attractions described, I thought it was very nice that they thought of the little ones.

The game is only available in English or Dutch, but you can play along with the little ones by telling them what to look for. It's a lot of fun! We love it.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TREASURE HUNT GAME AND GET THE IDEA INTO YOUR HEAD!

Check out all the kid-friendly activities at the Keukenhof here.

Souvenir

There are several shops scattered around the park, 7 in total, but I found them a bit expensive.

As I had already bought things on other tours, I left the Keukenhof souvenirs for another occasion. We only bought a raincoat, which cost us 7 euros.

More useful information

• The ticket has no fixed date, so choose the best sunny day and enjoy the Keukenhof
• Children under 3 don't pay
• Ask for the treasure hunt when it arrives
• Free Wi-Fi available

Curiosities

• The park is only open for 8 weeks a year;
• In the 15th century, Countess Jacqueline of Bavaria owned the property, where she hunted and gathered herbs and vegetables for the kitchen. That's where the name comes from: Kitchen Garden;
• The park arose from the need for a demonstration park for tulip exporters;
• The Keukenhof will be 70 years old in 2019;
• Every year the park receives more than 1 million visitors from all over the world;
• There are 32 hectares, 7 million tulip bulbs of 1600 different species, 2500 trees of 87 different species and 7 tons of grass on 15 kilometers of paths that take you to the infinity of flowers;
• An 1892 windmill has decorated one of the parts of the park since 1957.

Rota Amsterdam offers tourism for Brazilians in the Netherlands. They are Brazilian Guides in Amsterdam and run various tours in Portuguese. Tours on foot, by bike, boat or car. If you tell them you've come via our blog, you'll get a discount of 5 %! Just put the name 'Crispelomundo' in the "partner discount" tab when asking for a quote and you'll get a discount on any tour!

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