Our Guide To The Amsterdam Tulip Festival Which Returns In Full Bloom This Week
Spring has sprung in Amsterdam and we all know what that means - the Amsterdam Tulip Festival is back after a long hiatus, and better than ever!
Amsterdam’s unbelievably warm for this time of year, so it’s definitely time for some outdoor fun, and there’s nothing more fun than Amsterdam’s annual tulip festival. This year there are tons of places participating and as different kinds of tulips bloom at different times we’ll be able to enjoy the festival from March 15 all the way through until May 15!
Where can we see these beautiful tulips?
Keukenhof Gardens
You can catch the metro to the stunning Keukenhof Gardens during tulip season and it stops at several places in Amsterdam, including:
- Noorderpark (52)
- Amsterdam CS (52)
- Vijselzgracht (52)
- De Pijp (52)
This line will take you to Europaplein where you can catch the 852 bus straight to Keukenhof.
You can also catch the bus from the following locations:
- Leidseplein
- Rijksmuseum
- Museumplein
This bus takes you to Schiphol airport where you can get the 858 bus straight to Keukenhof also. Alternatively, you can cycle to Keukenhof from Amsterdam but it will take you around 2 hours. The entrance fee to the gardens is €19, but if you want to travel on public transport we’d recommend getting a tulip festival pass. The pass covers your public transport costs, allows you to skip the line at Keukenhof and €50 for a day, €61 for two days, and €72 for three.
The Flower Parade
The theme this year is ‘celebrating memories’ and this year it will take place on April 23. This amazing floral parade has been running for 75 years now so this year is special. It’s also special because last year’s Covid-19 restrictions made it difficult to celebrate tulip season as normal.
It will run through Lisse, Hillegom, and Sassenheim and you can watch it from a grandstand, which costs €25.95 per person. Alternatively, you can take a helicopter ride above the parade for €126 per person, which is definitely the fancier option (*checks bank account*). Make sure you book your helicopter ride ASAP though because there will be plenty of interest.
Expo Floriade
This incredible exhibition is open between April 14 and October 9, so you have plenty of time to visit. It’s a horticultural exhibition and countries from around the world participate. The theme this year is ‘growing green cities’ and if you’re crazy about plants and flowers (guilty as charged) then you can’t afford to miss it because it only takes place once every ten years.
It’s going to be incredible, with cable cars overhead so that you can really take in the scale of the festival, which is absolutely huge and could not be more beautiful. If you’re interested in attending then check out the website where you can read more about it and book tickets.