This is a collaborative post.
Every year from mid-March to May, parts of the Netherlands are transformed from lush shades of green into an eye-popping patchwork quilt of colour, beginning with the crocuses in the spring, followed by the daffodils and hyacinths, before the iconic Netherlands tulips start to bloom from mid-April to early May.
With its long spring season and mild evening climate, the Netherlands makes for the ideal environment in which for tulip bulbs to flourish. What’s more, as the soil in the polders is always very well-drained, it remains pleasantly moist without getting water-logged – just how the tulips like it!
As the world slowly begins to open up to travel once again, you might be dreaming about seeing the Netherlands tulips in bloom for yourself sometime soon.
Here are a few things to be aware of ahead of your visit – including where to find the best tulip fields in the Netherlands!
What is the best time to see tulips in Amsterdam?
Tulip season in the Netherlands officially begins on January 15th, with the arrival of National Tulip Day. Amsterdam’s Dam Square is filled with thousands of tulips from local flower growers and everyone is invited to pick a free bunch for themselves.
However, as Netherlands’ tulips usually bloom sometime from mid-April to early May, the best time to see tulips while staying in Amsterdam (or elsewhere in the Netherlands) is usually somewhere between the middle to the end of April.
Where are the best tulip fields in the Netherlands?
Most of the Netherlands’ tulip farms can be found in the Noordoostpolder, in the province of Flevoland.
However, the vibrant tulip fields lining the coast of The Hague and Leiden up to Alkmaar in the north also make for a wonderful route for admiring these enchanting flowers. You’ll find large bulb fields both to the north and south of Haarlem and every year, a Flower Parade consisting of hundreds of flower-filled floats makes its way from Noordwijk to Harlem.
The very best tulip fields are said to be found in the North of Holland in the “Bollenstreek” (bulb district), just a 30-minute drive away from Amsterdam.
That said, visitors should be aware that most of the flower growers in this region are, in fact, bulb producers; as they supply flower farmers with healthy bulbs to sell on to future consumers, they behead the tulips before they fade and die. While this might be heart-wrenching for onlookers to see, it’s necessary in order to ensure a healthy source of bulbs for the future.
Keukenhof, Lisse
Famed as the biggest flower exhibition in the world, springtime at the 32-hectare Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse sees over seven million tulip bulbs in flower.
Open every year from the end of March until mid-May, Keukenhof is widely regarded as the best place in the Netherlands to to see around 800 varieties of tulip at their very best.
You can get here via a 15-minute drive from nearby Leiden, or a 30-minute drive from Amsterdam. However, Keukenhof is easily accessible via public transport too. In most cases, it’ll pay to buy a Combiticket, enabling you to save on the cost of purchasing an entrance ticket to Keukenhof and rail and/or bus fare for the day separately.
What do they do with all the tulips in the Netherlands?
While you might think the Netherlands must end up with an overwhelming surplus of tulips, in actual fact, the majority of the tulips grown in the country are exported for sale elsewhere throughout the world. In fact, it’s estimated that 93% of the world’s tulip bulbs originate from the Netherlands.
For this reason, the tulip has become almost synonymous with Holland.
What should I be aware of when visiting the Netherlands’ tulip fields?
When visiting any of the Netherland’s tulip fields, there are a few things you’ll need to be aware of.
- Don’t walk through, or trample across, the tulips; not only could you damage them, but any disease on your shoes could contaminate the flowers.
- Only pick tulips from designated cutting gardens
- If you want to capture a photo with the tulips, you should walk along the edge of the fields, taking care not to trample on them. You don’t need to walk right through the flower fields just to get a decent shot! However, some cutting gardens will allow photos amid the flowers.
Have you ever been to any of the best tulip fields in the Netherlands? Share your experience with other readers by leaving a comment below.
This is a collaborative post.