Tulip time | 3 ways to feel the bloom in the Netherlands

On By oregongirlaroundtheworldIn Family Travel, Netherlands

It’s almost tulip time in the Netherlands.

Feel the bloom in tulip fields around North & South Holland

It’s happening. Can you feel it? It’s springing up all over Northern Europe. Where you are too? Phew. We made it. Or at least I did. Even when armed with the tools for some cozy Danish hygge to help survive the dark days, I am always happy to see the first harbingers of spring when they happen. Here, it is the tiny white blooms of vintergækker, or snowdrops, that appear first on the scene. Even when surrounded by sprinklings of snow, I know that the rest of spring is blooming soon.

The peak of the spring season in Northern Europe brings blue skies, blooms, buds, and blossoms. In the Netherlands, this means Dutch tulips. Whether you call them tulips, two-lips, chew-lips, tulipes, tulipaner, or tulpen – they will soon be pushing up pretty all over the Netherlands. Between the end of March through mid-May, it is tulpomania further south in the Netherlands. And as there are wide, many different varieties of tulips; there are as many ways to enjoy them.

Original post written in 2017, but updated with current dates, opening hours, and prices as of January 2023.

While you can explore this region from a base in Amsterdam, we chose to plunk down right in the middle of the Bollenstreek, the Dutch flower bulb region. We stayed in darling little Haarlem, cobbled and canaled and café’d, it was the perfect post for our tulip tour.

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Three ways to get your bloom on this spring in the Netherlands
1 | Bollenstreek | Flower strip between Haarlem and Leiden

The Bollenstreek offers field after field after field full of brightly colored tulips when in bloom. Our timing was perfect last mid-April and we were treated to a veritable fruit stripe of bulb-o-licious flavors. Even the teens were impressed. If you have teens too, you know that is sometimes hard to do.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Bollenstreek Flower Radar 
Check out what fields are blooming in the area. A super cool crowd-sourced map to see what is bursting open where. Seeking purple blossoms? Keep an eye out and hunt them down. 

Red and orange striped tulip fields
2 | KEUKENHOF GARDEN | Lisse, NL

The largest garden in the world, Keukenhof draws a million visitors each year during the eight weeks the blossoms are a’bloomin. Growers from the Netherlands and beyond plant brilliant displays that showcase their bulbs. Don’t think your kids will be smitten with hectares upon hectares of formal flower beds? Take a ride on the little canal or pet the baby goats. Seriously pet the goats. They are adorable. Playgrounds and places for picnics offer pauses in the petunias. I mean tulips. And daffodils. And hyacinths and poppies and crocus. Keukenhof writes the book on all things that bloom from a bulb.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Keukenhof
Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM | Lisse Netherlands
Open from 23 March – 14 May 2023
Every day 08.00 – 19.30
Tickets: Adults € 19 | Children (4-17) € 9
Car parking: € 6

Layers of tulips and daffodils
Peacocks in the Children’s Farm

3 | Bloemncorso | Flower Parade

For one Saturday and one Zaterdag only, you can find the famous Bloemencorso Bollenstreek as it rolls along a 42-kilometer route through all the small towns between Noordwijk and Haarlem.  This year the parade will roll on the 22nd of April 2023. Featured are around 20 large-scale motorized floats covered with flowers. It reminds me of the Rose Parade in my Portland, Oregon, or the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, California, on a slightly smaller scale. The Bloemencorso intersperses the floats with entertainment from live bands and local personalities. If only we knew what they were saying. I speak a little Danish, not Dutch – remember? Check the website for estimated arrival times along the route. Park nearby and join the tourists and the locals, you can’t help but be charmed and love the flower parade.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Bloemencorso Bollenstreek
19 – 23 April 2023 parade activities happening – check website for details.

Friday 21 April 2023 |
Experience a special illuminated floral parade through the village of Noordwijkerhout. The lights turn on at 21:00 – more details and route here.

Saturday 22 April 2023 |
Follow the floral floats along a 42 km course around the Bollenstreek region between Noordwijk and Haarlem

9:15 parade departs Noordwijk from Koningin Wilhelminaboulevard
19:30 parade ends in Haarlem
See specific route details and projected times here.

WHERE WE STAYED

We loved little Haarlem and stayed nearby at the Stayokay Haarlem hostel hotel. Dorm-style rooms are affordable and family-friendly – even for five. Breakfast included and a funky bar with music onsite. When the weather is nicer, sit outside and enjoy the patio. Bicycles are available to rent.

A full breakfast buffet is in this hostel included with a night’s accommodation. The buffet consists of organic bread, meats with a Beter Leven quality seal, fresh fruit, different kinds of fresh juices, dairy products, and various spreads.”

-Stayokay Haarlem

Stayokay Haarlem
Jan Gijzenpad 3, 2024 CL Haarlem, Netherlands

Windmill on canal in Haarlem
When in the Netherlands?
Lovely breakfast buffet at Stayokay Haarlem
Spring is asparagus time

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66 thoughts on “Tulip time | 3 ways to feel the bloom in the Netherlands”

    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      Yes – it was a fun trip! Do you remember exactly where we saw the fields of tulips outside Haarlem? Did you write it down?

      Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      Oh yes! So many ways! We actually loved just driving around looking for fields – you can do bike tours or just bike the country roads as well. Now that would be fun!

      Reply

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    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      If you’re REALLY into tulips – you can take a tours, but with teens in tow – this is about as much tulips as we were allowed to do! They actually had a good time. Cheers, Erin

      Reply

  8. Those tulip fields are really amazing – I’d love to see them! What a great place to be to celebrate spring. The flower parade is also very impressive, such outstanding work. Love seeing the first signs of spring – “phew, we made it” is exactly how I feel #FarawayFiles

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      Phew is right! It’s not all sunshine and rainbows here in Denmark, but the light is longer and the green is greening and the blooms are a’bloomin’! Cheers from Copenhagen, Erin

      Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      Yes! Skagit Valley has beautiful tulip fields! My girlfriend was a Daffodil princess in highschool! There is a nice festival down outside Portland as well – they do hot air balloon launches from the fields!

      Reply
  10. Clare Thomson

    Those beautiful flowers! I LOVE tulips and I can’t think of a better way of celebrating the new season than immersing myself in a field of them – or a Nike trainer! #FarawayFiles

    Reply
  11. Wherejogoes

    I love floral art so these suggestions would be perfect for me! I’m sure the baby goats would be enticement for the kids. Would love to see the flower parade. Thanks for hosting #FarawayFiles

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      It truly is gorgeous and I will admit I preferred the open fields of colors over the structured formal beds at Keukenhof, but it was still super amazing to see all the variety there! Cheers, Erin

      Reply

  13. Great guide, Erin. I am totally envious of flowers abloom in your part of the world. I know it’s just the beginning but at least you have something! #farawayfiles

    Reply

  14. This is a bucket list item for me. JUST WOW! It looks amazing. I love how there is a crowd sourced map to help visitors locate the types of flowers they want to see. Simply beautiful. #farawayfiles

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      There are some tulips that look kind of like poppies actually – they had every shape, size, texture and color you could imagine at Keukenhof. Amazing. Cheers, Erin

      Reply
  16. tracycollins2016

    I am desperately trying to figure out how we can fit in (read afford!!) a trip to see the tulips before we move to Australia. I have wanted to see them for so long!!! #FarawayFiles

    Reply

  17. Funny, when I was a kid my folks used to make us drive to the tulip fields in Mt. Vernon Washington and it was always such a drag… Now that I’m “all grown up” I’d love to make a trip like this! Your photos are wonderful! #farawayfiles

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      Haha! When you can sneak in poffertjes and stroopwafels to break up the tulip beds, our kids were happy to look at flowers! 😉

      Reply
  19. annette @afrenchcollection

    Even a Red Bull car from flowers! A million visitors in 8 weeks is a very busy festival. Thanks for such a lovely dose of flowers… Annette #FarawayFiles

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      Yes – it was crazy! The floats were very well done. Keukenhof is crazy busy, but not awful – the parking lot was probably the worst – it’s so big in there, seems to be plenty of space for all the visitors. But then again, we did not attempt to see them on a weekend! Cheers, Erin

      Reply

  20. I wish I could go to these three places. I love everything related to flowers (it goes back to the flowers festival in Puerto Rico). The parade looks amazing! I will not want to miss it. #FarawayFiles

    Reply

  22. Oh I recently learnt that there is a park in Northern Thailand that blooms with tulips during this season. It’s like Netherlands comes to Asia haha! Keukenhof Gardens is definitely on my bucket list for tulip season, the flowers are so beautiful and pretty. Hope to visit Netherlands in the near future 🙂 #FarawayFiles

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      That is cool! Fields of tulips are very popular in the States that I come from as well – there are tulip festivals in both Oregon and Washington. It is so impressive when you see so many in one place! Keukenhof pulls people from all over the world to see those beautiful flower beds! Cheers from Denmark Kat – have a great weekend!

      Reply
  24. davemcclane

    I’d love to see more of the Netherlands s next time i’ll have o make sure to go in Spring so that I can see the tulips blossoming!

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      This is a multi-generation hostel and if you avoid giant school groups, it is the perfect base to explore and stay within budget. And for our family of 5, a standard hotel room rarely fits us – so sometimes a dorm room can be a fun option! My parents were with us too and there were groups of retirees on cycle trips. Good for all ages for sure!

      Reply

  28. The baby goats at Keukenhof look adorable. The flower radar is useful to plan visits. I’d love to visit someday, when the tulips are in bloom.

    Reply

  29. The tulips are so pretty! I’ve always wanted to go see them, but have never been in Europe at the right time (always end up there in either mid winter or end of summer). I’ll definitely be saving this for when I do make it over there in the right season!

    Reply

  31. “Bloemenradar”!!!! Blooming awesome! Thank you for introducing me to this excellent resource. And, of course, as always, a brilliant post – cheers! #FarawayFiles

    Reply

  32. I would love to go and check out the tulips in the Netherlands. Pretty sure my husband wouldn’t be so keen though – I’ll show him your post to convince him! x
    #FarawayFiles

    Reply
    1. oregongirlaroundtheworld

      He’s an outdoor guy right? How about a bicycle tour through the Bollenstreek? Or there are plenty of places for hikes – just its pretty flat. But you are rewarded with a gorgeous field of tulips from time to time! Cheers – thanks for checking it out, Erin

      Reply

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  35. Tulips are my very favourite flower. I love the vibrancy and variety of colours and would absolutely adore these events. Oh, and thank goodness for spring!! You are not the only one 🙂 Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes

    Reply

  36. Oh wow how absolutely beautiful! We’ve seen a fair few bright blossoming tulips recently…they always make me happy! Gorgeous photos #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  38. Anna

    I’d love to visit one of this places! The look amazing! The only blossoms we get in Athens are Jacarandas!! #mondayescapes

    Reply

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