Best Places to See Tulips and Bulb Fields

Tulips are undoubtedly one of the most famous Dutch attractions. In spring, many foreign tourists come to the bulb region to see the colourful fields. But the Dutch are also attracted to this beautiful ‘product’ and as soon as the tulips appear in the flower shops, the Dutch buy tulips to put in vases in their homes. The bulb region stretches between Haarlem, Leiden and the North Sea. The tulip season is from the end of March until early May.

1. National Tulip Day

The ‘tulip fever’ starts around Christmas when the first tulips appear at the florist together with hyacinth bulbs that start to sprout after a few days, showing their colours and smelling sweetly.

The third weekend of January is National Tulip Day in Amsterdam. Around 300,000 tulips stand against the backdrop of the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum on Museumplein in Amsterdam centre.

2. Keukenhof Flower Garden

The Keukenhof is synonymous with tulips, although other bulbous plants such as daffodils and hyacinths can also be seen. Every year, around 7 million bulbs are planted by hand, no machine is used. The tulip season lasts around eight weeks from the end of March to the beginning of May.

Keukenhof offers a whole range of attractions, flower mosaics, windmills, whisper-boat cruises, art sculptures between the tulips and plenty of cafes and restaurants and picnic meadows. You are not the only visitor because the Keukenhof attracts more than a million visitors every year.

3. Flower Parade

On the third Saturday in April, flower-decorated floats and brass bands travel along the road from Noordwijk to Haarlem via the bulb region and the Keukenhof.

On the Friday evening, the Night Parade takes place in Noordwijkerhout with floats decorated with flowers and magically lit.

During the construction days in Noordwijkerhout (Wednesday to Friday before the flower parade), you can witness how hundreds of volunteers decorate the floats with fragrant and colourful hyacinths, daffodils and tulips.

4. Tulip Farms

If you want to see the tulips up close and learn something about growing tulips, go to one of the three tulip farms. They are all three located in the bulb region and are the initiative of flower bulb growers.

* Tulip Experience in Noordwijkerhout is home to almost one million tulips. You can walk into the tulip fields where you see at least 700 different types and you are also are allowed to pick tulips. Visit their tulip market with all kinds of products made from tulips or decorated with tulips. beer, vodka, soap, vases, napkins, key rings and much more.

* Tulperij in Voorhout, together with the bulb grower you walk through the bulb fields. He digs up some tulip bulbs and shows you how they grow.

* Tulip Barn in Hillegom, you walk on paths between 750,000 tulips in the fields. Scattered in the fields are objects such as a piano, a tractor and a swing. These objects form a beautiful backdrop for the most beautiful Instagrammable photos.