Family cycling through flower fields in the Netherlands

Amsterdam to Keukenhof Transport and Best Time to Visit

Giant clog sculpture among the flowers at Keukenhof

Keukenhof opens to the general public between March and May every year. Dates vary a little year on year but, in general, we’re talking roughly March 21 to May 12. During this period, the gardens open daily from 8AM-7.30PM, with half hourly entry slots available to book in advance here.

The best time to visit kind of depends on your point of view. If you’re looking to dodge the larger crowds, the official website recommends pitching up on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday when the gardens are at their quietest, though bear in mind it’s all relative and you’re unlikely to have completely unobstructed views of the exhibits at any time. Arrive before 10.30am or after 4pm for some of the least busy times and for Insta-perfect snaps courtesy of that special morning and evening light.

Colorful tulips at Keukenhof

The flowers themselves bloom when they’re ready. That means daffs, crocuses, hyacinths and some types of tulip will be at their best early in the season while others, like the bigger tulip varieties, bloom later.

Keukenhof’s visitor numbers peak during the Easter holidays and in April, when you’re most likely to catch the largest selection of bulbs in full flower. There’s also a one-day flower parade in the middle of the month, when beautiful floats crammed with fragrant flowers weave their way along a 42-kilometer route between Noordwijk to Haarlem, passing Keukenhof along the way. While obviously a great time to be at Keukenhof, this does mean multiple road closures, and its recommended you’re in the park by 11am on the day of the parade. Discover more about the flower festival and parade here.

How to Get to Keukenhof

Train pulling out of Amsterdam Centraal Station

There’s a bewildering variety of Amsterdam to Keukenhof transport options, from straightforward coach-and-ticket packages to going it alone on two wheels. We break down the options below.

Amsterdam to Keukenhof by Coach

This is hands-down the most straightforward way of getting to Keukenhof from Amsterdam and it doesn’t take a Googling genius to discover that there are almost as many tour operators offering coach+entry packages as there are tulips in the bulb fields. It’s also an option to book direct via the official Keukenhof website, here. Prices are competitive, too. You’ll only pay a premium of around €2 (vs paying for your transport and ticket separately) for the priceless privilege of having someone else do all the organizing for you. All you have to do then is pitch up at the departure point (RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre) on time, and you’re good to go. It’s also worth noting that this is the only way to travel direct from central Amsterdam to Keukenhof via public transport as all other options require a combination of train and bus.

There’s a coach+entry package included with the Go City Amsterdam attraction pass, which can save you money if you’re in town for a few days and plan to avail yourself of several tours, attractions and other activities, such as an Amsterdam canal cruise, the Rijksmuseum, and Madame Tussauds. Find out more about the Amsterdam pass here.

Keukenhof Windmill in a sea of tulips

Amsterdam to Keukenhof by Public Transport

There are a couple of other ways to get to Keukenhof via Amsterdam’s reliable public transport system, depending where you’re traveling from. These include Keukenhof express buses from Schiphol Airport, Leiden and Haarlem, again available via the Keukenhof website. Alternatively, savvy travelers can save a euro or two by catching the 397 bus from the city center and connecting to the Keukenhof express bus at Hoofddorp, the cheapest way to make the journey.

Colorful flower fields in the Netherlands

Amsterdam to Keukenhof by Car

If you want to beat the morning crowds, having your own set of wheels will definitely give you the edge over your fellow flower fanatics. The 40-minute drive to Keukenhof, sandwiched between Amsterdam and The Hague, is a fairly straightforward one, and the gardens are of course well signposted. However, there’s a reason most Amsterdammers favor getting around on two wheels (or indeed legs). Parking in the city comes at a premium and it’s very easy to rack up an eye-watering bill if you have a rental car for even a few days – all of which assumes you can find a parking spot in the first place. In happier news, it's possible to pre-book a parking spot for your visit to Keukenhof via the official website, for a relatively acceptable €7.

Bike parked next to an Amsterdam canal

Amsterdam to Keukenhof by Bike

The Netherlands is one of the world’s best countries for cycling, with an excellent infrastructure and relatively flat landscape that makes it easy and convenient to bike to most destinations. There are 400km of lanes in Amsterdam alone, where driving is positively discouraged and most of the population gets around on two wheels.

That said, it’s around 25 miles from Amsterdam to Keukenhof so this option is really only for those with a working knowledge of Dutch road regulations, who are also fit and healthy enough to make the journey there and back. It’s well worth doing though: the experience of arriving in the sensory saturnalia that is the Keukenhof flower fields, the air heavy with the scent of a million blooming tulips, crocuses, orchids (and the rest), is not one you’ll forget in a hurry. There are plenty of bike rental stores dotted around Amsterdam and your hotel may also operate its own rental service.

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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Amsterdam's Munttoren behind a canal
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Amsterdam in July

At the height of summer, Amsterdam in July positively oozes life and culture. Some of the largest crowds flock to the capital over the summer period to bask in the Dutch sun and explore the city’s cultural hubs, hedonistic pleasures and world-famous nightlife scene. So long as you’re prepared to put up with larger queues and busier streets, a trip in summer is sure to be a thrilling one. Visiting Amsterdam in July Average Temperature: 54 - 70°F • Average Rainfall: 12 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 6 hours/day It likely comes as little surprise that visiting Amsterdam in July – and just about anywhere else in Europe around this time – will land you amid one of the city’s most bustling periods. The Dutch capital positively brims with life throughout summer, as the waves of families and vacationers flock to see just what the country’s cultural center has to offer. Naturally, this comes at the cost of sharing the city with many more tourists than during the low season. Lines for attractions are likely to be longer, and accommodation rates will be at their highest. However, that also allows the nightlife scene to really come into its own, and the city as a whole will have a much more electric atmosphere. Your trip to Amsterdam in July will likely be complemented by overall mild to warm temperatures. While you aren’t guaranteed the same summertime heatwaves of more southern European destinations, July’s climate is prime weather for exploring the iconic streets and squares of the Dutch capital. That being said, it also wouldn’t be a terrible idea to pack an umbrella just in case. Things to Do in July No matter the time of year, any trip to Amsterdam would be incomplete without discovering at least some of its famous cultural hubs. Taking precedence is the emblematic Rijksmuseum towering over the Museumplein, housing a vast collection of renowned artworks and historical artifacts. Where historical insight is concerned, the Anne Frank House stands as the most potent recounting of life in the Netherlands during the Second World War. As a city with more bicycles than people, there are few better ways to explore Amsterdam than on your very own pair of wheels. Over 470 miles of cycle paths make up the Amsterdam Bicycle Network, making for a fantastic excuse to take a more physically active approach to exploring the capital. Many bike rental stores offer daily rates somewhere in the region of €10. There’s no better time than summer to make the most of Amsterdam’s many sprawling green spaces. The weather in July offers a perfect opportunity to take a stroll among Vondelpark’s ancient trees and stunning lakes, and grab a seat at one of its many charming park cafés. Equally, why not have a picnic in Westerpark, make the most of its live summertime events and shows, or even catch a viewing at its very own arthouse cinema? Second only to cycling, Amsterdam’s emblematic waterways offer a uniquely alternative means of seeing the city. You can choose from a large variety of tour operators offering their own canal boat excursions, often including tours of the capital’s key landmarks accompanied by local insights into their cultural and historical significance. Amsterdam’s nightlife scene is never better than in summer, when you can expect most bars and clubs to be brimming with life. Popular venues can be found throughout the city, but as a general rule of thumb, the old area of Jordaan is typically very popular with young people for its trendy bars. Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein are particularly popular for their club offerings, while the street of Nes often attracts more of an intellectual theater crowd. Events in July Over Het IJ Festival Held on the waterfront of the River IJ in Amsterdam, the 10-day Over Het IJ Festival stands as a combined celebration of theater, art and culture. With the backdrop of Amsterdam’s iconic wharves, piers and shipping containers, the festival offers a variety of theatrical performances, visual arts and interactive installations for visitors to enjoy. The waterfront location allows for visitors to enjoy the festival’s jam-packed program of location-specific shows and activities while enjoying the best of the Dutch summertime weather. The event is publicly accessible for visitors to explore at their leisure, with a variety of delicious food stands and chill spaces scattered around the venue. Amsterdam Pride As the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, nobody knows how to celebrate Pride more than the Netherlands. Now a multi-day festival, Amsterdam’s Pride Festival typically attracts around half a million visitors each year in late July in celebration of equality, diversity and personal identity. Should you happen to visit around this time, you’ll find local bars and clubs veritably thriving with festivity. Various street parties and events bring together thousands of revelers dressed in the full color spectrum to enjoy live music performances and Amsterdam’s famous Canal Parade, during which over 80 official vessels celebrate the past, present and future of the LGBT community. Milkshake Festival Organized as a collaboration between two of Amsterdam’s most prominent clubs, Air and Paradiso, the Milkshake Festival is a multi-genre music event built around central themes of inclusion and freedom of expression. The event promotes diversity in every sense of the word, as thousands of music fans flock to enjoy the festival’s many different stages and performances in a safe, open environment. North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is the world’s largest indoor music festival. Hosted in Rotterdam, just over an hour away from Amsterdam by train, the event takes place over three days and features performances from various music genres. Although primarily considered the world’s most important jazz festival, the festival also offers blues, funk, hip hop and world music performances from local and international names both big and small. As many as 70,000 visitors flock to Rotterdam each year to enjoy live music from over 1,000 musicians performing across 15 stages.
Robert Heaney
Several boats moored beside Amsterdam's iconic canal houses
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Amsterdam in May

For a true taste of the best of both worlds, a trip to Amsterdam in May could be just the ticket. As the early bridge between the city’s low and high tourism seasons, May is the perfect window of time to experience both the healthy buzz of the Dutch capital and the relatively meagre queues of the late low-season traffic. Visiting Amsterdam in May Average Temperature: 45 - 61°F • Average Rainfall: 12 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 7 hours/day As springtime begins drawing to a close, so too does the Amsterdam shoulder season. May lands you right on the precipice between low-season traffic and the impending waves of summertime tourists. That makes it a great time to enjoy the city’s healthy buzz while also making the most of the shortest queues for top attractions for the next few months. Visiting Amsterdam in May will have you experiencing the first days of mostly mild weather, after many months of chill and rain. While you should still be prepared to pack an umbrella and perhaps some waterproofs too, you might not have to bundle up quite so warm anymore. What’s more, May is the first time when you can expect regular full days of sunshine, making for ideal exploring conditions. Things to Do in May History & Culture Few trips to Amsterdam would be complete without exploring some of its renowned cultural hubs. Taking pride of place is the striking Rijksmuseum, home to the Netherlands’ largest collection of art and historical artifacts, among which sit multiple works by the likes of Rembrandt and Vermeer. Known for drawing in creatives from around the world, the Dutch capital certainly makes sure to celebrate its artists. The Van Gogh Museum leads the charge with its more than 1,400-strong collection of the famed Post-Impressionist painter’s works, while the MOCO Museum just down the road celebrates such modern and contemporary artists as Banksy and Damien Hirst. The city as it stands today is nothing if not for its rich and diverse history, which it certainly makes every effort to chronicle. Central to this is the Amsterdam Museum, documenting the development of the capital from the middle ages to modern day. Perhaps most popular, however, is the Anne Frank House, which immortalizes the story of the famous World War Two diarist and stands as a reminder of the tragedies of war. Outdoor Activities With milder weather on the rise, there are few more perfect ways to explore the city than on your own pair of wheels. With more bikes than residents, Amsterdam is literally built to facilitate cycling, with over 470 miles of cycle lanes running through and around the city. For a more active approach to your trip, grab yourself a rental bike from one of the many stores dotted throughout Amsterdam for around roughly €10/day. Since we’re talking about unique ways to see the city, why not do so from atop Amsterdam’s world-famous waterways? One of the capital’s largest tourism industries, canal boat tours offer a fantastic way to get from one place to another while also offering unique perspectives and insights into the cultural and historical significance of many of the city’s top monuments. Just as May marks the final days of spring, so too does it serve to see out the Dutch tulip season. From the end of March, tulips will have been in full bloom throughout the Netherlands. For the best tulip and flower displays in the country, you’ll want to take a trip to nearby Lisse to explore Keukenhof Park, known also as the Garden of Europe and the most popular place to see tulips in bloom. You might find the milder, clearer days of May to be the perfect opportunity to take a day trip or two to some of Amsterdam’s neighboring cities. Utrecht is considered Europe’s best canal city and is popular for its trendy yet provincial architecture and atmosphere. Rotterdam is the Netherlands’ principal port town and home to some of the country’s best modern architecture, alongside a killer nightlife scene. Most cities are accessible within a few hours by train, so it should be no trouble to work them into a free day in your itinerary. Events in May Rolling Kitchens Food Festival Over the course of a long weekend in late May, Amsterdam’s Westergas hosts the Rollende Keukens or Rolling Kitchens Food Festival. Dozens of food trucks and mobile kitchens set up shop to create one gigantic open-air food court, offering all manner of cuisine to tickle every taste bud. Joining the street food are also a selection of bar stands serving everything from health smoothies to stylish cocktails. With free admission, the festival promotes a cheap and cheerful atmosphere, giving visitors the chance to experience anything from local Dutch staples to world cuisine in a relaxed, affordable setting. Complete with live music and performances, you can easily sink an evening into exploring the labyrinth of food stalls and dining beneath the stars. World Press Photo Often launching sometime in April, the annual World Press Photo exhibition typically takes place in Amsterdam’s Nieuwe Kerk and can be visited for a number of months following its unveiling. The exhibition serves to showcase the award-winning images and videos submitted to the World Press Photo Competition, split among prize categories such as News, Sports, Nature and the Environment. The largest photography competition of its kind in the world, World Press Photo offers aspiring and prominent photographers alike the opportunity to share their skills with the world, through the stories told by their work. An independent and international jury works to judge submissions each year and pick out the best of the bunch, ultimately landing on a single Photo of the Year. Those with a penchant for photography, journalism and the visual arts might find a great deal of value from exploring the galleries of winning pieces. Complete with elaborate captions and often audio commentary, each image tells an intimate story, often shedding light on ongoing global affairs that otherwise go unseen.
Robert Heaney

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