Travel Guides
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April 25, 2018
We’ve been living in the Netherlands for just under two years, and visiting Keukenhof gardens and the surrounding flower fields during spring has become a ritual of ours. Keukenhof is one of the largest gardens in the world, with over 7 million tulips, hyacinth and daffodils planted each year. It’s located in the town of Lisse, which is home to rows and rows of flower fields. It’s easy to visit both on a day trip from Amsterdam!
Left to right from top: Pink hyacinth fields in Lisse here (marked with blue pins, this is Flower Field I), blue hyacinth (taken inside Keukenhof), pink hyacinth (taken inside Keukenhof), yellow daffodil fields in Lisse here (Flower Field I), pink hyacinth fields in Lisse here (Flower Field III), purple hyacinth fields in Lisse.
What to Know
Keukenhof is located in the town of Lisse, which is home to a number of flower fields. Many people only visit Keukenhof gardens itself, but the fields surrounding it are (in my opinion) more picturesque. Some flower fields are only viewable from the road, as they are blocked by canals or gates, but others you can walk up to. You can choose to visit Keukenhof, the flower fields, or both — one day is plenty of time. If you’d like to visit the fields, I recommend renting a bike or a car to get around.
Important note: Due to increased tourism in this region, many local farmers are seeing their flower fields destroyed. Please only walk within the fields if you have explicit permission from the local farmers. (The majority of photos shown in this post were taken in one area after we spoke to the owner, others were taken years ago before this was an issue). I recommend checking out this local, family-owned farm to arrange a visit if you’d like to take photos.
Visiting Keukenhof
Tickets – An adult entrance fee ticket to Keukenhof Gardens starts at 17 euros. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time (highly recommended, as tour buses roll in first thing in the morning!). Note that the surrounding flower fields are free to visit, but they are quite far apart so you’ll need either a car to drive to them or a bike. You can rent bikes once you arrive at Keukenhof, which is what we did. If you need transport from Amsterdam, you can also purchase a ticket that includes bus transport from the city center.
Keukenhof Skip The Line Ticket | Lisse (Keukenhof) Bike Rental Ticket
Time of year – Keukenhof opens every year end-March and runs through mid-May, but we’ve found that visiting right away might mean you’ll miss some of the blooms. Check the Keukenhof schedulebeforehand and shoot for the middle or end of April so that you can see both the fields and Keukenhof garden at its best. Getting there right when Keukenhof opens (at 8:00am) means you’ll deal with less crowds and lines.
My favorite spot inside Keukenhof gardens.
Daffodils inside of Keukenhof gardens.
Visiting the Flower Fields in Lisse
The flower fields are never as crowded as Keukenhof, but they’ve become more popular in recent years. I’d recommend arriving before 10:00am to experience them without crowds.
- Renting a bike – you can rent bikes from the main parking lot at the Keukenhof gardens. They will provide you with a map of the area and there is an option to add a basket or child seat to your bike. This is a great option if the weather is nice and you want the full experience. Plan to spend at least a couple hours biking if you want to visit a few flower fields, as most are spread out.
- Renting a car – for more flexibility, consider renting a car before you head to Lisse, so you can drive to different flower fields. Once there, you’ll be able to park on the street or in a nearby town to visit the fields.
Here’s a map marked with three flower fields we took photos at in Lisse.
How to get to Lisse & Keukenhof
By train or bus – the best way to plan your journey from Amsterdam or a neighboring city is by using this Keukenhof website page. If you want round-trip transport you can take a bus from Amsterdam’s city center which includes entry to Keukenhof (tickets here). If you’re just visiting the surrounding fields, you can take the train from Amsterdam Central Station to Schiphol Airport (15 min), then hop on The Keukenhof Express Bus 858 (20-30 min). The bus will drop you off right in front of the garden entrance. From there you can rent a bike to visit the flower fields.
By car – alternatively, you can rent a car near Amsterdam Central Station and drive to Keukenhof directly (40 min). If you’re visiting the fields, you’ll usually be able to park on the side of the road or in a nearby town when you want to stop.
Enjoy, and don’t forget your camera! If you’re staying in Amsterdam, don’t miss our Complete Amsterdam Travel Guide.
Thanks to our friends at No Destinations for snapping these photos of us in the fields!
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I'M SELENA TAYLOR
In 2016 I left my home in California to move to Europe. What started as a temporary adventure, fast-tracked my life as a full-time travel blogger & photographer. Now I seek out unique experiences and destinations to inspire your own life of travel.
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Hello
I'M SELENA TAYLOR
In 2016 I left my home in California to move to Europe. What started as a temporary adventure, fast-tracked my life as a full-time travel blogger & photographer. Now I seek out unique experiences and destinations to inspire your own life of travel.
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Anne Says
Hi Selena,
I would like to ask if Amsterdam is a wheelchair friendly place? I’m bringing my elderly mother there for a visit. The main aim is to go to keukenkof but because she needs wheelchair…. So I’m thinking if I can bring her there
Reply
Selena Says
Post author
Hi Anne – unfortunately I don’t have any experience in this area. I will say that because most of Amsterdam’s buildings are very old, many have stairs (even a few just to get into the first floor) and no elevators, so I expect you will be limited. As for Keukenhof, I did see on their site that it is wheelchair accessible, and the gardens themselves are flat and do not require you to climb stairs or go up steep hills. I’m not sure how far along you are on planning this trip, but I would recommend potentially researching other towns in the Netherlands (Delft, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Haarlem, to name a few) to see if you would have an easier time getting around and accessing local sights. All the best x
Reply
Annika de Nooij Says
You know we are not very happy with tourists wandering IN the fields? Lots of flowers are destroyed because of tourists. Since last year there are boards explaining it’s okay to watch, but not to wander around. I know it makes lovely pictures, but it’s getting out of hand with all the tourists.
Make your pictures in front of the field and nobody is complaining, but please not in the fields like you and many others did.Reply
Selena Says
Post author
Hi Annika – you’re absolutely right. With the exception of one location (taken YEARS ago, before this was known) we spoke to the owners while taking photos. I’ve just updated this post to reflect more information and to address this issue. xx
Reply
Jamie Says
Hello Selena! I’m planning to visit the flower fields near Keukenhof this March end. May I know which are the 3 fields you’ve marked allows just anyone to walk through it? 🙂 Thank you!
Reply
Selena Says
Post author
Due to increased tourism and more information coming out about the damage of walking in the flower fields, I would only recommend taking photos in front. Unless of course you have explicit permission from the owner. I just updated this post to reflect a link to a locally owned farm that is accommodating for visitors (under ‘What to Know’). Hope that helps!
Reply
Thao Bui-Nguyen Says
Hello Selena, somehow I stumbled on your Amsterdam blog & love your sunny style. Just booked the dinner reservation @ Buffet van Odette for a table outside with a view!
What boat tour that you would recommend to do canal tour in Amsterdam? This is our 1st time visit Amsterdam & we love travel & sight seeing & watching people. Have been to Europe a few times. Our daughter is studying abroad in France (Cergy) & we will meet up with her to travel for 8 days: Amsterdam, Salzburg, Vienna & Paris. Feel free to give us any more recommendations!
Thank you graciously!
ThaoReply
Selena Says
Post author
Hi Thao! Hope you had the best dinner, I love it there.
For boat tours…we usually rent our own boat through Sloepdelen. If you want to take a separate tour there are a number of larger ones, they all end up being fairly comparable but I’d stick to the smaller boats if you can – some will let you bring food and drinks on (just ask if you can). Grabbing some cheese and wine is a great way to enjoy it!
Have a wonderful time visiting, you picked some great stops. xxReply
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Jaq Says
Thank you so much! I have 2 full days at the garden and the fields. Will rent a car for flexibility. You know where car rental is best ? We are staying in holiday inn leiden
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Emily Says
Hey!
Loved your post. I was thinking of visiting the fields by bike. Is it doable, or is it a struggle to bike to them? Is there some sort of map that can help you reach the fields, or do you just randomly bike around until you find one? Is it safe to bike on the roads to get to the fields?
The more information you have on the biking part of it, the better!
Thank you so much in advance 🙂
Reply
Selena Says
Post author
Hi Emily! You can rent bikes just outside of Keukenhof and bike to plenty of fields nearby. The bike rental company will provide a map and can walk you through exactly where to go – and yes, it’s safe to bike as there are bike paths! In terms of getting to Keukenhof / Lisse by bike, it really depends where you’re coming from but it’s likely going to be quite far. I’d recommend making your way to the area first, and then renting once you’re there.
Hope that helps. Enjoy! xx
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Selena Says
Post author
Thanks Jon! xx
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Deena Says
Hey guys! Thanks so much for this blog post. It was very useful. I was just wondering – the fields you visited, did you wander in and take photos, or did you have to speak to the owners first? Thanks for your help!
Reply
Selena Says
Post author
Hi Deena! We spoke to the owner in one instance, but for many of the fields there were other people also stopping to take photos.
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Dani Says
Thanks for this guide! I might visit next weekend. 🙂 By the way, are the flowers fields open to public too?
Reply
Selena Says
Post author
Hope you do! Yes, they’re just off the side of the road. 🙂
Reply
Lulu Says
Hi guys, these photos look gorgeous:)
Can you believe it I lived in the Netherlands for 3 years and never managed to go visit!! ? I can’t wait to finally go this year and use your guide. Do you think it’s also nice to do as an afternoon trip or does it really get too crowded?
Thanks for sharing!
Lulu @21centuryvagabondReply
Selena Says
Post author
So excited you’re going this year — that will make up for it. 😉 Keukenhof will definitely be crowded, but the fields usually never get too busy since they are spread out. Hope that helps! Enjoy xx
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Selena Says
Post author
Thanks Tosh 🙂 xx
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Michael @ Mile in My Glasses Says
These gardens look absolutely stunning! Such gorgeous photos as always, too!
Happy Wednesday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.comReply
Selena Says
Post author
Thanks Michael! The Dutch know how to do it right. 😉
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