See the tulip fields from Amsterdam – the best of tulip tours

Every spring, my Instagram feed is inundated with colorful pictures of the most incredible tulip fields in The Netherlands. Finally, I decided to go and see them for myself. So, I went looking for the best tulip fields near Amsterdam.

It was everything I hoped for and some.

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Table of Contents

  1. Finding the best tulip fields near Amsterdam with the best tulip tours
    1. What are the options for seeing the tulips in Holland?
      1. Visit Keukenhof 
      2. Rent a car and get exploring
      3. Take the train and rent a bicycle 
      4. Book a tour with Tulip Tours Holland
        1. Who is behind Tulip Tours Holland?
        2. What have we done in a day tour
        3. de Rijp
        4. The Tulip Fields
    2. When is the perfect time to visit Holland for the tulip fields?
    3. When is the Amsterdam Tulip Festival?

Finding the best tulip fields near Amsterdam with the best tulip tours

I wanted to fully enjoy the experience without being sidetracked by other things. Thus, before booking the trip, I had done a lot of research, gathered a whole lot of information, and came to the best decision I could have made.

What are the options for seeing the tulips in Holland?

Visit Keukenhof

This is the first thing that comes to mind if you know a little bit about tulips in Holland.

Keukenhof is maybe the most famous garden in the world for its millions of tulips. And when I say millions, I’m not exaggerating: they have over 7 million tulip bulbs, covering over 800 varieties of tulips.

Keukenhof / Pixabay

The park is carefully planned, offering various inspirational gardens, flower art, and different flower shows throughout the opening season.

What’s the downside to it? The crowds.

Since Keukenhof is so popular and only open for a short period each year, it gets pretty packed with tourists.

In my opinion, the best way to experience it is to book a tour from Amsterdam to Keukenhof.

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Usually, Keukenhof is open from late March until mid-May. The park has a timed entry slot. Thus, booking your ticket in advance is highly recommended. 

Rent a car and get exploring

Of course, if you are planning to stay in the Netherlands for a longer period, you can always rent a car. DiscoverCars is my go-to partner for the best rental prices.

Get the best deals for a car here! 

Tulip field near Amsterdam / Ingrid

I considered renting a car, but, in the end, I went with a tour for several reasons:

  • I had only 24 hours to find that perfect tulip field and had no idea where to find it.
  • Usually, Alex does the driving in foreign countries but he wasn’t with me. So I was nervous about doing it on my own (my mother, who joined me, doesn’t have a driving license).
  • Finding parking spaces isn’t always easy in Europe, especially in touristy destinations.
  • Last but not least, you can’t just barge on the first tulip field you encounter. Local farmers are understandably protective of their investment and are not eager to see it literally trampled by pesky tourists.

If you don’t share my worries and are ready to head out on your own, here are a few great tulip fields for you:

Another great experience that includes a GPS with the exact locations you should explore is the Drive-it-Yourself Tulip Fields GPS Audio Tour. You will have a small electric car all to yourself, equipped with GPS navigation.

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Take the train and rent a bicycle

Finding the perfect tulip fields near Amsterdam, or even the best one in the country, requires some travel.

When researching this option, I actually found 2 versions of trips: 

  • Take the train from Amsterdam to Lelystad and go searching for the tulip fields in less touristic North Holland. You will find plenty of tulip farms in Noordoostpolder that offer guided tours in the tulip fields (read along about my experience and recommendation). 
  • The second option was to take the train from Amsterdam to Haarlem, rent a bike, and head South to the more tourist tulip fields in Lisse. Everywhere around the town, you’ll find plenty of colorful seas of tulips, all you must do is drive around. 

For either of the options above, check out the train timetable and prices here!

Since the last time I rode a bike was many years ago, and my mother did not know how to, this was not an option. Also, if the weather is not the nicest, riding a bike in the cold for tens of kilometers might not be the way to do this.

Book a tour with Tulip Tours Holland

It is what I did, and I strongly believe it is the best option.

Who is behind Tulip Tours Holland?

Mike is the guide of the day! He’s actually farming tulips himself, living in the most picturesque Dutch village next to the most beautiful pink tulip field. He will tell you lots of stories about tulips, the Netherlands, and much more.

Seila is the greatest photographer! With a warm smile always on her face (she is from Spain, after all), she will make you feel comfortable and take the most beautiful pictures for you to remember forever!

Seila and Mike in front of the smallest candy shop in Holland
What have we done in a day tour

When I left Amsterdam behind in a minivan, I did not have to worry about driving. I sat back and admired the beautiful landscape, almost torn from a fairytale.

Netherlands

Just a short half-hour after we left town, we got to see the first colorful tulip fields, and my heart was dancing with joy!

The tour took us all the way up north from Amsterdam to the country’s less-known flower fields. Everywhere we went, we saw farmers checking their crops, and no tourists snooped around except for us.

de Rijp

The first stop was at the smallest candy shop in the Netherlands, located in the town of de Rijp.

With a population of slightly over 4000 people, located in the Alkmaar province, de Rijp was once an important port town (even more important than Amsterdam). It lost its prominence due to several fires that affected the town throughout the years.

Nowadays, it is a quiet, charming place that will steal your heart. And if you liked Zaanse Schans, you’ll love De Rijp.

The Tulip Fields

Moving forward, we stopped near an old windmill, perhaps the only thing that speaks of the Netherlands more than the colorful tulips.

Your ultimate tulip fields in Netherlands guide and how to see the tulip fields near Amsterdam, and without the crowds. Take beautiful tulip fields Netherlands photography that you will have forever, and see other Netherlands travel destinations you never thought about. #travel #tulips #netherlands

As we were taking pictures on the side of the road, a Dutch gentleman stopped by and told us about this great spot where we would find tulips in different colors and windmills in the background. I’m still impressed by how friendly and willing to help Dutch people are.

Since this is not your typical tour, and Mike and Seila are devoted to offering you the greatest experience, we did a small detour and went looking for the aforementioned spot.

Tulip tours

After a delicious traditional lunch, we drove to one of Mike’s tulip fields and took some of the loveliest pictures.

At Tulip Tours Holland, they have some of the prettiest props for taking pictures, from the charming green bicycle to the very yellow traditional Dutch clogs to the romantic white picture frame.

Did I mention they also have a drone? They’ll take some pretty awesome pictures from above!

An important point before visiting the tulip field: please be respectful and don’t step inside with foreign objects unless you have the owner’s permission (as I did).

Your ultimate tulip fields in Netherlands guide and how to see the tulip fields near Amsterdam, and without the crowds. Take beautiful tulip fields Netherlands photography that you will have forever, and see other Netherlands travel destinations you never thought about. #travel #tulips #netherlands
Your ultimate tulip fields in Netherlands guide and how to see the tulip fields near Amsterdam, and without the crowds. Take beautiful tulip fields Netherlands photography that you will have forever, and see other Netherlands travel destinations you never thought about. #travel #tulips #netherlands

When is the perfect time to visit Holland for the tulip fields?

Naturally, it was the first thing I looked up when planning my trip to the Netherlands for the tulips.

As a rule of thumb, you can let the opening period of Keukenhof guide you. Usually, they are open between late March / early April and mid-May. 

If you want an even more accurate timetable, check the Bollenstreek website where you will find a map of all the stages the tulip fields are in.

If I were you, I would contact Tulip Tours Holland before planning your trip and ask them for the status of the location 🙂 They will surely help you out with all the information you will need.

When is the Amsterdam Tulip Festival?

The Amsterdam Tulip Festival usually takes place in April.

This is when Amsterdam’s iconic flower fields are in full bloom, and the city celebrates with a variety of activities, including live music and theater performances, parades, markets, and much more. Visitors from all around the world come to see these beautiful displays during this time period!

PIN FOR LATER!

Your ultimate tulip fields in Netherlands guide and how to see the tulip fields near Amsterdam, and without the crowds. Take beautiful tulip fields Netherlands photography that you will have forever, and see other Netherlands travel destinations you never thought about. #travel #tulips #netherlands

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s own and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

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