When does the tulip season start in Amsterdam in 2025? Officially the season in the Netherlands starts every year on the 3rd Saturday in January – on 18 January in 2025 – on the National tulip day. But in fact you can see tulips in bloom from the end of March in the Keukenhof gardens, and from mid-April in the tulip fields.
In 2025 the peak of tulips season in Amsterdam (the last two weeks of April) coincides with the Easter holidays in Europe (18 – 21 April 2025). Which means that hotel prices will skyrocket. We recommend to book your accomodation in advance.
Blooming season in the Netherlands
As we’ve just mentioned above, the tulip blooming season in Amsterdam and the area starts in the middle of April. But if you arrive in the Netherlands a bit earlier, no worries! In spring in the Netherlands you can see not only tulips, but also hyacinths and daffodil fields. The flower season starts with the daffodils, followed by the hyacinths and then come the tulips.
Exact blooming times always depend on the weather. But usual times for the flower fields blooming in the Netherlands are:
- daffodil fields – from mid-March till mid-April
- hyacinth fields – from the beginning of April till end of the month
- tulip fields – from mid-April till early May
What are the best things to do in Amsterdam and the area during the tulip season 2025? Here is our top 5 list.
1. Visit the Keukenhof tulip gardens
The highlight of the tulip season in the Netherlands are the Keukenhof gardens. Keukenhof is considered to be the world’s most beautiful spring flower garden. It’s open only for two months a year, around the tulip season.
- Keukenhof entrance tickets for the 2025 season are already available online.
Open gardens and pavilions demonstrate a collection of tulips, irises, lilies, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids and other flowers. It’s a must-see place in the Netherlands, a real Tulip Festival!
Keukenhof tulip gardens are open from 20 March to 11 May 2025, including the Easter weekend, King’s Day (26 April) and Liberation Day (5 May).
The busiest days during the Keukenhof season are:
- Flower Parade weekend (12 – 13 April 2025)
- Easter break (18 – 21 April 2025)
- Dutch school vacations (18 April – 4 May 2025)
- King’s Day (26 April 2025)
If you plan to visit the gardens on these days, we recommend to book tickets as soon as you start planning your trip.
2. Explore the Dutch tulip fields
Are there tulip fields in Amsterdam? No, not in the city itself. But the best place to see the tulip fields not far from Amsterdam is the Bollenstreek area (the Flower Bulb Region). It includes beautiful places like Lisse, Noordwijkerhout, Noordwijk, and Hillegom.
The Bollenstreek is also the area where the Keukenhof gardens are located. It’s a good idea to combine your trip to the tulip fields with a visit to Keukenhof (opening dates in 2025 are March 20 – May 11).
What is the best time to see the tulip fields near Amsterdam? Usually the blooming season in the tulip fields lasts from the middle of April till early May. Most tulips in the Netherlands grow not for the flowers but for the bulbs, and are being cut early.
You can enjoy flower experiences in the area:
| Experience | Price | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Tulip Fields Helicopter Flight |
from € 172,50 | Book online >> |
| Land Rover Tulip Tour |
€ 85 | Book online >> |
| Drive-it-yourself tour by Renault Twizy | € 127 for two |
Book online >> |
| Tulip highlights bike tour |
€ 49,50 | Book online >> |
3. Experience the Dutch Flower parade
Bloemencorso Bollenstreek flower parade is one of the biggest flower parades in the Netherlands and one of the largest in the world. The Flower Parade during the next tulip season will take place on 12 – 13 April 2025.
It will start in Noordwijk. Then the beautiful cars decorated with flowers will process along the road, also near the Keukenhof main entrance, and arrive in Haarlem. You can see the parade in Noordwijk – Voorhout – Sassenheim – Lisse – Hillegom – Bennebroek – Haarlem.
Tip! If you want to save time and see the most in one day, book a VIP arrangement which includes a visit to Keukenhof, transfer from/to Amsterdam and VIP seats during the Bollenstreek Flower Parade on 12 April 2025.
There are also other Flower Parade tours from Amsterdam:
- Friday, 11 April 2025 – Illuminated Flower Parade + Keukenhof visit
- Saturday 12 April, 2025 – Grand Flower Parade visit with grand stand seats + Keukenhof visit
- Saturday 12 April, 2025 – Grand Flower Parade visit with grand stand seats + flower farm visit
- Sunday 13 April, 2025 – Exhibition of the floats in Haarlem + Keukenhof visit
4. Visit a photo zone in a tulip farm
If you’re preparing for your trip to the Netherlands in the tulip season, you’ve probably seen lots of attractive photos of people in the tulip fields. But did you know that in fact it’s not allowed to enter the flower fields? They are privately owned.
The good news is that there are special tulip farms where you can take nice photos without breaking the law. Here are two of the biggest ones:
- The Tulip Barn (at 130 3e Loosterweg, 2182 CX, Hillegom, a short train ride to Hillegom station followed by a 15-20 minute walk along the flower fields), open from 28 March till 5 May 2025, daily from 9:30 till 19:00.
- Tulip Experience Amsterdam (at Delfweg 37, 2211VK, Noordwijkerhout, 10 minutes by bike from Keukenhof), open from 20 March till 11 May 2025, daily from 9:00 till 18:00.
Another good news is that even when the tulip season in the fields is over and flowers are being cut, you can still see the tulips in bloom at these farms.
5. Take a helicopter tour over the tulip fields
One of the most special things to do during the tulip season in Amsterdam is a Tulip Field Helicopter Flight. Take a helicopter flight over stunning Dutch tulip fields and see Dutch homes, villages, flower farms, windmills, dunes, the coastline, and the flowering Keukenhof.
Helicopter tours above the tulip fields are organized only for a few days during the tulip season. Usually the tickets are sold out even before the season starts.
A helicopter tour includes a 10 or 15 minutes flight in EC 120 helicopter (depending on selection).
Prior reservation of this tour is required. A departure location and exact time will be communicated at least 3 days in advance. This location is within ± 4 kilometers distance from the Keukenhof tulip gardens.
Enjoy your visit to Amsterdam during the Dutch tulip season!
You might also like:
- Keukenhof Tickets: Book Online!
- Keukenhof Express bus – FAQ
- Tulip fields in the Netherlands
- Keukenhof 2025: plan your visit!
- How to travel to Keukenhof from Amsterdam?
- Visiting Keukenhof: where to stay?
- Tulip Festivals 2025 in Amsterdam and the area
Last updated: 20 February 2025
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