Keukenhof Gardens – Tulip and Flower Park (2025 Guide)

Keukenhof is the world famous tulip and flower garden park – one of the most popular tourist attractions in The Netherlands, normally attracting around 1.4 million visitors during springtime. Book Keukenhof entrance tickets + bus transport from Amsterdam

Keukenhof is the one of the largest flower gardens in the world, set in 32 hectares (79 acres). The Netherlands is well-known as a leading tulip and flower producer and the gardens help showcase this reputation.

The site originates back to the 15th century, home of the Slot Teylingen (Teylingen Castle) where fruit, herbs and vegetables were grown at the Keukenduin (kitchen dunes) by Countess Jacoba van Beieren (1401-1436). The name Keukenhof literally means kitchen gardens.

The Keukenhof Castle was built in 1641 and the estate covered an impressive 200 hectares.

In 1857 the castle gardens were completely redesigned in English style by landscape architect Jan David Zocher and son Louis Paul Zocher, who also designed Vondelpark in Amsterdam.

In 1949 a group of 20 Dutch flower bulb growers came together with a plan to use the estate to exhibit spring-flowering bulbs. Subsequently, Keukenhof opened its doors for the first time in 1950 and received 325,000 visitors in its first year.

For more on Keukenhof visitor numbers, stats and history see: Keukenhof by Numbers 2025 & Historic Statistics

Where is Keukenhof?

The gardens are located in the small town of Lisse about 26km south-west of Amsterdam. This is in the Bollenstreek (flower bulb-growing) area of the country in the South-Holland province.

The following map shows the location of the Keukenhof Gardens with respect to Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, Haarlem and Leiden.

Visiting the Keukenhof Gardens

The Keukenhof Gardens are beautifully landscaped and contain some 7 million flowers – all hand planted by 40 gardeners the previous October-December. Each year brings a new design layout to the park.

There are an amazing 800 varieties of tulips including some from the 16th and 17th century – when Holland went through its ‘tulip mania’ where prices for tulip bulbs reached incredible levels.

The garden also has 2,500 trees with over 100 different species.

If you are in Amsterdam or visiting the Netherlands during the spring then you really should consider making a day excursion out to the Keukenhof Gardens park.

When is Keukenhof Open in 2025?

Note, it is a springtime flower park and is only open for 2 months. The 76th edition is running from 20 March to 11 May 2025.

Keukenhof is very popular with both tourists and locals and it welcomed over 1.4 million visitors in 2024. About 80% of visitors do come from abroad with the top visitor countries being Germany, USA, UK and France.

The park can sell out on some popular days so it is always highly recommended to book your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.

When is the best time to visit Keukenhof?

Many say late April is a great time to visit the gardens. At the beginning of the season you will see early bloomers such as daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and some tulip varieties.

Later in the season the larger and longer-stemmed tulips come into bloom and the trees are beautifully green. See Keukenhof’s latest flower report here

The park is less busy if visiting before 10:30 or after 16:00; the least busy days are Monday to Wednesday. If sunny, the light is at its very best in the early morning or just before evening closing time.

The park can get really busy between 11:00-15:00, especially so at weekends and holidays.

Keukenhof map and layout

There are 15km of walking paths around the gardens and you can easily spend a few hours if not the the whole day exploring the park – particularly if the weather is pleasant.

You can pick up a free Keukenhof map from the baskets near the entrance. The map looks like this:

There is a special park guide book available for purchase for €7.

Things to do at Keukenhof

Here is a brief summary of what you can do during your visit to Keukenhof. For more details see Tulip Wonderland: 15 Essential Things To Do at Keukenhof (2025)

Visit the Pavilions

The park has 6 indoor exhibition pavilions named after the Dutch royals – Willem-Alexander, Oranje-Nassau, Wilhelmina, Juliana, Beatrix and Irene.

The pavilions host colourful floral displays which change on a weekly basis and there are plenty of selfie spots for social media.

For example, the Beatrix pavilion is home to orchid and anthurium; the Oranje Nassau pavilion hosts flowers such as roses, chrysanthemums and daffodils.

In 2025 the Juliana pavilion is hosting the Keukenhof: 75 years exhibition which offers a visual overview of the park’s history.

Climb the Windmill

On the right-hand (northern edge) of the park is found Keukenhof’s picturesque windmill (Keukenhofmolen).

The former pumping mill dates from 1892 and was built in the Dutch city of Groningen. In 1957 it was purchased by Holland America Line and donated to Keukenhof.

It is possible to enter the mill and climb up to the rear part of the viewing platform.

There is a nice view of the windmill from the nearby bridge.

Get lost in the Maze

Also on the right-hand of the park (near the Oranje Naasau pavilion) is a small maze where you can try to reach the viewing platform.

See the flower fields at the Vantage Point

Nearby is an elevated vantage point which gives nice views over the adjacent flower fields through the surrounding pine trees.

The park also contains a collection of around 100 outdoor artwork sculptures in a wide variety of styles.

Take a ride in the Whisper Boat

Near the windmill you can take the whisper boat ride. This is a 45 minute trip around the adjacent bulb fields and there is an audio guide available in 4 languages (Dutch, English, German and French).

The Whisper boat ride is only available to those who have an entrance ticket to the park. It costs an extra €10.00 for adults, €5.00 for children 4-11.

Walk on Water

You can walk across the ever-popular stepping stones at the lake.

Keukenhof Facilities

There are café/restaurant facilities at each pavilion with outdoor terrace seating and some mobile food outlets. These are not particularly cheap (as you would expect) and there can be long queues. Payment is accepted by card/contactless only.

Many locals bring their own packed lunches to save a bit of money.

There are many benches placed throughout the park where you can sit down and take a break. Free WiFi is available around the pavilions.

For children there is a small petting farm (including goats, rabbits and peacocks), a Miffy (Nijntje) playground and a treasure hunt activity.

There are a number of stores around the park selling various souvenirs. You can purchase flower bulbs near the entrance which can be shipped worldwide.

Free luggage storage lockers are available to visitors at the entrance.

Keukenhof Calendar 2025

External Activities

For a different perspective, there are a number of flower-themed activities you can do.

You can rent a bike and cycle around the surrounding fields with various cycle routes ranging from 5 to 25km.

You could take a bike tour or a Landrover tour (both 2.5 hours) of the tulip fields in the Keukenhof area.

There is a self-drive tour (includes GPS navigation) in a 2-seater Renault Twizzy on a 20km fixed route around the tulip fields.

For flower and garden lovers the Keukenhof Gardens is an absolutely must-visit experience. Expect a visit to last at least a half-day.

Opening Times & Dates
Keukenhof is open daily between 20 March and 11 May 2025, 08:00-19:00.
Keukenhof Tickets – Admission Fees (2025 prices)
From €20.00 for adults, €9.00 for children 4-17. Free entry for children 0-3. Book Keukenhof entry tickets here – simply scan at the door for immediate entrance Tickets at-the-door cost €25.00 for adults, €14.00 for children 4-17 – however these are subject to availability and can often be sold out. Best to book online in advance.
How To Get To Keukenhof (2025)
Please see our detailed guide: How To Get To Keukenhof – Transport Options (2025) There is a coach shuttle service running from Amsterdam Noord which offers guaranteed timeslots and guaranteed seats. Book Keukenhof entrance + shuttle here or it is also included for Tulip Festival Card holders and Go City Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass holders In terms of public transport, KeukenhofBuzz runs daily services to Keukenhof up to 8x hourly – bus 852 from Amsterdam Europaplein, bus 858 from Amsterdam Schiphol, bus 850 from Haarlem and bus 852 from Leiden. Note the bus does get busy and you might find yourself having to stand-up on board, especially the 852 service. Therefore we recommend the coach shuttle. Buy Keukenhof entrance + KeukenhofBuzz bus combi-tickets here The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is valid on all public transport in the greater Amsterdam region. This includes the KeukenhofBuzz 852/858/850 bus trips. Alternatively, you could consider taking a full day guided tour with guide and coach transport – Book here You can also reach Keukenhof by car with a large parking facility.
Address
Keukenhof, Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse, The Netherlands T: +31(0)252 465 555

Last update 23 March 2025, first published in 2010.

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