The Specials section revolves entirely around the idea of being in the right place at the right time. Keukenhof Gardens could not fall better in this section as the largest garden in Europe and the largest flower garden in the world is painstakingly prepared all year round and opens for only eight weeks in spring when the careful, precise work of the whole year is showcased in all its glory.
It opens during the annual Festival of Tulips in the Netherlands and attracts flocks of visitors from all over Europe and the world.
With more than 7 million flowers and over a million visitors, the two months that Keukenhof is open can be surely defined as a “special” moment.
The picturesque park, filled with vibrant tulips, hyacinths, orchids, and many more wonderful flowers, is a sensory overload. From the minute one passes through the entrance, scents, and colors assault you; don’t let go for the whole visit.
Despite this and the innumerable visitors, it is a place of peace and tranquility, where one can take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse themselves in the beauty of nature.
What to expect
About
Keukenhof stands for “kitchen garden” and is also known as the Garden of Europe. Each year, in autumn, over 7 million flower bulbs, donated to the park by over 100 growers, are planted across the gardens’ 32 acres, resulting in a stunning display of flowers when they bloom in spring.
Each year, the gardens take on a particular theme so every time the spectacle is different and innovative.
Over a million visitors annually stroll through the gardens in the brief eight-week period when it is open to enjoy the kaleidoscope of colors.
The gardens are only open for eight weeks a year, during the spring blooming.
The opening hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the gardens remain open during holidays such as Easter and Liberation Day.
The nearby Keukenhof Castle is open all year round and is a wonderful side trip away from the bustling crowds of the gardens.
The Gardens
The 32-acre gardens host a variety of areas, from long open streets with rows full of hyacinths to hilly areas surrounded by trees providing shade.
There are canals, as well as a main lake with a large water fountain. The gardens also have several sculptures, statues, and fountains immersed within the surrounding flowers. There are hedge mazes, a windmill, and an indoor flower dome.
Near the center of the gardens is a large open area next to the windmill, which hosts many food stands and is used by people to picnic, rest in the open park, or enjoy family-friendly and children’s activities.
Best time to visit
Flower bulbs are planted in layers and there are three major flowering moments:
The first flowering period is focused on daffodils and crocuses. The gardens will therefore have predominantly yellow and purple hues.
The second flowering period will see the emergence of hyacinths and early tulips. The gardens will be covered with softer tones of blue, purple, pink, and white from the hyacinths.
The third flowering period is the explosion of colors that culminate the Tulip Festival, where tulips take center stage, painting their vibrant reds, yellows, pinks, oranges, and whites among the lush green backdrop of the surrounding trees.
The best time to visit is before 10:30 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m., when the gardens are (relatively) less crowded, although it is hard to find the best moment given the more than a million visitors who flock there during the limited open period.
Entrances & Getting around
There is a single entrance to Keukenhof.
Bringing in bicycles is not permitted but there is a bicycle rental at the entrance. I personally think it is neither necessary nor recommended, as the number of people on the paths and the general slow pace will make riding bikes more of a hassle than helpful.
There are also Whisper Boat tours which circle around the gardens and allow visitors to see the vast tulip farms outside Keukenhof.
Getting around with strollers is easy and enjoyable, as the gardens are mostly flat with nice winding paths between the various flowerbeds.
Prices
The single-entrance ticket price is 19 euros.
If you reach it by car, there is ample parking outside the gardens, which costs 6 euros.
Lisse can be reached also by bus and there are many combined tours that offer this option (see Offers below).
All ticket information and booking can be found on the official website: https://keukenhof.nl/en/
Family activities
As stated above, moving around with a stroller is easy and enjoyable. For more grown-up children, there is a nice playground near the central park area of Keukenhof. The hedge maze, as well as the petting zoo, are also good options for kids to play.
Keukenhof offers also a scavenger hunt which is both fun and instructive, teaching about the gardens during the adventure.
The gardens can be also visited with a guide which will explain the complex and precise process of planting the bulbs and synchronizing their blossoming.
Weather
Check the weather forecast before visiting the gardens. Keukenhof can be a paradise if visited on a bright, sunny day and is beautiful even if slightly cloudy. However, since it is open only in spring, there is a risk of rain, and some light rain can actually be beneficial and bring out the outstanding colors of nature, but if it turns into showers, it can clearly ruin the visit, as nobody likes to spend a day in a raincoat in a park.
Clothing/Gear
Perhaps the only “gear” that might be needed is a blanket to sit on if planning to have a picnic in the central park area.
So grab your Sunday dresses and spring clothing and enjoy the gardens.
Offers
Travelogue
The Gardens
According to Wikipedia, the gardens average more than 25 thousand visitors per day. The day that I went there was a beautiful and sunny Monday. It was 2 weeks before closure so in the full third flowering phase, all colors are exploding. Oh, and it was Easter Monday. It seemed like there were more visitors than flowers and each tulip had its own personal photographer.
What struck me immediately, even before seeing a single flower was the scent that pervaded every inch of the park.
Another thing that I found curious, but probably this comes from a place of ignorance, was the lack of any pollinators such as bees.
Soon I was met with the maniacal precise “color-coded” rows of hyacinths. As I made my way toward the main lake I started seeing sculptures and statues all around and, despite the incredible number of visitors, everything seemed peaceful and quiet. That is when I realized that the place was very special indeed.
Like everyone, I took out my phone and started taking pictures of every wonderful spot, glimpse, nook, and cranny filled with colors, an activity which I would continue to do for the rest of the day.
I only stopped for a few minutes on a bench near a Buddha statue, carefully tucked away and immersed in some reeds.
I made my way towards the center of the gardens, took a quick stroll in the hedge maze, accidentally scared a couple of kids who were lost in there, and proceeded until I found a little plaza which somehow was empty of visitors, probably because it was the only part of the gardens without flowers. Instead, the ground was completely covered in seashells with a beautiful statue in the center pouring these sea shells. I stayed there for quite a while, entranced by the crackling sound of shells made when people walked through.
The central area of the gardens was brimming with people. Being a recreational area, the noise was deafening, and as much as that area was also beautiful, I quickly speeded through it to find more tranquil spaces.
I did another loop of the entire garden through its outer ring, being surprised by how much the landscape would change with a slight change in the sunlight.
Keukenhof Castle
The visit to the gardens was wonderful but I was overwhelmed by the people. While doing my walk, I saw in the distance another park within the immense stretches of tulip farms. I decided to exit the gardens and made my way to that park – which hosted the Keukenhof castle itself.
The park surrounding the castle was much more peaceful and a deserved resting place from the cacophony of all the visitors in the tulip garden. Also, it contained my new favorite attraction which is sculptures within a park.
There is a long valley next to the castle, dotted with sculptures and statues. I really enjoyed this since I did not see them at first, as I had taken a route around the park outside of the beaten path. So they just appeared behind a hill. Not to sound too nerdy or pathetically compare reality with fake constructed imitations of it, but when I found these statues “hidden away” within the natural landscape of trees and bushes, I had those feelings of satisfactory discovery I had as a child when uncovering some unknown secret in a videogame. Those secrets reward exploration of every nook and cranny “of a map”. Do you remember the music that played in old Zelda games when you opened a chest? With that crescendo of anticipation and the final dopamine rush of a festive chime? That is how I felt when I would walk in the park and see a glimpse of a rock that looked too manmade. Is that? I think it is, but is it just hidden behind that tree? I think it is. Ta-da-da-daaa!
