The Short and Sweet Essential Guide to Visiting Keukenhof in the Netherlands

Are you planning to visit Keukenhof but you’re sick of wading through epic mega-guides that take you ages to find the relevant info? Well, look no further, because I’m here today to give you a lovely condensed guide to Keukenhof, with just the main information you’ll need to plan your own visit. No fluff, no million photos, just good old-fashioned concise details! Read on for a short and sweet guide to visiting Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands.

What is Keukenhof?

Keukenhof is one of the largest flower gardens in the world. The name “Keukenhof” in Dutch translates to kitchen garden, and this area was once the kitchen garden for Castle Teylingen, even though Teylingen is a fair distance away from Keukenhof! The gardens were later redesigned in the English Garden style, and first opened to the public in 1950.

There’s also a Castle Keukenhof located nearby, but for the sake of simplicity for the rest of this guide, whenever I mention Keukenhof, I mean Keukenhof Gardens.

Where is Keukenhof?

Keukenhof is located in the province of South Holland, next to the town of Lisse. It’s about 40 kilometres outside of Amsterdam, in between the cities of Haarlem and Leiden. The gardens cover an area of 32 hectares (79 acres) in the middle of the Bollenstreek, or bulb region, where many tulips and other spring flowers are grown.

When is Keukenhof open?

Keukenhof is only open for eight weeks each year, from the end of March until the beginning of May. For 2025, the official dates are March 20th until May 11th. During this period, the park is open seven days a week from 8 am until 7 pm, including national holidays like King’s Day, Easter, Remembrance Day and Liberation Day.

When is the best time to visit Keukenhof?

The best time to visit Keukenhof kind of depends on the weather and when you are able to visit. The flower plantings are staggered so that anytime you visit there will be some flowers in full bloom while some will be past their prime or not ready yet.

So far I’ve visited twice, once in March at the beginning of the season and once in May near the end. The only difference I noticed was that there were cherry blossoms in March but a lot more greenery from the trees in May. Of course, if you want to avoid crowds then it’s best to come on a weekday and arrive as early as possible, but there’s no real bad time to visit Keukenhof unless it’s pouring with rain and unfortunately, the weather in spring can be unpredictable so you can’t always avoid that.

What is there to do at Keukenhof?

There is plenty to do at Keukenhof, beyond just walking around gawking at all the beautiful flowers. There’s a playground, maze and petting zoo for children, along with multiple restaurants and food trucks throughout the park. You can learn about the history of the park or different types of flowers in the pavilions and even join a guided tour. It’s a big park, so factor in at least three hours if you want to explore it all.

For more details of all the things to see and do at Keukenhof, check out my full guide here.

How do I get tickets to Keukenhof?

You can get tickets to Keukenhof either in person at the entrance or online ahead of time. However, it’s definitely better to book your tickets online ahead of time as they do sometimes sell out on the day. Depending on how you choose to get there (see the next section) you can either book your tickets on the official Keukenhof website (including transport or parking) or purchase a ticket and transport combo on GetYourGuide.

How do I get to Keukenhof?

You can reach Keukenhof via car (or campervan or bike), public transport or by joining a tour group. If you go with public transport there’s a special bus line that departs from Amsterdam RAI, Schiphol Airport, Haarlem or Leiden.

The website has all the info about the buses if you purchase a combo ticket online. For more details on getting to Keukenhof, check out my complete transport guide here.

Other Keukenhof tips and must-knows

Finally, if you’re heading to Keukenhof, it’s important to be aware of these helpful hints and facts!

• Keukenhof is cashless: Keukenhof is card-only throughout the park, so there’s no point bringing some euros to try and pay for stuff in cash. All the shops and food trucks accept credit cards or debit cards.
• You can store your luggage: If you are travelling with some big bags then you can actually store these in free lockers at the entrances while you’re exploring the park.
• Use the free map: Free maps are also provided at the entrances, don’t forget to take one, as at 32 hectares of space, it’s easy to get lost here! You can also use the online map on the website, as there’s also free WiFi in the park.
• Bring your own picnic to save money: There are lots of places to buy food and drink within the park but they are quite pricey. If you want to save money then you can bring your own picnic and eat within the park, there’s even a special picnic area to sit.
• Get there early to avoid crowds (or maybe late): Keukenhof is pretty much always busy, but if you want to enjoy it with as few other people as possible, try to get there at opening time in the morning, or at the last time slot of the day.
• Be prepared for the Dutch weather: Finally, Dutch weather is unpredictable at the best of times and even more so in spring. Make sure you are prepared for all outcomes with a raincoat, warm layer and sunglasses!

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Have you visited Keukenhof before? Let me know in the comments if there’s any info I should include in this essential guide or pin one of these if you’re planning your own Keukenhof visit soon!