The Complete Guide to visiting the Flower Fields in the Netherlands

On this page I’m sharing the complete guide to visiting the flower fields in the Netherlands. I’m telling you everything you need to know to visit the tulip fields and other flower fields. All the practical information and my personal recommendations for visiting this pretty sight in Holland.

Best time to visit the flower fields in the Netherlands

The best time to visit the flower fields in the Netherlands is in the Dutch spring. From the end of March to the beginning of May the flowers are blooming. These weeks the tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are in full bloom. Of course it depends a bit on the weather conditions whether the flowers are blooming, but in general they start blooming mid to tend March.

How to get to the flower fields in the Netherlands

Most of the flower fields in the Netherlands are located in one area. In Dutch it’s called ‘De Bollenstreek’, named after the bulbs of the flowers. Most of the flower fields you see aren’t to collect the flowers, but to collect the bulbs. Hence the name ‘Bollenstreek’ or ‘Bulb area’. The Bollenstreek can be found south of Amsterdam. Between Amsterdam and Leiden. From Amsterdam you can take the train to Sassenheim, Hillegom, Voorhout of Niew-Vennep. From their you can take busses to the other villages.
On the website 9292.nl you can find information about the public transport in the Netherlands. You can enter your departure point and your desired arrival point and it shows you all the possibilities to travel with public transport.

Don’t enter the flower fields

One very important thing when you’re visiting the flower fields in the Netherlands: don’t enter the fields. You can stand on the side of the fields and take pictures with the flowers in the background. But please don’t walk through the fields. You can crush the flowers if you accidentally step on them, and you can bring diseases with you via your shoes that can harm the flowers. So stand on the side of the fields, but don’t walk through the flower fields.

If you want to have pictures of you standing in between the flowers, you can book one of the excursions or guided tours mentioned below. That’s also where I took this picture of our son Mats.

Discover the flower fields by e-bike

I think one of the best ways to discover the flower fields in the Netherlands is by e-bike. Everything is relatively close-by and it gives you a lot of freedom. You can go to more off the beaten track fields and take pictures without any other tourists on it. Cycling is by far the most popular mode of transportation in the Netherlands, so you can feel like one of the locals!
I recommend that you rent e-bikes and not regular bikes, as it can get quite windy near the coast and the e-bike will make it less of an effort.
You can rent your bikes at Rent-a-bike van Dam in Noordwijkerhout. They’ve got e-bikes, and also child seats if you’re discovering the flower fields with kids.

The White Church

If you’re in Noordwijkerhout anyway, I recommend that you pay a visit to ‘De Witte Kerk’ (The White Church). This beautiful, picturesque church can be found at the middle of the town square. Every year at the end of April you can visit ‘flowers in the church’. A free event where there are all kinds of blooming flowers on display in the church.

De Tulperij

De Tulperij is a flower farm located in Voorhout. It’s easy to reach by bike from Noordwijkerhout, so it could be a great first stop on your bike ride through the flower region. At the Tulperij you can visit their show garden for free, here you’ll see all kinds of interesting flower variaties. They also have excursions where you can enter the fields. So it’s a great opportunity if you want to have your picture taken in between the flowers!
De Tulperij also has a cafe where you can get a coffee, tea or soda with a piece of cake or the typical Dutch ‘stroopwafel’ (syrup waffle).

Keukenhof

Keukenhof in the Netherlands is the world’s largest flower garden. It’s a nice daytrip from Amsterdam, or a great stop on your trip to the flower fields. The Netherlands is the largest exporter of flowers, so a visit to the Keukenhof is great way to see a bit of Dutch culture. Keukenhof is only open 8 weeks a year, when the flowers bloom, so you should take your chance  to visit it if you’re in the Netherlands in spring!
Click here to read more about Keukenhof.

Noordwijk aan Zee

During your trip to the Dutch flower fields, you can also make a stop at Noordwijk aan Zee. This cute village lays right at the Dutch beach. So you can see the Dutch coastline and the North sea. It’s also a great stop for a lunch break during your e-bike tour of the flower region.
You can for example have lunch at De Zeemeeuw, right next to the white lighthouse of Noordwijk aan zee. They’ve got an extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with also enough vegetarian options. I recommend the sandwich with red beet hummus, avocado and feta cheese.
Other nice beach bars in Noordwijk aan Zee are Tulum, Branding Beach Club and Beachclub C.

Bloemencorso

One weekend a year in Spring, it’s time for the ‘Bloemencorso’. It’s a parade with large, colourful floats and luxury vehicles decorated in masses of flowers. They travel along a 42km route and the spectators can watch it from the sides. It’s amazing to see what they can make with flowers. They make different floats every year, but I’ve seen crocodiles and tigers made of flowers for example. The parade starts in Noordwijk and travels via Voorhout, Sassenheim, Lisse and Hillegom to Haarlem.

Done with exploring the flower fields? Click here for the most Instagrammable restaurants of Amsterdam.