Keukenhof from Amsterdam: Eight Weeks of Tulips, Timed to the Day
Keukenhof opens for about eight weeks a year, mid-March to mid-May, when seven million hand-planted bulbs bloom across 32 hectares at Lisse, south of Amsterdam. The 2026 season is over; the 2027 season runs March 18 to May 9, with tickets on sale from mid-November 2026 at keukenhof.nl. Around 1.5 million people fit through that eight-week window, which is why the mechanics below matter more than they would anywhere else.
Tickets and Timing
Entry is online and timed only: pick a date and slot when you book, with adult tickets just over €20 online and more at the gate, children 4 to 17 around €9, under-4s free. Late-April weekends sell out one to three weeks ahead, so book those early or aim for a weekday. Peak bloom usually lands in mid-April but moves with the weather, and the garden posts bloom updates on its site through the season; early season shows crocuses and daffodils with the tulips building, and by early May some beds are past while others peak. The gates run 8:00 am to 7:00 pm with last entry at 6:15 pm, mornings and late afternoons are the quiet hours, and three to four hours covers the garden well.
Getting There
Keukenhof has no train station, so the standard route is the Keukenhof Express bus 852 from Amsterdam RAI, about 35 minutes, running up to eight times an hour from 7:30 am in season, sold as a combi-ticket bundling the return bus and garden entry, around €38.50 in 2026. Buses also run from Haarlem, Hoofddorp, and Leiden, and shuttle coaches leave central Amsterdam. In 2026 the direct Schiphol line was suspended for airport construction, so check which lines operate when the 2027 tickets open. One free bonus rides along: the bulb fields flanking the roads are working farms, and the colored stripes out the bus window cost nothing.
What It Is and Is Not
Keukenhof is a designed show garden: pavilions, themed beds, ponds, and lawns under old trees, replanted by hand every autumn so no two springs repeat. It is not the endless open tulip fields of the photographs; those are the surrounding Bollenstreek farms, and the way to see them is to rent a bike at the garden or in Lisse and ride the flat lanes between the stripes for an hour or two. The complete version of the day pairs a morning slot in the garden with an afternoon on the bike, and one April Saturday each season the flower parade rolls past the gates on its way from Noordwijk to Haarlem; check the date before booking if you want it or want to avoid it. The rest of the region is ranked on the Amsterdam day tours page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Keukenhof open in 2027?
March 18 to May 9, 2027, daily 8:00 am to 7:00 pm with last entry at 6:15 pm. The garden opens only about eight weeks each spring, and tickets go on sale from mid-November 2026 at keukenhof.nl.
Do you need timed tickets for Keukenhof?
Yes. Entry is online and timed only, with adult tickets just over €20 online and late-April weekend slots selling out one to three weeks ahead.
How do you get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam?
The Keukenhof Express bus 852 from Amsterdam RAI, about 35 minutes, sold as a combi-ticket with garden entry. Buses also run from Haarlem, Hoofddorp, and Leiden; there is no train station at the garden.
When is peak tulip bloom at Keukenhof?
Usually mid-April, but it moves with the weather each year. The garden posts bloom updates through the season, and every stage of the eight weeks shows something: daffodils and crocuses early, full tulips mid-season.
Is Keukenhof the same as the Dutch tulip fields?
No. Keukenhof is a designed show garden; the striped open fields are the surrounding Bollenstreek farms. Rent a bike at the garden and ride the lanes between the fields to see both in one day.