Visiting Keukenhof Gardens 2023
When you think of the Netherlands – or think of Holland – idyllic images of tulips, windmills, and wooden clogs probably come to mind. I recently found myself in the Netherlands during tulip season and couldn’t resist at least going to see one of these famous Dutch trademarks. Recently I found myself with a few hours to go explore – what better way to enjoy the Netherlands than at Keukenhof Gardens admiring the beautiful tulips! Visiting Keukenhof Gardens in 2023 is an easy adventure from Rotterdam. This is how my adventure went visiting Keukenhof gardens as a day trip went.
Where Are Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands?
Maybe you’re visiting Amsterdam or perhaps you’re on a cruise ship visiting Rotterdam. You’ve heard of the famous tulips of the Netherlands and you want to go see them. This is your chance! Where are the Keukenhof Gardens? An easy day trip – that you can do by public transport – from either Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
The Keukenhof Gardens are in the town of Lisse in the north west of the Netherlands in the province of South Holland. They are located just south of Amsterdam, and a bit north and less than an hour from The Hauge, and Rotterdam.
You Can Use Public Transportation to get to Keukenhof Gardens from Rotterdam
We made the journey from Rotterdam at about noon and used public transportation to get there. To use public transportation in the Netherlands you will need an “OV-chipkaart” card. This is a card that can be refilled as needed and looks and feels like a credit card. The card is expensive to buy at €7.50, however there are single use travel options available.
These cards work for public transportation like the metro, busses, and trains.
To visit the Keukenhof Gardens on a day trip from Rotterdam we went on the metro, a train, and a bus – but, don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
We took the metro from the station local to where we are to the Scheidem Centrum station where we switched from the metro to a train. Then it was a train to Leiden Central, and from there bus 854 takes you directly to Keukenhof Gardens.
There are other public transportation routes to get you from Rotterdam to the gardens. This just happens to be the route we took. I have a cell phone that has service in the Netherlands so I was able to track our trip on Google Maps. However, if you do not have service print out a map of where to go. The signage is all in Dutch and that can be a bit intimidating (but isn’t that part of the fun of traveling?).
Also, a large majority of people in the Netherlands speak English as well as their native Dutch. Once I got to the train station at Leiden Central I was a bit confused as to which bus to take – and what Google was telling me was a bit confusing – so I went to the information booth and asked. The gentleman there was very nice, spoke very good English, and helped me and sent me in the direction of the bus.
It took us about an hour and a half to get to the gardens. But, most of it was on a train where we could look out the windows at the architecture (Dutch architecture certainly makes a statement), the animals, fields, canals, and more.
Are You Visiting the Netherlands on a Cruise?
If you are visiting the Netherlands on a cruise and have a stop in either Amsterdam or Rotterdam you absolutely can make the trip into Keukenhof! It is an easy day trip to make from either city either by public transportation or on a cruise line shore excursion.
We were personally in the park for about 5 hours. We did not see every single thing that the park had to offer but by that point we had walked enough we were ready to head to dinner. Realistically though, in the park you can take as much or as little time as you’d like. This means that regardless of the schedule of your ship (as long as you are in town while the gardens are open) you’ll be able to make this visit a reality.
About Keukenhof Gardens
These Gardens are well known – they are very famous and for good reason. These gardens make up 43 hectacres and have some seven million tulip bulbs planted each year.
When is the Best Time to Visit Keukenhof?
The garden is only open during the main tulip blooming season. This means it is only open for a few months a year – for 2023 it will be open from March 23 – May 14, 2023. It’s a short (but beautiful) season.
The Keukenhof website will actually offer a “flowering report” every couple weeks throughout the season. I will say that when I went – in mid-May – it was a bit too late in the season. The tulip fields had already been harvested and some of the tulips in the gardens were past their prime. I am certainly glad that to have visited Keukenhof Gardens on our day trip from Rotterdam and it was still beautiful but it was late in the season.
So, based on the flowering reports from this year – to make sure that you see the tulip fields before their harvested and while they are in full bloom – visit in mid-April. The flowering reports from late March indicate that not all of the tulips have blossomed and by early May the tulip fields have been harvested.
However – if you happen to be visiting the Netherlands on the beginning of end of the Keukenhof season – or if your cruise ship only comes to town one day during the season – it is absolutely still worth making your way to Keukenhof.
Entry and Tickets
When you arrive at the gardens there is a large visitors center – there are restrooms both outside the gardens and inside at the main entrance. This is not a small entrance – it feels a bit more like you’re going to a large amusement park than a garden full of flowers. There is a restaurant, tourist shops, information booth, and more.
Tickets for 2022 were only available online and they scanned a QR code on your phone when you entered the park. You may be able to buy a ticket in person at the gate but we did not see anyone do this. Tickets were €18.50 each. There is also an option to buy transportation with the ticket for an additional 10 euros each. For us this paid for our bus from Leiden Central to the Gardens and back to Leiden Central. There is also an option to pay for that same bus with your OV-chipkaart.
Keukenhof Gardens Is Very Accessible
One thing that struck me when we got to the garden – and continued to strike me as we made our way through the park – was how accessible it all was. While there are some places at the garden that a wheelchair wouldn’t be able to go, for the most part the paths are either paved or pavers, inclines are very gradual, and there are no necessary steps (there are a couple small spots that you can climb up but you don’t need to go up those to be able to experience the park).
In the Garden
The gardens are incredible – you walk in and the happiest daffodils and tulips are waiting for you. Luckily maps are provided because otherwise you could get a bit overwhelmed with which direction to go to start. There are flowers everywhere and each spot feels more beautiful than the next. It’s really quite a site to experience.
There are lots of different paths winding through the property with flowers literally everywhere, as well as small canals, a lake, a hedge maze, some animals, a play area for kids, and lots of places to stop to go to use the restroom, buy souvenirs, get a bit of food and a drink.
The flowers are certainly the main event and even though we were there a bit later in the season they did not disappoint. There really are flowers in every color you can imagine and it’s incredible the different types of varieties of tulips that there are.
We Enjoyed All the Little Extras, Too
At Keukenhof Gardens it is more than just flowers, it’s really a whole experience and you can certainly make a day of it.
My favorite “extras” of the day were the maze and the animals. There was also a children’s playground to help keep the kids entertained (incase looking at flowers for hours isn’t quite their cup of tea.)
Visiting Keukenhof Gardens in 2023 Can Make for a Lovely Day Out
The whole experience was lovely. Keukenhof Gardens is kind of like a We were pleasantly surprised that the food and drinks was not entirely outrageously priced. While it was more expensive than in town, it was at least somewhat reasonable.
This isn’t a fast paced roller coaster kind of day. This is the literal definition of a “stop and smell the (tulips)” kind of day. It’s a leisurely day where you wander through this path of flowers and that one. You stop and share a beer while sitting on a little bridge. It’s a day where you just enjoy being outside and surrounded by all the beautiful things.
