When picturing the Netherlands I see the colorful rows of perfectly manicured tulips in the spring with dutch windmills in the background. I knew my first visit to the Netherlands had to be in the springtime so I could witness such picturesque landscapes. While there are many places to see the tulip fields the main attraction near Amsterdam is Keukenhof gardens. However, as much as I love perfectly manicured flower gardens filled to the masses with tourists I wanted to witness the postcard tulip fields as well and what better way to do so then by bike (while in the Netherlands am I right?).
Where to rent
Directly outside of Keukenhof there is a bike rental which provides various routes depending on how many miles you’re wishing to tackle. We biked through the quaint towns to a small lake with an eatery for lunch. The terrain is mostly flat and I found the 10 mile loop wasn’t tough to accomplish. A couple hour bike ride still allowed ample time to explore keukenhof before heading back to Amsterdam.
Keukenhof has over 7 million tulip bulbs and 800 tulip varieties which are planted to bloom for less than 2 months of the year. Every year has a different theme therefore you can revisit without monotony. Plan to spend at least 4 hours here as it is quite large. You can buy tickets at the gardens or buy ahead using my favorite app tiqets. This app has saved me so much time when traveling Europe and offers great tickets, packages and skip the line.
Getting there
If coming from Amsterdam you can easily get to Keukenhof by bus. From Schipol Airport the bus runs multiple times an hour and tickets are bought from the driver. The bus tickets are about 10 euro for a two-way trip. When you arrive at Keukenhof look into the parking lot and you will see the stall of bikes for rent. I rented ahead two make sure we didn’t miss out but there also may be enough to just rent on sight.
Oh wow! I didn’t realize how close to Amsterdam this is. So sad I didn’t know about it before but will definitely have to try this next time. The tulips look incredible in your photos! Going for the day and riding bikes around the gardens sounds incredible. Adding this to my bucket list, for sure. Thanks for sharing!
This is a goal for me the next time I go to Amsterdam. I was so limited on time last time that I only got a chance to do a canal tour and a little bit of walking. I’d also like to see the windmills so biking seems like an awesome way to enjoy the surroundings and get to your destination. I was surprised by how many bikes there are in Amsterdam. They really make an effort to keep transportation green.
This is an amazing thing to do in Amsterdam. Thanks for sharing as I feel like not many know about this wonderful tourist attraction.
Visiting a tulip field sounds amazing and is totally something I would do. I love that you could just rent a bike to seek out your adventure.
One of my favorite things about most European countries I have visited, bike friendly!
This looks STUNNING. Would love the opportunity to do this sometime as it looks like something you really wouldn’t want to miss out on.
Wow those tulip fields are insane! I would love to see them
OMG I would love this! Would be such an amazing and beautiful view. Probably relaxing too!!
What a dream! I would love to travel to the Netherlands and I would love to bicycle through the tulip fields! It looks beautiful there!
I would highly recommend going during this time of year!
What a dream! I hope that one day I get to do this with my loved one! what was your favorite city in the Netherlands?
I actually only made it to Amsterdam but loved it! Would definitely go back.
I’ve visited Amsterdam but didn’t make it outside of the city. I definitely want to go back and expand my exploring!
This was as far “out” as I made it. I agree seems like a beautiful country and would love to see more.
I am dying to visit Amsterdam one day! I love the idea of riding around the city on bikes!
Oh my! this bike ride must be the most beautiful ride in the world! I definitely want to do this one day!
This looks like it would be a great activity to do for sure. Flowers and cycling yes please! Xx
This would be so amazing to do! I’d love to get some photos of the tulip fields, too.