Day trip from Amsterdam Keukenhof
A spring flower park in Lisse planted with 7 million bulbs, open about eight weeks a year, 35 minutes by direct bus from Amsterdam RAI.
Is Keukenhof worth a day trip from Amsterdam?
Half a day, in season only.
Go only if your dates fall inside the season. Keukenhof is closed right now and reopens from 18 March to 9 May 2027, daily from 8:00 to 19:00. Three to four hours in the park is enough. Entry is € 21 online and € 27 at the gate, tickets are sold for a date and time slot, and busy days sell out. Go at 8:00 or after 15:00 to miss the coach groups. Outside those eight weeks there is nothing to see, so check the month before you book a tour sold as a spring trip.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 35 minfrom Amsterdam RAI, in season · one way · Amsterdam Explorer (bus 852 timetable)
- Transport
- Bus 852
- Self-guided cost
- € 38.502026 Combiticket: return bus 852 from Amsterdam RAI + park entry. The 2027 Combiticket price has not been announced · Keukenhof
- Tour price
- From € 55Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 3–5 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Closed until 18 Mar 2027 (season 18 Mar-9 May)
- Best time
- Mid-April; weekdays at 8:00Daytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Keukenhof
- 01
The outdoor bulb gardens
Thirty-two hectares of planted beds under old beech trees, replanted every autumn with a new design. A full circuit of the outer paths takes about two hours at a slow pace.
- 02
The flower pavilions
Indoor shows that change through the season, with tulips in the largest pavilion for the whole eight weeks. They guarantee colour in a cold March and are where to go when it rains.
- 03
The windmill and the field view
A windmill at the eastern edge with a gallery you can climb. It is the only spot in the park with a view over the commercial bulb fields outside the fence.
- 04
Bulb fields by bike or boat
The striped fields are outside the park. Rent a bike at the main entrance for a signed loop of 5-25 km, or take the electric boat from the windmill for a 45-minute ride, paid separately.
Good forNature and hikingWith kids
How to spend the day
In season, take the metro to Amsterdam RAI and board bus 852 at Europaplein by 7:45. You are at the gate around 8:20, before most coaches. Walk the outer paths first and leave the pavilions for when the park fills up after 10:30. Eat on site or bring food. Head back around 12:30 and you are in Amsterdam by 13:30. In 2026 the last bus left Keukenhof at 19:51.
Keukenhof in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustClosed. The season ends on 9 May 2027 and the park stays shut until the following March. The bulb fields around Lisse are harvested and bare by late May. If you are in Amsterdam from June to August, skip any trip sold as tulips and go to Zaanse Schans or Marken instead.
Winter
December to FebruaryClosed, and there is nothing to see through the fence. The 2027 season opens on 18 March. In the first two weeks the outdoor beds are mostly crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths, with the tulips indoors. For outdoor tulips, the middle of April to early May is the safer bet, depending on how cold the spring was.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Mid-April to early May, weekends, Easter and King's Day, 10:30-15:00
- Quietest
- Weekdays at 8:00 or after 16:00; the first two weeks of the season
Coach groups fill the central paths and pavilions from mid-morning. Take the earliest slot, go straight to the far side of the park and work back. Late afternoon is nearly as calm, and the park stays open until 19:00.
How do you get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam?
Bus 852
- Travel time
- 35 min
- Frequency
- Every 15-30 min, in season only
- Cost
- € 38.50 with entry (2026)
- Departs from
- Amsterdam RAI station (Europaplein)
The Keukenhof bus runs only while the park is open. Reach Amsterdam RAI by metro or train from the centre, then follow the Keukenhof signs to Europaplein. The Combiticket bundles the return bus and entry; Keukenhof lists the 2027 price as not yet known.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 5 hours round trip
- Frequency
- Daily in season
- Cost
- From € 55
- Departs from
- De Ruijterkade 34a, Amsterdam Centraal
A direct coach from behind Amsterdam Centraal with park entry included, so you skip the metro leg to RAI. You pay roughly € 16 more than the 2026 Combiticket for that. There is no guide inside the park. Free cancellation ends 4 days before.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Closed waterproof shoes: the paths are paved but the grass edges are wet in the morning. Dress in layers with a windproof jacket, because March and April highs are only 10-14°C and it feels colder at 8:00.
What to eat
Several self-service restaurants and kiosks in the park sell sandwiches, soup, fries and stroopwafels, with long lines from 12:00 to 14:00. Picnics are allowed and there are benches everywhere. Bringing your own lunch saves both money and half an hour.
What you will spend
Entry is € 21 online or € 27 at the gate, and the 2026 Combiticket with the bus was € 38.50. The pavilions and the windmill are included. The boat ride, bike rental and food cost extra. The coach tour from € 55 adds convenience, not content.
How to get the most out of the day
- The Saturday of the flower parade, 17 April 2027, is the busiest day of the season. Roads around Lisse jam and buses run late.
- Bloom dates shift by up to two weeks with the weather. Check the park's own flower report a few days before choosing your slot.
- From Leiden, bus 854 reaches the park in about 25 minutes in season, a good link if you want to add Leiden's old centre afterwards.
- Lockers at the main entrance take day bags. Tripods are fine, but drones are banned across the park.
How long do you need in Keukenhof?
Plan 3–5 h on site, plus 35 min of travel each way from Amsterdam.
When is Keukenhof closed?
Closed until 18 Mar 2027 (season 18 Mar-9 May). Best time: Mid-April; weekdays at 8:00.