I was wrong. It was neither the magic of Instagram filter nor the oversaturation effect of a photo editing software. The Tulip fields of Netherlands are far more attractive and beautiful that I saw on the internet. Greeted with a sight of thousands of colorful flowers, I quickly realized that it’s going to be something special. Just as I was reaching my shoulder bag for the camera, I heard a familiar voice saying “Get Down, Get Down! Quick”.
Do you the best thing about Tulips? They don’t think of competing with the flower next to it. They just bloom. And, if you are lucky enough to experience one such field in person, you’ll admit that it’s just like a good book taking off. It opens doors on the whole other world.
Netherlands is famous for its Tulip gardens. In Spring season, flowers including Tulips are everywhere but if you are after rows and rows of flower fields and that too for free, then you need to do some research. But don’t worry, in this article, I will explain everything you need to know about the best time, best place along with some tips and tricks and super useful information so that you can arrange your next tulip field visit at ease.
Even if it started late, the Dutch preserved Tulips like no other. Today, The Tulip is seen by many as the symbol of a declaration of love and in many streets of Netherlands and almost at shopping centres, you can witness and buy Tulips throughout Spring and decorate your home. There are plenty of places in Netherlands where you can witness the sheer beauty, the blaze of color completely for free with almost no crowd. But as a tourist, how will you find out those places?
Keukenhof is the Tulip garden of Netherlands. More than 7 millions of tulip bulbs are cultured here each year and when they bloom, it’s a treat to the eyes. However, Keukenhof is a ticketed garden so it’s not Free. It has a definite opening hours. And as you might expect, in peak season, it is full of crowds. That’s why in this blog, I specifically want to point out several Tulip fields in the Netherlands which are free to explore. There are always very less people and you can visit any day-anytime with any type of camera gear.
So, if you are a tourist coming in the Netherlands for experiencing the Tulips, what’s the best time for you? Let’s check it out.
Tulip Season In Netherlands
This is a weather dependent topic but in general, Tulip season in Netherlands is from end of March till mid of May. However, with my 2 years of Dutch experience, I would suggest to visit Tulip fields from mid to end of April. It’s better if you can avoid March and May altogether.
I have visited several Tulip fields in Netherlands and I have found one thing similar across all the fields. During the entire tulip season, you’ll find some tulips that are full bloomed, some are yet to bloom and some at the end of their lifespan. As it comes around mid to end of April, the number of full blooms are at their peak. However, it does not mean that visiting tulip fields at the remaining season is a sheer waste.
Tulip Fields of Lisse
The most sought attraction for the Tulips in Netherlands aka Keukenhof is actually located in Lisse itself. So, the first thing you will notice is that there are crowds. However, soon you will realize that many of them are so attracted towards the entrance gate of Keukenhoff, they are not paying attention to what’s offered as free.
Don’t get confused between open Tulip fields of Lisse and the garden of Keukenhoff. Even if you don’t buy a ticket for Keukenhoff, you can very well explore all the fields and spend as long as you want. However, if you want to know how to reach here, remember it’s exactly same as how to reach Keukenhoff.
How To Reach
I would advice you to start your journey either from Haarlem or Schiphol Airport. To reach here, you need to get down at Bust stop Lisse, Meer en Duin. From Haarlem, you need to catch Bus #50 (Journey time 1 hour) and from Airport, it’s Bus #361 (Journey time 30 minutes). If you are coming from Amsterdam, try to reach anyone between these two places.
Well, before I came here I was unsure about where to get off. My roommate had a simple idea. Whenever he will spot a Tulip field, we will get down. And guess what, he was absolutely right. As soon as he spotted the Tulips, while I was trying to search for camera, he screamed “Get Down, Get Down! Quick.” We quickly alighted at the bus stop. Who knows how far the next stop is.
After getting down from the bus, don’t cross any road. Walk straight and the entire array of fields will be on your right. After about 10 minutes of walk, you will find the gates of Keukenhoff. Continue walking straight and you’ll hit a dead end with a beautiful Tulip field. If you tur right, the field will be on your left. Turning right, Continue walking straight till the Tulip field disappears.
What To Expect
At first, I did not capture a single photo. There were two reasons. Firstly the weather was super cloudy. Secondly I wanted to explore first and on my way back, I planned to take photos. Tulip fields in Lisse was my second Tulip field experience. The most beautiful part about Tulip fields of Lisse is that in a single place, you will encounter a wide variety of Tulips. From bright yellow to deep saturated red, from sunset orange to soft pink, name it and you’ll find it in Lisse.
At the end of the field, I found this beautiful statue just on the opposite side of the Tulip field. I am not very sure what it is. Probably, it’s a decoration outside a restaurant or an administrative building but I liked it so composed a photo out of it.
At Lisse, you will enjoy watching Tulips but it’s difficult to photograph the Tulips. It’s because there is a boundary wall and the actual field is quite far away to get captured via a smartphone or standard zoom lens. Many a times, there would be a water body in between you and the field.
In the second photograph, you can see that in Lisse fields, you will not be able to get up close and personal with the Tulip fields. Firstly, there is a water body in between. Then, the actual field exists with a broad margin across all sides. So, make sure in order to photograph those, you must have a medium telephoto lens. Your smartphone will never work.
As I was walking slowly towards the Bus stop, I realized that the vibrancy of the flowers are getting changed. Also, the colors as I was crossing one field after another. More funny is that I found people were kayaking through the small canal in front the field in groups.
It was very difficult for me to keep my hands of the camera. The last photo that you see here is from the Bus stop. You can see the motor road in the bottom section of the picture and the gentleman on the other side. But remember between the gentleman and the field, there is a Water body. So, what if you want to take a quick walk in the Tulip field (Of course without damaging the flora)? Read on…
Tulip Fields of Hillegom
If you have one more hour, take a Bus and proceed to this field (Read How to Reach). Whatever shortfall you had in Lisse will be fulfilled if you reach here. And, if you visit Tulip fields of Lisse and Hillegom, you can safely skip any other Tulip fields of Holland. If you are after your picture with a backdrop in the red sea of Tulips, THIS IS THE PLACE.
Personally this was my favorite spot to take environmental portrait. What makes it better than the ones at Lisse? The ease access of the field. Also, apart from Tulips, you will find lots of other flowers as well. But, if you talk only about Tulips, the species seen here are much much less than the ones you can see at Lisse.
How To Reach
Well, it is actually easy to walk from the fields of Lisse to the Hillegom Tulip fields. However, initially I had no idea how far these two places are. So, I caught Bus #50 from Bus stop Lisse, Meer en Duin and rode only 4 minutes (2 stops) to Hillegom, Wilsonweg.
After getting down at the Bus station, you need to cross the road, turn left (face towards Lisse), walk a little straight then take first right turn and walk straight towards the village area. The field will be on your left side and there would be a water body on the right.
What To Expect
At first, you will encounter purple tulips. This is the very first but not the only field in the Hillegom area. However, as visitors could spot the blazing red Tulip field just some metres away, this field mostly get unnoticed. As a result, it always remain super empty allowing you to be up close to an individual flower.
Crossing the purple Tulip field, I came across the main attraction of the Hillegom area – A Blaze of Red Tulips. This is the most beautiful tulip field across all the fields I have visited in the Netherlands.
You are free to enter the fields as there are no fences. Neither there was any sign asking you not to enter the field. So, I took a walk mostly along the border of the fields, clicked some photos as I continued to explore and entered the field once just to take a photo of mine. You can very well enter the field and walk along but keep a short distance from the flowers to avoid causing any damage.
Remember Spring in Netherlands is not only about Tulips. The field in Hillegom also features numerous Daffodils. Before coming to Netherlands, my only experience with Daffodils were in the poem of William Wordsworth. Just as you cross the sea of red tulips, there are two fields of Daffodils, one Yellow and another White. If you would like to photograph a single bloomed flower, I preferred a Daffodil over a Tulip.
Now, on the opposite side of the Tulip fields beyond the water body is the sea of yellow Daffodils. I have not carried any Zoom lens with me so I can’t show you the beauty up close but it looked absolutely gorgeous in person. You have to be present there to understand different shades of yellow.
Unfortunately, I found many people plucking Tulip flowers or walking through the field in disrespectful manner resulting severe damage of the field. Well, in April 2021, Netherlands was closed for visitors in tourism purpose. So, I have a reason to believe that whoever I saw were residents only. My request to all of you reading this is that even if you are a temporary resident or a tourist, please respect the farmers and let everyone enjoy the beauty. Please don’t do anything that makes your education questionable.
Tulip Fields at Heemskerk
Now this one is really tricky. Before reading this section, you must ask yourself who you are? Not like Mufasa’s style from The Lion King but are you a tourist coming to Netherlands or are you a temporary resident in Netherlands. If you are a permanent resident, I believe you know better than what I am writing here in this blog.
If you are a tourist, then I would encourage you to stick to Tulip fields at Lisse, Hillegom and Keukenhof. Especially if you are taking your accommodation near Haarlem or Amsterdam. However, if you are coming to the North of Holland to check out Wijk aan Zee beach, then this field is very nearby. And, if you are a temporary resident of Netherlands staying in Beverwijk, Alkmaar, Ijmuiden, Heemskerk, Castricum or even Haarlem, I encourage you to come here.
The best time to visit this field is around 12PM – 4PM. If you come late, the sun will be behind the Tulip field so all your photos will be backlit. If you come around morning, the shadow of the Tulips in front will cause a shade over the Tulips in back. When the Sun is on the top, you will find the most bright yellow shade of the Tulips.
How To Reach
If you are travelling by Bicycle or Car, here is the Google Map Location. The location is not very well accessible by Public transport. Bus #73 is your only way here.
In case you are coming via train, try to reach either Heemskerk or Castricum or Haarlem station. From Amsterdam, both Haarlem and Castricum have direct accessibility. It is also possible to take a bus from Beverwijk region. Just remember to get down at Heemskerk, Marquettelaan bus stop. From there, use google map and it’s about 700m of walking.
What To Expect
The most beautiful thing about Heemskerk Tulip fields is that there is absolutely zero crowd. It feels like your private tulip field. If you hit upon any farmer and if they happen to speak English, you can get to know a lot on how to bloom Tulips. However, the local people in this region complaint about a nearby Steel Industry for causing severe air pollution and thereby damaging the flora of this region.
I came to know from a local that usually the farmers plant three species of Tulip in this field – White, Yellow and Blue. The season starts with White ones then the Yellow ones bloom and finally the Blue ones. I went to the field around end of third week of April and I found endless yellow Tulips with two or Three dark red ones in between. As there was no one around, it was a fantastic sight to look at and take some photographs.
On my way back to Home, I spotted a Magnolia tree and quickly captured a photo from my Cycle (Dutch people call it Bike by the way). Unfortunately, it looked like they were at the very end of their lifespan but still looked beautiful.
As you can see from this picture, there are definite walkways through which you can enter the Tulip field. As a responsible traveler, please walk through the designated path only and don’t damage or worse pluck a single flower. Yes, perhaps there would be no one to watch your activity but I have full trust on your wisdom.
What About Keukenhoff?
To answer this, I need to ask you several questions.
- When are you coming to Netherlands? Does your stay in the Netherlands fall within the first 2 weeks or the last week of Keukenhof opening dates? In that case, the open Tulip fields are not worth visiting. Keukenhof is more controlled and more cultured and targeted towards Foreign tourists so visit Keukenhof undoubtedly.
- Do You Want Tulip Souvenir? If yes, Keukenhof is your only choice. There are lots of souvenirs to choose from whether you want to keep it yourself or for gifting purpose. Of course, in Zaanse Schans or Volendam or even at Amsterdam, you’d find Souvenir but none will bear the mark Keukenhof.
- How Much Do You Want to Save? See, at Keukenhof an adult ticket costs 18.5€ and a child ticket (>4 Years) costs 9€ (As of 2022). So, you decide how much will you save if you don’t visit Keukenhof. Probably around 50€. Can you adjust it from elsewhere?
- Are You Okay With Crowds? Admit it. Keukenhof will be pretty crowded even if you target the very first hour. Especially, the photo spots. If you can’t stand crowd, opt for an open Tulip field.
- Do You Need a Place to Eat? The open fields are truly open and of course there is no cafe or restaurant or anything of that sort. So, if you are after a complete package then Keukenhof is the place to go.
Personally I think if you are after a wide variety of Tulips in a relatively small place (Don’t get me wrong – You need at least 2-3 hours to explore Keukenhof properly) with a touristy vibe, Keukenhof is absolutely fabulous. But if you explore both, your best Instagram photo will come from an open field at free of cost. But life is not always how it looks in Social media, is it?
If time permits, Enjoy both Keukenhof’s manicured displays of tulips and luxuriate in the far-as-the-eye-can-see tulip fields.
Insider Tips
While exploring the tulip fields for free sound fun, it’s always not very easy and straight-forward. No, it’s not only about how to reach but mostly about the proper time to reach. Below I would like to let you know the steps that we followed to land to the correct place at correct time.
- The Duin- en Bollenstreek is a region in the Western Netherlands which is famous for cultivation of flower bulbs. They have a wonderful website which can guide visitors about the flower map across this region.
- You don’t have to visit the homepage. Directly visit this link. This is the exact link which will tell you about the Flower Map. From beginning of March till end of May, they update photos of each flower fields every week.
- The website has a clear indication about which fields are Bulb fields (You strictly cannot enter into these fields) and which are Flower fields (Best for Photographs). What we did is that we checked every Friday about the condition of the fields and looked at the photos. When we found that it’s suitable to visit, we planned a trip.
- Would you like to cycle along Tulip fields, please refer to this link.
- If you don’t have a folding cycle to carry, there are ample opportunities to rent one. You can check the details here.
- Also, if you would like to visit Keukenhoff, please purchase ticket online and in advance. On your day of visit, try to visit it before lunchtime as crowds start to gather more around noon and the afternoon is super crowded.
- In case you are visiting Keukenhof garden, there is a castle nearby known as Keukenhof Castle. If you have some spare time, take a look at their official website.
- Are you located towards the Eastern side of Netherlands? Flevoland also is a fantastic place to explore Tulip fields. As I have not visited that region, I can’t tell much about it. However, here is the official website. You will find all information you need. However, visiting this field is not completely free of cost.
- Although Japan is famous for it, Cherry Blossoms in the Netherlands are also a treat to the eyes. So, in case you are coming to Holland around February which is not a Tulip season, you can check out this link on how you can plan an alternate flower trip.
If you happen to be in the Netherlands around the end of April, keep an eye on the date of flower parade in Netherlands. Please refer to this official website from where you will come to know about the route and the exact dates. Remember, Netherlands is not only about Tulips. If Netherlands sings in the Summer, it dances in the Spring.
“To despise flowers is to offend God, The more beautiful the flower is, the more does one offend God in despising it. The tulip is the most beautiful of all flowers, Therefore, he who despises the tulip offends God beyond measure”
If you have read the world famous novel ‘The Black Tulip‘ by Alexandre Dumas, then perhaps you are familiar with this quote. But here I would like to ask you a question. Across many flower gardens or fields in the world, I have seen educated visitors despising flowers for their self interest or mere photography. Do you support this behavior? If not, how do you want to prevent this from happening. Let me know in the comment below.
Liked this article? Leave me a note down below. Do you have any questions regarding this topic or any suggestions you want while you are planning? Have I mentioned anything incorrectly? Or any tips from your side? Please feel free to use the comment box. Till I hear from you “doei doei”!