Tulip Fever 2025: The Definitive Guide to Dutch Blooms 🌷

Because life’s too short for wilting flowers and boring blog posts. 

---

1. Mark These Dates on Your Stroopwafel‑Sticky Calendar 📆

Keukenhof Gardens (20 March – 11 May). Seven million bulbs, zero regrets. keukenhof.nl

Amsterdam Tulp Festival (1 – 30 April). 85+ free flower installations. tulipfestivalamsterdam.com

Dutch Flower Parade (Saturday 12 April). 42 km of float‑based fabulousness. tulipfestivalamsterdam.com

---

2. Where to Bask in Petal Glory 💃

Although famed for its tulips, Keukenhof Gardens is not to be overlooked during cherry blossom season. The meticulously landscaped gardens showcase a captivating blend of cherry blossoms, complementing the vibrant tulip fields. A feast for the eyes, Keukenhof is a must-visit during this blooming period.

Keukenhof – The Beyoncé of Gardens

32 hectares, indoor pavilions (handy if the Dutch sky is feeling moody), and photo‑ops that break Instagram. Grab an online combi‑ticket + Bus 852 from Amsterdam RAI for a hassle‑free 35‑minute ride. Buses leave up to ten times an hour.

The Bollenstreek (Flower Strip)

Rent a bike at Keukenhof and follow the sign‑posted 5–25 km routes through stripey rainbow fields. Respect the farmers: photos from the edge, not a tulip‑trampling catwalk. Daffodils fields (Mid-March till Mid-April), Hyacinth fields (End of March till the end of April) and the Tulip fields (Second week of April to early May).

Amsterdam‑City Tulip Hunt

During Tulp Festival (1 April – 30 April 2025), hunt 880,000+ tulips by Museumplein, Eye Film Museum, A’DAM Tower, and random street corners that suddenly look like the Wizard of Oz. Free, fabulously photogenic, and pairs nicely with a cone of frites. 

Floating Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt)

For souvenir bulbs (certified for export) and immediate dopamine hits in bouquet form.

Off‑Radar Petal Pilgrimages

Noordoostpolder & Kop van Noord‑Holland – bigger fields, thinner crowds, reachable by train + bike in ~90 min. 

---

3. Timing Hacks ⏰

Tulip timing is a flirtatious art: late March teases you with daffodils, hyacinths and the first brave tulips; by the first week of April the fields go full technicolour – just in time for the big Bloemencorso flower parade to strut past Keukenhof. Hit mid‑April and you’re bathing in peak petal perfection (and peak crowds, so book the crack‑of‑dawn entry slot). Leave it to late April and you’ll watch farmers decapitate the blooms for bulb harvest, though pockets of colour linger up north. By early May you’re down to Keukenhof’s indoor displays and a few stubborn late‑bloomers. Moral of the story: aim for early‑to‑mid April, pack layers for Dutch weather mood‑swings, and procrastinate at your own peril.

---

Final Petal‑Powered Pep‑Talk

Tulip season is Amsterdam at its most extra—colour‑splashed, slightly chaotic, and 100 percent “lekker.” Time your visit, book ahead, stay respectful, and you’ll leave with a camera roll so bright it needs its own SPF. Now go forth and frolic; the blooms won’t wait!