Hello again!! The first 3 days of our week-trip with our Moms we spent exploring Amsterdam. Since we were visiting in the Spring, we were able to take a day trip to Keukenhof Gardens!
This was one of the highlights of our trip to Amsterdam and it seemed like we chose the perfect time to visit (everything was in bloom)! The gardens are only open 2 months out of the year (from mid-March to mid-May), so April is definitely the best time to visit. You can buy tickets online and can go any day you want (it also saves some time waiting in line).
We bought the combo ticket for 29 euros, which includes transportation to and from the gardens. Once you order the tickets, instructions for where you can catch the bus are on it (they have some very central pick-up locations). We took the 197 bus to Schipol Plaza and then transferred to the 858 bus to the gardens! I recommend allotting 3-4 hours to spend in the gardens since they are so big! (It takes between 30-40 minutes to get there, so it makes for a good day trip).
Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest gardens. There are over 7 million flower bulbs planted there each year and the gardens are over 79 acres! They were first established in 1949 as a way for Dutch people to exhibit their flower hybrids to the rest of the world. Now, the flowers are always arranged in the latest gardening styles, creating beautiful displays for everyone to see!
There are so many different colored flowers lining the walkways and paths throughout the gardens, it’s truly magical. You can also visit indoor exhibits as well, that feature specific flower types (such as orchids or tulips).
The gardens also have a windmill, which you can climb to the top of (free of charge) and admire the view of the flower fields. From the base of the windmill you can take a Whisper Boat up the river, along the tulip fields, for 8 euros and the trip lasts about 45 minutes. We decided to skip this, since we wanted more time to explore the gardens and the line was long.
I recommend packing a picnic for your visit to the gardens. There are some cafes and restaurants inside, but we loved sitting on a bench in the sun with our sandwiches and a bottle of wine! (Check out our previous post about Amsterdam to see where we found the most amazing sandwiches at a local deli to bring with us!)
I couldn’t believe how many different flowers (or types of Tulips) existed! The Gardens of Kuekenhof should definitely be high on your list of things to do if you’ll be in Amsterdam in the Spring!
We hope you enjoy the video blog below about our time in the gardens. Stay tuned for our next posts about the The Louvre!
Flower Power! Amanda
