The Amsterdam Tulip Festival is the ultimate celebration of spring in Holland. Thousands of tulips bloom in more than 80 locations across the city and its outskirts, bringing Amsterdam to life with their incredible beauty and colour – and Amsterdam Tulip Festival 2024 is no exception.

Imported to Holland in the sixteenth century from the Ottoman Empire, tulips have grown to become one of the most enduring symbols of the Netherlands.  So much so, there is now an annual festival celebrating the bloom.

Want to know more about the Amsterdam Tulip Festival and what this year has in store?  Then read on to find out what’s on offer at the Amsterdam Tulip Festival 2024.

Why are Tulips popular in the Netherlands?

Tulips are a part of Dutch culture and have been for centuries. In the 17th century, tulips were incredibly popular in the Netherlands, due to their brilliant colors and the fact that they could be grown easily in the Dutch climate. The popularity of tulips in the Netherlands was so great that the tulip market became an important economic centre in Amsterdam, and a symbol of the Dutch economy.

in 1637, the price of tulip bulbs skyrocketed and then crashed, causing the Dutch tulip market to collapse. This event, known as Tulip Mania, is still remembered today, and tulips are seen as a symbol of Dutch culture and history.

Today, tulips are still a major part of Dutch culture, and Amsterdam is one of the best places to see them. The city is home to several beautiful tulip gardens, and there are numerous tulip events throughout the year, including the Tulip Festival.

When is the Tulip Festival in Amsterdam?

The annual Amsterdam Tulip Festival officially runs from the 1st to the 30th April 2024. Holland’s long spring season with its cool nights provide ideal conditions for tulip growing, so if you’re hoping to see tulips in Amsterdam at their most bright and beautiful, it’s a good idea to plan your visit during this time. And if you’re in Amsterdam on April 27th, even better, this is when King’s Day happens! Read our guide on King’s Day in Amsterdam for more information.

Can you bring Tulips back from Amsterdam?

If you’re looking to bring tulip bulbs back from Amsterdam to your home country, we would advise you to check your countries’ website for environmental protection before you travel.

Generally, though, flower bulbs staying within the European community can be exported throughout Europe without any issues. If you’re travelling to countries outside of the EU like the USA or Canada, bulbs must have been checked by officers in the Netherlands to ensure they are thoroughly cleaned and free from soil. These bulbs are sealed and given a special ‘health certificate’ which should enable you to clear customs back home.

Where is the Tulip Festival in Amsterdam?

The Amsterdam Tulip Festival is a city-wide event, with a chance to see beautiful tulips blooming at over 85 locations across Amsterdam. All displays in public areas such as the ones in front of the Rijksmuseum and the EYE Film Museum next to ClinkNOORD are free to enjoy, but there are also some affordable events and activities to enjoy throughout the city during the festival.

Now you know a little bit more about Tulips in Amsterdam, we’re going to tell you about some of our favourite tulip-related activities in the city. Some of these are specifically related to the Amsterdam Tulip Festival in the spring, others you can happily do all year round.

Things to do during the Amsterdam Tulip Festival

1. Tour the colourful displays throughout the city

See Amsterdam come to life in the spring as over 80 colourful displays of tulips pop up all over the city

If you’re in the city during April, then you’ll want to put at least one day aside to tour the magnificent blooms on display as part of the Amsterdam Tulip Festival.

Over 80 venues throughout the city participate in the festival. From museums, to hotels, parks and private residences, each venue provides a unique backdrop for the colourful blooms.

If you’re staying with us at Clink, check out flower displays outside the EYE Film Museum on the edge of the IJ River as your first stop. Afterwards, jump on the ferry and explore some of the displays in the city centre. End your tour in the gorgeous green space of Vondelpark. If the weather is good, why not bring a picnic and spend the afternoon soaking up all the beauty? Check out the full list of participating locations here.
Opening Hours & Admission:

Displays in public locations can be viewed at any time for free. For museums or private residences, please check individual websites.

2. Visit the Keukenhof Gardens

Take a daytrip out of the city centre to experience the incredible beauty of the famous Keukenhof Gardens

Every Autumn, more than 7 million bulbs are planted here which, when the warmer weather rolls around, bloom to magnificent effect. Covering 32 hectares of ground and 15 kilometres of footpaths, you can easily spend a few hours – or even a whole day – wandering around these gorgeous gardens, beautiful ponds and various pavilions. The journey from Amsterdam to Keukenhof takes around one hour by bus.

Top tip: To avoid the bigger crowds, head along before 11am or after 3pm. The light at these times is also perfect for photos.

Opening Times: 21 March – 12 May 2024 08:00 – 19:30pm

Admission: Full day at Keukenhof + transfers from Amsterdam from £27.86. Book now!

Check out the Amsterdam Keukenhof Gardens with Mr Carrington below:

3. Buy some blooms

Whether you’re visiting in the spring or not, there will always be an opportunity to buy some kind of blooms in Amsterdam!

If you’re looking to buy tulips in Amsterdam, there are plenty of places to go. Maybe you’re staying in an apartment with friends and you’d like to treat them to a nice bunch of flowers for letting you stay? Or perhaps you’d like to take some tulip bulbs back to your own country to plant them in your garden? The Amsterdam Flower Market is perhaps the most famous place to buy tulips in Amsterdam. Founded in 1862, the small shops of Bloemenmarkt are housed inside a row of floating barges. Only a few now sell fresh flowers, but you’ll also find small shops where you can pick up Dutch souvenirs.

When buying flowers in the city, we like to visit one of our favourite local, independent florists. Bloemenweelde Amsterdam is a great little shop that offers a friendly and personal service.

You should be aware that the right months to buy real tulip bulbs in Amsterdam are September, October and November. Steer clear of anyone trying to sell you bulbs at other times. Many reputable gardening websites even sell bulbs online and will deliver them in time for planting season.

Bloemenweelde Amsterdam De Clercqstraat 112-114 1052 NN PLAN YOUR ROUTE

Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8am – 6pm
Saturday: 8am – 5pm

4. Visit the flower fields

See the fields of Amsterdam in all their colourful glory as hundreds of thousands of tulips come into bloom

The Tulip Fields around Amsterdam are a sight to behold come spring. The farmers tending to these vast fields are growing bulbs to be sold all around the world. The flowers themselves will not go to market, so they can be enjoyed for much longer. If you’re visiting Keukenhof, there is a place near the entrance where you can rent bikes. From here, you can tour the beautiful flower fields of the surrounding areas. Cycling is a great way to explore these areas as you can cover more ground than you would walking. Here’s one possible route you can take which will lead you past some of Amsterdam’s most gorgeous tulip fields. We recommend visiting in the second half of April as this is when the blooms are likely to look their best.

If you’re visiting in winter, no need to miss out! There are special tours which take you behind the scenes of a tulip greenhouse where flowers are grown all year round.

Visiting times:

When you visit is really up to you. Like Keukenhof though, we think that it’s nice to see flowers in the morning or early evening.

5.  Watch the flower parade

Experience the colour and excitement of Bollenstreek, a flower themed parade that winds its way from Lisse to Haarlem

What better way to celebrate the Amsterdam Tulip Festival than with a big flower parade? Participants spend weeks building huge floats decorated with beautiful spring flowers. Come April, these impressive floats will wind their way past flower fields near Lisse, along Keukenhof boulevard and ending in the historic Dutch town of Haarlem.

This year Bollenstreek is held on Saturday 20th April. Thousands of locals and visitors alike will line the parade route to take in the spectacle.

Unless you’re planning to watch the parade from Keukenhof there’s no need to buy a ticket as the parade is free to watch. Along the route there are plenty of opportunities to grab food and drink and enjoy lots of other entertainment from musicians and street performers. For more information and to see the full route, click here.

The parade runs from 09:00 – 21:30

6. Learn more about the history of Tulips in Holland

Get clued up about the Netherland’s most famous flower at the cute and quirky Tulip Museum

Whatever time of year you’re in Amsterdam, you can always pay a visit to The Tulip Museum. Located in an old townhouse just around the corner from Anne Frank’s Huis, this is a small and quirky museum where you can find out more about the history of tulips in Amsterdam. For the green fingered, there is also in-depth information about how Holland’s most famous flowers are grown.

There is a nice mixture of small and colourful exhibitions making use of pictures, dioramas and a short movie. There’s also a lovely little gift shop with a selection of tulip-inspired souvenirs. So even if you can’t take back fresh blooms or bulbs, you can pick up a small memento to remind you of your time in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Tulip Museum Prinsengracht 116 1015 EA PLAN YOUR ROUTE
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Admission: €5 Adults, €3 students

Read: Free Things to Do in Amsterdam

What not to do during the Amsterdam Tulip Festival

1. Do not buy tulip bulbs during the Amsterdam Tulip Festival

You should be aware that the right months to buy real tulip bulbs in Amsterdam are September, October and November. Steer clear of anyone trying to sell you bulbs at other times.

However, if you do purchase any seeds or flower bulbs – only choose those which are packaged and pre approved for export, otherwise goods may be withheld by customs.

2. Do not walk through tulip fields or pick the flowers

Members of the public are not permitted to enter tulip fields or pick flowers, unless instructed to do so. However, if you’d like to create your own tulip bouquet, you can visit dedicated picking gardens, such as Hanneke’s Pluktuin (Ellerweg 18, Biddinghuizen) or the tulip picking garden of the Boerenshop (Steenwijkerweg 26, Marknesse).

3. Do not visit the fields after April 30th

If you want to see the tulips at their best at Keukenhof, don’t visit around April 30th or thereafter. The tulips are “headed,” meaning the flowers are removed. Removing the head makes the bulb stronger, which is the reason these are grown in the first place.

Read: What Not to Do in Amsterdam

Ready to spend some time with the tulips in Amsterdam? Book your stay at ClinkNOORD today and you’ll have easy access to all the flower-filled fun this city has to offer!