The Netherlands is known for many things and one of them is tulips. The country has numerous tulip fields but the Keukenhof gardens are a favorite because you can walk into them and experience them. Luckily getting from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens is not very hard.
In fact, you can get to the gardens from almost every city in the country using just public transport. We traveled all the way down south with two toddlers. So if we can do it, you surely can. Don’t worry. I’ll also talk about the different ways to get to the Keukenhof gardens from each of the main hubs.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Read my disclaimer for further information.
🕒 In a hurry? Book the Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens transfer + ticket online and have everything taken care off for you! 🌷
Amsterdam To Keukenhof Gardens: Table Of Contents
- Location Of Keukenhof Gardens
- Best Time To Visit Keukenhof Gardens
- How To Get To Keukenhof Gardens
- Amsterdam To Keukenhof Gardens
- Den Haag To Keukenhof Gardens
- Rotterdam To Keukenhof Gardens
- Groningen To Keukenhof Gardens
- Keukenhof Garden Tickets
- Keukenhof Express
- Amsterdam To Keukenhof Gardens Tours
Location Of Keukenhof Gardens
The gardens are located in Lisse. It is just about 2 kilometers away from the city. This is one of the main reasons why I always suggest combining the day trip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens with a pit stop at Lisse.
We actually walked all the way to the city but you could also choose to cycle. This route is the purple route that you will find marked for you on your Keukenhof map.
Best Time To Visit Keukenhof Gardens
From Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens, you get just 8 precious weeks to visit.
The first thing that you need to know is that the Keukenhof gardens are open only for eight weeks in spring. During the rest of the year, this garden is closed. As can be imagined, it draws in crowds of people from all over the country and all over the world. So when someone tells you that Keukenhof is crowded, believe them!
Ideally the best time to visit Keukenhof is in the last two weeks of April and the first week of May. We visited during the first week of April, the flowers are still not fully in bloom during this time. The crowds however are a bit less.
Don’t get me wrong. You can still see loads of tulips inside the Keukenhof gardens. What you will not see much are the flowering fields outside the gardens. So cycling is definitely better during these weeks.
When it comes to the time of the day, I highly recommend getting there at the earliest spot possible. We reached there at 9am . Unfortunately we chose to cycle first. So when we did get into the gardens, we actually entered with the crowds at 10:30am.
That however was what we thought. Less than one fourth of the parking lot was full when we entered the Keukenhof garden. When we exited the entire parking lot was full. There were loads of people inside the garden and it was pretty crowded. I’ve heard that it gets much worse.
Make sure to book your tickets in advance because they sell out! You need to book your slot so keep that in mind too!
How To Get To Keukenhof Gardens
As I mentioned before, you can get to Keukenhof from all the major hubs in the Netherlands. Some are pretty far out though. So when we visited from Groningen we decided to stay over at Amsterdam for the night.
This was largely because we were traveling with two toddlers and there were train strikes and maintenance which made our route pretty complicated.
Amsterdam To Keukenhof Gardens
The easiest way to get from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens is to first take the train from Amsterdam Centraal station to Amsterdam Schiphol station. From there you can take a bus from there to Keukenhof Gardens.
What we did was stay close to Schiphol airport and then take the bus towards Lisse. That way we did not have to get up ultra early and did not need multiple connections.
Den Haag To Keukenhof Gardens
The easiest way to get from Den Haag to Keukenhof gardens is to take the intercity to Leiden and then take the 854 bus that heads towards Lisse.
Rotterdam To Keukenhof Gardens
If you are headed towards Keukenhof from Rotterdam, there are two routes that you can follow. Either take the fast train to Schiphol train station and then go from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens or take the train to Den Haag and swap from there.
Groningen To Keukenhof Gardens
We headed from Groningen to Keukenhof gardens. Ideally the best way is to head to Amsterdam Schiphol via the Intercity and then follow the instructions above about how to get from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens which are listed above.
Keukenhof Garden Tickets
When heading from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens make sure you book your tickets first.
The Keukenhof garden tickets are available at the counter but these can sell out in a blink of an eye. This is because the number of people entering the gardens everyday is unbelievable. In order to make sure that your ticket is confirmed make sure to book your ticket in advance.
Note: When you book a ticket, you also need to book a timeslot. You need to arrive within that half an hour timeslot or you could be refused entry if the park is full.
Keukenhof Garden Ticket Prices
Adult Ticket: €19
Groups of 20 people (everyone must enter at the same time): €18.50
Children (4-17 years): €9
Children (0-3 years): Free
Self Guided Bike Tour: €11
Whisper Boat (Adult): €10
Whisper Boat (Children 4-17 years): €5
Park Book: €5
Wheelchair rentals: €5
Note: You can also book your parking and park booklet in advance!
Keukenhof Express
Another great way of visiting the Keukenhof gardens is to take the Keukenhof Express. This is a shuttle service that leaves from different parts of the country (albeit close to Amsterdam in general). This shuttle ticket works to drop you to the gardens and back again to your starting point.
The boarding points for the Keukenhof Express are as follows:
- Haarlem Central Station (Bus 850)
- Europaplein (Bus 800)
- Schiphol Airport (Bus 858)
- Leiden Central Station (Bus 854)
Important: It is important to note that these buses have a fixed time slot. So book your ticket in advance.
Amsterdam To Keukenhof Gardens Tours
Not everyone wants the hassle of planning a trip like this. Sometimes a tour may make better sense. Especially if you are already on a fast paced holiday. During tulip season there are lots of tours that go from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens. Here are some of the most highly rated ones.
From Amsterdam: Full-Day Keukenhof Entry Ticket w/Transfers
⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (3078 Reviews) Price: $41 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: Check-in counter on the ground floor of This is Holland (opposite Central Station) Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
This isn’t a tour per say. It is more of a transportation service. If you want to save time and don’t want to head all the way to Schiphol to catch the bus from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens, then this is probably something that you should look into.
The package includes a transfer from Amsterdam Central Station to Keukenhof. It also includes full day tickets to the gardens.
All you have to do is show your ticket and board the bus. Then you can sit in a luxury bus all the way.
The counter at Amsterdam Schiphol starts at 8am and closes at 3pm.
“It was a fabulous day out visiting the gardens. An excellent variety of bulbs in flower. The buildings with the tulip displays were amazing. Loved the orchid house too. Unbelievable colors and shapes.
Plenty to see and do. Even activities for children and families. Optional boat rides through the tulip fields and a chance to visit a windmill. Plenty of food and drink facilities too. I thoroughly recommend going.💐”
Anonymous GetYourGuide Traveler (Read more reviews now!)
You don’t have to pre-book your slot but it is advisable to arrive about 20 minutes before you want to depart.
What I like about this package is that the return time is flexible. There are loads of buses that head back between 1pm to 6:30pm.
From Amsterdam: Keukenhof & Windmill Village Guided Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (137 Reviews) Price: $92.57 per person Duration: 9 hours 📍Meeting Point: Ruijtergaard Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
If you are visiting Amsterdam and want to pack as much as you can in a day then this is the trip for you. The reason is simple. Getting from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens on public transport takes time.
If you want to head from there to other popular sights like Zaanse Schans then it gets a bit tight on time.
“The tour was amazingly wonderful and smooth sailing all the way. The tour guide was lively and entertaining. The whole tour went on without a hitch. We had a wonderful time on the tour both at Keukenhof Gardens and at the Wind Mills”
Benjamin (read more reviews now!)
Booking this tour will ensure a seamless transfer to all the locations.
So what can you expect to see with this tour? Quite a bit! Here is what the tour includes.
- Transportation
- Guide
- Entry to the Keukenhof Gardens
- Guided tour of the Keukenhof Gardens
- Clog-making demonstration
- Cheese-making demonstration
- Cheese tasting
- Amsterdam canal cruise voucher (if option selected)
Note: This tour does not include the entry into the windmill at Zaanse Schans, food and drinks.
Amsterdam: Day Trip Keukenhof Gardens with Windmill Cruise
⭐️ Rating: 4.4/5 (559 Reviews) Price: $57.51 per person Duration: 7 hours 📍Meeting Point: This is Holland Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
If you are looking for a tour from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens that is a bit more relaxed, then this may be the perfect fit for you.
“Beautiful experience, I will never forget it”
Laura (read more reviews now!)
Not only does it take you through the famed tulip gardens, it also takes you on a cruise to see the iconic windmills of the country. The windmills that you will see are at Kaag lakes and you will get to cruise around for 60 minutes.
The best part of this is that you can take your time at the tulip gardens before heading back.
And there you have it. This everything that I know about getting from Amsterdam to Keukenhof gardens. If you have any questions then just drop them in the comments below and I will try to answer them to the best of my capability.
