I took this cruise starting very early in May a few years back and went in a couple of days early. I took the bus from town connected at the airport and let me off at the entrance to see the tulips. There were none left in town. If you want to see them around town usually late March thru sometime in April from what I remember.
It looks as if Keukenhof is the place to go about a half hour from Amsterdam, only open from 20th March to 17th May this year for example. In that part of Europe including Holland and England, Spring happens much earlier than on the East coast where we live now, its so hard to wait so much longer for my daffodils to bloom, gave up on tulips too many deer!
The gardens were absolutely gorgeous and in full tulip bloom the second week in April a couple of years ago. The trees were blooming, the grass was green, and the swans were swimming. Earlier you see more of the daffodils, hyacinths, grape iris I was told. The tulips are planted "3 deep" to insure massive blooms. Loved that garden and wished I could have stayed all day!
We are very excited to visit the Keukenhof Gardens in early May this year. Does anyone know of a reasonably priced way to get from downtown Amsterdam to the Gardens other than taking the Keukenhof Express bus? Also, normally we like to wander around gardens, but is it wise to sign up for a guided tour of the gardens but not without hundreds of other people in the tour? We want to try some other guided tours in and around Amsterdam. Does anyone have any suggestions for reputable tour companies? Thanks a lot!
I am not sure you need to be in a tour to see gardens, you need to decide which mode of transport to use to get there and then tour the gardens at your own pace. It's twenty years since I last visited Amsterdam but so many of the places you are likely to want to visit do not need a tour, you just walk and visit them yourself. How many days do you have there? If it's only a few, there is plenty to do right there, if it's longer then that is different. I will visit again soon I hope, it will be without the aid of a tour company, you really don't need one for this lone destination and especially as English is spoken so widely.
The bus from town was very easy with transfer at airport and they let you off right at the bus stop very near the entrance. I did not want to go on guided tour and have to watch the time and was very glad I did. I spent the day at the gardens. They had plenty of tulips in early May, but they are all forced blooms by then. From what I understand best time is maybe late March to sometime in April. I went the 1st week of May and there were no tulips except at the gardens.
We are going to Keukenhof with Tauck in April. It looks like we will only be there for 2 to 3 hours at the Gardens. I really want to see all the Gardens. Is that enough time or should we go back with a small group on our next free day that also includes the tulips fields and farms? Has anyone done this?
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www.holland.com/us/tourism/article/tulip-season-in-holland.htm -
It looks as if Keukenhof is the place to go about a half hour from Amsterdam, only open from 20th March to 17th May this year for example. In that part of Europe including Holland and England, Spring happens much earlier than on the East coast where we live now, its so hard to wait so much longer for my daffodils to bloom, gave up on tulips too many deer!