A City in Bloom: A Guide to Amsterdam's Tulips

Amsterdam is one of Europe's most popular travel destinations for many reasons, among them its beautiful tulips. If you're visiting the Netherlands to see these glorious flowers in bloom, it can pay to find out the best places to see and buy tulips in and near to the city.





Timing your visit is essential if you want to see the full effect of tulips in bloom, which usually happens with the onset of spring. However, if you arrive too early, you may only be greeted by the sight of lime green sprouts, before the red, orange, yellow, pink and purple flowers burst into life later in the season.





Nature is never entirely predictable, of course, but most visitors head to tulip fields in March and April to see the blooming flowers, with some blooming even later than that if the season has suffered particularly cold weather. Similarly, tulips can bloom earlier in March if the weather is warmer and breezes milder.





One of the reliable signals that it's tulip season is to check whether famous tulip gardens such as the Keukenhof have opened their doors to the floods of tourists who descend on the Netherlands each spring. This famous planned garden in Lisse is open for two months each year and can make for a dazzling day trip out of Amsterdam.

If you're more interested in seeing the tulips growing before they're cultivated, some of the best places to visit lie between Haarlem and Sassenheim. It only takes around an hour to drive through the area, and you won't be able to miss the colourful carpet of tulips that covers the fields. Alternatively, you could rent a bike from Lisse to see the tulips on your own time schedule, not to mention reducing your impact on the environment. However, you should be aware that some tulips are grown primarily for their bulbs, rather than for the cut-flower industry - and this could mean that some fields have already been cultivated, even if you're visiting during peak season.





As well as seeing the flowers in person, you may wish to take some home as a memento of your Amsterdam weekend breaks, and you'll be spoiled for choice with places to buy beautiful tulips in the spring. If you're visiting before March or later than May it can be a little more challenging, but there are some late season alternatives to tulips that can be equally appealing too - such as lilies and dahlias.





Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.