Spring has sprung again in the Netherlands, with sun shiny days and thinner jackets coming out to play. But of course, beyond the change of wardrobe also comes something I've always wanted to experience...
A visit to Keukenhof
Located in the town of Lisse, Keukenhof is the largest flower garden in the world and is also dubbed the Garden of Europe. Thousands of people tend to make their way to the Netherlands each year in spring to catch the gardens in full bloom - and with approximately 7 million flower bulbs being planted annually in preparation for visitors, it's not hard to see why.
And so, dropping by Keukenhof became one of my top to-do things when I first knew I was moving to Amsterdam, but the pandemic clearly had different plans. With the garden closing due to government measurements in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in both 2020 and 2021, "disappointed" is understatement to how I felt.
But dark days don't last forever!
And my dark days obviously ended when the sun came out
Despite that, the government measurements in the Netherlands have since been loosening by the month, and life has (almost) been back to normal since March 2021. Thankfully, the weather has also been amazingly cooperative of late and off we went to Keukenhof on our 2nd Easter holiday! I was glad my other half decided to get tickets earlier as it was sold out by the time we got there - so booking online is definitely a good idea if you're planning a visit.
Literally gorgeous
As you enter the garden, you're greeted by an array of flowers of all shapes, sizes, types, colours, and smells - and can I just say it was amazing? Given that we were there on a public holiday, Keukenhof was quite packed during our visit but the vast garden had everyone spaced out enough that it didn't feel cramped at all. Of course, you'd still have random people in your pictures if you're there for #thegram, but it wasn't so bad that you couldn't stand at a spot to get your perfect shot.
Just a sea of beauty
Disclaimer: We did NOT draw that on, we just spotted it
Taken by my other half
I could go on and on with pictures of flowers but I feel like my other half usually takes much better photos anyway, so I'll just leave a link to his Instagram here.
Orchids for days
And the perfect travel partner
Keukenhof also hosts several greenhouse-like pavilions inside the garden, with one of the prettiest being the Beatrix Pavilion featuring orchids of all colours. One of the most unique ones was grown in blue and green, leaving many visitors wondering if they were actually real. Spoiler alert: They were real orchids.
Also thought I'd just dump this picture here
And while I'm at it, maybe this too?
Now that I've fangirl-ed enough about the garden, let's talk about some of the more important details on Keukenhof. Bearing in mind that I traveled from Amsterdam to Lisse, here are some tips I've got that are accurate as of 18th of April 2022.
How to get to Keukenhof & ticket prices
Hello, are you my bus?
Because we were traveling from Amsterdam, we were given 2 options on how to get to Keukenhof in Lisse. The first option was to make our way to the Arrival 4 door of the Schiphol Airport and catch the Arriva bus 858 that takes you directly to the doorsteps of Keukenhof in approximately 30 minutes. Each trip costs you €5.20 and you can use your OV-chipkaart to board the bus if you have one.
A separate option would be to head to the Entree C area of Amsterdam RAI station and look for the Arriva bus 852. This trip takes you approximately 35 minutes, and costs a whooping €8 each way. Similarly, these buses also take the OV-chipkaart or you may have to book a seat in advance to make sure you get a ticket to ride.
The official ticket price on the Keukenhof website starts off at €18.50 per adult, with discounted prices for kids aged 4 to 17 and free entrance for babies aged 0 to 3. Of course, discounted tickets that grant you access to the garden and buses are also available, with prices depending on where you purchase them from. Tickets do sell out quite quickly each year, so it's best to plan ahead and pray for good weather when you want to go.
Amenities at Keukenhof
Coffee breaks were essential
If there was one thing I truly thought was worth pointing out is how convenient Keukenhof had been set up to be for their visitors. There were toilets almost everywhere you walked and unlike most public toilets around the Netherlands, these were free to use and quite frequently cleaned.
For anyone feeling a rumbly tummy after walking through the gardens, you'll find cafes sprawled across several corners of Keukenhof. Items sold were never too overpriced for an attraction (we're looking at you, Disneyland!), with coffees starting at €2.95 a cup. I would highly recommend the orange chocolate brownie if you have the chance to try it though. They also had hot food like sandwiches and soups, but we had lunch before our visit so I don't know if they're good or otherwise.
Thank you for making another memory with me
Overall, our trip to Keukenhof was just as magical as I had expected it to be if not already better with the weather. Though we didn't catch all the flowers in full bloom since they can be quite fickle, the colourful gardens were enough to make us want to return the next year. My colleague also mentioned a Keukenhof flower parade that happens yearly, so we may want to try getting tickets for that in the future.
But until then, I'm off to enjoy the evasive Dutch sun!
