My PHOTOGRAPHY & TRAVEL GUIDE TO KEUKENHOF (LISSE), HOLLAND
One of my favorite places to visit every April - May is Keukenhof in the Netherlands. In this Photography & Travel Guide there are lots of tips about visiting and photographing the beautiful Tulips in Keukenfof.
What is Keukenhof? I have never heard of it
The Keukenhof Tulip Festival takes place each year in Holland between April - May. However, the dates change each year depending on the weather and when the Tulips will bloom. People fly in from all over the world to see the Tulips. There is even a bus that takes you right from Amsterdam Airport to Keukenhof.
Keukenhof means "Kitchen garden" in Dutch, and it is also known as the Garden of Europe. It is one of the world's largest flower gardens and is located in Lisse, which is about 45 minutes from Amsterdam. Keukenhof is 80 acres in size (32 Hectares) and has more than 7 million bulbs and 800 varieties of tulips. You will never see so many flowers in your life. It is truly incredible!!
I have visited almost every year over the past 8 years and just love it. Here is a map of the park. There are 2 entrances, one for buses and the second for cars. I have always arrived by car so I usually park by the Main Entrance. There is tons of parking available, and it's a good idea to pay for parking online in advance.
Map of Keukenhof
How to Get There?
The easiest way to get to Keukenhof is to drive. I would strongly encourage you to drive, because after your visit, you can visit the Tulip fields of Lisse. Another option is to go by Taxi/Uber or there are even busses that go there several times a day.
The easiest way to get to Keukenhof is to drive. I would strongly encourage you to drive because, after your visit, you can visit the Tulip fields of Lisse. Another option is to go by Taxi/Uber, or there are even busses that go there several times a day.
Route From Amsterdam to Keukenhof
More information can be found on the Keukenhof Website.
Good Things to Know before visiting Keukenhof
I would strongly encourage you to purchase your entry ticket & parking ticket online a few days before your visit. You can purchase your tickets on the Keukenhof Website. It is about 17 Euros per Person as of May 2022. You can download your electronic ticket (including parking ticket) to your Mobile Phone. This will allow you to skip the lines.
You can pick up a free map upon entering Keukenhof. The maps are helpful in letting you know where the different flower exhibits, toilets, and food spots are located. What I usually do is visit the park in a clockwise pattern; however, there is no wrong way to visit the park.
There is also free WiFi, so you can just use your phone to guide you through the park.
When to Go?
In my opinion, it is best to visit the park as early as possible in the morning. You will beat the crowds and especially the tour buses. The flowers also look better early in the morning. People fly from all over the world to see the tulips each year.
The tulips look a lot better early in the morning, and you will often find water droplets on them. I would bring a medium telephoto lens like a 70-200mm or a 100mm macro lens. You are allowed to bring a tripod into the park as well. One other tip is to shoot the tulips from below. You can easily do this with an iPhone
Visiting the Tulip Fields Around Lisse
After visiting Keukenhof, I would highly recommend visiting the Tulip Fields around Lisse.
If you drive around Lisse, look for small villages called (Het Laantje Road and Gerleeweg Road), VoorhoutDuinweg and Johan Speelmanweg Roads), Noordwijk (check the (Corner of New Bennebroek, and Heemstede). You will literally find tulip fields everywhere. We would see Tulip fields from the highway and take the next Exit to explore them.
A Great Place for a Drone
One of the few times I really wanted a drone was while visiting the Tulip Fields. Photographing with a drone gives you a completely different perspective. To be able to photograph the vast fields would be amazing. Just make sure you're allowed to fly a drone in the area where you are stopped.
There is even a Tulip Route in Holland (from the Photographer Albert Dros).
A carpet of flowers
I hope you have enjoyed this short guide on Keukenhof. You can find my other Photography & Travel Guides by clicking this link.