summer bloom Holland flower field best time Keukenhof visit

Why summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof area

The tulip may be the queen of the Netherlands in spring. Summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof area and here’s why.

summer is best time visit Keukenhof area 5 years ago, when I started Verita’s Visit Holland I believed the best time to visit Keukenhof area was spring. March till May, when daffodils are followed by hyacinths and the season ends with the tulips. Then I discovered the Amsterdam flower strip holds a big local secret.

Don’t get me wrong, the spring flower fields still make my heart go b(l)oom. I love how nature wakes up beginning of March. How the spring bulb flowers pop their heads out of the ground as soon as the first rays of sunlight warm their beds. Spring is special and tulips are definitely the queens of the Netherlands in spring. So why is summer the best time to visit the Keukenhof surroundings?

In this article I'll answer the following questions:

What is the best way to get around in the Keukenhof area?

Are there Holland flower fields in summer?

What makes summer the best time for a daytrip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof region?

Why do I recommend traveling to the Keukenhof area in summer?

What is the best way to get around in Keukenhof area?

Whether you visit the Keukenhof surroundings in April, July or October, the best way to get around in the Bulb Flower region is by bicycle. As you can read in an earlier article, traveling to the Keukenhof from Amsterdam by public transport is easy when the spring gardens are open. In 2021 the Keukenhof tulip park is open from 21 March till 9 May. There are direct busses from Amsterdam Schiphol airport, Haarlem and Leiden. Although the trip is relatively short, the busses are often crowded and you have to wait in line to get on them.

In summer there are no direct busses. In a previous article I wrote about an alternative route to Keukenhof from Amsterdam. This is also a good option for when you visit the Bulb District in summer, fall or winter. Taking your own car will give you more freedom on where to go and where to stop. It brings the difficulty of finding an -affordable- car parking though.

I would recommend exploring this part of Holland by bike.

It is a typical Dutch way of getting around.
It gives you less stress.
There are bike rental options near many train stations in the flower bulb region.
Using a bicycle is also great to combine visits to different attractions. We'll see this later on in this article.

With Verita's Visit Holland guided tours it becomes even easier to get the best out of your visit of the Keukenhof surroundings. Whether you come with friends, family or are looking for a company outing in the flower fields in Holland, I can create a customised day program for every season. And although the bicycle is my favorite mode of transport, I also offer tours and events using other modes of transport. Let me take care of all the details, so you can relax and enjoy your company and the typical Dutch surroundings. Here you'll find examples of tours & events offered by Verita's Visit Holland in the Flower region.

Are there Holland flower fields in summer?

It is one of the best kept secrets of the locals living around Keukenhof. The summer flower fields in Holland! I only found out about it a couple of years ago. I received many requests for a bike tour tulips in June. It made me wonder if spring was the only time to visit Keukenhof area for the flower fields. So, I took my bike and pedalled through the Dutch countryside between Leiden and Haarlem. As you might expect, all tulips were gone. What I did see was amazing: a huge variety of different flowers as far as the eyes could see. I soon discovered there is a whole array of bulb flowers that color the fields of the Bulb district in summer and fall. From early June to really off season - late September, early October that is - you will always be welcomed by flower fields in this part of Holland. And best thing is that there even is a dahlia festival late August. Great to combine with the summer flower parade. So, summer is best time to visit Keukenhof surroundings because of the flower fields. Are there any other reasons why you should visit the area around the famous Dutch flower gardens?

What makes summer the best time for a daytrip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof?

Besides the Holland flower fields blooming in summer, there are several other reasons why this season is the best time for a daytrip from Amsterdam to Keukenhof area.

Compared to spring, summer temperatures are really nice. Wind in the Netherlands is not as cold as in spring either, so perfect to explore the Flower region in between Haarlem and Leiden by bike.
It is your moment to relax: get away from the Amsterdam city centre. Summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof area, because there are way less tourists in the countryside. Less tourists than in Amsterdam, less tourists in the flower fields than in spring time.
As the summer flower fields in Holland are not that well known yet, local farmers, flower growers or millers have more time for you. It is your time to connect with locals. Ask them everything about growing bulb flowers like dahlias or tulips. Or, as I say, get #socialwithalocal

Why do I recommend a visit to the Keukenhof area in summer?

A visit to the summer bulb flower fields can easily be combined with other lesser known attractions in the surroundings of Keukenhof area. Take windmill, a cheese farm on an island, an orchard where you can pick your own apples or have a great picnic or have lunch at a cosy café near the lake. Think of all the local events and food and flower festivals celebrated in summer, big and small. And you can always make a stop at the beach or shop at beach resort Noordwijk. If you explore Keukenhof area by bike, I am sure you will go off the beaten path once in a while. That's when you'll discover the hidden gems of the Keukenhof area. Don't feel that adventurous or love to hear more about the combinations mentioned in this paragraph? You can always contact me for a private and/ or group tour.

Ok, Keukenhof gardens are only open from 24 March till 15 May 2022. I hope this article made clear why I think summer is the best time to visit the Keukenhof area. I would love to hear in the comments below if you have visited the Amsterdam flower strip outside of the tulip season. Also let me know if there are any other reasons why summer is the best time to visit Keukenhof surroundings.

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