Best Time to Visit Keukenhof Gardens 2023

Are you wondering what the best time visit Keukenhof Gardens in 2023 is? In this guide we will tell you the best day and month to visit the gardens, how to get tickets and how best to enjoy these beautiful gardens.

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What is Keukenhof Gardens?

Before we get into the what is the best time to visit Keukenhof Gardens it is worth exploring what Keukenmhof actual is. 

Keukenhof is a large garden located on the outskirts of the town of Lisse, in an area known as the Dune and Bulb Region (Duin- en Bollenstreek in Dutch). However it is a really easy day trip to do from Amsterdam, Leiden, Harlem or even Utrecht but is only accessible for a few months a year. But is famed for its tulips. 

Fun fact – tulips are not natively from the Netherlands but today tulips and Amsterdam are synonymous and during the tulip bloom season, Keukenhof becomes alive with color. 

You can read more about how to reach Keukenhof from Amsterdam here. 

What is the best time to visit Keukenhof Gardens 2023

As I mentioned above, Keukenhof Gardens are only open to the public for a limited amount of time each year. The time the gardens are opened are connected to the expected tulip bloom season. 

Keukenhof Gardens will be open in 2023 from 23th March – 14th May in 2023. However you can’t currently tell when the peak of the tulip bloom will be yet as it is very dependent on the weather over winter. 

However between the end of March to the middle of May you can expect to see some tulips at the gardens as well as some of the other varieties of flowers that they have on display such as:

• daffodils
• crocuses
• hyacinths

So can we guess what the best month to visit Keukenhof is?

What is the best month to visit Keukenhof?

Having lived in Amsterdam Keukenhof became a regular spring day trip for us. 

The truth is that no one can really predict when the peak tulip bloom will be as it is so dependent on the weather over winter and spring. The gardens have a mixture of early and late flowering tulips to try and ensure color and wonderful displays throughout the tulip season, however you want to try and hit the sweet spot when all the blooms overlap for an absolute explosion of colour. 

For this reason we always tried to visit Keukenhof in mid April and it is one of our favorite things to do in April in Amsterdam.

The reason for this is because this is in the middle of the Keukenhof garden season so you stand a better chance of seeing both the early bloom tulips and the late season blooms. 

However whatever time you decide to visit Keukenhof you are guaranteed to see the beautiful displays in there floral pavilions in the park.

There are also other gardens that make up Keukenhof other than just the tulip gardens which include the: 

• English landscape garden
• Japanese Country Garden
• Shrub garden.

Note: each year the gardens have a theme however the 2023 theme has yet to be announced. We will update this post with the 2023 Keukenhof theme once it has been announced. 

Is it worth visiting Keukenhof in May?

Yes, Keukenhof is absolutely worth visiting in May. However it is worth noting that the gardens will shut on 14th May 2023 and so you will be unable to visit Keukenhof at the end of May. 

Also it is worth noting that if you visit Keukenhof in May it is likely that the early blooming tulips will have already bloomed. 

Can I visit Keukenhof in June?

No you can not visit Keukenhof in June. The gardens are only open for around 6 weeks each year from mid-end of March to the middle of May. This is because it corresponds with the tulip season. For this reason the gardens are not open and you are unable to visit in June.  

If you are visiting Amsterdam in June however it is worth noting that Keukenhof Castle is open all year round. 

Best day to visit Keukenhof Gardens

So now we have discussed the best month to visit, is there a best day to visit Keukenhof Gardens? 

It is probably no surprise to say that the weekends are the busiest time to visit Keukenhof Gardens. Therefore if you want to visit Keukenhof without the crowds it is best to avoid the weekends. 

Of all of the days to visit Keukenhof gardens the quietest days tend to be:

• Monday
• Tuesday 
• Wednesday

Best time to visit Keukenhof Gardens?

If however you can’t visit on a weekday and are worried about the crowds out advice is to visit as soon as the gardens open. 

The gardens are very quiet at opening and you can get some great pictures early in the morning. 

Alternatively, you can go in the late afternoon after 4pm when the crowds are starting to leave again. However the only downside of this is it does limit the amount of time you will have to enjoy the gardens. 

Most people who visit Keukenhof stay between 2-3hours so you will want to factor this in when planning the best time to visit Keukenhof Gardens. 

On our visits to Keukenhof we have found that the most popular spots are around the Windmill and on the boat trip therefore we recommend doing these first thing to try and beat the crowds. 

Also if you want to see tulip fields it should eb noted that these are in fact different from Keukenhof but are in the surrounding area. If you want to cycle around the Lisse area to see the tulips you will need to organise bike hire or bring a bike with you. 

Please note: that since 2020 Keukenhof Gardens has introduced a limited ticketed time slot system. Therefore if you want to visit Keukenhof you will have to buy your ticket in advance and select an arrival time. We prefer to select a very early morning time slot to take advantage of less crowds and good lighting that will help you get the best photographs from your day at Keukenhof. 

Where to buy Keukenhof Gardens tickets in 2023

We recommend buying your Keukenhof tickets in advance. Tickets are now limited and timed so if you don’t purchase your tickets in advance you may not be able to get in. 

Tickets for Keukenhof cost €19,00  for adults entry and  €9,00 for children. Parking is an additional €6,00. You can buy tickets directly through  www.keukenhof.nl or with a third party provider who can organise transport, lunch and other points of interest. 

Tickets are available online and valid on a fixed date in a predetermined time slot only however they are cancellable up to four days in advance. 

Depending on whether or not you are comfortable navigating public transport in the Netherlands (we have advice on the best way to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam here), you could consider buying your Keukenhof tickets with transport included but this will be an extra cost. 

Other Keukenhof Tips

If you are wondering what to wear to Keukenhof be sure to check out our Amsterdam spring packing list. 

Have you been to keukenhof? What month and time did you go? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below?