Keukenhof 2024 in Lisse, Holland – Tips to rent a bike and cycle the tulip fields

Edson Amorina Jr

5 years ago

Tips for renting a bike and cycling through the tulip fields around the Keukenhof in Lisse Netherlands, including routes, safety, food and more.

In April, looking at the Instagram feed of who lives or is visiting the Netherlands, you are sure that spring has come and with it, the most beautiful tulip fields around the Keukenhof park. Flowering has already reached its peak during Easter week, but until mid-May you can see these flowering fields before the final harvest.

In 2024, the Keukenhof will be open from March 21, 2024 to May 12, 2024 from 8 am to 7.30 pm (last entry at 6 pm) and the famous Flower Parade will be on April 20th, 2024.

We also wrote a complete travel guide to visit Keukenhof park in 2024 in the Netherlands. Be sure to read and include this activity in your travel itinerary, it’s unforgettable!

We love the spring season, not only because of its colors, but also because it is the warning that the cold is fading after months of a heavy winter. So we get used to planning a trip during Easter holidays to see flowers and enjoy the outdoors.

The best place to have this experience is the Netherlands, specifically the Lisse city region. This time, however, we decided not to visit the Keukenhof exactly, but to rent a bicycle to cycle around the region, strolling through its flowering fields.

Personally I found this activity much cooler than the park itself. And do you know why? Because you can see a lot of fields besides tulips, see people working on their harvest and maintenance and get a taste of what it’s like to live in the area.

People working on their harvest of tulip fields around Keukenhof

Where is and how to get to the Keukenhof park in the Netherlands

The tulip fields are around the Keukenhof park in the city of Lisse, including the main bike rental shops. So the first practical information is how to get to the most famous tulip garden in the world.

If you are driving, it will take approximately 40 minutes. The roads are very quiet and very beautiful. You also have the advantage that you can include other tulip fields in your travel itinerary to stop and enjoy.

The Keukenhof garden is not far from Amsterdam, it is located in Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse, Netherlands. The best way how to get by car: Keukenhof is easily accessible via motorways A4 (exit Nieuw-Vennep) and A44 (exit 3, Lisse).

Another tip, if you can’t drive, have other options, such as:

Using the direct bus from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, look for Express Keukenhof number 858, it only takes 40 minutes to the park.
Or even from the center of Amsterdam and get off at Schiphol Plaza to catch the Keukenhof Express.

Please note that transports from the Netherlands no longer accept cash payment, you need to buy the ticket in advance or hire a shuttle to the park. See also other transfer options and ticket deals.

And importantly, the official Keukenhof Park English site always has up-to-date transportation information.

The combo “Ticket plus Transfer” from Amsterdam already includes transport tickets and park entrance. You can finde some options to buy the ticket or reserve only the transfer to Keukenhof partk:

Tips and how to visit the tulip fields by bike in the Netherlands

But how to do this kind of tour? Look at the best tips.

FIRST OF ALL! Check social networks, especially those who live in the Netherlands to see the flowering unfold, they are the most reliable source. For the Keukenhof advertisement says it has had flowers since the park’s first opening day, but nananinan no! Depending on the severity of winter, flowering may be sooner or later. Do not miss the trip and get frustrated with watery green fields and some tips of color. In our post about traveling there, you can read that we’ve been through this.
Arrive early. Again: arrive early! The park is very crowded, including parking, where rented bicycles come from.
We rented the bike from Rent-a-Bike van Dam on their own website. They have a pick up point in the park parking lot, opposite the main entrance of the Keukenhof. We saw several people renting on time, but as the small one went with us, we thought it best to secure the adult-children Tandem bike as we knew of the high demand. This is that two-seater bike, one for adults and one for children.

Adult-children Tandem bike around Keukenhof

If you are with children, better bring the helmet. Safety always first, right?
During the tour take the directions of the places on the map to dine. Or take your food for a picnic.
Use and abuse the map of the routes to be traveled. We did the 3 + 4 routes (you can see the routes on the bike rental website), totaling about 40 km. At the end it was tiring, but it encompassed everything: from tulip, daffodils and hyacinths fields, a beautiful lake and freezing water beach of the dunes in Noordwijk . Do you want more than that?

From tulip, daffodils, hyacinths fields and a beautiful lake to the dunes in Noordwijk

TIPS FOR TOURING TULIP FIELDS:
- If you have 2 days, visit the Keukenhof park for a full day and book the next day for the bike ride;
- But if the weather is short, visit the Keukenhof in the morning and after lunch take the bike ride on Route 1 (yellow).
Put on sunscreen and bring a light jacket, because the wind of March / April is still quite cold, but the sun is already strong.
Due to the lack of respect from many tourists, many tulip fields are “closed”, that is, fences have been placed to prevent people from running around treading and rolling over the flowers. So the rule is clear: “Just look don’t touch!” If you find a field that accepts more interaction, respect the rules of the place. There will always be someone watching if you are doing something inappropriate.

In tulip fields “Just look don’t touch!”

Do not trust luck, it is necessary to lock the bike if it will stop for a longer time. However, the bike locker is different from what we are used to here.
- We take two types: one where you have to turn the key and lower the lock, which was my bike and another that just lower the lock to remove the key. I saw the bike the maridovisk and the little one were on and tried to repeat, until I found that I had to turn the key as well. A silly detail, but I sifted about 10 minutes hungry and under a decent summer sun.
Ask all your questions with the attendant when you get the bike, they are very attentive.

For the rest enjoy the bike ride through the tulip fields around the Keukenhof in the Netherlands which will give you beautiful pictures and wonderful memories.

Where to stay near the tulip fields and the Keukenhof in the Netherlands

What are the best hotel and hostel near the Keukenhof gardens? But it was not one of those we chose, showing that in fact the Netherlands is all very close and easily accessible. The first time we stayed in Noordwijk at the Hostel Stayokay Noordwijk, and the following year we chose the town of Voorburg, only 30 minutes drive from Lisse, where we stayed at the Hotel Savelberg.

If you have already booked Amsterdam, no problem, as we wrote on how to get to the Keukenhof, is quite close, it is only 30 km to the park.

You can seek other lodging options near Keukenhof Park.

Hotel and hostel accommodation suggestions and options near the Keukenhof park:

Booking.com

Tourist attractions and guided tours in Keukenhof in Netherlands

Find the best deals for tourist attractions, guided tours and options for renting a bike and cycling through the tulip fields around the Keukenhof in Lisse, Netherlands:

Where to travel next?

General international travel tips

For general travel tips, be sure to check out: