Amsterdam tulips

[Wayfairers]

Our ship will be in Amsterdam early May 2020.  I know tours sell out so I’m looking now.  What is the best way to see the tulips?  Any tour guide or company suggestions?

[gnome12]

I still think that Keukenhof is the best place to see tulips. You might still have some tulip fields at that date, but most of them will have been cut. Keukenhof should still have beautiful flowers.

[Langoustine]

Sign up for the TulipsinHolland.com newsletter for yearly up-to-date information. But as gnome12 said, May is very late for seeing much of anything.

[Dermotsgirl]

Your ship will probably do a tour to Keukenhof.

I'm on CMV Columbus in a couple of weeks and we're doing the ships tour.

It's costing £49 per person (USD 64 at current exchange rates).

We've only got a half day in Amsterdam, so we decided the ships tour would be the easiest way to do it. 

 

 

[Ine]

Indeed the best place to see tulips in May will be Keukenhof. Flowers ther bloom a bit laterr there because of the shade by the many trees. Xheck their website for all details, how to get there etc. https://keukenhof.nl/en/

Tulips in the field only bloom for a few days and are topped soon. This because the trade isnot the flower but the bulb. Also be aware you are NOT allowed to enter the fields to avoid damage to the bulbs. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

I just looked into booking a tour to Keukenhof in May.  We will be there after our cruise from May 11-14.  There were no tours after the 13th, so I am assuming that is just too late to see much.  Unless they are all sold out, of course, but that was not indicated.  It just said not available.

[FreestyleNovice]

Keukenhof closes at May 19th.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Maybe we will be able to book something when we get to Amsterdam.  Not much use going if most of the flowers are cut though.

[gnome12]

38 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Maybe we will be able to book something when we get to Amsterdam.  Not much use going if most of the flowers are cut though.

The flowers in Keukenhof don't get cut, although they do get past their prime and will be trimmed. But they plant flowers that will bloom and different times, so there is likely to still be some left. The flowers being cut refers to the bulb fields all over the Netherlands (not the ones in Keukenhof, although from the windmill in the garden it is possible to see bulb fields), where flowers are grown for the bulbs. They are cut fairly soon after they bloom, so you are unlikely to see too many of them. This is a picture of a tulip field.

 

Keukenhof is gardens, meant to be seen. The displays are designed to look beautiful. I can't seem to copy a picture of Keukenhof, but here is a link to the website where there is a video.

https://keukenhof.nl/en/what-is-keukenhof

 

[Wayfairers]

Thanks everyone - good info.   We are there around May 3 or 4...I don’t have my itinerary with me right now.  I will check out the gardens. Keukemhof sounded a little touristy to me but I somehow missed that it is gardens..sounds better now.  I’ll look into a tour there or preferably going on our own. I saw their website has directions from Amsterdam Centraal.  

[MAVIP]

4 hours ago, Wayfairers said:

Thanks everyone - good info.   We are there around May 3 or 4...I don’t have my itinerary with me right now.  I will check out the gardens. Keukemhof sounded a little touristy to me but I somehow missed that it is gardens..sounds better now.  I’ll look into a tour there or preferably going on our own. I saw their website has directions from Amsterdam Centraal.  

If you have enough time you can easily do it on your own. For example buy a Keukenhof ticket including a return bus ride https://keukenhof.nl/en/buy-tickets   for € 30 per person and see the routing from Amsterdam here:  https://keukenhof.nl/en/publictransport/   Scroll down that page too and check the connections from Amsterdam Passenger Terminal. I would prefer the connection by Metro (nr 52 I believe) and then the bus nr 852 Keukenhof Express. It takes about an hour. The buses arrive and leave at a few minutes from the entrance of Keukenhof. If you have only one day with your cruiseship in Amsterdam: Keukenhof opens at 08.00 o'clock. From the PTA cruise terminal you walk in 15 minutes to the metro station in front of Central Railway station.  And: the 3 of 4th of May will be perfect. It is a really worthwhile if you like colours, flowers, trees, gardens. I think you do not need a guide at all; just after the entrance you will see at 2 points baskets full of little maps of the park (and please note: they have lockers at the entrance; can be handy if you have to carry any luggage).  Enjoy. Lenny

[Wayfairers]

Thank you Lenny - exactly the information I needed.  We are in Amsterdam May 3 8a-5p.  (Finally able to look at the itinerary again)

[MAVIP]

12 hours ago, Wayfairers said:

Thank you Lenny - exactly the information I needed.  We are in Amsterdam May 3 8a-5p.  (Finally able to look at the itinerary again)

The 3rd of May on the m.s. Magellan? In that case: please look into the ships itinerary again, because Amsterdam Cruise Terminal indicates that the ship will leave at 14.30.   https://www.ptamsterdam.nl/en/cruises-portal   And, by the way, Keukenhof is "touristy" , but in my opinion absolutely worthwhile. 

 

[Wayfairers]

 

On the Nieuw Statendam. ...2020 not 2019.  Got a lot of planning to do for a 4 month trip so starting early. 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Wayfairers

[PelicanLvr]

Simply put:  May is late to see the farm fields growing the tulip bulbs for export.  The farmers actually cut the flowers off right after blooming, as that is apparently best for the bulb.  Those bulbs are later dug up and exported.  Early to mid-April is usually the best time to see these.  It's really hit-or-miss since the farmers cut them right after they bloom.  You have to get a bit lucky.  

 

Keukenhof Gardens is a planted display (and it is beautiful) that is open from only from about March to May ("bulb season") and closed the rest of the year.   Definitely worth a visit if open.  

 

 

[PelicanLvr]

One last suggestion:  Try to see the Aalsmer Flower auction and market.  Really worth the early morning trip.  Flowers about to go all over the world!  

[MAVIP]

7 minutes ago, PelicanLvr said:

One last suggestion:  Try to see the Aalsmer Flower auction and market.  Really worth the early morning trip.  Flowers about to go all over the world!  

Royalfloraholland dot com    Weekdays from 07.00 o'clock in the morning.   But what a pity for Wayfarers because they are in Amsterdam May 3rd 2020 and that's a Sunday .  

[MAVIP]

24 minutes ago, MAVIP said:

Royalfloraholland dot com    Weekdays from 07.00 o'clock in the morning.   But what a pity for Wayfarers because they are in Amsterdam May 3rd 2020 and that's a Sunday .  

Wayfairers of course. Obviously "edit" is not possible.

 

[Turtles06]

6 hours ago, MAVIP said:

Royalfloraholland dot com    Weekdays from 07.00 o'clock in the morning.   But what a pity for Wayfarers because they are in Amsterdam May 3rd 2020 and that's a Sunday .  

 

The flower auction sounds amazing, thanks for this tip.  So if we are staying in central Amsterdam, what's the best way to get there (we won't have a car)?  The web site mentions "Bus 357."  Does it run that early in the morning; if so, how often, where would we get it, and how long should it take?  Would we be better with a taxi or Uber?  (The web site says they are located near the airport.)

 

Thanks for any help and advice!

[Wayfairers]

9 hours ago, PelicanLvr said:

One last suggestion:  Try to see the Aalsmer Flower auction and market.  Really worth the early morning trip.  Flowers about to go all over the world!  

Flower auction and markets are really neat to see.  We saw the one for freesias with a freesia farm owner (a friend of ours) several years ago....great experience.   Too bad we are there on a Sunday. 

[MAVIP]

12 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

The flower auction sounds amazing, thanks for this tip.  So if we are staying in central Amsterdam, what's the best way to get there (we won't have a car)?  The web site mentions "Bus 357."  Does it run that early in the morning; if so, how often, where would we get it, and how long should it take?  Would we be better with a taxi or Uber?  (The web site says they are located near the airport.)

 

Thanks for any help and advice!

As I do not know when and where you will be staying in Holland: see www.9292.nl for the right connections/public transport.  choose for the English language.  I attached an example.

If you would like to use public transport in Holland, try to buy a special card (and upload for example with € 10 or more) as soon as you arrive at the airport. Public transport is quite dense in Holland.

Edited April 23, 2019 by MAVIP
extra information

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, MAVIP said:

As I do not know when and where you will be staying in Holland: see www.9292.nl for the right connections/public transport.  choose for the English language.  I attached an example.

 

Thank you!

[Cotswold Eagle]

More here on the issue of thoughtless tourists damaging the tulip crop

 

 

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

More here on the issue of thoughtless tourists damaging the tulip crop

 

 

 

What is the matter with people?!!

 

Here in the U.S., when our federal government was shut down for more than a month earlier this year (I won't make this a political message by explaining why) and thus our beautiful National Parks were not staffed or guarded, people drove ATVs through some of them and did other damage.  Such selfishness.

[P&O SUE]

Just wanted to add that a lady at work has just been to the gardens over the Easter weekend and showed me her photos - they were stunning! I hope you have the gorgeous weather she had, well worth a visit.