The ultimate guide to seeing tulips in the Netherlands

From festive spring events to world-famous gardens, there’s a lot to love about the Netherlands’ famous tulips.

Tulips are to the Netherlands what chocolate is to Belgium, bringing the landscape between windmills to life with all the colours of a rainbow. And while the official tulip season is March to May, in December they start appearing for purchase in florists and National Tulip Day is celebrated around the third weekend of January, when around 300,000 tulips are placed on the museum square in Amsterdam. So, if you’re dreaming of your next Euro-trip, this is the perfect time to start planning.

Top tips for finding tulips in the Netherlands

orange tulips at Keukenhof — Be mindful amongst the flowers. (Credit: Clemence Taillez)

Be mindful

A quick word to the wise before we dive in: just like flower farms in Australia, please be mindful not to trespass into any fields or crush any of these colourful beauties during your mission for the perfect photo.

Peak season changes yearly

While it’s never drastically different, peak season does change from year-to-year. Visitors who arrive too early might have to be satisfied with just flower buds, and those who arrive too late may discover farmers have already lopped off the flowers to help new growth. So what to do? Looking back over decades of tulip seasons, mid-April does seem to be a pretty safe bet. But if you can add a little flexibility in your travel schedule, do so.

The best resource is Tulips in Holland, a photography and Dutch culture blog dedicated to these pretty flowers, run by local tulip enthusiast Nienke Panis-Ringersma. The blog shares weekly tulip updates so you know exactly when to go.

Best places to see tulips in the Netherlands

1. Keukenhof, Lisse

Keukenhof tulips in the netherlands — Wander one of the world’s largest flower gardens. (Credit: Maksim Shutov)

Want to see the best of tulip season all in one place? Be sure to stop by Keukenhof. Also known as the Garden of Europe, this seasonal park is s one of the world’s largest flower gardens. It opens for eight weeks from mid-March to mid-May, when over seven million flower bulbs bloom. Beyond the tulips themselves, there are flower shows, a large maze, a petting zoo, a playground and a century-old windmill. You’re also allowed to bring your own food, with endless picturesque picnic spots inside.

2. Tulip farm bike tour, Lisse

Tulip farm bike tour, Lisse netherlands — Join a bike tour around Lisse. (Credit: Getty Images/ Oleh Slobodeniuk)

The town of Lisse itself is known as the historic centre of Dutch bulb cultivation. Beyond Keukenhof, see the best of the local tulips on a tour. There’s an option for everyone (helicopter, electric scooter, walking), but what could be more Dutch than joining a bike tour? Let your local guides take care of everything (including understanding local traffic) and just enjoy the floral sights around town. See the tulip bulb spire and floral stained glass windows of Saint Agatha Church, and pass the local flower farms.

3. The Bollenstreek region

Rows of vibrant tulips at a farm in Bollenstreek in The Netherlands — Explore the most famous region for spotting tulips. (Credit: Getty Images/ Venemama)

This historic coastal region is the most famous for spotting tulips. It sits between Haarlem and Leiden, primarily around Lisse, making it a perfect place to walk or cycle between flower farms, along public roadside paths. Along the way, you’ll also see hyacinths, daffodils, sandy dunes and historic towns. Besides Lisse, be sure to stop into flower-centric villages and towns like Hillegom, Noordwijkerhout and Sassenheim.

4. Noordoostpolder, Flevoland

Tulip topping tractor in a field of tulips during springtime Noordoostpolder, Flevoland — It might be man-made, but the tulips are very real. (Credit: Getty Images/ Sjo)

Noordoostpolder is a massive, man-made land area centred around the town of Emmeloord. Here you’ll find a flat, orderly landscape, expansive farms and unique historical sites – like the former island of Schokland, the first Dutch site named to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It’s also home to the country’s largest concentration of commercial crop fields, so spring here is a tulip dream.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

5. Hortus Bulborum, Limmen

To add some history to your flower appreciation, Hortus Bulborum is home to the largest collection of historic tulips on Earth. For tulips, that means the garden is a living gene bank to protect rare tulips (as well as daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses) from extinction. Founded in 1928, it’s open to the public every spring.

6. Bloemencorso Flower Parade

Add a little pomp and circumstance to your tulip mission by timing your visit with the free annual spring flower parade in Bloemencorso Bollenstreek. Watch as 15 to 20 massive, intricately decorated floats covered in millions of fresh spring bulb flowers travel a 42-kilometre route from Noordwijk to Haarlem. Marching bands provide live music, and luxury cars also join the lineup.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Blooming marvelous: your guide to the Netherlands’ tulip time