Where to See Tulips in the Netherlands by Bike

Tulips are a national symbol of the Netherlands, but this centuries-old love affair hasn't always been plain sailing. After their arrival in the fifteen hundreds, the flowers became so highly prized that they caused a wave of 'tulip mania', and an explosion and then collapse in their value threatened the entire economy. Take one look at the countryside during spring and you'll know that the Dutch never really tamed this floral obsession. Vast swathes of their land are now covered in huge tulip fields, which every spring burst into an extraordinary patchwork of colours.

In this blog, we've picked out some of the best places to see the tulips bloom in all their glory! If you are looking to get your own dose of tulip mania and experience the extraordinary sights and scents of this unique annual period, we have some suggestions for you before we reveal the most beautiful tulip fields and displays.

Brand new for 2024, take our 7 night Spring Flowers in Holland Boat & Bike Tour, where you'll stay aboard a classic barge and disembark to pedal along gentle paths with stunning fields of tulips at your side. If you don't quite have the time for a 7 night trip, our 4 night Spring Flowers in Holland Short Break Boat & Bike Tour provides a condenssed, 4 night version of the same tour. Or you can travel solely by bike and stay in hotels in spectacular cities on our Holland's Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities Bike Tour.

With the tulips only blooming for a short period, catching them in the act is all about timing. Our tulip tours have limited departure dates, so if you don't want to miss the show, we'd suggest booking early. Booking online is easy from the relevant tour page, or for more advice from our team, enquire online or call us on +44 (0) 1273 224066 (Mon to Fri 9am to 5:30pm UK time).

While the original tulip mania was largely a craze of the Dutch upper class, modern-day Amsterdam includes everyone in celebrating the national flower. The annual Tulip Festival Amsterdam, which runs from late March until early May, goes by the motto 'A tulip for every citizen of Amsterdam'. For two months, the city is brightened by hundreds of thousands of flowers, mainly planted in pots and vases by enthusiastic locals.

Both our Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities and Spring Flowers tours begin in Amsterdam, so you'll have the opportunity to help the friendly Amsterdammers celebrate the arrival of spring. Both tours are short, 4 night trips, so we'd highly recommend spending an extra night in Amsterdam for the perfect end to your visit.

Available to see on: Spring Flowers in Holland Boat & Bike Tour, Spring Flowers in Holland Short Break Boat & Bike Tour and Holland's Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities Bike Tour

Cycling out of Amsterdam towards Haarlem gives you your first glimpse of the extraordinary tulip farms, which you'll see arranged in regimented parallel columns of brilliant hues stretching into the vast distance over the flat landscape.

The Dutch are famously fond of their bikes, and you'll travel along well-maintained cycle paths, allowing you to relax in the saddle and turn your head towards the stunning views.

Do bear one thing in mind - don't mark your calendar for the tulips' bloom! The fields are usually at their most brilliant during April but the timing of their arrival is never certain! Happily, plenty of crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths are grown in the Netherlands too, so even if you don't get the tulips, you'll still see vast palettes of bright flowers.

Freedom Trekkers say: 

"Thank you Freedom Treks for organising a brilliant holiday. The tour took us all round the tulip fields and much more - we learnt so much about Holland and enjoyed all the canals, fields of tulips, windmills, forests and cities." - Sarah Archer, UK

Available to see on: Holland's Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities Bike Tour

For scenes of quintessential Dutch beauty and national heritage, few places do it better than Zaanse Schans. This reconstructed 17th-century village of classic windmills and houses is set beside vast fields of vibrant tulips which stretch from the feet of the windmills on the banks of the river Zaan over a vast dyked landscape.

While you're here we recommend exploring Zaanse Schans in its fullest, which can easily be done in an afternoon. You can pay a visit to the wooden shoe workshop where cobblers continue to work with methods that are centuries old, excite your taste buds at the cheese factory and take a tour of one of the working windmills.

Available to see on: Spring Flowers in Holland Boat & Bike Tour and Spring Flowers in Holland Short Break Boat & Bike Tour

Cycle past more fields of radiantly pigmented flowers on the route out of Haarlem. This section of our Holland's Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities Bike Tour is more rural than Amsterdam to Haarlem, so it's nothing but miles of tulip mania until you reach the cultured university town of Leiden.

The intensity of colour along with the honeyed scents that fill the air create a joyous infusion of the senses as you pedal. And by all means, dismount your bike and wander along the paths between the rows of flowers to properly immerse yourself in this magical world.

Freedom Trekkers say:

"Our tour to the Netherlands was fantastic! It was great fun following the routes through a variety of towns and villages and we got a real "feel" of life in this amazing country. Cycling alongside the many fields of flowers and other produce was an unforgettable experience." - Linda Davies, UK

Available to see on: Spring Flowers in Holland Boat & Bike Tour, Spring Flowers in Holland Short Break Boat & Bike Tour and Holland's Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities Bike Tour

We couldn't talk about the flowers of the Netherlands without recommending the world-famous Keukenhof flower exhibition. Walk through the trees of the huge Keukenhof botanical garden and wonder at beautifully arranged formations of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses.

100 flower bulb companies and growers display hundreds of thousands of their best flowers here every spring, which can be discovered outdoors in the gardens and indoors in wonderful pavilions. The gardens fall directly on the path of our Spring Flowers Boat & Bike tour, but if you're cycling our Holland's Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities Bike Tour, make sure to book an additional night in Leiden to make it to the exhibition!

Available to see on: Spring Flowers in Holland Boat & Bike Tour, Spring Flowers in Holland Short Break Boat & Bike Tour and Holland's Tulips, Windmills and Historic Cities Bike Tour

All three tours are available to book from April to mid-May during which time the tulips will bloom, and if you're not quite lucky to time it right, there'll still be plenty of beautiful flowers on show.

To save your space on one of the tours, book online or contact our team for more information. Enquire online or call +44 (0)1273 224066.

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