Since we were on our trip to Amsterdam in the Netherlands in late April/early May we knew that we could not pass up on the chance to visit the Keukenhof gardens. We had never been to the park before and were very excited to go as we had heard and seen how beautiful it is. When we were planning our trip to Amsterdam we did not at first realize that the gardens would be open when we were visiting. Since the park is typically only open from late March to early May we lucked out as it was open during our whole trip.

Getting There/Tickets

With having our 4-year old and almost 1-year old along on the trip I was a little nervous about getting out to the park as I wasn’t sure how easy it would be. Fortunately the transportation system in Amsterdam is very convenient and easy to manage and since Keukenhof is such a popular destination it was fairly straightforward to get there. Since we were staying in central Amsterdam we first took the Metro Line 52 to the Europaplein station. From there we were able to take a bus (number 852) straight to Keukenhof. It was about an hour for us to travel each way to and from the gardens and the kids did great on the metro and bus. You can visit Keukenhof’s website to find other means of transportation.

We purchased the Combiticket which is sold online. It includes round-trip transportation from RAI Amsterdam (Europaplein station) to Keukenhof and also includes your entry ticket to the gardens. There is a reduced fare/ticket price for children between 4-17 and children under 4 are free. When buying your tickets online, you choose your time of departure from RAI Amsterdam so make sure to take into consideration the time it will take to get from your hotel/vacation rental to this departing station/area when booking. 

If the date/time you are trying to book is full, consider departing from Schipol Airport instead as there is also round trip transportation from this location available as well. If you have rented a car, you can also drive to Keukenhof and there is ample parking available. There is a charge for parking and you would have to purchase your tickets into Keukenhof as well. Booking in this way also requires you to select an entry time into the gardens.

Planning Our Time

When planning our day, we knew we were ideally going to spend the whole day at Keukenhof as there were many different activities that we wanted to enjoy during our time there. We, of course, wanted to wander around the gardens and look at all the beautiful flowers and plants blooming, but since we also had our kiddos with us, we also wanted to explore other activities as well.

We found that Keukenhof had a delightful array of kid-friendly activities for families to enjoy. Among the offerings were charming playgrounds designed to cater to different age groups, including one tailored for younger children and another for older ones. In addition, children could encounter various animals in the pasture.

There was also a captivating maze to explore and meander through. You can also skip across stepping stones that traversed the lake. This was definitely exciting for both us and the kiddos! One of the other highlights of the visit was the chance to climb an old mill and marvel at the panoramic view of the park from above. You could also view the sight of the expansive flower fields extending beyond the borders of the park which added to the overall allure of our experience.

Exploring the park itself was so relaxing and we just took it all in. There were many different areas of the park to look around and paths to wander on. The beautiful flowers were everywhere as we were walking around. There were also pavilions that you could enter that displayed flowers and arrangements as well. In most of these pavilions/buildings you could also get something to eat and drink and there were toilets located here too.

The park was truly a serene and tranquil place. Our kids were delighted to run around and take in the landscapes. As we strolled along the paths, the air was filled with the aroma of the flower blossoms and you could hear the sounds of birds chirping, which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

There were other activities that we could have done as well but did not have time for. Some of these included a boat ride through the flower bulb fields and going on a guided tour of the park. You are also able to rent a bike and cycle the area surrounding Keukenhof. However, you are not able to actually cycle within Keukenhof itself. 

The Bottom Line

We had a wonderful day at Keukenhof and we were so happy that it worked out for us to visit while we were in Amsterdam. I would definitely recommend visiting this park if you are in the Netherlands during the springtime when Keukenhof is open. It is truly something that should not be missed. 

Have you been to Keukenhof before? If so, what did you love most about visiting here? Please comment below!