The Best Places to Take Photos With Tulips in Amsterdam

Tulips in Amsterdam

Every spring, the Dutch flower obsession is in full bloom because it’s tulip season. 🌷 There’s no better time to visit Amsterdam, combining museum and architecture hopping with world-famous tulip festivals and quick trips to sites known for spring flowers, including tulips in Amsterdam that stretch as far as the eye can see. Holland’s tulip season is definitely spectacular, but also short, so a little insider help goes a long way.

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Today, we’ve tapped none other than one of our local Flytographers, Joanna, to share the best places to take photos with tulips in Amsterdam, plus a handful of insider tips along the way.

Ready for technicolour tulips at their most photogenic? 📸

Jump in

• Bloom Basics
• Keukenhof Gardens
• The Tulip Barn
• Tulip Experience Amsterdam
• De Tulperij
• Poldertuin Ana Paulona
• National Tulip Day
• The Flower Parade
• What to Avoid: Bloemenmarkt
• Locations Outside Amsterdam
  • Noordoostpolder Region
  • Hoorn to Medemblik Steam Train

Photo: Flytographer in Amsterdam. Photo of a tulip field in the Netherlands.

Bloom Basics

Tulip season in the Netherlands is beautiful and relatively easy to navigate. Still, here’s a little tulip know-how to get you started:

• The bloom window is fleeting: Peak tulip season is brief and shifts slightly from year to year. The best time for the most photogenic backdrops is from mid-April to early May, but remember, nature keeps her own calendar and rarely checks yours.
• Look, don’t touch: Unless clearly specified, tulip fields are for admiring only, not picking or wandering through. The tulip bulbs, not the blooms, are the actual crop, so stepping into the rows or picking flowers doesn’t just raise eyebrows; it jeopardizes next year’s show.
• Make garden time count: Formal gardens typically charge €11–25 for entry, which makes pacing yourself and choosing wisely part of the ritual. Some fields that allow close-up photography can charge up to €50 per person, so it’s wise to know the rules before you strike a pose. 

Photo: Joanna in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Jamie and partner capture memories in the Netherlands on a couples photoshoot.

Keukenhof Gardens

Want to start big? Visit Keukenhof first. Located in Lisse, in the heart of the Bollenstreek region, this is the world’s largest bulb-flower garden and is considered one of the best places to visit near Amsterdam. Each spring, seven million flower bulbs come to life across planted displays and open fields, showcasing around 800 tulip varieties. Other flowers also take a bit of the spotlight, with daffodils and hyacinths blooming alongside the Dutch tulips. A classic windmill adds to the storybook setting, and you can even climb it for sweeping views over the tulip carpets. It doesn’t get much more Dutch than that. 🇳🇱

Good to Know:

• Bloom Timing: Thanks to its extended season, Keukenhof is a safe option for bloom timing. Still, it’s worth knowing that even though April is the best time for tulips, some varieties flower in late-March.
• Plan Your Time: plan at least 30–60 minutes for a sound photo session; 90 minutes are ideal if you want to slow down and experience the gardens beyond the shots.
• Tickets & Getting There: Keukenhof tickets are €21.00 for adults if purchased online in advance, or €25.00 at the door. A guided tour can hover around €80.00. The park gets busy, so mornings are usually your best bet. Keukenhof is easy to reach via special shuttle buses and public transport. Expect the journey to take about 40–50 minutes.

Photo: Joanna in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Ariel and partner capture memories in Keukenhof Gardens on a couples photoshoot.

The Tulip Barn

The Tulip Barn doesn’t do small, either. It grows upwards of two million tulips across 200 varieties, which means you’ll see nearly every colour imaginable here. 🌈 Each year, the landscape designers introduce new planting patterns, so the landscape is never really the same. Another thing that sets this spot apart is that it’s intentionally designed with photography in mind. You’ll find playful props scattered throughout. From a painted 1960s-style psychedelic car to an old-school farming tractor tucked among the show gardens, there’s far more than just tulips to fill your frame.

Good to Know:

• There’s an additional fee of €30+ for photo access at Tulip Barn.
• 30-minute Fly photoshoot sessions are available for this location.

Tulip Experience Amsterdam

What began as a family business in the 1950s has grown into one of the Netherlands’ most sought-after tulip galore. Tulip Experience Amsterdam brings together a garden, a tulip museum, and an indoor picking area, all in one thoughtfully designed stop. In the exhibition spaces, you can trace the history of tulips and the Dutch bulb industry, learn how the flower became a national icon, and discover the harvesting techniques that take place behind the scenes. 👨‍🌾

You can wander through the tulip fields and take photos among the blooms. At the end of your visit, you’re invited to pick a small bouquet to take home from the indoor picking area, which is a lovely way to create your own arrangement.

Good to Know:

• This garden allows photography with a €30+ fee for professional photo access.
• Flytographer offers 30-minute sessions to cover the outdoor area.

Photo: Elina in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Jillian captures memories in Amsterdam on a vacation photoshoot.

De Tulperij

Set on a family-run flower farm, De Tulperij offers a relaxed and hands-on experience with tulips. Designed with visitors of all ages in mind (the owners themselves had young children when shaping the concept), this place strikes a thoughtful balance between a working farm and a genuinely kid-friendly attraction. Children love picking their own tulip bouquets from designated areas of the fields, while adults can wander through the carefully arranged Show Garden. 💐

Good to Know:

• Photo access starts at €30+, with field photography areas sometimes reaching €50.
• Flytographer offers 30-minute sessions at this location.

Poldertuin Ana Paulona

In the province of North Holland, Poldertuin Anna Paulowna feels like a miniature version of Keukenhof, minus the crowds and the price tag. Dedicated volunteers make free access possible, and what you’ll find is pure fairytale splendour. The grounds unfold around a stately house, with flat, accessible paths winding past canals, charming bridges, mature trees, and generous clusters of colour. There are no extra attractions here. It’s simply a garden, but a beautiful one at that, perfect for a slow stroll, a few photos, and perhaps even a picnic. 🧺 🍓

Good to Know:

• Free access (always a win).
• Open only in late April, with April 15–25 typically the best window for viewing tulips in Amsterdam.
• From Amsterdam, it takes about an hour to reach by public transport.

Photo: Joanna in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Dahlia and partner capture memories in De Tulperij on a couples photoshoot.

National Tulip Day

Tulip Festival Amsterdam kicks off with National Tulip Day. It’s a wonderful opportunity to explore the city and take some solo photos. You can usually pick tulips for free in special tulip-picking gardens set up around town, including at Museumplein. There are plenty to go around; as the saying goes, there’s “one tulip for every Amsterdam resident” spread across the city. Beyond the main tulip-picking garden, it’s a great idea to hop on a bike and visit multiple locations, and also make stops in some of the city’s flower shops. Practically all of them will show, you guessed it, tulips in Amsterdam. 🚲

Good to Know:

• National Tulip Day usually takes place in mid- to late January.
• There can be a bit of a queue at Museumplein, with waiting times reaching up to 60 minutes, but the live bands on site playing Dutch classics will keep you entertained as you wait. 🎶

The Dutch Flower Parade

Usually taking place in late April, this iconic annual spring parade features elaborate floats and vehicles covered in fresh seasonal blooms. After passing Keukenhof Boulevard, the parade continues toward Haarlem, where the floats are often displayed the following day. If you are seeking out tulips in Amsterdam, timing your next trip with this local event is a good bet! This is one of the most celebrated flower parades in the world and a cherished local tradition, brought to life by an army of volunteers who work relentlessly, not just in spring, but year-round. 💪

Good to Know: Anywhere along the route makes for a perfect photo perch, and you’ll get fantastic views simply by standing roadside. If you’re after a livelier, festive atmosphere, head into one of the villages.

Photo: Joanna in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Taylor and family capture memories in Amsterdam on a family photoshoot.

What to Avoid

When tulips bloom brightly, so do the crowds; and where there are crowds, there are inevitably a few less charming offerings. Yes, the tourist traps.

Bloemenmark

One spot we wouldn’t recommend for either photos or shopping is the Bloemenmarkt. ❌ The whole place feels staged squarely for visitors rather than locals, with rows of near-identical stalls selling an uninspired mix of overpriced souvenirs. Besides, fresh flowers are few and far between. You’ll find better tulips and canal views elsewhere.

Locations Outside Amsterdam

Noordoostpolder Region

Believe it or not, this large patch of land didn’t exist a century ago. It was actually reclaimed from the sea in an impressive feat of engineering. It turns out the soil is exceptionally well-suited to tulips, so much so that it became the country’s second-largest tulip-growing area. In Noordoostpolder, bands of colour stretch across the horizon, and visitors can explore the expansive fields, as well as tulip farms. There’s something indescribable about standing ankle-deep in blooms and marvelling at the fact that this sea of colour was, until recently, simply sea.

Hoorn to Medemblik Steam Train

Set in a pastoral stretch of North Holland, this rail line runs as a heritage steam tram with a saloon-deck carriage departing from the Stoomtram Museum in Hoorn and leading to Medemblik. Make it a round trip, and it becomes a full-day outing, passing through tulip fields, farmland, and old villages. The experience is not just about sightseeing; it’s about seeing tulips the old-fashioned way, not from a hurried roadside stop, but from the gentle vantage point of a century-old steam carriage. 🚂

Good to Know: Between April 18 and April 30, the steam train pauses at scenic viewpoints, allowing passengers to step off and take in the spectacle properly. The staff, mostly composed of volunteers, are remarkably friendly and will passionately share stories and facts about the steam trams.

Photo: Joanna in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Saranya and partner capture memories in the Netherlands on a couples photoshoot.

Capturing Tulips in Amsterdam

Tulip season doesn’t stop in Amsterdam. It unfolds across the entire Netherlands, with tulip festivals and flower shows brightening towns and countryside alike. From Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague make excellent shoulder-season side trips. Both are under 40 minutes away by high-speed train, with easy connections to Schiphol Airport.

Our local photographers in the Netherlands are ready to capture you among the spectacular tulips in Amsterdam. In over 350 locations worldwide, our local Flytographers are there to do the same, turning your travels into frame-worthy memories. 💙