Public transportation to Keukenhof, the world’s largest annual flower and bulb garden near Lisse and Leiden in South Holland, is easy and uncomplicated. Buses are usually the cheapest and easiest form of public transportation – trains are less convenient and the final journey to Keukenhof requires a bus ride from Leiden. Direct buses run from Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, Leiden, and Den Haag (The Hague). Combination Connexxion bus transportation and Keukenhof entry tickets give some savings and cut down on queuing.
Combination Bus and Admission Tickets for Keukenhof in Holland
Buses operated by Connexxion are generally the easiest public transportation option when traveling to Keukenhof from other parts of the Netherlands. Special buses run during the two spring months that Keukenhof is open to the public – around March 20 to May 20 each year.
Special “combitickets” that combine admission and bus transportation to Keukenhof are available when traveling to the flower gardens on Connexxion buses. The savings when using “combitickets” are minimal (often less than a euro) but it cuts down on queuing and in some instances reduce credit card charges by completing only a single transaction.
Combination tickets for Keukenhof and bus transportation can be bought online, or in Amsterdam from the VVV (tourist information offices) at Centraal main train station or Leidseplein, at Schiphol Airport from Holland Tourist or Schiphol Plaza, and at Leiden from the GWK Travelex at the train station. Bearers of the Holland Pass may also go directly to the entry gates at Keukenhof.
By Bus to Keukenhof from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)
During the Keukenhof season, a direct bus is available from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) to the flower park. This bus service is also useful for travelers from downtown Amsterdam as well as rail passengers, as many international trains, including high-speed railway services from Brussels and Paris, stop at Schiphol station before continuing to Amsterdam Centraal station.
Bus line (lijn) 58 goes directly from Schiphol Airport in half an hour to the entrance of Keukenhof flower garden. Bus 58 operates daily from around 9 am (8 am on weekends) to 6:30 pm. The bus runs mostly every fifteen minutes but more frequently on weekends, when the bulb flowers at Keuekenhof and the tulip fields in the region are very popular day-trip destinations from Amsterdam.
By Bus to Keukenhof from Downtown Amsterdam
There are no direct bus services from downtown Amsterdam to Keukenhof, although many day-trip excursions and group tours may be available.
The easiest way from Amsterdam to Keukenhof is by bus via Schiphol although further options are also available. Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport can be reached by Connexxion bus lines 197 and 370 from Amsterdam’s Leidseplein (with a stop at Museumplein but not at the Centraal train station). Up to six buses completes this journey per hour in 20 to 30 minutes. At Schiphol Airport, change to bus line 58 for Keukenhof.
It is possible to reach Keukenhof from Amsterdam by other means but these are hardly worth the additional hassle. The most logical alternative is by train to Leiden and from there by bus to Keukenhof.
Buses to Keukenhof from Leiden
Leiden is the closest major town near Keukenhof flower gardens. Many visitors to Keukenhof pass through Leiden, as Rembrandt’s birth town has excellent railway and bus connections to Keukenhof and other parts of the Netherlands.
Bus 54 is a direct connection from Leiden Centraal main train station to the entrance of Keukenhof. Buses run generally every fifteen minutes between around 7 am and 7 pm – the journey takes around 25 minutes. Bus line 54 operates only while Keukenhof is open.
By Bus to Keukenhof from The Hague
On weekdays only, travelers from The Hague can avoid traveling to Leiden as bus 89 runs hourly in 50 minutes from Den Haag Centraal train station to bus stop Keukenhofdreef. Keukenhofdreef bus stop is an easy five-minute walk from the main entrance of Keukenhof flower gardens.
To Keukenhof by Bus or Train from other Parts of the Netherlands
Keukenhof is massively popular with the Dutch and special day trips to the tulip, bulb, and other flowers on display here are arranged from many other towns and cities in the Netherlands. These excursions generally offer a combination of transportation and admission fees and can be good value for money but mostly operate only a few times during the Keukenhof season.
However, for most individual travelers not on day-trip excursions, traveling to Keukenhof by public transportation generally require a bus or train ride to either Leiden or Schiphol Airport. Fortunately, buses 54 and 58 offer very frequent direct services from here to the main entrance of Keukenhof flower gardens.
The tulips, bulbs, and other flowers on show at Keukenhof and the flower fields in the Bollenstreek region are amongst the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands and a great day trip from Amsterdam. For more information on this spring-time park and opening times also see Visit Keukenhof Flower Gardens in Holland.
Henk Bekker - Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer currently living on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
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