Short answer: No. It's not too late.

Early May is not peak tulip season, and I would never promise that every flowerbed will look perfect. However, the gardens can still be breathtaking, colourful and surprisingly peaceful.

In fact, early May may be one of the most underestimated times to visit Keukenhof, especially if having beautiful photographs and more room to enjoy the gardens matters more to you than seeing every single flowerbed at its peak.

I have photographed couples and proposals at Keukenhof during the first week of May in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The photographs in this post were all taken during May, and I have included the exact date, year and location under each one.

This is what Keukenhof really looked like.

Keukenhof Gardens, May 7th, 2026

Why do people think May is too late for Keukenhof?

Tulip season in the Netherlands is strongly connected with April. April is normally the safest month for seeing the widest selection of tulips, and it is also when many travellers plan their visits. But April is not one single moment of perfect bloom.

Different flowers appear throughout the season. Early varieties finish while later varieties begin. The weather influences how quickly everything develops, and no two years look exactly the same.

By early May, some tulip beds have already finished. Others, especially the later varieties and those growing in cooler or shaded areas, can still be full of colour. You will also begin to see more alliums, irises, azaleas and rhododendrons.

The gardens look different from mid-April, but different does not mean empty.

Keukenhof Gardens, May 4th, 2025

Keukenhof Gardens and the surrounding tulip fields are not the same

This is one of the most important things to understand when planning a May visit.

The colourful fields outside Keukenhof are production fields. Farmers grow those tulips for their bulbs, so the flower heads are removed when the growers decide the time is right. By May, many of the surrounding fields already have been topped. Keukenhof is a flower garden created for visitors.

Inside the park, gardeners continue caring for the displays throughout the opening season. Finished flowers are removed, later varieties continue blooming, and some areas may be replenished with new flowers.

This means that you may no longer see endless commercial tulip fields around Lisse, while Keukenhof itself can still offer many beautiful places filled with flowers. If your dream is specifically to stand beside long production fields, May may be too late.

If you want to walk through a carefully maintained garden and create photographs among late tulips and other spring flowers, early May can still be an excellent option.

Keukenhof Gardens, May 1st, 2026

What does Keukenhof look like in early May?

The garden begins to feel softer and greener. The trees are full of leaves, the paths have more shade, and the azaleas and rhododendrons add large areas of colour. Late tulips and alliums remain in selected flowerbeds, while other areas begin to show that spring is reaching its end. You will not find the same flowers everywhere.

One section may have finished while another looks completely full. This is why knowing the garden matters. During a photography session, I do not follow one fixed route for the entire season. I adapt it according to what is flowering, the light, the crowds and the areas that look strongest on that particular day.

A photograph only needs one beautiful setting at a time. It does not need every flowerbed in the park to be perfect.

Keukenhof Gardens, May 4th, 2026

Early May can be surprisingly quiet

This was the part that surprised me most. I have photographed weekday proposals at around 10:00 AM during early May and found beautiful areas with almost nobody around. After the intensity of April, the garden can feel much calmer because many visitors assume that tulip season has already finished.

This does not mean Keukenhof will always be empty. Crowds depend on the day, weather, holidays and opening weekend events. The final weekend may also become busy because it is the last opportunity to visit.

But based on my own sessions across several years, weekdays during the first week of May have given me some of the most peaceful photography conditions of the season.

There are two particularly good windows:

• Early morning, beginning when Keukenhof opens
• Later in the afternoon, after approximately 4:00 PM

Early morning gives us fresh light and quiet paths before most day visitors arrive. After 4:00 PM, many tour groups begin leaving, the light becomes softer, and the garden can open up again.

A weekday session around 10:00 AM can also work beautifully in early May. I have photographed proposals at that time with plenty of open space around the couple.

I captured this video on May 4th, 2026, right before the engagement proposal photo you just saw.

Is May the best time for Keukenhof photographs?

It can be one of the best options for the right person.

If your priority is seeing the maximum number of tulips at their strongest point, I would still recommend April.

If your priority is creating beautiful photographs with more space, greener surroundings and a slower experience, the first week of May may suit you better.

The trade-off is simple:

April normally offers more tulips, but also more visitors.

Early May offers fewer perfect flowerbeds, but potentially more room to photograph and enjoy them.

I know how to work with that change. Instead of trying to photograph everywhere, I select the parts of the garden that still look their best.

The Tulip Barn, May 4th, 2026

What are the best May dates for Keukenhof in 2027?

Keukenhof will be open from 18 March until 9 May 2027.

For a May visit, I would choose the first week rather than waiting until the final weekend. The strongest window will likely be between 1 and 6 May, depending on the weather and the bloom reports published during the season.

For quieter conditions, I would especially consider the weekdays from Monday 3 May through Thursday 6 May.

My final Keukenhof photography date for the 2027 season will be Friday 7 May. I will not accept sessions during the final weekend.

This does not mean that the garden will suddenly stop being beautiful after the 7th. It means that the final days bring more uncertainty, and the last weekend may attract visitors who want one final opportunity to see Keukenhof before it closes.

I prefer to give my clients a realistic recommendation rather than push the season to its final possible day.

How to plan an early-May photography session

The process begins with your date. Closer to the session, I follow the weather and current bloom reports. I also consider which parts of Keukenhof are still flowering, where the light will fall at your session time and which route will give us the best variety without unnecessary walking.

You do not need to know which flowerbeds to choose.

Keukenhof Gardens, May 4th, 2025

During the session, I guide you through the areas that look strongest that week. Some backgrounds may include tulips, while others may include alliums, flowering shrubs, green paths, water or the historic garden landscape. The goal is not to pretend that it is peak April. The goal is to show how beautiful Keukenhof genuinely is during your visit.

So, is the beginning of May too late?

No. The first week of May is not too late for Keukenhof, or to visit other tulip gardens in the region. You should arrive with realistic expectations. Some flowers will have finished, the production fields outside the park may already be topped and the garden will not look identical to mid-April.

The Tulip Barn, May 4th, 2025

But there can still be late tulips, full flowerbeds, alliums, azaleas, rhododendrons and beautiful green surroundings. You may also find more breathing room than during the busiest weeks of the season.

Every photograph in this post was created during May. Not at the peak of April. Not under imaginary perfect conditions. In the real garden, during the final part of the season. And it was still beautiful.

If you are visiting Keukenhof during the first week of May 2027, you can request a photography session through Friday 7 May. I will help you choose the best time and plan the route according to what is flowering during your visit.

Until then, and see you soon in Amsterdam,

Joanna

Your Vacation Photographer in Amsterdam