Spring in the Netherlands is full of colour, charm, and seasonal celebrations. And here we have everything a great Spring holiday should have: tulips, markets, parades, and local culture. There’s always something to experience from mid-March through early May.
Tulip Season & Flower Festivals (March 19 to May 10)
The tulip season officially runs each spring from mid-March to early May, with Keukenhof Gardens opening as the centerpiece of floral celebrations. During this period, millions of flowers burst into bloom across the “bollenstreek” bulb region south of Amsterdam.
Keukenhof Gardens (Lisse)
The iconic Keukenhof Gardens offer vast displays of tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils from roughly March 19 to May 10 each year. It’s one of the most visited spring attractions in the world and is included in most tulip-season itineraries.
Amsterdam Tulip Festival
Throughout April, Amsterdam itself becomes a canvas of colour with hundreds of thousands of tulips planted in public squares, streets, and parks. This is part of the annual Tulip Festival Amsterdam tradition, when the city shows one tulip per local resident
Cherry Blossom & Spring Blooms
Beyond tulips, early spring brings blossom season, including cherry blossoms in parks and streets, offering another layer of floral beauty. Areas like Westerpark in Amsterdam or Amsterdamse Bos in Amstelveen have notable bloom displays each year.
Bloemencorso Bollenstreek (Mid-April Parade)
Each year in mid-April, the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek (Flower Parade) travels through bulb-region towns from Noordwijk to Haarlem, with floats decorated with tulips and other spring flowers.
This vibrant procession is a highlight of the season and a must-see for flower lovers visiting in April.
Flower Mosaics Weekend. Lisse & Nearby Towns
Local towns like Lisse and De Zilk sometimes host flower mosaic weekends during tulip season. This means art installations and designs created with thousands of flowers installed around village centres. These are usually free to enjoy and align with the overall floral celebration atmosphere of spring in the tulip region. It's best explored by bike, as they are all around the tulip region, but if you prefer not to cycle, there are several concentrated in Lisse.
King’s Day (Koningsdag) - April 27
A beloved national celebration, King’s Day turns the Netherlands orange on April 27 (or the weekend before if the day falls on a Sunday). In
Amsterdam and cities nationwide, the atmosphere is joyful, with street markets, music, canal parties, and local gatherings.
This event takes place annually and is a cultural highlight even beyond tulip season.
Alkmaar Cheese Market — Late March to September
From the last Friday of March through early autumn, the traditional Alkmaar Cheese Market operates each Friday morning in the historic Waagplein. Visitors can enjoy centuries-old cheese weighing demonstrations and colourful local tradition.
It’s one of the Netherlands’ most iconic seasonal markets.
Tulpen Tram & Local Spring Routes
During spring, local attractions like the Tulpen Tram in Hoorn offer colourful transit experiences through scenic landscapes planted with bulbs and local blooms.
Here you can see more photos of this experience.
More Spring Experiences
Throughout the bulb region, in towns like Hillegom, Lisse, Voorhout, and Noordwijkerhout, you’ll find seasonal flower markets, art workshops, local craft events, and community celebrations that coincide with spring. These aren’t always fixed-date events, but they happen most years between March and May.
You can also find thematic exhibitions in most museums, spring canal cruises decorated with flowers, and local design events in Amsterdam, where creatives show their art.
Focus on markets, such as the Sunday Market at Westerpark (first Sunday of each month).
How to Use This Guide
Spring in the Netherlands is more than just tulips. It’s an immersive season of colours, traditions, and local culture that evolves week by week. I am sure this guide will help you plan your trip around the best moments spring has to offer.
Useful Links
🔗 Get practical transport tips for Keukenhof
Tulips may draw you here, but spring in the Netherlands offers far more than a single flower. The beauty lies in the timing, and in knowing where to look.
If you would like help designing your spring days thoughtfully, feel free to reach out.
See you in the Netherlands,
Joanna
Your Photographer in Amsterdam
