Where to See Spring Tulips in Amsterdam and the Netherlands

Tulips are as Dutch as Gouda cheese and wooden shoes. Centuries ago, the intricate flora proved a hit with the Netherlands’ upper crust, who’d shell out big sums of guilders (the currency at the time) to wear them as corsages during balls or to decorate their canal-side homes. At the height of their popularity in the 1630s, a bona fide tulip mania swept through the country, and single bulbs of the most colorful species were worth more than their weight in gold.

Today, though, the tulip is everyone’s flower, brightening public parks and backyards all around the country during spring. Amsterdam rings in the start of tulip season on National Tulip Day, an annual event on the third Saturday of January. The city’s Museum Square turns into a giant tulip garden where everybody—including tourists—is free to pick a bouquet.

To see the country in full bloom, time your visit between late March and early May, when its flower fields are carpeted in eye-popping streaks of pink, orange, and yellow, and tulip festivals in Amsterdam and the surrounding countryside put the beloved flowers in the spotlight.

Here’s where to find the Netherlands’ most awe-inspiring tulip displays in 2024.