8 Ways to See Holland’s Tulip Fields by Bike and Boat

For a few weeks each spring, the Dutch countryside turns into a patchwork of color. Long bands of red, yellow and purple tulips run in straight lines toward the horizon, windmills turn above the canals, and the flower gardens of Keukenhof are at their very best. There is no lovelier way to see it than from a bike, riding along flat, quiet paths with a boat waiting at the end of each day to carry you on to the next town.

Below are eight bike and boat tours that make the most of tulip season, from a four-night break on a premium barge to week-long journeys through the cheese towns and windmill country of South Holland.

Why tulip season is worth planning for

The bulb fields bloom in turn, starting with daffodils, followed by hyacinths and then tulips, so the colors change from one week to the next. The exact pattern changes from year to year too, because growers rotate their crops between fields. Most of our tulip tours depart between late March and the end of April, with a few dates running into early May.

Because the season is so short, spring departures are often the first of the year to fill. If you have a particular week in mind, it's worth getting in touch early. Electric bikes are offered on all eight tours below; numbers are limited on some, so ask when you book.

For more on how a tulip tour works, from guided and self-guided options to the best time to go, see our guide to tulip tours in Holland.

Tulip tours through North Holland

Holland in Bloom starts and ends in Amsterdam and leaves you free to ride at your own pace on self-guided routes, with a guide on board for tips and help along the way. The week begins with a cruise across the IJsselmeer to the historic port of Hoorn, then explores the West Frisian countryside, home to some of the largest tulip fields in the Netherlands. You'll follow the canals of Waterland to the windmills of Zaanse Schans, ride out from Alkmaar to the beach at Egmond aan Zee and the artists' village of Bergen, and visit Hortus Bulborum, a garden that preserves rare and historic bulbs. From Haarlem, a ride through Holland's oldest tulip fields brings you to Keukenhof.

Dutch Blooms & Waterways: A Premium Tulip Tour is a new guided tour aboard the Magnifique X, an all-suite ship with room for just 32 guests. After a first ride through Waterland and the village of Broek in Waterland, you'll visit Zaanse Schans and Hortus Bulborum on the way to Alkmaar, where an early visit to the famous cheese market comes before it opens to the public. Later in the week come Keukenhof, an early morning at the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, a private canal cruise in Hoorn and a stroll along the waterfront in Volendam. The final ride passes through Naarden, a star-shaped fortress town, and Muiden, home to Muiderslot Castle, before ending in Amsterdam.

For a shorter trip, the Tulip Tour on the Magnifique II, III, & IV fits the best of the season into four nights on a premium barge. With your guides leading each ride, you'll explore Amsterdam and its flower market, the windmills and traditional crafts of Zaanse Schans, historic Haarlem and the gardens of Keukenhof near Lisse. On some departures there is also the chance to visit the Aalsmeer flower auction, which is closed on weekends and public holidays, and if you'd like a day off the bike, you can stay on board and cruise to the next town. As Ashley Harvey wrote after her tour, “The tulips, windmills, gardens, and towns were great to see, but it was the people that made this tour so amazing.”

Holland’s Super Tulip Tour is a guided week devoted to the tulip. The route links Haarlem with Holland's oldest tulip fields, Keukenhof and the university city of Leiden, birthplace of Rembrandt. It circles the Haarlemmermeer, once the largest lake in Holland, follows the Amstel into Amsterdam and continues to the windmills of Zaanse Schans. You'll also ride through the dunes near Alkmaar, the 17th-century Beemster Polder and the quiet villages of Waterland, with a longer route to Edam and Volendam for keener riders. One traveler, Kristi, called it “a wonderful way to see Holland.”

Tulips, cheese towns and windmills

On the Tulip Tour - Bike & Boat Holland's Famous Tulip Fields, you travel aboard the Iris on a guided week that heads south from Amsterdam before turning north through the bulb fields. Ride to Castle De Haar and the medieval town of Oudewater, known for its witch scales, then on to Gouda. A ride through the green heart of Holland, with a stop at a cheese farm, takes you to Leiden, and a day among the flower fields and Keukenhof brings you to Haarlem. From there you follow the North Sea dunes to Hortus Bulborum, then visit the windmills of the Schermer and the open-air museum of Zaanse Schans. Jane Hyer described it as “the perfect way to experience Holland's beauty, history and charms.”

Tulip Fields of Holland - 8-Day Bike & Boat Tour is a guided journey through the places where Holland's flowers are grown, sold and displayed. After an evening walk through Haarlem, you'll ride through Holland's oldest tulip-growing region to Keukenhof and on to Leiden, then cross the Green Heart, with a visit to a cheese farm, to Gouda's market square and Gothic town hall. An early start offers the chance to see the flower auction at Aalsmeer before the route turns north to Zaanse Schans, Hortus Bulborum, the North Sea dunes and Alkmaar, finishing with the Schermerhorn Windmill Museum and the village of De Rijp.

Holland's Tulip Fields and Historic Towns is a guided week aboard the Merlijn, a characterful boat first built in 1930 and later converted to carry guests in 12 cabins. The tour runs between Dordrecht and Schagen, in one direction or the other on alternate weeks, and the riding is almost entirely on paved bike paths. You'll pass the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and visit Gouda, the city of cheese and candles, and Leiden, birthplace of Rembrandt. The route also takes in Keukenhof, Haarlem, Zaanse Schans and Alkmaar.

Holland’s Southern Relax Tulip Tour is a relaxed guided week through the south of Holland. The riding takes you through the polders and wetlands of the Green Heart to Gouda, then past the windmills of Kinderdijk on the way to Rotterdam, where the barge carries you on to Delft, home of Delft blue pottery. Ride toward The Hague and along quiet dune paths to the old fishing village of Katwijk aan Zee, then spend a day at Keukenhof from Leiden before cycling through the bulb fields to Haarlem and finishing at Zaanse Schans. One traveler, Brittany, enjoyed “a good mix of countryside, small towns, canals, and windmills pretty much every day.”

Find your perfect tour

Every one of these tours pairs easy, mostly flat riding with comfortable nights on the water, so the choice comes down to how long you'd like to travel, which towns you most want to see and whether you prefer to ride with a guide or at your own pace. You can browse every route on our interactive tour map or see all of our tulip tours in one place.

If you'd like help choosing, get in touch with our team. We'll be happy to check which spring dates are still open and help you find the tour that suits you best.