I think May it’s becoming my favorite month of the year. It’s not too hot yet, but it’s not cold anymore either, therefore it’s the perfect moment to start having outside activities. What did I do this May? Firstly, I started by planning some extra days off, even though, in most of the countries I lived, I noticed, May has a lot of days off, at least 2-3 days per month on top of the weekends. It’s almost like December, during the Christmas period. Anyways, in Netherlands you can’t have many sunny days, hence I took advantage of mines.

Keukenhof

First things first, have you ever heard about Keukenhof? It’s known as the Garden of Europe and it’s the largest flower garden. Its location is in a little town called Lisse, around 30 km by bike from Den Haag Centraal and almost the same from Amsterdam Centraal. The garden is open from mid-March to late May every year between 8 am and 7.30 pm. There are always plenty of flowers blooming in the park, but the very best period to visit Keukenhof is – generally – early in the morning on a weekday during the second half of April.

I decided to go adventurous and early in the morning I took the bike together with my boyfriend and we left. It should have taken us around 2 hours, but unexpectedly it was not a warm day, it was a very hot summer day. Hence, the 2 hours, became 3 and a half, with a lot of stops along the way. Needless to say, none of us had a backpack, hence we had to stop for almost all the shops to get water. Therefore, my advice, come prepare! Bring water, bring a raincoat and a hat, as the weather here is very unpredictable!

How much does it cost to visit Keukenhof?

• The entrance price to the park is 16 EUR for adults and 8 EUR for the children. This can be changed yearly, so it’s always good to check in advance on the website. (https://keukenhof.nl/en/)
• Parking costs 6 EUR and the park guide – 5 EUR. Map is free
• Renting a bike to explore the flower fields costs 10 EUR. • A boat trip is an additional 8 EUR/ adult and 4 EUR/ child. The food is really expensive in the park and besides the fact that the restaurants are crowded the food is not good either; we paid around 25 EUR for fish and chips for 2 persons, also a small bottle of water – 3 EUR, and an ice cream – 3,5 EUR. It quickly adds up.
TIP: bring a picnic if you can.

The flowers are amazing, the colors and the smell will create the perfect relaxation mood you need. If you don’t want to have people in your picture, the best time to go is early in the morning. For us obviously, this was not possible. Besides the flower, you can visit the inside of the mill.

Conclusion. Go and explore as much as you can. Come prepare and don’t pay on extras.