After reading my blog post title, you might have expected the post would be on Amsterdam’s Keukenhof tulip field that lures every traveler who visits Amsterdam, right? Viola, You are absolutely wrong 😉
I had read a lot about Keukenhof on the internet. But, us being not-a-fan-of-overcrowded-places, we decided to skip Keukenhof as it has become more commercialized in recent years. Instead, our plan was to explore more off the beaten paths like Noordoostpolder & Lelystad. Tulip fields are spread across more than 200 kilometers, these tulip bulbs burst into colorful tulip during spring.
Renting a car and driving through a gorgeous stretch of tulip fields was one of the best things we did. Not only we got to see the tulip fields, but also to cherish all magical moments while driving through Dutch countryside.
How eye-catching it is!
Facts
• As mentioned above, tulip season starts during spring and lasts for four weeks (mid-April to mid-May). The best time to visit is the end of April. Having said that, please note the tulip season may differ depending on the weather.
• You can find tulip route map below. When you plan a visit to these fields, make sure to check official websites of Noordoostpolder and Flevoland for updated information on tulip route.
• We rented a car at Amsterdam and drove through Giethoorn & Noordoostpolder to Lelystad. If you are planning to visit countryside tulip fields, I recommend you to rent a car or bring your own. If you are a thrill seeker you can even peddle a bicycle or walk through tulip fields (A dedicated walkway is available anyone who wishes to explore by foot).
• During our visit to tulip fields, we stayed at Lelystad- a beautiful port town with spectacular views and delectable foods.
• Make sure you load up on snacks for your road trip if you wish to have a picnic at charming Dutch countryside as this stretch is an off the beaten path and has no many supermarkets on the way.
• Not to worry, the route has few restaurants that offer some delicious foods.
• Having a plan of covering approximately more than 200 kilometers of tulip fields, we divided our itinerary into 2 days.
Day 1 of our two days tulip fields exploration
After spending a memorable time in a fairyland – Giethoorn, we made our way to the west of Netherlands. Noordoostpolder was the first one where we got to see a vast assortment of tulips. We covered stretch of more than 100 kilometers in Noordoostpolder. Here is our route map of day 1 –
Below are few photos of Noordoostpolder tulip fields-
After our trip in Noordoostpolder, we drove to Lelystad and stayed overnight with a lovely view of small canals and water stream. If you are planning to stay in Lelystad like we did, do make some time to visit Lelystad port during sunset to spend an evening. The tiny town has some amazing restaurants with a spectacular view of the waterfront. Do visit the restaurant “De Rede van Bataviahaven” and try their delicious burger. Nom 😊
Day 2 of our two days tulip fields exploration
On our second day, we once again drove through approximately 100 kilometers stretch of tulip fields in Lelystad. It was hard not to pit-stop at almost all the tulip fields we spotted on our way 😊 As we were in no rush, we started our day 2 early afternoon and we drove until evening with innumerable pit stops. Below is our day 2 road trip map-
I must say, except for few tulip fields where they had a few more tourists, we got most of them on our own 😊
Both Day 1 & day 2 gave us an epic experience of driving through never-ending tulip fields spreading colors as far as one’s eyes could reach. It was astonishing and one of a kind! I highly recommend this epic road trip to every traveler. You should not miss this for the world.
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Chaithra Bhat