Netherlands Tulip Route Road Trip + Map: Fields, Windmills & Cute Towns 🌷🚗
If you’ve ever wanted a road trip that feels like you’ve driven straight into a postcard, this is it. The Netherlands in spring is basically showing off: tulip fields in full colour, windmills doing their dramatic little spin, and towns so cute you’ll start accusing them of being staged. I’d start and end in Amsterdam because it’s easy for flights, easy for picking up your car hire, and it makes the whole loop feel satisfyingly neat. The drives are short, the stops are stacked, and you can go full flower-obsessed… or take it slow with cafés and canal wanders.
I have added the FREE Google Map Itinerary lower down!
Netherlands Tulip Route Road Trip
🚗 Quick Trip Facts
✅ Best window: late March to mid-May (mid-April is often peak-ish)
✅ Ideal trip length: 4–6 days (or do a punchy 3-day version)
✅ Start/end: Amsterdam (easy loop + easy logistics)
✅ Driving vibe: short hops, lots of stopping, lots of “PULL OVER” moments
✅ Loop distance: roughly 350–450 km depending on detours
✅ Big headline stops: Keukenhof, Bollenstreek flower fields, Kinderdijk windmills, Haarlem, Leiden, Delft
✅ Ticket note: Keukenhof is the one you’ll want to book ahead (timed entry).
📍 This route links up properly and keeps driving time sensible:
Amsterdam → Zaanse Schans → Haarlem → Keukenhof/Lisse (Bollenstreek) → Leiden → The Hague → Delft → Kinderdijk → Gouda (or Utrecht) → Amsterdam
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Go early, then nap. Seriously. Do Keukenhof or the big field drives first thing, then take a lazy café lunch and a slow wander in Leiden/Delft later. You’ll dodge the worst crowds and you won’t feel like a wilted tulip by 3pm.
🚗 Recommended Car Rental: DiscoverCars
The Itinerary (4–6 Days, Classic Loop) 🗺️
Day 1: Amsterdam → Zaanse Schans → Haarlem
Start strong with windmills before you’ve even finished your first proper coffee. Zaanse Schans is an easy “iconic Netherlands” hit, and it’s a great warm-up because you can do it in 90 minutes or linger longer if you’re in your museum era. Then roll on to Haarlem, which is close enough to be practical and pretty enough to make you feel like you’re winning at life. Haarlem also sets you up perfectly for Keukenhof the next day.
📍 Things to do:
- Windmills and wooden houses at Zaanse Schans
- Haarlem old town wander + canals
- Find a cosy bar and do a toast to “we are officially on a road trip”
🏨 Stay: Haarlem is a brilliant base. Have a peek on Booking.com for somewhere walkable so you don’t spend your evening hunting for parking like it’s a competitive sport.
👉 Good to know: Zaanse Schans gets busy fast. Go early, do your windmill moment, then escape before it turns into a slow-moving crowd conga.
🚗 Recommended Tour to get you started: Amsterdam: Keukenhof and Zaanse Schans Windmills Day Trip
🗺️ Related Article: 3 Days In Amsterdam: Canals, Cheese, and Anne Frank
Day 2: Haarlem → Keukenhof + Bollenstreek flower fields → Leiden
This is your big tulip day. Keukenhof is maximum wow-factor and, honestly, if you’re doing a tulip road trip you may as well lean right in. Go early, accept you’ll take too many photos, and enjoy it. After that, do a slow drive through the Bollenstreek area around Lisse where the fields stretch out like someone went wild with a paint roller. Finish in Leiden, which is calm, pretty, and very “let’s sit by a canal with snacks” friendly.
📍 Things to do:
- Keukenhof gardens (timed entry, book ahead)
- Cruise the flower-field roads around Lisse
- Leiden evening canal walk + a warm snack reward
Tiny sanity note: Don’t walk into the fields. They’re working farms, and “but I only stepped in a tiny bit” is not the vibe.
💡 Fact: Tulip season usually runs late March to mid-May, but the exact peak varies year to year. If you can aim for mid-April, you’re often in a strong position.
🗺️ Recommended Read: Our Ultimate Netherlands Travel Tips: A First-Timer’s Guide to Holland
Recommended Tours and Tickets From Get Your Guide
Powered by GetYourGuide
Day 3: Leiden → The Hague → Delft
Today’s your “not just flowers” day, which your camera roll will appreciate. Start with Leiden’s canals and chilled energy, then head to The Hague for museums, a slightly fancier feel, and optional sea air. After that, Delft brings the storybook finish: canals, gables, and streets that make you slow down without noticing. It’s a lower-mileage day, bigger vibe day.
📍 Things to do:
- Slow morning in Leiden (markets if you catch one)
- The Hague: museum time or a quick coastal detour
- Delft evening wander + a proper sit-down dinner
🔹 Tinker’s tip: Park once in each town and walk. Dutch centres are made for wandering, not for “I will simply squeeze my car down this cobbled lane,” which is how people end up doing three-point turns for sport.
🗺️ Another Road Trip: Belgium & Netherlands Winter Road Trip + Map: Canals, Christmas Lights & Cosy Cafés ❄️🚗
Day 4: Delft → Kinderdijk → Gouda (or Utrecht) → Amsterdam
Kinderdijk is the windmill mic-drop. It’s scenic, dramatic, and looks unreal when the light is behaving. Aim for morning or golden hour if you can. Then swing through Gouda for cheese-related joy, or Utrecht if you want a bigger city feel that’s still calmer than Amsterdam. Finish the loop back in Amsterdam for your final night and a victory canal stroll.
📍 Things to do:
- Kinderdijk windmills (take your time, it’s gorgeous)
- Gouda: slow lunch + cheese shop browsing
- Amsterdam final-night wander
🤚 Must-do: Give yourself one “no plan” hour in Gouda or Utrecht where you just wander and follow the smell of baked things.
🗺️ Grab a Map: Ultimate Netherlands Google Map Legend (Things to Do, Photo Spots & More!)
Day 5 (Optional Add-On): Noordoostpolder mega-fields day trip
If you want the big, wide, open “how is this real?” flower-field feeling, add a day up in Flevoland’s Noordoostpolder area. It’s more driving, but it feels different: fewer tight crowds, more big landscapes, more proper road-trip energy.
📍 Things to do:
- Drive the long field routes (picnic stops = elite move)
- Farm stands if you spot any
- Back to Amsterdam for the final snacks mission
👉 Good to know: This add-on is best if you’ve got the extra day. If you’re short on time, Keukenhof + Bollenstreek already delivers.
🗺️ Netherlands Itinerary: 7 Days in the Netherlands: Ultimate Travel Itinerary
Access to the map
No sign up required and totally FREE. Literally just using Google Maps to plot your route! Saves you messing! We don't gatekeep here! Enjoy.
Map will be located under "YOU" and then under "MAPS".
ℹ️ Add the map to your Google Maps app.
After opening Google maps, click YOU and then scroll down to MAPS. It should be located there. Any issues, just get it touch, it’s no problem!
Pit Stops & Side Detours 🚗✨
- Flower Parade day: If your dates line up, it’s a fun “local hype” moment
- Beach break: Scheveningen for sea air and chips
- Extra cute town swap-ins: Utrecht instead of Gouda, or a small village stop en route
- Windmill remix: If you loved Kinderdijk, add a smaller windmill area for a quieter feel
🍽️ Local Eats Worth Chasing
- Stroopwafels: warm, sticky, dangerously easy to inhale
- Poffertjes: tiny pancakes that vanish instantly
- Kibbeling: fried fish bites with a sauce situation
- Cheese stops: Gouda is the obvious one, but little shops everywhere do the job
- Indonesian rijsttafel: genuinely one of the best “big meal after a long day” choices
🎶 Road Trip Playlist
- Fleetwood Mac, Dreams
- Phoenix, Lisztomania
- The Cure, Friday I’m in Love
- Dua Lipa, Levitating
- Jungle, Busy Earnin’
- The xx, Intro
- Stromae, Alors on danse
- George Ezra, Budapest
- Coldplay, Adventure of a Lifetime
- ABBA, Take a Chance on Me (excellent for roundabouts and bold parking choices)
👉 Good to know: Download offline. Mountain signal can be patchy and your playlist deserves better. 📲
🎙️ Podcasts to Queue Up
- The Trip Doctor (practical travel brain)
- The Rest Is History (you’ll start pointing at buildings like a tour guide)
- Off Menu (you will get hungry, guaranteed)
- Casefile (if you like your road trips slightly spooky)
Road Trip Essentials (All Year Round) 🎒🚗
- Phone mount + charging cable (plus a power bank for photo-heavy days)
- An eSIM so you’ve got data for maps, parking apps, and last-minute “where are we eating?” decisions
- Offline maps downloaded as a backup (because signal loves vanishing at the worst moments)
- Reusable water bottle + easy snacks (stroopwafel emergencies are real)
- Light layers (weather can flip fast, especially near the coast)
- Compact umbrella or packable rain jacket (small, smug, effective)
- Microfibre cloth for phone/camera lens (wind + drizzle = blurry regret)
- Small first-aid kit + any meds you actually need
- Coins/card for parking (some machines are picky and love drama)
- A tote bag for markets/cheese stops/“we’re just browsing” purchases
- Spare comfy shoes (cobbles + canals = feet deserve better)
👉 Must-do: Keep a tiny “car crate” (snacks, wipes, tissues, spare layer). It turns “minor inconvenience” into “barely noticed it” in about 3 seconds.
Rent a Car
Access to the map
No sign up required and totally FREE. Literally just using Google Maps to plot your route! Saves you messing! We don't gatekeep here! Enjoy.
What to know How to Plan or Save for a Trip? Here are our best:
FAQs
When’s the best time to do this tulip road trip?
Late March to mid-May is the usual window, with mid-April often feeling the most “boom, tulips everywhere” (but it varies each year).
Do I need to book Keukenhof in advance?
Yes. Timed entry can sell out, so book ahead if you’re going.
Can I see tulip fields without trespassing?
Absolutely. View from roads, designated spots, and any farms/experiences that explicitly allow visitors. No field-stomping required.
Is this better by car or public transport?
Car wins for flexibility and linking the field areas smoothly. Public transport is fine for city hops and Keukenhof, but you’ll lose spontaneity.
Travel Planning Resources
Ready to book your next trip? These trusted resources have been personally vetted to ensure a smooth travel experience.
Book Your Flights: Kick off your travel planning by finding the best flight deals on Trip.com. Our years of experience with them confirm they offer the most competitive prices.
Book Your Hotel: For the best hotel rates, use Booking.com . For the best and safest hostels, HostelWorld.com is your go-to resource. Best for overall Hotel ratings and bargains, use TripAdvisor.com!
Find Apartment Rentals: For affordable apartment rentals, check out VRBO. They consistently offer the best prices.
Car Rentals: For affordable car rentals, check out RentalCars.com. They offer the best cars, mostly brand new.
Travel Insurance: Never travel without insurance. Here are our top recommendations:
- EKTA for Travel Insurance for all areas!
- Use AirHelp for compensation claims against flight delays etc.
Book Your Activities: Discover walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more on Get Your Guide. They have a vast selection of activities to enhance your trip. There is also Tiqets.com for instant mobile tickets.
Book The Best Trains: Use Trainline to find the most affordable trains or Rail Europe for rail passes!
Travel E-SIMS: Airalo Worldwide! Use your mobile phone anywhere!
Need More Help Planning Your Trip? Visit our Resources Page to see all the companies we trust and use for our travels.
You May Also Like
Share this post
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Author
Nick Harvey
Hi, I am Nick! Thank you for reading! The Travel Tinker is a resource designed to help you navigate the beauty of travel! Tinkering your plans as you browse!
Free Travel Starter Kit
Bespoke Itineraries
Get Your Free Travel Starter Kit!
Sign up with your email to receive step-by-step planning checklists, free guides, and a wealth of money-saving tips to help you plan your trip like an expert!
