Rick Steves Calls Europe's Iconic Tulip Route Pure 'Bliss'

European travel expert Rick Steves has many top travel tips, including recommendations for where you can see beautiful spring colors. The TV host and author can certainly tell you about what to see or skip in Europe, so when he says that you must experience something, you should put it on your travel bucket list right away. On his website, Rick Steves notes several places in Europe where you can see beautiful flowers bloom, and he calls the famous and increasingly popular Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam "a special kind of bliss."

Keukenhof Gardens is in Lisse, which is about half an hour from the city center of Amsterdam. The impressive 79 acres of land is home to about 7 million flower bulbs planted every year. While there are many tulips in dozens of different colors and shapes, there are also daffodils, hyacinths, and other varieties that bloom in the spring, which is why the gardens are only open to visitors between March and May. Naturally, with such a small time window to view the blooms, Keukenhof Gardens can also suffer from overtourism. In 2023, the site saw nearly 1.4 million visitors during its open period, according to Statista, so it's important to be strategic if you decide to go. 

Rick Steves deems Keukenhof Gardens as "the greatest bulb-flower garden on earth." While bike riding is prohibited within the garden itself, he recommends renting a bike to experience the surrounding area's magic. While there are many unique experiences you can have in Amsterdam, these gardens should be at the top of your list if you're visiting in spring. You can also book a guided bus tour that will take you to the gardens from Amsterdam if you don't have your own vehicle. Plus, you can combine the Keukenhof experience with other fun tours — like visiting some famous Dutch windmills.

Steves suggests visiting in the late afternoon when most of the daily crowds have started to disperse. It's less busy after 4 p.m. or before 10:30 a.m., and weekdays are generally better than weekends. You can also float down the canal on a whisper boat, which includes an audio tour while you view the flower fields from the water, or climb into a windmill from 1892 for an even better view of the park and surrounding fields. The park has also collaborated with 25 artists to create beautiful sculptures and artworks throughout the park. Each sculpture is unique in style, size, and shape, ranging from very minimal to classical and highly detailed. To continue your trip around the continent, Rick Steves lists his most and least favorite places to visit in Europe no matter how you like to travel.