Every year on the third Saturday in January the Netherlands celebrate National Tulip Day. This is the day when the tulip season officially starts. On this day Amsterdam’s Museum Square turns into a huge flower garden filled with tulips. Everyone is invited to come and pick a bouquet of beautiful tulips for free!
Last updated: 22 October 2026 by Anastasia Dudina
⏳ Final weekend: 16 and 17 January 2027
The Kusama exhibition says goodbye on Tulip Day weekend
The Stedelijk is a few steps from the tulip garden. Expect the last two days to be fully booked weeks ahead, so grab your time slot early.
In this guide
National Tulip Day 2027 in short
- Date: Saturday 16 January 2027, from 13:00 until the last tulip is gone
- Location: Museumplein (Museum Square), Amsterdam
- Price: free, and you can take home up to 10 tulips
- Queue: count on 30 to 60 minutes of waiting
- Organiser: tulpentijd.nl
- Also ending that weekend: the Yayoi Kusama exhibition and the Amsterdam Light Festival (last day 17 January)
All photos in this post were taken by Amsterdam photographer Kristina Kutena.
How to make the most of Tulip Day weekend
2027 brings a rare triple: tulips on Museumplein, the last days of Yayoi Kusama at the Stedelijk and the final weekend of the Light Festival. A simple plan for Saturday:
Morning, from 10:00
Start at the Stedelijk with an early Kusama time slot. About 2 hours inside leaves you enough time to reach the tulip line before it gets long.
Around 12:30
🌷 Tulip picking garden
Queue up before the 13:00 opening, collect your tulip bag and pick a free bouquet of up to 10 tulips.
After dark
Warm up on a heated Light Festival cruise and see the artworks one last time before the festival closes.
Winter in Amsterdam: plan your trip
- Arriving in the Netherlands by plane? Travel from the airport to the city center by train or bus.
- There are hundreds of hotels in Amsterdam for every taste. We recommend Ambassade hotel, Andaz Prinsengracht and other hotels in the Nine Streets area on the canal belt of Amsterdam.
- Travel by public transport in Amsterdam with an unlimited pass for 1-7 days. With the Amsterdam Travel Ticket you can also travel from/to the airport by train or bus.
- Alternatively buy the I amsterdam City Card, which includes public transport, museums entrance, a canal cruise and 24 hours of bike rental.
- Check out the things to do in Amsterdam and book museum tickets in advance.
- Make your trip complete by visiting Giethoorn (the Dutch Venice), Volendam and Zaanse Schans.
Amsterdam Tulip Day rules
At the entrance to the tulip picking garden you will receive a special tulip bag. You can pick a maximum of 10 tulips (it’s free). The average waiting time at the tulip picking garden is 30 to 60 minutes.
Tips: museums and the Light Festival
You can combine your visit to the tulip garden with one of Amsterdam’s most famous museums. Four of them, the Van Gogh museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Moco museum and the Stedelijk museum, are located on Museum square too. Make sure you book tickets in advance.
Sunday 17 January 2027 is your very last chance to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Stedelijk, right next door to the tulip picking garden. This exhibition is extremely popular and the closing weekend will be sold out weeks in advance, so book your Kusama tickets as soon as possible.
On 16 and 17 January 2027 you can still visit the Amsterdam Light Festival. It’s the closing weekend of this season. Book your Light Festival cruise online.
Tip: it’s cold in Amsterdam in January! Choose the heated cruise with drinks & snack.
Amsterdam Tulip Day photos
The mosaic is built of approximately 200.000 flowers.
Are you planning to see the Dutch tulips this season?
In 2027 the Keukenhof tulip gardens are open from 18 March until 9 May. The Flower Parade Bloemencorso Bollenstreek will take place on 17 and 18 April 2027. See you there!
Tulip Day 2027: frequently asked questions
What date is National Tulip Day in 2027?
It falls on Saturday 16 January 2027, the third Saturday of January. The tulip picking garden on Museumplein opens at 13:00 and stays open until all tulips are picked.
Do I need a ticket for National Tulip Day?
No ticket is needed and entry is free. At the entrance you get a tulip bag and can pick up to 10 tulips. Expect to wait 30 to 60 minutes.
Is the Kusama exhibition still open on Tulip Day weekend?
Yes, but only just: the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Stedelijk closes on Sunday 17 January 2027. The museum is on Museumplein, so you can visit in the morning and pick tulips in the afternoon. The final weekend will be sold out weeks in advance, so book your time slot early.
What else is on in Amsterdam that weekend?
16 and 17 January 2027 is also the closing weekend of the Amsterdam Light Festival. A canal cruise in the evening is a great way to end a day of tulips and museums.
Enjoy Tulip Day 2027 in Amsterdam!
Related articles
- Tulip Festivals in Amsterdam
- Yayoi Kusama at the Stedelijk: the full guide on Holland Explorer
- Amsterdam Light Festival 2026/2027
- Keukenhof tickets
- When is the best time to visit Keukenhof?
- Dutch Flower Parade: Saturday 17 April 2027
- Day trips from Amsterdam: where to go?
- Amsterdam itinerary: best of the city in 2 days
- Best of Amsterdam in two days: part 2
Written by a local
Anastasia Dudina
I’ve been living in the Netherlands since 2013 and exploring it ever since. I write and update all articles on Amsterdam Explorer and Holland Explorer myself: real tips, not tourist traps.