Tulips, windmills and dikes
Keukenhof’s bulb fields, the mills of Zaanse Schans, the Afsluitdijk and the canals of Giethoorn.
- Distance
- 217 km (135 mi)
- Driving
- 2 h 60 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 6
- Countries
- Netherlands
- Updated
- April 25, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 217 km (135 mi) with 6 stops, from Lisse to Giethoorn. About 2 h 60 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Netherlands
Route description
Around Lisse the working bulb fields flower in spring, and Keukenhof shows millions of tulips for about eight weeks, usually from mid-March to mid-May. Buy tickets online in advance, and go on a weekday if you can.
Driving into central Amsterdam is slow and parking is expensive, so use a park-and-ride site and take public transport to the canals. Zaanse Schans, a short drive north, has green wooden houses and working windmills on the river Zaan.
Take the A7 north to Den Oever and across the Afsluitdijk, a 32 km dam with the Wadden Sea on one side and the IJsselmeer on the other. A monument and viewpoint along the way tell the story of its construction.
Continue east through Friesland to Giethoorn, a village without roads in its old centre, where houses are reached by canals and footbridges. Park at the edge and explore by boat or on foot; the canals are very busy on summer days.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Lisse
Netherlands - 22 km
Keukenhof
NatureLisse, NetherlandsMillions of tulips in flower for about eight weeks each spring, surrounded by working bulb fields.
- 333 km
Amsterdam
Netherlands - 416 km
Zaanse Schans
HistoryZaandam, NetherlandsGreen wooden houses and working windmills on the river Zaan, a short drive from Amsterdam.
- 578 km
Afsluitdijk
OdditiesDen Oever, NetherlandsA 32 km dam with a motorway on top, separating the sea from a freshwater lake since 1932.
- 687 km
Giethoorn
Netherlands
FAQs
How long is Tulips, windmills and dikes?
3-day road trip of about 217 km (135 mi) with 6 stops, from Lisse to Giethoorn. About 2 h 60 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Tulips, windmills and dikes?
We suggest 3 days: about 2 h 60 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Tulips, windmills and dikes start and end?
It starts in Lisse and ends in Giethoorn.
Which countries does Tulips, windmills and dikes pass through?
Netherlands.
