# 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.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/dutch-classics/

**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. 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 |
| Route | Lisse → Giethoorn |
| Countries | Netherlands |
| Updated | April 25, 2026 |

## 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

1. **Lisse** (Netherlands)
2. **Keukenhof** (Lisse, Netherlands): Millions of tulips in flower for about eight weeks each spring, surrounded by working bulb fields.
3. **Amsterdam** (Netherlands)
4. **Zaanse Schans** (Zaandam, Netherlands): Green wooden houses and working windmills on the river Zaan, a short drive from Amsterdam.
5. **Afsluitdijk** (Den Oever, Netherlands): A 32 km dam with a motorway on top, separating the sea from a freshwater lake since 1932.
6. **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.