Know Before You Go: Visiting Bloemenmarkt
When you think of the typical Amsterdam sightseeing checklist—canals, tulips, clogs, windmills, and cheese—the Bloemenmarkt flower market ticks plenty of boxes. An array of 15-or-so fixed barges ambling along the city’s Singel Canal, it’s the Netherlands’ most famous flower market. It springs to life in a welter of tulip blooms during the growing season, and serves up bulbs, seeds, plants, cut blooms, and souvenirs—including clogs—all year round.
Whether you’re shopping for your garden, stocking up on trinkets, or ordering specialties to be delivered internationally, these tips for visiting Bloemenmarkt will help you make the most of your day among the flowers.
When is the best time to visit Bloemenmarkt?
For bulbs, visit in fall; for tulips, come in spring.
For bulbs, visit in fall; for tulips, come in spring. From bonsai to clogs, there’s plenty to buy at Bloemenmarkt year-round, but the best season to visit depends on what you’re shopping for. It’s wisest to buy bulbs in fall, when they’re newly dug from the ground: From January to August, bulbs are usually too old to yield quality flowers and many do not bloom at all. For real tulips, visit between mid-March and mid-May, when the tulip fields are flowering.
Bloemenmarkt hours reflect its touristic focus: It’s open 9am–5:30pm Monday to Saturday, and 11:30am–5:30pm on Sundays. Plan to arrive early and come midweek to beat the crowds.
What should I wear and pack to visit Bloemenmarkt?
Dress for the season—but pack a rain jacket.
The Bloemenmarkt barges are permanently fixed and their wooden floors are flush to the canalside terrain, so you don’t need shoes with special grip as you won’t be clambering over gunwales to get in and out of boats. However, touring Amsterdam generally involves a lot of walking (or cycling), so it’s best to leave the Louboutins for a different trip.
Dress for the city and for the season, but think in terms of layers and always pack a waterproof: Outside of heatwaves and drought conditions, Amsterdam weather is famously changeable.
Do I need to join a tour to visit Bloemenmarkt?
No, you don’t need a tour to discover the market—but they can be enriching.
You don’t need a dedicated Amsterdam flower market guide to explore Bloemenmarkt, and plenty of travelers visit the market independently. However, joining a walking tour lets you link up Bloemenmarkt with nearby attractions and learn about Amsterdam flower market history, from the start of tulip mania onwards. Dedicated tulip tours run during the season, and cover a range of attractions from the Keukenhof Gardens to the tulip fields. Custom tours at other times of year might take in attractions like the Royal FloraHolland Visitor Centre in Aalsmeer, which hosts the world’s largest flower auction.
What are the best things to buy at Bloemenmarkt?
Bulbs are the market’s stock-in-trade, but you can also buy a wealth of souvenirs.
By law, Bloemenmarkt’s traders must focus on plants, and, alongside bulbs of all kinds, you can buy seeds, potted plants, bonsai trees, and fresh-cut flowers that vary by season. But not everybody has a garden to plant their tulip bulbs, so expect souvenirs of every stripe, from clogs to fridge magnets, from key chains to postcards, from plastic tulips to ceramic spoons.
Insider tip: If you’re visiting outside fall, when bulbs are at their best, ask about shipping. Some vendors will take orders and ship them for you once the new season begins.
Is Bloemenmarkt accessible for travelers who use wheelchairs?
Yes, Bloemenmarkt is reasonably accessible.
Amsterdam is an accessible city, at least by the standards of historic cities with bridges, and the flower market is no exception. While the term “floating flower market” may summon up visions of teetering from boat to boat, discovering the Bloemenmarkt is much more like shopping on dry land than boarding a canal cruise (the market is permanently anchored to the canal bed and doesn’t wobble under your wheels). Smooth, level surfaces streamline the experience, although the stalls can be chockablock with goodies, leaving limited room for maneuver once you’re inside.
What other attractions are near Bloemenmarkt?
Popular attractions near Bloemenmarkt include the Canal Museum and the Begijnhof.
No Bloemenmarkt travel guide would be complete without suggestions for other things to do in the area. The market is right by the landmark Mint Tower, a historic bell tower that hosts performances every Saturday at 2pm. But Amsterdam is a compact city and there’s plenty more to do. Museums within a 10-minute walk include the Museum Willet-Holthuysen, the Museum of the Canals, FOAM Photography Museum Amsterdam, the Torture Museum, the Allard Pierson archaeology museum, and The Cat Cabinet. You can also visit the Begijnhof courtyard, Xtracold Icebar, and Rembrandt Square.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about visiting Bloemenmarkt Amsterdam.
- Can I cycle to Bloemenmarkt? Yes, you can cycle to Bloemenmarkt—and plenty of cycling tours visit here—but you’ll need to wheel your bike around the market as regulations forbid cycling.
- Can I bring bulbs back home from Bloemenmarkt? That depends on your home country’s import rules. The US and Canada require phytosanitary certificates, and some vendors sell bulbs with these, while Australia does not allow ordinary travelers to bring in bulbs at all. Many countries outside the EU have restrictions on how many bulbs you can import without a permit.
- When was Bloemenmarkt set up? The Bloemenmarkt has been trading on this spot since 1862.
- Is Bloemenmarkt the only floating market in the world? No, Bloemenmarkt is not the only floating market in the world: There are numerous floating markets in Asia. It is, however, the only floating flower market in the world, although the barges are now stationary.
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