Know Before You Go: Visiting Bloemenmarkt

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.

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 (or the ability to even get them home to begin with), so expect souvenirs of every stripe, from clogs to fridge magnets, key chains to postcards, plastic tulips to ceramic spoons.

Insider tip: If you’re visiting outside fall, when bulbs are not at their best, ask about shipping. Some vendors will take orders and ship them for you once the new season begins.

You don’t need a dedicated Amsterdam flower market guide to explore Bloemenmarkt, and plenty of people visit the market independently anyway. 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. Many Amsterdam canal cruises also float past the market too, allowing you to take a peek without needing to walk around the whole place.

Meanwhile, 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 even take in attractions such as the Royal FloraHolland Visitor Centre in Aalsmeer, which hosts the world’s largest flower auction.

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 (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.

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.

No Bloemenmarkt travel guide would be complete without a guide to other things to do in the area. Happily, 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 than just marvel at a bell tower.

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.

• 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 once inside.
• 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.