The essentials at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where | Royal FloraHolland, Legmeerdijk 313, 1431 GB Aalsmeer |
| When | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 7am-11am; Thursday 7am-9am; closed at weekends and on public holidays |
| Price at the door | €11.50 (adult, 12 and over), €9 (ages 4 to 11), free for ages 0 to 3 |
| Duration | Usually 1 hr to 1 hr 30, a route of about 2 km |
| Getting there | Bus 357 from central Amsterdam (about 45 min), stop Hoofdingang |
| Parking | Free for visitors (car park P23) |
The official site lists online prices lower than the ticket-desk prices: book through the Royal FloraHolland ticket shop and check the amount shown on the day you buy.
What you see (and what you don't)
The visit is self-guided, along a raised gallery that lets you follow the flowers' route. You see the carts arranged by colour and variety, the conveyors and the teams at work. The place is above all a logistics site: the appeal is the scale of the halls and the morning bustle, more than an auction show.
Everything starts at 7am: the earlier you arrive, the more is going on. Once everything is sold, the auction is over and the site empties, sometimes before 11am.
Getting there from Amsterdam
By bus
The simplest option is bus 357, direct from the centre: it serves Leidseplein, the Rijksmuseum and the Museumplein, then goes through Amstelveen before Aalsmeer. Allow about 45 minutes. According to the timetables consulted, a first bus leaves Amsterdam Centraal at around 5am, and lines 357 and 358 run roughly every 10 minutes. Get off at the Hoofdingang stop (main entrance). From Zuid metro station, take bus 358. From Schiphol airport, bus 300 towards Amstelveen lets you change to the 357 or 358. Contactless payment is explained in our guide to getting around Amsterdam.
By car
Car park P23 is free for visitors; lifts and signs lead to the entrance.
Tickets and guided tour
Tickets can be bought on site or online; they show on your phone. A group guided tour (up to 25 people) costs €145 on top of the entrance tickets. For a solo traveller or a couple, an organised excursion with transport may be simpler: see the offers on the Royal FloraHolland page or the excursion from Amsterdam: flower auction, dahlias and flower farm. Compare the price, the departure time and the language of the tour before booking.
Practical tips
- Arrive between 7am and 8am: this is when activity is at its peak.
- Plan the journey: the first morning bus gets you there in time, but it is a morning of its own.
- Dogs: not allowed indoors.
- Accessibility: the site is wheelchair accessible, with help from staff.
- Luggage: it can be left at the reception office.
- Thursday: the auction ends at 9am, so choose another day if you can.
Combining it with the rest of the day
Once the visit is over, around 9:30 or 10am, you are in Aalsmeer with the whole day ahead: Lake Westeinderplassen, the historic garden and the flower art museum are nearby. To see flowers growing in the fields, keep spring for Keukenhof and our guide to the tulip season. To buy bulbs and bouquets in the city centre, head for the Amsterdam flower market. The other day trips are compared in our excursions from Amsterdam.
Who it suits, and who it doesn't
The visit suits people curious about logistics and trade, flower lovers and early risers. It is less suitable if you expect fields in full bloom or an auction shouted from the floor: Keukenhof answers that wish better, but only from March to May.
