As the Northern Hemisphere emerges from its long winter isolation, the world is opening up again, and the season of international tulip festivals invites you to celebrate nature around the world.
One of the most famous tulip festivals in the world returns this year, March 19 through May 10, inviting travelers from all over the world to see fields of multi-colored tulips. Just outside of Amsterdam, this festival offers reprieve from the bustle of the city center. Festival officials suggest that visitors make sure to see the Keukenhof Gardens, visit a real tulip farm, see a flower parade, and continue attending flower attractions all year long. At the Keukenhof Gardens, millions of flowers are on display every year, and this year’s flower parade, taking place on April 18th, showcases giant floral floats and displays, perfect for families, couples and solo travelers alike.
With a lingering chill in the air up in Canada, Ottawa doesn’t host its annual tulip festival until May, and this year’s event is slated for May 8-18. Though Canada can be chilly in the spring, Ottawa’s tulip festival is a 74-year tradition taking place at Commissioners Park at Dow’s Lake. With millions of individual blooms spanning 100 unique varieties, this display isn’t just a celebration of spring’s arrival, but a tribute to Ottawa’s history. Visitors can interact with the displays by attending a Tulip Trail tour, which explores the 4,000 year old story behind the beautiful tulip blossoms we enjoy today, and how Ottawa came to choose the tulip as the city’s official flower.
Tulips are said to have originated in mountainous regions of Central and West Asia and the Mediterranean according to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. So if you’re looking for a festival a bit closer to the source, Istanbul’s Tulip Festival is a citywide event. In April, blooms pop up in the city’s parks, avenues, and at the center of traffic roundabouts. Some great spots to admire larger sections of tulips include Emigran Park, Gulhane Park, Sultanahamet Square and more. Visit Istanbul recommends travelers visit parks on weekdays in the early morning to avoid crowds and bring comfortable shoes for walking. And don’t forget your camera.
During the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, the largest tulip festival in North America, floral colors light up Skagit County. Running since 1984, this festival has bloomed from a two-day event to a month-long tradition seeing visitors from across the globe. Various locations in the region host tulip harvests in March and April, and an annual parade also sweeps through the small town of La Conner. Hosts with tulip displays include generational Dutch farms, curated gardens, u-pick fields, and more, allowing visitors to tour through the area in search of the finest blooms.
