2026 - January 17 - Amsterdam - Tulip Day

There you sit, blissfully unaware in a café in Amsterdam, amusing yourself over the passing cyclists. And then gradually, all the pedestrians with arms full of tulips catch your eye. What’s happening here?

A quick internet search reveals: Today, on January 17, 2026, is the Dutch National Tulip Day, also referred to as Tulip Day everywhere. While it’s not spring yet, Tulip Day marks the start of the tulip season.

At this colorful festival, a pop-up tulip picking garden is created at the Museumplein, the museum square, where Dutch tulip growers offer various plants for self-picking. There’s also music and photo opportunities.

The fun begins at 1 PM, and by the time I even realized this day existed, it was already 2:30 PM. Thirty minutes of brisk walking later, we arrived at our destination and, despite the line, held onto the hope of still catching some tulips. The event ends once all the bulb plants are given away.

We were lucky. Shortly after we arrived, the area was closed off. However, we had to speculate on the color of some of the tulips we picked, as most plants in bloom had already been taken.

It was still a lot of fun to be part of this Dutch traditional event. And a few tulips are now beginning their journey with us to Erfurt.