At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season Busy all month, and packed from 24 April, when the Dutch May school holiday starts, through King’s Night and King’s Day on 26 and 27 April 2027, when hotel rates peak. With Easter in March this year, the first half of April is the calmer stretch.
Amsterdam in April — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Amsterdam in April offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for koningsdag, tulip gardens & terraces. Expect temperatures of 5–14°C, around 9 days of rain, and high crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around €115–175 for mid-range travellers. Book accommodation two to three months ahead — the most popular rooms sell out fast during peak visiting windows.
Contents15 sections
#Weather in Amsterdam in April
Amsterdam in April averages 5–14°C (41–57°F) with around 9 days of rain, and crowds are high.
| Measure | April in Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 14°C / 57°F |
| Overnight low | About 5°C / 41°F |
| Wet days | About 9, and the lowest rainfall total of the year |
| Sunset | 8:14pm on the 1st; 9:04pm by the 30th |
| Big dates | Flower parade, Saturday 17 April 2027; King's Night and King's Day, Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 April |
| Crowds and prices | Busy all month, at their peak from the 24th, when the Dutch May school holiday begins |
Figures are KNMI 1991–2020 normals for Amsterdam Schiphol.
What that actually means for your trip:
- Less rain falls than in any other month, but it still rains. Nine wet days is close to the figure for most of the year; what drops is the amount, so showers tend to be short.
- The afternoons and the evenings belong to different seasons. A sunny 15°C afternoon by a canal turns into a 6°C evening within an hour of sunset.
- The tulips peak in the middle of the month. In an average year the bulb fields and Keukenhof are at their most colourful from about mid-April, a week or two later after a cold March.
- Birch pollen peaks too. April is the worst month of the year in the Netherlands for anyone with a birch allergy.
Is April a good time to visit Amsterdam? Yes, if you book early and plan around one date. The bulb fields are at their best, the light lasts past 8pm, and the terraces open for good. The catch is demand: April is one of the most expensive months for a room, and King's Day on the 27th turns the centre into one huge street party, closing it to normal sightseeing. In 2027 Easter falls in March, so the first three weeks of April are free of holiday weekends and the best time to come.
#April in the city
The bulb season is the reason April is booked so early: Keukenhof, the 32-hectare show garden at Lisse, about 40 minutes from Amsterdam, is open until Sunday 9 May 2027, and its tulips usually peak from the second week of April. The fields around it, between Lisse, Hillegom and Noordwijkerhout, are commercial farms that grow the flowers for their bulbs; the farmers cut the heads off once they bloom, so a field that is colourful one week can be green stalks the next.
The flower parade, the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek, holds its 2027 festival from 14 to 18 April, with the parade itself on Saturday 17 April. Floats covered in hyacinths and tulips travel about 42 km from Noordwijk to Haarlem through the bulb villages, passing close to Keukenhof, and the evening stretch into Haarlem is the easiest part to reach by train from Amsterdam.
King's Day, Koningsdag, falls on Tuesday 27 April 2027, the King's birthday, with King's Night on the evening of Monday the 26th. Amsterdam turns orange: the canals fill with boats, the streets fill with the vrijmarkt, the one day a year anyone may sell on the street without a permit, and music plays on the squares. See our King's Day guide for where to go and how the day works.
The May school holiday, the meivakantie, runs from 24 April to 2 May 2027 in every region of the country this year, so the last week of April combines Dutch families on the move with the King's Day crowd.
#What to Do in Amsterdam in April
Solo Travellers
Take the train to Leiden early, hire a bike and ride through the bulb fields to Keukenhof, then cycle back by a different lane.
In the city, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are calmest on weekday mornings, and the Hortus Botanicus is in full spring growth.
Couples
Watch the flower parade arrive in Haarlem on the evening of 17 April, then stay for dinner in the old centre. Back in Amsterdam, book a small boat for an evening cruise; by the end of the month the canals stay light until about 9pm.
Families
Children love Keukenhof's petting farm, playground and maze, and the Vondelpark on King's Day, where children sell their own toys and play music for coins.
Artis zoo, NEMO, and the goat farm in the Amsterdamse Bos all suit a mild April day.
Groups
King's Night and King's Day are the party of the year: wear orange, head for the Jordaan or De Pijp, and expect to be on your feet all day. On any other weekend, a group bike tour of the bulb fields is a cheerful day out.
#Getting Around
From Schiphol the train to Centraal takes about a quarter of an hour; tap in and out with a contactless card, which also pays on GVB trams, buses and the metro, while the ferries across the IJ cost nothing. In the bulb season Keukenhof adds direct buses from Amsterdam RAI and from Leiden station, bookable together with garden entry or on their own.
April is the month cycling becomes pleasant again, and the cycle lanes fill accordingly. For the bulb fields, a hired bike from Lisse or Hillegom is better than a car: the lanes between the fields are flat and quiet, and traffic on the roads around Keukenhof backs up at weekends.
On King's Day, forget the tram. Lines through the centre are diverted or cut short from early morning, the stops are packed, and the canal belt is easier on foot than by any vehicle.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €105–170 | Hostel bed, sandwiches and market food, a hired bike |
| Mid-range | €240–380 | Canal-ring hotel, a museum, restaurant dinner |
| Luxury | €580+ | Top hotel, tasting menu, private boat |
April is one of the dearest months for a room, and the nights of the 26th and 27th are among the dearest of the year: rates around King's Day can double, and many places set minimum stays. The first half of April costs less.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Tourist tax | 12.5% of the room price in 2026; the 2027 rate follows the city budget |
| Keukenhof | Entry by time slot, bought in advance |
| Bulb fields | Free from the roads and cycle lanes |
| Flower parade | Free along the route |
| Tulips from a market stall | A few euros a bunch |
- Book April hotels months ahead, King's Day most of all.
- Buy Keukenhof tickets online for a set time.
- Bring cash for the vrijmarkt.
#Food & Dining
April is the start of the white asparagus season, the Dutch asperges, served with ham, egg and melted butter or hollandaise; the first harvests are expensive, and they get cheaper and better through May. Terraces open properly this month, often with blankets on the chairs.
On King's Day, the national snack is the oranje tompouce, a custard slice with orange icing sold by every bakery, and food is mostly from the stalls. Restaurants that open that day book up early, and many close.
#Nightlife
King's Night, on the 26th, is the biggest night out of the year in Amsterdam, with parties in the clubs, music on the streets and bars open late. Venues sell their King's Night tickets weeks ahead.
The rest of April is quieter: the brown cafés of the Jordaan, concerts at Paradiso and Melkweg, and the first terrace evenings on squares such as the Rembrandtplein.
#Shopping
The King's Day vrijmarkt is the shopping event of April: second-hand clothes, records, books and toys, priced to clear.
The rest of the month, the Bloemenmarkt on the Singel and the flower stalls of the street markets sell tulips by the bunch for a few euros, and bulbs to take home.
The Nine Streets and the Haarlemmerdijk have the independent shops. Most shops close on King's Day, except the stalls.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Wear orange on King's Day: it is not required, but almost everyone does.
- Haggle at the vrijmarkt: the sellers expect it.
- Stay out of the bulb fields: photograph from the road or the cycle path, never from between the rows.
- Keep off the cycle lanes on foot; they are red and busy.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Dutch | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Fijne Koningsdag | Happy King's Day | To anyone on the 27th |
| Wat kost dit? | What does this cost? | At the vrijmarkt |
| Mag het iets minder? | Could it be a bit less? | The vrijmarkt haggle |
| Een bos tulpen, graag | A bunch of tulips, please | At the flower stall |
| Hatsjoe! Gezondheid! | Atishoo! Bless you! | Birch pollen season |
| Waar is de bloemencorso? | Where is the flower parade? | On 17 April |
#Packing List
- A windproof jacket with a hood for showers
- Layers, because evenings are much colder than afternoons
- Something orange for King's Day
- Comfortable shoes for a day of walking and standing
- Cash in small notes for the vrijmarkt
- Antihistamines if you have hay fever
- Sunglasses for bright spring light
- A contactless card or phone for the trains and trams
#Backup Plans
If a shower settles in: go to Foam, the photography museum on the Keizersgracht, and the canal-house museum Willet-Holthuysen nearby, both small enough to see without a booked slot days ahead.
If Keukenhof is sold out or the weather is grey: cycle the bulb fields instead, which are free and at their best on a still day.
If King's Day is not for you: spend it outside the centre, at the Amsterdamse Bos or by train in Utrecht, where the celebrations are smaller.
#Safety & Health
King's Day is crowded rather than dangerous, but the crowds are dense: pickpockets work them, the canal edges have no railings, and moving against the crowd can be impossible by afternoon, so agree a meeting point. On any other day, the hazards are bikes, tram rails and wet cobbles. Hay fever is the April health problem: birch pollen peaks this month.
Emergency: 112.
#What's New for April 2027
- Easter falls on 28 March 2027, so April has no Easter weekend this year
- The flower parade runs on Saturday 17 April 2027, from Noordwijk to Haarlem
- King's Day is Tuesday 27 April 2027, with King's Night on Monday the 26th
- The May school holiday runs from 24 April to 2 May 2027 in all regions
- Keukenhof is open until Sunday 9 May 2027
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated October 2026 for April 2027. Climate figures are KNMI 1991–2020 normals for Amsterdam Schiphol. Dates and prices verified against:
- Keukenhof for the 2027 season
- Bloemencorso Bollenstreek for the 2027 parade
- Gemeente Amsterdam for King's Day 2027
- Rijksoverheid for the May school holiday
- KNMI for climate normals
For the month before, see Amsterdam in March, and for the month after, Amsterdam in May.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is April a good time to visit Amsterdam?
Yes, if you book early. The tulips peak from about mid-April, the light lasts past 8pm and the terraces open for good. It is also one of the dearest months for a room, and King’s Day on 27 April takes over the centre. With Easter in March in 2027, the first three weeks are the calmest.
When is King’s Day in 2027?
Tuesday 27 April 2027, with King’s Night on the evening of Monday the 26th. The centre becomes a street party and a citywide free market where anyone may sell on the pavement, trams through the canal belt are diverted, and hotel rates for those two nights are among the highest of the year.
When are the tulips at their best in 2027?
In an average year from about mid-April, at Keukenhof and in the fields between Lisse and Noordwijkerhout, though a cold March pushes the bloom later. Keukenhof is open from 18 March to 9 May 2027, and the flower parade travels from Noordwijk to Haarlem on Saturday 17 April.
Is Amsterdam expensive in April?
Yes, it is one of the dearest months for a room. Rates are highest during the Dutch May school holiday, which starts on 24 April 2027, and above all for the nights of King’s Night and King’s Day. The first half of the month, with no Easter weekend this year, is the better value.
What’s the weather like in Amsterdam in April?
Amsterdam in April typically sees temperatures of 5–14°C with around 9 days of rain across the period. Pack lightweight layers that suit both cooler mornings and warmer afternoons.