Want some free things to do in April in the Netherlands?
Don’t worry, we have you covered. Guess what… the cold spell is finally over! No more snow or daily occurrences of freezing to death. The sun is setting later now (thanks daylight saving) and everybody is feeling chirpier. This is one of the best months in the Netherlands for most of us. Not to mention it’s TULIP SEASON! So you can already guess what some of our suggestions will be. Yeah, that’s right, you can see the tulips for FREE! My number one suggestion for free things to do in April in the Netherlands. How lucky are we to live in the land of tulips?!
Tulips ain’t your thing? Don’t worry we have some other free spring events to cast your eyes on. Here’s 5 free things to do in April in the Netherlands.
#1: Amsterdam Tulip Festival
When?
28th March – 30th April 2018
Where?
All over Amsterdam (Here’s the map of where the tulips will be)
Following the official opening of Amsterdam tulip festival on 28th March, if you happen to be in Amsterdam throughout April – then you need to take a nice long walk around the central areas (mainly). Over 500,000 tulips will be on display around Amsterdam as this time, at an attempt to restore the ‘old’ Amsterdam (lots of green spaces and flowers). As the population grows, green spaces disappear in the Netherlands. So this is the perfect time to see Amsterdam covered in beautiful tulips.
See you don’t have to pay and go into a museum to have a good time in Amsterdam. 
#2: Fields of around the Keukenhof
When?
30th March – May 2018
Where?
Fields around the Keukenhof
The Keukenhof opened only very recently (22nd March – 13th May) and what does this mean? TULIPS! However, if you’re on a tight budget and want to take all of your family, it’s not going to be cheap. Don’t worry, there is no need to go inside the Keukenhof if this is the case. The fields surrounding the Keukenhof are filled with tulips. You can walk, drive or cycle around them and its not to be missed. I drove to the Keukenhof and decided to drive around them after and I wouldn’t recommend it. Everybody has the same idea and is pulling up at the side of the road to take pictures and blocks the whole road! However, it’s not a bad sight to sit in traffic for. A bike ride is the most Dutch way of doing it.
Don’t want to go around the Keukenhof? There are plenty of other times to see the tulip fields. The best place is the bulb region – Bollenstreek. It’s the whole area between Leiden, the Hague and Haarlem. So catch a train, or grab a bike (if you want it entirely free) and there you have it.
#3: Easter Sunday
When?
1st April
Where?
All over the Netherlands!
IT’S EASTER TIME! But what can I do for free? Well hopefully you’ll get a basket load of Easter eggs and that’s free and lekker. If you’re after something traditional and free, how about a Easter walk or bike ride. There is no better time to get out and enjoy the day. So, where shall I go? You could explore the windmills of Kinderdijk and Zaanse Schans. Maybe you could give Giethoorn a visit or take a walk along the beach in Scheveningen or Hoek van Holland. You could take a trip or Texel or explore a new city like Amersfoort (my fav place). Even a walk around your local park would be nice with all of the flowers in bloom. Easter Sunday is the perfect time to enjoy living the Netherlands, by doing a simple thing like a walk or a bike ride.
#4: Museum Rotterdam
When?
7th April
Where?
Museum Rotterdam, Rotterdam
After a cool museum which you don’t have to pay for? Well for one day only, Museum Rotterdam is open to the public for free! We explored Museum Rotterdam not long ago and it the perfect place to visit if you are after some true Dutch history. For those who don’t know Rotterdam: Rotterdam was bombed in WW2 and not much was left, that explains Rotterdam’s rich (yet deeply upsetting) history and amazing architecture (well you had to start somewhere). So if you haven’t been to Rotterdam before, or are a local just wanting to learn a little bit more about Rotterdam in general, then head down to Museum Rotterdam on this day and it’s completely free!
#5: Rotterdam Marathon
When?
8th April from 10am
Where?
All around central Rotterdam
Another gratis Rotterdam day out on the list (maybe you could do one, one day and the other the next, make a holiday out of it). It’s time for the Rotterdam marathon! If you’re an aspiring runner, or just like to watch people in pain, then head down to central Rotterdam to witness the amazing inspiration of the Rotterdam marathon runners. Let us hope that the weather holds out and we are not going to be cheering in the rain.
So there you have it: our 5 free things to do in April in the Netherlands. Stay tuned for our next installment next month! What will you be doing in April? Let us know in the comments! If you want more of this, don’t forget to join our Facebook group… you know you wanna.
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