Hotel Lion d'Or
Why we like it: Haarlem's oldest city hotel, four-star, a step from the railway station and ten minutes on foot from the Grote Markt.
Duration2 nights
From Amsterdam15 min by train
Keukenhof 202718 Mar – 9 May
Budget€250–420 pp
KeukenhofFrom €21
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Friday evening by train from Amsterdam and sleep two nights in Haarlem, next to the station. On Saturday, Keukenhof first thing and the afternoon in the bulb fields; on Sunday, the city. Outside the Keukenhof season, swap Saturday for the museums and the beach.
Friday
- 118:00Train from Amsterdam and dinner at the Jopenkerk
Fifteen minutes by train, leave your luggage at the Hotel Lion d'Or, next to the station, and have dinner in the church converted into a brewery, open until late.
Saturday
- 107:15To Keukenhof
Seasonal bus or car to Lisse. The bus and ticket combinations for each year are on the park's website.
- 208:00Keukenhof with the first time slot
Three or four hours among the flower beds and pavilions before the crowds arrive.
- 313:00Bulb fields
By bike or car through the fields around Lisse, on the way back to Haarlem.
- 420:00Special dinner at Ratatouille
Four-course menu with a Michelin star beside the Spaarne, with a reservation.
Sunday
- 110:00Teylers Museum or Frans Hals
Both open on Sunday. The Teylers, if you are going with children; the Frans Hals, if you are interested in painting.
- 212:30Grote Markt
The main square and a cone of chips. St Bavo's is closed on Sunday: if you want to go in, do it on Friday or on Saturday afternoon.
- 314:30De Adriaan windmill and Spaarne boat
Climb to the windmill gallery and a 50-minute boat trip through the centre.
- 417:30Train to Amsterdam
Fifteen minutes to Amsterdam Centraal, or direct to Schiphol if you are flying.
Keukenhof can be done in a day from Amsterdam, but sleeping in Haarlem changes everything: you are closer, you go in at 8:00, before the coaches, and you have a whole day left for a city that many people skip. Haarlem is a quarter of an hour by train from Amsterdam, so this getaway fits at the end of a trip to the capital. In 2027, Keukenhof is open from 18 March to 9 May.
What does it cost?
| What | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam–Haarlem train | A few euros each way | With contactless card |
| Keukenhof | From €21 | Online, with time slot; €11 for ages 4 to 17 |
| St Bavo's | €4 | Closed on Sundays |
| Frans Hals or Teylers | €18.50 | Frans Hals free up to 18; Teylers €2.50 for ages 6 to 17 |
| De Adriaan windmill | €7.50 | From age 5 |
| Spaarne boat | From €17.98 | 50 minutes |
Where to stay
The Hotel Lion d'Or, next to the station, is the most practical without a car. If you go by car to tour the fields, the Stayokay Haarlem has free parking and breakfast included. The Hotel Carillon, on the Grote Markt itself, is the simple, central option.
Where to eat
The Jopenkerk serves all day inside a church; De Haerlemsche Vlaamse fries chips beside the Grote Markt until 18:00, and Ratatouille Food & Wine is the dinner for celebrating, with a Michelin star.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Haarlem, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Haarlem
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Amsterdam and a quarter-hour train ride
Haarlem is about 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal and very close to Schiphol, Amsterdam's airport, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and many other Spanish cities. You can use it as a base instead of Amsterdam: it is quieter, a little cheaper and in spring closer to the flower fields and Keukenhof.
- Getting thereAmsterdam Schiphol (AMS), the airport…
- Getting aroundOn foot around the centre…
- Where to sleepHotel Lion d'Or, beside the…
- ServicesHaarlem station
Getting there
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), the airport for the area
- Train from Amsterdam Centraal to Haarlem, about 15 minutes
- In the Keukenhof season, buses to the park; check its website
Getting around
- On foot around the centre: everything is within fifteen minutes
- Bikes for the bulb fields and the dunes
Where to sleep
- Hotel Lion d'Or, beside the station
- Hotel Carillon, on the Grote Markt
Services
- Haarlem station
Haarlem by train and on foot
Haarlem can be done entirely on foot from the station, and the train links it with Amsterdam, Leiden and Zandvoort beach several times an hour. The budget per person per day includes a mid-range double room, food and the train from Amsterdam.
100–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Lion d'Or, a step…
- Getting aroundTrain from Amsterdam Centraal, about…
- Where to eatDe Haerlemsche Vlaamse, chips beside…
- ServicesHaarlem station
Where to sleep
- Hotel Lion d'Or, a step from the station
- Hotel Carillon, simple and on the main square
- Stayokay Haarlem, with breakfast included and a bus to the door
Getting around
- Train from Amsterdam Centraal, about 15 minutes
- On foot around the centre; boat on the Spaarne
- Bikes for the flower fields in spring
Where to eat
- De Haerlemsche Vlaamse, chips beside the Grote Markt
- Jopenkerk, beer and food in a church
- Ratatouille Food & Wine, for a special occasion
Services
- Haarlem station
Haarlem by car, with the flower fields next door
A car makes sense in Haarlem mainly in spring, for touring the bulb fields between Haarlem and Lisse and reaching Keukenhof first thing. In the centre, leave it parked: everything is done on foot. The budget includes sleeping, food, petrol and parking.
110–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepStayokay Haarlem, with free parking…
- Getting aroundAbout 20 km from Haarlem…
- Where to eatJopenkerk, all day
- ServicesHaarlem station, if you are…
Where to sleep
- Stayokay Haarlem, with free parking and an electric charger
- Hotel Lion d'Or, with its own parking
Getting around
- About 20 km from Haarlem to Keukenhof, with €10 parking bought online
- The De Appelaar and De Kamp car parks in the centre
Where to eat
- Jopenkerk, all day
- Ratatouille Food & Wine, beside the Spaarne
Services
- Haarlem station, if you are going to Amsterdam
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a carif you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Stayokay Haarlem
Why we like it: A hostel with private rooms and breakfast included, beside a canal in the north of Haarlem, with free parking and bike hire.
Hotel Carillon
Why we like it: A simple hotel in a historic building on the Grote Markt, above its own café, with small rooms with bathroom and single rooms with shared bathroom.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Haarlem
Jopenkerk
What to order: the pairing of three Jopen beers with a bite each, with a reservation.
Ratatouille Food & Wine
What to order: the four-course menu at midday, Thursday to Sunday, with wine pairing.
Takeaway and markets
De Haerlemsche Vlaamse, Haarlem