The 45 minute boat trips run from the windmill through the surrounding bulb fields and give a different perspective of the gardens. There are two flat bottom punt boats which seat about 40 passengers and the trip takes about 45 minutes. There is a commentary but my set of headphones refused to work.
It is a leisurely sail along with the sound of skylarks and black headed gulls, great crested grebes, heron and lapwings. The trip follows the canal running along the edge of Keukenhof Gardens before sailing past commercial bulb fields. We could see people working in the fields either picking unopened buds to sell or removing flowering heads to encourage new bulb development.
Tickets for the trips are bought from a kiosk near the windmill. The trips are very popular and there can be long queues for tickets and an even longer wait for the boat.
The boats are unsuitable for wheelchair users and less mobile visitors may find them difficult to get on and off.
This isn’t a must do, although it was a very enjoyable trip. You are at nose level to the banks so get good views of the vegetation, but may need to stand to see the bulb fields.
There are more pictures “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/otherholidays/holland/day_two/keukenhof_three/index.html
