Stroll among a sea of colours: Tulip Festival near Vancouver

Spring has arrived in Vancouver! The days are getting longer, the bears are waking up and the city is transforming into a colourful palette of pinks and whites. As the trees start to blossom, an array of flowers begin to show their beautiful colours throughout the city. Not only can you admire the flower displays in the many parks and gardens, but venture a little outside of Vancouver, and you’ll find vast fields of vibrant tulips.

There’s no need to book a trip to the Netherlands to admire the tulip fields. You can now enjoy the sea of flowers near Vancouver. From mid-April until the start of May, Abbotsford Bloom Tulip Festival invites guests to come stroll among the flowers.

Last year, we took the one hour drive from Vancouver to the festival. The weather was patchy, with the sun desperately trying to show itself through the rain clouds. Yet, even in the grey weather, the vibrant colours of the tulips were eye-catching.

We waited for the rain to subside before walking the muddy paths to the fields. We passed a few visitors in fancy shoes and white sneakers, and I was glad I was wearing my black rain boots…

As we walked between the tulips, the sun finally peeked through the clouds, and, as if the flowers weren’t photogenic enough, a rainbow appeared before us, complementing the many tulip colours.

We spent about an hour walking around the fields, taking plenty of pictures and enjoying the colourful display stretched out in front of us.

We hope to visit the festival again this year. Even though we visited the tulip fields last year, it’s always a fabulous feast for the eyes and a perfect excuse to indulge in some gorgeous photography!

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Tickets

Tickets can be bought on-site, as well as online. Prices vary depending on when you want to visit. The best time to buy is online and in advance. Prices go up significantly on the day. Check the website for more info on the rates.

Opening times

The Festival is open from 9 am until 7.30 pm with last entry at 7 pm but visitors can stay until dusk.
You are also able to visit the tulips at sunrise. To gain admission at this time of the day, you need a ‘Magic Hour’ pass, which can be purchased online or at the gate. As with normal admission rates though, you’ll be able to grab a cheaper rate if you buy online in advance.

Things to know before you go

• Check the weather before you go. Even if it’s not raining on the day, it might still be muddy, especially if it has been raining the previous days. If this the case, rain boots will be a must.
• There are portable toilets on-site.
• You can bring your own food and enjoy your lunch in the covered picnic areas. But, if you forget to bring food and you’re feeling peckish after your stroll, there are food trucks available at the festival.
• Apart from admiring the tulips in the field, you can buy the flowers on-site.

When were our photos taken?

We visited Bloom at the end of the festival. We arrived after 5 pm on the weekend. Usually, the crowds are a little less after 5 pm, and because of the rain, the fields were almost empty.

We tried to wait for the rain to stop, but after 20 minutes, it didn’t look like it would. After a while, we didn’t mind the rain anymore and, thanks to the stunning tulip colours, the photos came out vibrantly nonetheless.