10 Stunning Spring Flower Festivals Around the World in 2025

From tulip gardens planned to perfection to massive flower-covered floats rolling through city streets, here’s a run down on the 10 most stunning spring flower festivals. How does Japan’s cherry blossom season work? The magical wisteria tunnels you’ve seen online — but how to get there? Did you know that Girona’s medieval streets are completely covered in floral art installations for a limited time each May? Willing to learn where Chanel No. 5 was made?

Keukenhof Tulip Festival – Netherlands

Keukenhof is the world’s largest tulip garden, spanning 32 hectares (79 acres) and hosting over 7,000,000 bulbs. The name Keukenhof means “kitchen garden”, a nod to its origins as a herb garden for Jacqueline, Countess of Teylingen, in the 15th century. The land later became part of Keukenhof Castle, and in 1949, a group of 20 flower growers and exporters turned it into a showcase for the Dutch flower industry.

What to See at Keukenhof

🌷 Tulip Fields & Themed Gardens – The gardens are divided into sections, including an English landscape garden, a Japanese garden, and a historical garden with rare tulip varieties. Each year, the floral designs change, making every visit different.

🏛️ Pavilions & Exhibits – Keukenhof has four main pavilions displaying orchids, roses, lilies, and seasonal flowers.

🚲 Explore the Surroundings – The fields outside Keukenhof are just as impressive. Rent a bike or take a whisper boat tour through the endless rows of tulips for a different perspective.

Is Keukenhof overrated?

Keukenhof has 37k+ reviews on Google, so yes, it’s insanely popular and boasts some 1,5 million visitors during its 8-week season. Is it still worth a visit? Here’s what people are saying:

It’s pretty cool. I wouldn’t travel internationally to see it, but if you’re nearby it’s worth checking out. I went 3x in the six years I lived in NL.

I am not necessarily a flower lover, but I could go every year. The design, the space, different areas are arranged beautifully. There are restaurants, kids play areas, lakes, an indoor area, and so many flowers that it melt my cold heart. Definitely worth it.

Cherry Blossom Festival – Japan

Hanami, or cherry (sakura) blossom viewing, is a beloved tradition in Japan. Parks fill with picnickers beneath the pink blossoms, celebrating the fleeting beauty of spring. The tradition of hanami has been practiced for centuries. It’s deeply rooted in Japanese culture, going back to the Heian Period (794–1185). The cherry blossoms were often seen as a metaphor for the ephemeral beauty of living, reflecting the transient nature of life and beauty.

Top Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots 📍

Though it’s referred to as a ‘festival’, in reality, it’s not a specific event, it’s more like a seasonal activity. Therefore, there are plenty of parks across Japan offering that signature Japanese attraction:

• Mount Yoshino (Kansai Region): is a ‘premium’ destination for cherry blossom tourism, hosting over 30k cherry trees.
• Philosopher’s Path (Kyoto): is a serene canal-side walkway, named after philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who was supposedly using this path for meditation.
• Ueno Park (Tokyo): probably the most popular and crowded
• Hirosaki Castle Park (Aomori): Home to some 2,600 cherry trees, the park offers a historic backdrop with the 3-story Hirosaki Castle, almost as nice as Mount Fuji
• Maruyama Park (Kyoto): the most popular public park in Kyoto, adjacent to the famous Yasaka Shrine. The centerpiece is a large weeping cherry tree that is illuminated at night, providing a magical atmosphere.

When to See Cherry Blossoms 🌸

Unlike other countries, the cherry blossom season in Japan is very long. It starts in Okinawa (January–February) and moves northward, peaking in Tokyo/Kyoto in late March to early April, and reaching Hokkaido in May. The expected dates for the 2025 season are below. Of course, the exact timing might change.

• Tokyo: starting on March 24 and reaching full bloom by April 1
• Kyoto: around March 29, with full bloom by April 7
• Osaka: similar to Kyoto
• Sapporo (Hokkaido): from April 28, with full bloom by May 2

What makes Japanese cherry blossoms special?

Japan is not the only country to grow cherries, so you can probably witness cherry blossom in many other places. What makes Japan so special?

First of all is the variety. Japan has around 300 species of cherry blossoms, far more than most countries. Somei Yoshino is the most famous, but weeping cherries (shidarezakura), double-petaled varieties (yaezakura), and late-blooming kikuzakura extend the season. In contrast, places like Washington, D.C., mostly have Somei Yoshino, offering less diversity.

The second is deep cultural immersion. It’s one of the most well-known ‘Japanese’ experiences, even with the crowds, it’s still making it to many bucket lists.

Madeira Flower Festival – Portugal

When:  May 1st to 25th, 2025

Where: streets of Funchal, Madeira

Cost: Free

Unlike, Japanese cherry blossoms, Madeira Flower Festival is relatively young. It started in the 1950s as a small Rose Fair but at the end of the 70s with the efforts of the local tourism board, it developed into a regional cultural celebration with parades and celebrations.

Madeira Flower Festival Highlights

🌸 Wall of Hope (Muro da Esperança) – One of the most symbolic events, held on May 3, where children place flowers on a large wall in Funchal’s city center. This tradition represents hopes for a peaceful world.

🌺 Grand Flower Parade (Cortejo Alegórico da Flor) – On May 4, elaborately decorated floats covered in thousands of flowers parade through Funchal’s streets. Locals dress in floral-themed costumes, dancing alongside the floats to traditional music.

🎭 Floral Carpets & Exhibits – Intricate carpets made entirely of petals line the streets, especially around Avenida Arriaga. These temporary works of art are carefully arranged in geometric and traditional patterns.

🎶 Traditional Performances – Throughout the festival, folk music, dance, and street performances bring Madeira’s culture to life.

Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival – UK

Tulips first arrived in England in the 17th century, becoming symbols of wealth and status among European nobility. King William III, a great admirer of Dutch horticulture, introduced vast tulip gardens to Hampton Court, shaping the palace’s landscape.

Festival Highlights

🌷 Grand Tulip Displays – Vibrant tulips line the Fountain Garden, Wilderness Garden, and courtyards, creating a picture-perfect setting.

🏰 Tulips in the Tudor Fountain – A unique floral installation where tulips float in the palace’s historic wine fountain.

🌿 17th-Century Tulip Varieties – See some of the earliest tulip cultivars, including striped and feathered “broken tulips,” once prized by collectors during the Dutch “Tulip Mania.”

The tulip display at Hampton Court Palace is much more modest compared to Keukenhof: 7,000,000 against 100,000, having a comparable area. The explanation is simple—Keukenhof is designated solely for the flower exhibit, and Hampton Court has an estate and palace, as well as other buildings. On top of that, tulips at Keukenhof are planted in layers to extend the blooming season.

Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden – Japan

I bet you have seen these magical wisteria tunnels at least once on TikTok or Instagram. If you wondered where they are: it’s a private garden in Fukuoka, Japan, and the season is very short – some 3 weeks in spring.

If you wonder why you see ‘demon slayer’ comments in all the reviews of this garden… In the anime and manga series “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” wisteria are depicted as a protective barrier against demons, symbolizing purity and safety. This association has further popularized wisteria, drawing fans to gardens like Kawachi Fujien to experience the blossoms firsthand.

Tiempo de Flores Girona (Temps del Flors ) – Spain

When: May 10 to May 18, 2025

Where: old town of Girona, Barri Vell

Cost: Free

Like Madeira’s Festival, Girona’s Temps del Flors is free and relatively young (1954), evolving from an entrepreneurial exhibition into a city-wide celebration. The medieval Girona is worth a day trip from Barcelona, as well as spending a weekend.

The flower installations are very creative and artistic. Over 100 floral displays take over staircases, bridges, church facades, and hidden courtyards, blending architecture and nature in unexpected ways. One year, the steps of Girona Cathedral became a cascading river of petals; another year, an ancient stone alley was covered in floating flower sculptures.

Istanbul Tulip Festival – Turkey

When: April

Where: Istanbul, Turkey

Cost: Free

Unlike Madeira or Girona, the Istanbul Tulip or Lale Festival is more like sakura blossom in Japan: a season not a specific event. But the timing, of course, is bound to the blooming and usually lasts through the entire month of April.

📍 Key Locations:

• Emirgan Park – The festival’s main venue, featuring over 120 tulip varieties, walking paths, and historic Ottoman pavilions.
• Gülhane Park – A stunning display near Topkapi Palace, once part of the Ottoman Imperial Gardens.
• Sultanahmet Square – Tulip beds arranged in artistic patterns, framed by the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque.
• Yıldız Park & Beykoz Park – Lesser-known spots for a quieter tulip viewing experience.

Tulips are often associated with the Netherlands, but their true origin lies in Central Asia and the Ottoman Empire. In the 16th century, the flower became a symbol of wealth and refinement in Istanbul, reaching its peak during the Tulip Era (Lâle Devri) of the early 18th century. This period was marked by extravagant tulip gardens, tulip-themed art, and even tulip-inspired architecture.

Today, the festival revives this tradition, with over 30 million tulips planted throughout the city every year.

Grasse Rose Festival – France

When: May 8 to May 11, 2025
Where: Grasse, French Riviera, France

Cost: Free
Every May, Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, is taken over by the scent of thousands of roses for the Expo Rose Festival. Over 25,000 freshly cut roses, 13,000 rose bushes, and 8,500 floral arrangements transform the town into an open-air garden. But in Grasse, roses aren’t just for decoration — they’re the foundation of centuries-old perfume-making traditions that still thrive today.

Grasse is where some of the world’s most luxurious perfumes are created. The Rosa centifolia, or May Rose, is one of the most precious flowers in the perfume industry, cultivated in Grasse’s surrounding fields and harvested each spring. Its delicate, honeyed scent is a key ingredient in legendary fragrances like Chanel No. 5 and Dior’s J’adore.

During the festival, visitors get a rare chance to experience the art of perfume-making up close by visiting some of the town’s most famous perfumeries:

🏺 Fragonard – One of Grasse’s most iconic perfumeries, offering guided tours where you can see how natural ingredients, including roses, are transformed into exquisite fragrances.

🌿 Molinard – Known for its vintage-style perfume workshops, where visitors can create their own custom scent using rose extracts.

🌸 Galimard – One of the oldest perfumeries in France, offering behind-the-scenes access to traditional fragrance distillation methods.

Chelsea Flower Show – UK

Organized by the Royal Horticultural Society, the Chelsea Flower Show is one of the world’s most prestigious flower and garden events. It’s one of Britain’s most glamorous social gatherings. Designers spend years trying to get a spot here, and once they do, they have just three weeks to turn an empty patch of land into a masterpiece.

What is special about the Chelsea Flower Show?

🏆 The Competition – The big prize is RHS Gold, awarded to the best gardens in categories like Show Gardens, Sanctuary Gardens, and Balcony Gardens.

💐 The Great Pavilion – A space so packed with flowers it’s been called the Wimbledon of gardening. This is where growers showcase rare, new, and historic plant varieties, hoping to catch the eye of collectors and designers.

🎩 A Social Calendar Highlight – Chelsea is a place to be seen. The first two days are invite-only, attended by royalty, celebrities, and garden designers. Expect big hats, floral dresses, and champagne in every hand.

If you plan well in advance, you can attend it in style – arriving aboard the Northern Belle.

Bloemencorso Bollenstreek – Netherlands

Where: from Noordwijk to Haarlem, passing through towns like Voorhout, Sassenheim, Lisse (near Keukenhof), Hillegom, Bennebroek, and Heemstede. Check the event’s official website for the exact route and timings.

When: Saturday, April 12, 2025

The Bloemencorso Bollenstreek, or Flower Parade of the Bulb Region is an annual celebration. Unlike Keukenhof’s serene tulip gardens, Bloemencorso is a lively flower parade featuring massive floats made entirely of flowers. The 42 km / 26-mi route winds through towns and countryside, with crowds gathering to watch the procession.

Corsoweek April 9–13, 2025: Leading up to the main event, visitors can observe volunteers crafting the floats, attend an evening parade in Noordwijkerhout on April 11, and view stationary float displays in Haarlem on April 13.

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