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Tulleys Tulip Fest In West Sussex – Read This Before You Go

My name is Clare I have a thing about tulip fields! So much so that I have visited The Netherlands to see the tulips a couple of times. The last time we visited Keukenhof we mistimed it with the tulips finishing a lot earlier than expected. Although the gardens were still beautiful I missed seeing the sea of colour stretch for miles. So when I heard that Tulleys Farm was launching their version, known as Tulleys Tulip Fest I eagerly signed up for early bird tickets. With the Easter holidays being particularly busy with a trip to Ipswich and also taking the boys Interrailing we only managed to use our tickets this week. The question of course did Tulleys Tulip Fest live up to expectations? Or was it another money-making gimmick?

Table of Contents

Tulleys Tulip Fest – What to Expect

I am going to start with the important parts first. Tulleys Tulip Fest is a must for any tulip enthusiast but there are things you should be aware of before visiting.

Unsurprisingly it gets very busy. Something that is likely to get worse on the basis that they have recently just announced that despite planting some late season varieties, the weather has meant that they will be closing earlier than expected on the 28th of April. My advice is to get there early or late in the day especially if you want to take photos. There were a lot of people taking videos for various social media platforms when we visited.
Car parking is free and on hard standing, but by the time we left the car park was full.
There is a lot more to it than just tulips so I would allow at least two hours to make the most of your experience.
It is not cheap if you want to try some traditional Dutch street food or even purchase some tulips (more on this below) this can become an expensive day out.
Although the last entrance is at 4 pm it is open to 6.30 pm or over the weekends 8 pm.

The Tulips

Probably the most important thing. I was impressed with the sheer number of tulip bulbs that had been planted. Over 500,000 and over 100 different varieties in neat rows across the field. You can not miss the distinct burst of colour which is visible from the road. It really did remind me of the tulip fields we had seen near Amsterdam. Albeit on a much smaller scale. But still big enough to be able to wander down rows and rows and get all the photos you could possibly want.

The field which is on a slight hill has been divided into four roughly with a main walkway going through the middle and then up and down. The rows are not symmetrical having different varieties of tulips on each side. Some rows are a single tulip variety while others are a combination of different tulip species giving different colours, shapes and heights.

When we visited around halfway through its opening, there were a couple of lines of early bloomers that were over. But I could count on one hand how many with most in perfect flower. By standing at the top of the field it was easy to get a photo of all the different rows stretching off into the distance – a rolling kaleidoscope of colour. 2024 is the first year the Tulleys Farm have created the tulip festivals.

The Photo Opportunities

Part of the attraction is the number of photo opportunity spots scattered around the area. These are in addition to the beautiful rows of tulips. When we visited there were so many people that we couldn’t get close to them and to be honest it was not the reason we were visiting. There are several vehicles, tractors, places to sit, a giant heart and an iconic windmill which reminded me of some we have seen in The Netherlands.

Buying Tulips

The fields are not to be picked but there is still an opportunity to buy some flowers at Tulley’s Tulip Fest. In the courtyard area where the food outlets are, there are lots of planted tulips for sale. These tulip bulbs are already in flower and planted in medium or large-sized pots for £14.95 or £19.95. In the shop which you need to pass through to exit the event you can buy cut tulips these are priced at £12.50 for 10 or £20 for £20. Individual stems are £1.50 each and there is a wide selection of different varieties to choose from.

In the shop, there is also a selection of gifts from small Sussex businesses. Including dog accessories and characters to crochet.

Tulleys Tulip Fest – Food Options

Along with seeing the beauty of these flowers in their picturesque landscape Tulleys Tulip Fest has a lot of different food options. Ranging from the opportunity to toast marshmallows at £1.50 each. Indulge in mini Dutch pancakes called Poffertjes with ten costing £6 and twenty costing £10. They also have gelato starting at £3.50.

If you would prefer a variety of savoury snacks then you can purchase from a selection of burgers, chicken wings and hot dogs. Expect to pay around £10. For a taste of Holland, they also sell Friet (chips from Amsterdam) along with Fritessaus. A cone of chips with one sauce will set you back £6.50. There are plenty of picnic tables laid out. Both are under cover near the various food vendors but also run along one side of the tulips. Visiting around lunchtime we could still find somewhere to sit. To drink there is a coffee stand and a bar selling a range of soft and alcoholic drinks.

How to get to Tulleys Tulip Fest

Tulleys Tulip Fest is located in Turners Hill, near Crawley in the beautiful West Sussex countryside. It is important to note that it is not at the same location as Tulley’s Farm escape rooms or the drive-in cinema. Although it is close by. It is clearly signposted but you can use the postcode RH14 0PD to reach the field on the Turners Hill Road. Because of the location, you do need to drive as it is not easily accessible by public transport.

Tickets for Tulleys Tulip Fest

You do need to buy tickets in advance. I brought ours back in February when they had early bird tickets on sale these allow you entry on any day you would like. Alternatively, you can purchase entrance tickets through their website. Some of the remaining dates are already sold out. Costs are dependent on the day chosen and range from £12 to £15 per person and are the same price for everyone over the age of 2. Under 2s are free.

Key Dates and Times

Tulleys Tulip Fest is open until the 28th of April 2024.
Closed on Mondays.
Open 9.30 am to 6.30 pm Tuesday to Thursday (last entry 4 pm)
Open 9.30 am to 8 pm Friday to Sunday (last entry 6 pm)

A trip to the tulip fields is the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Have you been? Let me know about your favourite tulip spots in the comments below.