Imagine stepping into a world of vibrant colours, with rows upon rows of tulips stretching as far as the eye can see. No, we are not in the Netherlands, we are in Sussex, an hour away from central London.
Last weekend, when a friend suggested a visit to Tulleys Tulip Fest, I was intrigued. Tulleys Farm, located just 15 minutes away from my doorstep, has long been a familiar haunt, known initially for its nostalgic drive-in cinema. However, as the years passed, Tulleys continually expanded, introducing new attractions such as the pumpkin patch or the sunflower field.
This year, I discovered a surprising addition: a sprawling tulip field that had transformed the landscape near Gatwick Airport into a colourful Dutch-inspired spectacle.
In this article, I am excited to share my experience of visiting Tulleys Tulip Fest and offer insider tips on how to make the most of your visit, from navigating the field to capturing the perfect Instagram-worthy shot.
How to Get to Tulleys Farm?
The nearest town to Tulleys Farm is Crawley, with its Three Bridges station. You can easily get here with a direct train from either London Victoria or London Bridge in around 45 minutes.
From Three Bridges you can take the 84 bus, directly to Tulley, which runs approximately every two hours. The fare is £2 per person. If you prefer a taxi, you can take one from the front of the station. The fare should be around £10. By bus, it’s a 20-minute journey, whilst by taxi a 10-minute journey.
You can check the bus schedule here.
Tickets to the Tulleys Tulip Fest
You can buy tickets to Tulleys Tulip Fest online, but you have to be quick, as the best slots go fast, especially if you want to visit on a weekend. To limit the number of people and to offer a better visiting experience, the number of tickets is limited, with hourly entry slots. A few days in advance, our preferred time slots weren’t available – even though the weather was forecasted to be bad.
The price of a ticket is £10 on weekdays and £12 during the weekend. The tickets for children over 3 years old cost the same as for adults.
What to Expect At Tulleys Tulip Fest
I arrived at Tulleys Farm on a Sunday, at around half eleven in the morning. All three cars driving in front of me turned left when we reached Tulley’s which made me realise that it would be busy. And I was right. Most of the car park was already full, but still, it wasn’t hard to find a parking space quickly. I met my friend Natalia, and we headed towards the entrance, which was a barn decorated with tulips.
Outside, rusty bicycles decorated with baskets filled with blooms brightened up the gloomy day, while an old, weathered truck brimmed with yellow tulips, brought a kind of rustic charm to the place.
With our tickets swiftly checked and hands stamped, we stepped into the mini Dutch flower wonderland. Here is where all the food stations are, alongside a large covered seating area, and a middle ground filled with potted tulips which can be bought for £14,95 a piece.
We headed straight for the fields, leaving the food for later.
The Tulip Fields
While Tulleys’ tulip fields may not rival the vast expanses of the Netherlands, they still offer plenty of space without feeling overcrowded.
There are around 100 different types of tulips planted at Tulleys, painting the scenery with hues of soft pastels to vibrant yellows and deep purples. Among my favourites were the delicate pastel pink tulips, with a subtle fringe at the end of each petal. Even if the weather was not great (I visited during the strong winds of storm Kathleen), I still enjoyed how the vibrant colours contrasted with the grey sky covered by heavy clouds.
Whilst the official website says there are 10 kilometres of tulip fields, walking through the flower beds felt quite short. I don’t think I spent more than half an hour in the actual fields, walking from one end to the other and around. I did enjoy the two musicians walking around the field, playing music on their guitars.
Photo Props
If you’re planning to capture picture-perfect moments for your Instagram feed at Tulleys Tulip Fest, you’re in luck! The farm offers plenty of props that transport you to the picturesque landscapes of the Netherlands, right here in England. At the heart of the fields stands a charming working windmill which looks very pretty in the background, especially when you take photos from afar.
One of the most iconic photo spots is the wooden heart structure, offering panoramic views of the fields and the windmill. While it may take a few tries to capture the ideal shot without any bystanders in the background, but if I managed to get a great shot on a crowded Sunday, you can too.
There are more benches, and even a wooden bridge throughout the fields, where you can take that perfect Insta shot.
Food and Drinks
As this festival is a celebration of the tulip, the food served at Tulleys is Dutch-inspired. On offer are burgers, Dutch fries, chicken wings with different sauces, poffertjes, roasted marshmallows, and ice cream. There is also a bar and a coffee stand. We tried the poffertjes, which are Dutch mini pancakes, topped with maple syrup. Unfortunately, they were undercooked and the middle was raw, so we didn’t enjoy them.
Souvenir Shop
To exit the Tulip Fest you have to pass through the souvenir shop, from where you can buy bouquets of tulips, scented candles, tea towels and even teddy bears. A tulip costs £1.5, with a bouquet of 10, nicely wrapped is £12,50. 20 tulips in a bouquet cost £20. There is an entire dog section as well with biscuits shaped like tulips and little bandanas.
Accessibility
Ever since I met my friend Sassy who is blind, I always pay attention to how accessible a site it. Tulleys Tulip Fest is an accessible site, weather permissive, as it is a field and if it rains a lot like it did lately, it can get muddy. The courtyard is hard standing, whilst the tulip rows are planted with a 1 meter space between them. The pathway between the fields are very wide as well. The site also provides an accessible toilet.
Overall, visiting Tulleys Tulip Fest was a nice experience that brought a pop of colour to my day.
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