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Tesselaar Tulip Festival

Tesselaar Tulip Festival

Those looking to attend The Tesselaar Tulip Festival will be happy to know it is only one hour’s drive from the Melbourne CBD. This popular yearly event is renowned for its fantastic display of tulip flowers and interactive exhibits.

You will come across various tulip species worldwide, so come and explore over half a million tulips at the wonderful Tesselaar Tulip Festival.

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2024 Dates Calendar, Times & Tickets, Silvan

This unique festival is held at the Tesselaar Nursery in Silvan, one of the many suburbs within the Dandenong Ranges. Apart from the beautiful flower display, this festival also showcases live entertainment, a multicultural food exhibition and a sculpture display.

Well over a million spring flowering bulbs are on show throughout the festival. There is live entertainment on stage daily for you to enjoy, including music and performances.

You can wander around the gardens and indulge in traditional Dutch foods and other treats. There is more than a touch of Dutch; you could visit the Clog Shop and try some on, see the biggest clog in the world (and climb in for a photo).

The delightful Dandenong Ranges Yarra Valley region provides a stunning backdrop for this unmissable event. This area is home to many magnificent gardens to visit over the weekend.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. If you buy your tickets online, you must print them; they can be used for one admission on any day. Tickets on mobile phones will not be accepted.

You can drive to the festival, around 60 km from Melbourne. Alternatively, get on a Lilydale-bound train from Melbourne CBD and alight at Lilydale Station.

There will be a bus charter on the weekends and Public Holidays to make things easy for you. Buses depart Lilydale Station (to meet the train) and deliver you to our door. The cost is just $5pp, and children 16 and under (when accompanied by an adult) ride free.

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Michael Jones

Michael created and runs the Dandenong Ranges Point website, as well as the Holiday Point travel brand that incorporates a network of 16 location based travel information and attraction websites around Australia, Asia, and around the world.

With 25+ years of online experience and a passion for travel (having lived in Melbourne most of his life and has visited the Dandenong Ranges many times), Michael not only researches and writes content for the website, he also tinkers behind the scenes with the website functionality & design.

Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions.

98 Comments

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    • Hi Lynne,

      I have gone through the official event website’s frequently asked questions section and found the following information about wheelchair accessibility:

      “The Tesselaar Tulip Festival is held on a working farm with unsealed roads and paths. The property is located on a slope. People with limited mobility will require assistance with access”.

      Additional to this, there is “a limited number of wheelchairs available which we allow our visitors to use free of charge. They are located in our information stand. However, we do not take reservations and cannot guarantee there will be one for your visit. If you need a wheelchair we advise you bring your own or secure hire for one from somewhere else”.

      Hope this helps and please don’t hesitate to give them a call for any specific questions you may have.

      Thanks
      Michael

      Reply to this comment

  • Hello,
    My mom is coming over until around 16th September. What will be the entertainment on the Turkish weekend Tulip festival 15-16th September? I have also 1 toddler with me, what entertainment for the kid during the day?

    Reply to this comment

    • Hi Silvia,

      I have checked the official website, and although it does have a rundown of the different weekends, it doesn’t go as deep has having an actual schedule and times (a lot of other websites are still referencing 2017).

      Aside form the usual tulip and garden displays, it’s mentions that you can:
      – Enjoy traditional and modern Turkish couture and textiles
      – Enjoy some amazing music on stage including classical and modern Turkish bands
      – Experience memorable performances of Turkish folk dances and belly dancing
      – Enjoy the aromas and tastes of rich Traditional Turkish cuisine
      – The Australian Turkish Mehter Band (Marching Band) will perform at 1pm on Sunday
      – Watch artistic demonstrations such as calligraphy and marbling, and take part in workshops
      – Shop in the market bazaar for hand-made Iznik ceramics, Turkish rugs, throws, bags, decorative pillows, traditional jewellery, handicrafts, and more.
      – Sip a cup of Turkish coffee and after you have finished, turn the cup upside down and have an reader tell you your fortune

      We are in the process of updating our website and will be adding a lot new information this week from the official event brochure.

      Thanks
      Michael

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Joo,

      Be that the Tulip Festival starts 2 days after you plan to visit, there may not be too much to do and they’ll likely be preparing and setting up for the weekend.

      I visited a few weeks ago and really the only thing open was the Nursey, which is open Monday to Friday from 9am – 4.30pm. Aside from that though, you might nit be allowed to enter the festival area.

      I’d suggest calling them on 03 9737 7722 or filling in their contact form at http://www.tulipfestival.com.au/contact-us to find out if anything will be available.

      Thanks
      Michael

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Jane,

      The Tesselaar Tulip Festival starts on the 15th of September 2018. Here is a list of the major themes/event dates for the 2018 festival:

      Turkish Weekend: 15-16 Sept 2018
      Tulips in Wonderland Week: 17-20 Sept 2018
      Dutch Weekend: 21-23 Sept 2018
      Children’s Week: 24-27 Sept 2018
      Food, Wine & Jazz Weekend: 28-30 Sept 2018
      Children’s Week: 1-4 Oct 2018
      Irish Weekend: 5-7 Oct 2018
      Tulipmania!: 8-14 Oct 2018

      Have a wonderful time!
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Max,

      Tulipmania was created as an extension to the festival, as the tulips flowered one week later this year. The schedule is yet to be confirmed, but there will be daily live entertainment and other (yet unspecified) activities.

      Head on over for the last week of the Tesselaar Tulip Festival!
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Aribah,

      Unfortunately, the Tesselaar Tulip Festival only runs until 15 October and they tulips will be harvested immediately thereafter. You can still however head over to the Tesselaar Tulip Nursery (same location) to see what they have on offer. I am not aware of any other tulip farms in Victoria, however I would highly recommend a visit to the National Rhododendron Gardens which are magnificent in Spring.

      Have a great time!
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Devinda,

      Make your way into the Melbourne CBD by taking either the Airport Bus (Skybus) or a taxi to Southern Cross Station.

      Board a Train to Lilydale Station. From Lilydale station, board the Route 663 Bus which will take you to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.

      Best regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

  • Hi, we are 3 senior ladies who are hoping to see the tulips in full bloom and were intending to come this Friday 22nd but are unsure if there will be a good showing yet due to the late flowering. Any advice ?

    Reply to this comment

        • can i know the exact date fot tulips festival?
          im planning to visit Melbourne on 16th OCT. Is there any chance for me to see tulips?

        • Hi Nani,

          The dates for the Tesselaar Tulip Festival are included on our page: 14 September 2017 to 10 October 2017
          Turkish Weekend: 15-17 September 2017
          Yarra Ranges Week: 18-21 September 2017
          Dutch Weekend: 22-24 September 2017
          Children’s Week: 25-28 September & 2-5 October 2017
          Food, Wine & Jazz Weekend: 29 September – 1 October 2017
          Irish Weekend: 6-8 October 2017

          Have a great time!
          Jess

    • Hi Yani,

      The Tessealaar Tulip Festival runs between 14 September and 10 October 2017. For the rest of the year the Tesselaar Tulip Farm operates as a nursery and mail order plant business. Sadly the tulips are not on display at any other time. So you will need to try and get there on or before the 10th of October.

      Kind regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

  • Hi, is there any tour program to get to Tesselaar Tulip Festival??
    i will be at Melbourne at 21 September 2017….and i would like to go to Tesselaar Tulip is its possible…
    or any advice how to get there which is suitable for child and elder….
    looking forward for your answer…
    thanks before

    Reply to this comment

    • Hi Yessy,

      If you don’t have your own transport, the best way to get there is via train from the Melbourne CBD.

      Board a Train from Flinders Street Station to Lilydale Station. There will be a shuttle bus from Lilydale Train Station that will go to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival 5 minutes after the train arrives. The prices is $3 for a return ticket.

      Kind regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Ariani,

      The tulip festival is not currently running (starts in September). Tulip bulbs are planted in May, so you wont see any tulips at this time. You can however visit the Tesselaar Nursery which is free to enter.

      Kind regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Sue,

      I got in contact wit the festival organisers and they advised the following: Every Friday Seniors get free tea and coffee. Each Friday has a different theme which continues across the weekend. Turkish/Dutch/Food Wine and Jazz/Irish. They used to have Seniors Week but have since changed it.

      They also asked if there was something special about these days you enjoyed? If so they would definitely look at reintroducing it.

      You can get in contact with them via their Facebook Page here (send them a private message) or via email here: [email protected]

      Kind regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Melur,

      The tulips will be in full bloom in mid-Spring which will be the end of September/start of October. The Tesselaar Tulip Festival will therefore start around this time.

      But you can still visit the nursery on 3 September 2017 as it will be open. You may still be able to see the first blooms coming out around this time.

      Best regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Shirley,

      Unfortunately the tulip plant shop is closed on Christmas Day. The nursery will be closed from mid-December until late January.

      You could head to the Dandenong Ranges National Park for a picnic on Christmas Day. Most other attractions will close (including Puffing Billy and the Rhododendron Gardens).

      Best regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

  • Dear sir/madam,
    May I know how much is the entrance fee to visit the nursery? After the Tesselaar festival. The above-mentioned entrance fee is for the festival only right? Thanks!

    Reply to this comment

    • Hello Kaartyk,

      This is a hard question to to answer as it really depends on the weather.

      In previous years, the flowers have been in full bloom mostly during the last 2 weeks of September. The Irish portion of the festival runs until 2 October, so you may still have some flowers on the last day.

      Perhaps check their Facebook page for live updates, photos etc which will give you up to date information leading up to October 4.

      Best regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

  • As this is my first visit to the Dandenong Ranges, can you please advise how far is it from the Tulip Festival to the National Rhododendron Gardens? Can I get from one place to the other by public transport?

    Many thanks. Vivien

    Reply to this comment

    • Hi Vivien,

      The two attractions are around 9kms from each other. Unfortunately, there is no direct public transport between the two attractions, but you can take the bus (with an interchange) which will take about an hour.

      Catch a route 663 bus towards Belgrave (the stop is on Monbulk-Seville Rd/Monbulk Rd, Silvan)
      Get off at stop Belgrave Railway Station
      From Belgrave Railway Station, get on a Route 694 bus towards Mt Dandenong.
      Get off at stop Parsons Lane/Monash Ave (Olinda)
      Walk approximately 600 metres to the Rhododendron Gardens.

      Otherwise, you can call a taxi on 9753 6933 which will be your quickest option (about 15 minutes) and will cost around $25.

      Best regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Vicky,

      Of course nature is hard to predict, but typically the best time is during the last three weeks of September – which would make it starting next week!

      I would probably wait another week and hopefully they will all be in full bloom by then.

      Best regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Christine,

      I recommend you contact the event organisers to see if you can arrange any discounts for your Probus Club. Groups of more than 10 people are listed as being $22, which is the same price for a single concession. So there isn’t really any benefit to organising a group booking if everyone is already entitled to concession pricing.

      As for places for lunch, I would head over to Olinda which has a number of cafes and restaurants. The restaurants located near to the festival are restaurants that are open for dinner only, so head over to Olinda where you will find many places offering brunch/lunch as well as coffee and cake.

      You can contact the organisers who may be able to mail you some more information on (03) 9737 7722 or email: [email protected].

      Enjoy the festival!

      Regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Mandy,

      You do not mention where you are travelling from, so I will assume you will be leaving from Melbourne.

      Board a Lilydale train from Flinders Street or Southern Cross Station. Get off at Lilydale Station and catch the 663 bus which will take you to the festival. This trip will take approximately 1hr 30 minutes. (Note that if you are attending the festival on a Saturday or Sunday, there will be a shuttle bus waiting at the station to take passengers to the festival so you wont need to take the 663 public bus. The cost of the shuttle is $3.)

      You can get to Puffing Billy from the festival by taking a the 663 Lilydale bus from Silvan to Belgrave. This will take approximately 30 minutes.

      Enjoy your time in the Dandenong Ranges!

      Regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Chris,

      The Tesselaar Nursery is open year round where you can purchase a variety of bulbs and flowers. Unfortunately, Tulips become in season in Spring, so you will have to wait until September if you want ready grown tulips.

      Regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

  • Hi,

    As this will be my first time visiting, I was wondering was wonder how I get to Silvan Dam to visit the Tulip Festival in Sept 2016? Can I travel all the way by Puffing Billy? Thanks.

    Reply to this comment

    • Hi Avis, thanks for your question.

      Unfortunately Puffing Billy does not go past Silvan as the track is further south.

      However, public transport is available. If you are travelling from Melbourne CBD, go to Flinders Street Station or Southern Cross Station and catch a train on the “Lilydale” line. Get off at the last stop – Lilydale Station (approx 1 hour journey).

      In previous years, there have been shuttle buses provided on weekends by the Tesselaar Tulip Festival which took visitors from Lilydale Station out to the festival for a $3 return ticket. During the week, you can also catch the route 663 bus from Lilydale Station which will also take you to the festival. Check closer to the date to see if the shuttle service will be offered in 2016.

      Regards,
      Jess

      Reply to this comment

    • Hi Belle,

      I am not sure why the Cherry Blossom event will still showing on the event calendar since i took it down a while ago.

      The event actually hasn’t been held since 2013 and from the feedback i have received, it doesn’t look like it will be held again this year.

      This is the message that is on the official event page from last year:
      “There will be no Hanami Day event this year, but visitors are encouraged to enjoy the gardens anytime during the cherry blossom flowering season that usually occurs across 2-3 weeks in September”

      Thanks
      Michael

      Reply to this comment

  • Hi, could you please tell me what the dates are for this year and if there are any holiday packages available, and if it is for one weekend only.

    Can you please send me some information or even a leaflet?

    Thank you. Kind Regards,
    Jane

    Reply to this comment

    • Hi Jane,

      I have just updated the dates on my website – the Tesselaar Tulip Festival is to be held between 10 Sep – 6 Oct in 2015 (the official website doesn’t have it yet, but it’s on their Facebook page). With the dates as they are, the event runs over the course of 4 weeks and there is a different theme every week.

      As lot of other websites have little information on the event until the main website is updated, but i suggest you follow their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tulipfestival and you will be notified of any new developments.

      It doesn’t look like there are any official packages available (unless you have more than 10 people, then you can get tickets at $18 instead of $22), and it might be too early to book accommodation (Wotif is only showing dates up until July 31 right now), but here is a link for accommodation for the Dandenong Ranges that you can use closer to the event – Wotif.

      Please don’t hesitate to ask any more questions.

      Thanks,
      Michael

      Reply to this comment

  • Hi there,
    Could You please tell Me what Your “special program for Children” consists of please???
    And is there any of that still going on Tomorrow & at what times?

    Thanks,
    Stewart & Kathy

    Reply to this comment

    • Hi Stewart & Kathy,

      Looking at the event guide, this weekend (3rd – 5th October 2014) is “Irish Weekend” – with Irish entertainment, stalls, food and drinks.

      In terms of the entertainment, there is a Celtic band, Irish Pipers and Irish Dancing. For food and drink, they are offering Irish Coffee, Guinness, Kilkenny, Cider, Baked Potatoes, Irish Stew, Sandwiches, pies, sausage rolls, cakes and Irish biscuits. They also have the dutch favourites of Poffertjes, Croquettes, Frikendallen, Reifkoek, Gozleme and Chevap Sausage.

      For kids, it is noted that they have the following activities: sculpture exhibit, alpacas, fairy garden, hunt for gnomes, tulip picking, old fashioned Dutch games, historical displays, as well as photo opportunities with Windmills, flowers and staff in traditional Dutch costumes.

      I couldn’t find a hourly breakup of the day, but the Festival runs until Sunday from 10am until 5pm.

      I hope this helps and have a great weekend – the weather looks good and no mention of rain!

      Thanks
      Michael

      Reply to this comment
What date is the Tesselaar Tulip Festival?
14 September 2024" to "13 October 2024

Please visit our website for more information on the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.
What time is the Tesselaar Tulip Festival?
TBA

Please visit our website for more information on the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.
Where is the Tesselaar Tulip Festival located?
Tesselaar Tulip Farm

Please visit our website for more information on the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.
What is the Tesselaar Tulip Festival address?
357 Monbulk Rd, Silvan, VIC

Please visit our website for more information on the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.
What are the Tesselaar Tulip Festival entry prices?
TBA

Please visit our website for more information on the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.
What is the Tesselaar Tulip Festival phone number?
(03) 9737 7722

Please visit our website for more information on the Tesselaar Tulip Festival.

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