Go on a Butterfly Safari in the Netherlands
I was looking for a fun place to take the kids on a recent trip to the Netherlands. Google was failing me, until I found it: a butterfly āsafariā (aka Vlindersafari) just a smidgen over an hour from our house in Gemert, Netherlands.

This turned out to be the perfect stop before lunch at a dairy farm on our way to our adventures in Gouda.
Vlindersafari = Butterfly Safari

Vlindersafari in Dutch literally translates to ābutterfly safariā in English, and itās aptly named, because youāll see hundreds of butterflies flying and landing everywhere.
My favorite was the one that looked kinda āboringā on the outside (just brown to camouflaged with wood), but then when itād open its wings it was this gorgeous shade of blue.



What to Expect
The place itself is smaller than I imagined, and its enclosed (obviously, so the butterflies wonāt escape).

So, if you go during a heatwave (like we did), or when itās raining outside, be prepared for it to be extra humid inside.
Take note: thereās one fan in the building which I was immediately drawn to to cool off a bit.



Despite its smaller size, we managed to spend a good hour/hour and a half inside wandering around.
De Vlinders

We bought our tickets online, showed up at our reserved time, and headed in for our adventure.
When we checked in, they gave the kids a butterfly hunt to explore inside, so off they went with their clipboards, searching for caterpillars and chrysalisā¦and let me tell you, looking for some of these was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and I was shocked every time the kids saw some (which was often).




Then they return their filled-out sheets at the end theyāll get a butterfly (sur)prize!
Understanding What Youāre Seeing

They do speak English at Vlindersafari, as most do in Holland, but when we were there the guides were fully engrossed in explaining things to a group in Dutch.
We waited around for a little while for a chance to learn in English, but it was just too hot, and the kids got distracted by all the butterflies fluttering around, so we just enjoyed seeing the flying inseccts.
FYI: these are awesome videos to watch before you go with tons of info about butterflies. The girls loved watching it, so they had a pretty good idea about the life cycle of a butterfly, and then got to see it in real life at Vlindersafari.
So Many Butterflies




There were truly butterflies of all shapes, vibrant colors and sizes everywhere. it was so fun to spot them.

Once youāve wound your way around the butterfly garden, you can buy some souvenirs and/or relax for a bit at their terrace.

They have some snacks and drinks available, some coloring sheets for kids, and even a small playground outside.
Getting to Vlindersafari fromā¦

The Vlindersafari is near the eastern dutch boarder, making it a super easy day trip for many.
Coming fromā¦
Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base/JFC Brunssum: about 1 hour away
Spangdahlem Air Base: a little less than 3 hours away
Amsterdam: about an hour and a half away.
Where to eat AND where to stay:
Making a trip out of this fun butterfly safari? Youāve gotta eat at de Brabantse Kluis. Itās perfect for families, and only like 10 minutes tops from Vlindersafari. Oh, and you can stay there, too!
Basic Info:

Website: Vlindersafari
Address: Broekstraat 40, 5421 ZJ Gemert, Netherlands
Tickets: reserve time slot here
Times/Hours: check website for current information
If you check out Vlindersafari, Iād love to hear about your experience!
As I’ve said before, this is such a wonderful experience for the kids. I’m so glad you are taking advantage of it. And thanks for including me in your emails. Love you all!!!