Tour 8
Flower auction, Tulip fields and Keukenhof tour

We will meet you at your hotel in Amsterdam early in the morning. It depends on the day, because the flower auction starts at 6.00 a.m., but we don't need to be there that early. The first three days of the week are the busiest, so the auctioning process ends later, we will then be able to start a little later (between 6.30 and 7.30 a.m.).
Flower auction 'Royal Flora Holland' in Aalsmeer is approx. Thirty-five minutes drive from Amsterdam.
Once at the auction, we will pay a visit to an auction hall and explain the selling process, the 'Dutch auction, ' which starts at a high price and ends at a lower price.
The auctioneer is leading this process and has to reach at least 1.000 transactions/hour or more. After that, we will walk around this largest trade building in the world and explain everything that happens after auctioning.

A few facts:

• Every hour, one auctioneer processes 1000 – 1500 transactions. The auctioneer is in charge of the selling process.
• The total turnover of this cooperative of growers (shareholders) is close to € 5 billion.
• Approx. 5000growers are (partly) owners of this cooperative. They pay 5 % to the coop. to sell their products.

We will also visit a wholesale center, where small florists can buy flowers, plants, and supplies.