Amsterdam tours and tickets
Amsterdam sells its big museums by timed slot, and the Anne Frank House is the hardest ticket in the city, released weeks ahead. The Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum need less notice but fill in spring and summer. Canal boats, walks and the Jordaan need no planning. Keukenhof is the one trip with a short season, so check its dates before you fix your trip.
Book these first
- Anne Frank House
- 4 to 8 weeks ahead. Timed tickets sell out quickly.
- Van Gogh Museum
- 1 to 2 weeks ahead. Slots in the morning go first.
- Rijksmuseum
- A few days ahead. Peak hours fill in spring and summer.
Nobody pays to be on this page. The Viator buttons are partner links: if you book through one, Viator may pay us a commission, at no cost to you. Where the official site sells the ticket, we link it too. How we rank
Museums and galleries
Anne Frank House
The canal house where the Frank family hid, with the secret annex, original rooms and diary pages. Entry is by timed ticket only, and a short guided option and an audio guide are sold. Allow about an hour.
Which to pick. Book the moment tickets are released for your dates. If you miss out, try the weekly release of extra slots, and do not buy from anyone who sells a ticket without a slot.
4 to 8 weeks aheadVisitor guideOfficial siteTours and tickets on ViatorVan Gogh Museum
The largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and letters, over several floors, with timed tickets and an audio guide. Guided visits are offered in small groups. The early slots are the calmest.
Which to pick. Buy the official timed ticket for the first slot of the day. A guided tour helps if you know little about his life, otherwise the audio guide is enough.
1 to 2 weeks aheadVisitor guideOfficial siteTours and tickets on ViatorRijksmuseum
The national museum, with Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer and a long run of Dutch Golden Age paintings. Timed tickets are sold, along with audio guides and guided visits of about two hours.
Which to pick. Book a timed ticket a few days out and go straight to the Gallery of Honour. A guide is worth it if you want the Night Watch explained rather than just seen.
A few days aheadVisitor guideOfficial siteTours and tickets on ViatorRembrandt House
The house where Rembrandt lived and worked, with his etching press and a studio set up as it was. Tickets are sold for the day, with an audio guide and occasional demonstrations of printmaking.
Which to pick. Buy the official ticket on the day or the evening before. It is small and rarely full, so it works well as a quiet stop after the larger museums.
On the day is fineOfficial siteTours and tickets on Viator
On the water
Canal cruise
Sightseeing boats cover the canal ring in about an hour, with commentary or an audio guide. Open boats, small electric boats and evening cruises with lights are all sold. Smaller boats reach narrow canals the big ones cannot.
Which to pick. Choose a small boat with a limited number of seats, in the late afternoon or at dusk. A large glass-roofed boat is fine only if the weather turns.
A day or two ahead in summerTours and tickets on ViatorKeukenhof
A large spring garden of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, open for only a few weeks each year. Entry is by timed ticket, and combined coach and entry tickets leave from the city center.
Which to pick. Pick a weekday morning and buy the timed entry in advance. The tulip fields outside the garden are best seen on a bike or with a tour that includes them.
2 to 3 weeks ahead in seasonOfficial siteTours and tickets on Viator
Monuments and landmarks
A'DAM Lookout
A tower across the IJ from Central Station with a viewing deck, a rooftop swing and a restaurant. A free ferry crosses behind the station. Tickets are timed, and the evening slots are the most popular.
Which to pick. Book a sunset slot a day ahead in summer. Skip it in poor weather, since the view is the whole point.
A day ahead for sunset slotsOfficial siteTours and tickets on ViatorZaanse Schans
A village of working windmills, a cheese farm and a clog workshop, about 20 minutes by train. Entry to the village is free, and individual windmills and museums sell their own tickets.
Which to pick. Go by train and pay only for the sites you want. A tour mostly saves you the connection, so take one only if you want to combine it with other villages.
On the day is fineOfficial siteTours and tickets on Viator
Guided walks and tours
Jordaan walk
A walk through the narrow lanes, courtyards and brown cafes of the Jordaan, usually with a guide who points out the hofjes, almshouse courtyards. Walks last two hours and run most days.
Which to pick. You can do this alone with a map. Book a small-group walk if you want the courtyards opened for you, and finish at a cafe.
On the day is fineTours and tickets on ViatorHaarlem
A small city with a large market square, a great church and the Frans Hals Museum, about 15 minutes by train. Day trips and canal boats run from the center, and the train is easy to do yourself.
Which to pick. Take the train and walk the old center on your own. Book a Frans Hals Museum ticket on the day, and add a boat only if the weather is good.
On the day is fineOfficial siteTours and tickets on Viator
City and museum passes in Amsterdam
- I amsterdam City CardA card for a set number of days covering public transport and many museums, with a canal cruise included. It pays off if you plan several major museums in two or three days. Popular slots still need booking. Official page
Booking tours and tickets in Amsterdam
Can I buy Anne Frank House tickets on the day?
Almost never. Tickets are released online ahead of time, with a small number released a few days before. Check the official site often if your dates are close, and avoid unofficial sellers.
Is the I amsterdam City Card worth it?
It suits a short stay with three or more museums and plenty of public transport. For one or two visits, separate timed tickets are cheaper and simpler. Check what is included before you buy.
Do I need a guide at the Rijksmuseum?
No. The audio guide and the signs are clear, and the Night Watch is easy to find. A guide is useful if you want the history of the paintings rather than a route through them.
Can I change a ticket if the weather turns?
Official museum tickets are usually tied to a date and slot. Canal cruises and tours from partners often allow free cancellation up to a day before. Read the terms at the point of purchase.
When is Keukenhof open?
It is open for a few weeks in spring, from late March to mid May. Dates vary each year, and the flowers are best in the middle of the season. Check the official site before you plan.
What can wait until I arrive?
Canal cruises, the A'DAM Lookout in daytime, Zaanse Schans and the Rembrandt House can be booked a day ahead. Book the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum first.