Amsterdam

Amsterdam has two attractions that book out further ahead than almost anything else in Europe: the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. Neither can be improvised. Everything else in the city is comparatively easy.

This page compares live ticket prices and availability for Amsterdam attractions across our booking partners.

When to visit Amsterdam

April and May bring tulip season and the best weather of the year. King’s Day on 27 April turns the whole city into a street party — extraordinary to experience, impossible to book accommodation for at short notice.

June to August is warm and busy. Long evenings, canal-side terraces, and the highest prices of the year.

September and October are quieter and still pleasant. Good value and manageable crowds.

November to March is cold, wet and dark, but the museums are at their best without queues, and hotel rates fall substantially. December has Christmas markets and the Amsterdam Light Festival along the canals.

Anne Frank House

This is the hardest ticket in the city. Tickets are released online on a fixed schedule — typically six weeks ahead — and sell out within hours.

There is no ticket office and no walk-up option. Turning up without a booking means not getting in.

Entry is timed and the route through the house is one-way. Allow around 90 minutes.

The stairs are steep and narrow, in the original Dutch style. There is no lift and the building cannot be made accessible.

If your dates are fixed, put a reminder in your calendar for the release date. It genuinely is the difference between visiting and not.

Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum

Both are on Museumplein, a few minutes apart, and both require timed tickets.

The Van Gogh Museum holds the largest collection of his work anywhere. Book at least two weeks ahead; slots go quickly, particularly weekends.

The Rijksmuseum is larger and easier to get into. It holds the Dutch Golden Age collection including Rembrandt’s Night Watch. Book a few days ahead and you’ll be fine.

Doing both in one day works but is heavy — around five hours of museum. Most people prefer one per day.

Canal cruises

Amsterdam’s canals are a UNESCO site and seeing them from the water is worth doing once.

Options range from large covered boats with commentary to small open boats with a dozen passengers. The smaller boats can enter narrower canals the big ones cannot.

Evening cruises when the bridges are lit are the most atmospheric. They also book up first.

Boarding points cluster around Centraal Station and Damrak, which are the busiest and most touristed departure points. Boats leaving from quieter spots are usually a better experience.

Booking ahead vs walking up

Keukenhof gardens open only from late March to mid-May and sit outside the city near Lisse. Combined garden and transport tickets are the simplest way to visit.

Getting around

Central Amsterdam is small and walking covers most of it. Centraal Station to Museumplein is around 30 minutes on foot.

Trams are frequent and useful for longer hops. Contactless card payment works directly on board.

Cycling is how the city actually moves, and rental is easy. Be aware that Amsterdam cyclists are fast and unforgiving of tourists who wander into bike lanes — which is the single most common visitor mistake here, on foot or on a bike.

A first-timer’s three days

Day one — centre and canals. Walk the canal ring in the morning, Anne Frank House if you have a slot, canal cruise in the afternoon.

Day two — museums. Van Gogh Museum, lunch on Museumplein, Rijksmuseum in the afternoon. Evening in the Jordaan.

Day three — neighbourhoods. De Pijp and Albert Cuyp Market in the morning, then Vondelpark. Day trip to Zaanse Schans or Keukenhof if in season.