I amsterdam City Card: what's included, how much it costs and when it pays off

In Amsterdam, one card opens the doors to nearly 70 museums. The I amsterdam City Card costs from 67 € for 24 hours and includes city transport, a canal cruise, and a bike for a day (as of 09/2026, card page on iamsterdam.com).

But it's not worth it for everyone. On a relaxed itinerary, the card ends up more expensive than buying tickets separately, while on a packed one it saves you over a hundred euros. It all comes down to the list of what you manage to see.

We calculated four scenarios using regular museum and transport prices and picked seven places where the card works best.

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What's included in the I amsterdam City Card

💡 In short:

• One entry to each of roughly 70 museums and attractions.
• GVB city transport, one canal cruise, and a bike for 24 hours.
• Discounts from partners outside the program.
• Prices, validity periods, and the list of participants: 09/2026, verified on the official website.

© C messier · CC BY-SAPhoto: C messier, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The card is issued by amsterdam&partners, the city tourism organization, which has been around since 1966. You pay once, and at the entrance you show the card instead of a ticket. You can enter each museum and each partner once; you can't get in again with the same card.

The validity is counted in hours, not calendar days. The clock doesn't stop at night. If you activated the card on Friday at 10:00, it expires on Monday at 10:00. This matters if you arrive in the evening and plan to start in the morning.

The program includes roughly 70 options: from the Rijksmuseum and Museum Het Rembrandthuis to ARTIS Royal Zoo, the NEMO Science Museum, and the A'DAM Lookout observation deck.

How to activate the card and where to pick it up

The card comes in plastic and digital versions. You get the plastic one at the I amsterdam Store on the IJ side of Central Station, De Ruijterkade 28 B-D. Along with it, you receive two paper guides: a fold-out city map with all participants and a passport-sized booklet listing where entry is already covered and where a discount applies.

The physical card activates itself the first time you tap it in the city. You order the digital one online and activate it in the I amsterdam City Card app when you're ready to start. One digital card can be transferred to a travel companion once.

There's also an Explorer option: the same card without city transport. You choose three, five, or seven activities from the general list and pay less. If you're willing to walk a lot, Explorer covers the museums, and you buy transport separately.

Five validity periods and prices

The price depends on the number of hours. The longer the period, the cheaper the daily cost works out.

Prices and card contents: 09/2026, according to iamsterdam.com. A child card costs from 40 €, and Explorer with three activities starts at 44 €.

Moving from 72 to 96 hours costs 15 € and adds a full day. For a weekend in the city, people usually take 72 hours; for a week with several museum days, 120 is closer to what you need.

Before buying, check that your main museums are still in the program. The list changes, and individual participants drop out.

City transport with the card

With the card, you ride GVB trams, metro, buses, and night buses. When boarding, you tap the card on the validator, and when exiting, you tap again. You don't need to buy a separate ticket.

A regular GVB pass costs 10 € for 24 hours, 16 € for 48 hours, and 21.50 € for 72 hours (as of 09/2026, GVB fares). The metro runs until half past midnight, and night buses cover the rest. Ferries across the IJ are free for everyone, including those without a card.

The Explorer option does not include transport.

If you're staying in the center, you can walk to most museums. The tram helps on long stretches and in the rain. The catch: the card only covers GVB transport; you pay for regional buses and trains out of the city yourself.

© Rob Dammers · CC BYPhoto: Rob Dammers, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

Seven places worth using the card for

The program includes about 70 spots, and you can't cover them all in a weekend. We picked seven that show how varied the card can be: a historic artist's workshop, a hidden church under the roof, and an observation deck 100 meters up.

Below, for each place, you'll find the regular ticket price, opening hours, and what to plan for in advance. Six of the seven addresses are free with the card; Art Zoo Museum gives a discount.

Museum Het Rembrandthuis

From 1639 to 1658, for 19 years, Rembrandt van Rijn lived and worked in this house. His wife Saskia died here, his son Titus was born here, and the most successful years of his career unfolded here. The house also ruined him: he couldn't repay the loan, his property and collection were sold at auction, and he moved out.

The route starts with the historic kitchen and living quarters, then moves to the room where Rembrandt received clients and the adjacent art dealing room with works by Dutch, Flemish, and Italian masters. Visitors linger longest in the cabinet of curiosities, the collector's personal museum. Above it is the studio, the reason he chose this house: the light is even all day, with no direct sun.

The etching workshop has a working replica of a press, and several times a day they demonstrate how etchings were made and how 17th-century paint was ground. Demonstrations are free. The etching workshop class is paid and runs 90 minutes; check the museum website for price and booking.

© 14:43, 17 October 2006 · CC BY-SAPhoto: 14:43, 17 October 2006, CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), Wikimedia Commons

• Address: Jodenbreestraat 4.
• Cost: admission 23.50 €, from 16:00 to 18:00 19.50 € (as of 09/2026, official website), included with the card.
• Hours: daily 10-18.
• Who it's for: those who want to see the artist's daily life and workshop, not just the paintings.
• The catch: the class is offered only in Dutch and English and only by reservation.

Art Zoo Museum

Since June 2025, the historic Cromhouthuizen on Herengracht has been home to Art Zoo Museum. The 17th-century patrician houses once housed a biblical museum, and now they contain an artistic zoo: a blue rococo stucco staircase, two historic kitchens, a quiet inner courtyard, and ceiling paintings by Jacob de Wit.

Artists Jaap Sinke and Ferry van Tongeren have been making animal sculptures since 2011, with poses that echo paintings by Dutch Baroque masters. A four-meter Nile crocodile floats in the marble vestibule, more than 20 parrots perch on antique cages, and a replica of Tyrannosaurus Stan greets you in the salons. The historic kitchen hosts the installation "Darwin's workshop," and the temporary exhibition RELICS adds paleontology: a mammoth tusk and a diplodocus vertebra, assembled under the guidance of the ZOIC institute.

A 30-minute audio tour takes you through the house, but allow at least an hour. Time magazine included the museum in its World's Greatest Places list.

• Address: Herengracht 368.
• Cost: ticket office 17.50 €, with the card 13.00 € (as of 09/2026, artzoo.com). This is a discount, not free admission.
• Hours: daily 10-17, last entry 16:30.
• The catch: card payment only; the entrance is not accessible for people with limited mobility.

Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder

From the canal, this house gives nothing away. A narrow facade, windows in a row, an ordinary stepped gable. Inside, you pass through 17th-century rooms, alcoves, and a kitchen, and the staircases narrow so much that you have to turn sideways. At the top, between the roof beams, a whole church nave suddenly opens up, with choir lofts, an organ, and an altar.

It was built by merchant Jan Hartman. He bought the corner house and two neighboring ones, removed the floors, and combined the attics of all three buildings into one hall. The church began operating in 1663. It was invisible from the street, and that was exactly what the circumstances required: Catholics could practice their faith, but not celebrate mass publicly. The authorities tolerated it as long as the facade didn't reveal the secret.

The house church became unnecessary in 1887, when the Nicolaaskerk opened nearby. A year later, a museum moved into the house, the second oldest in Amsterdam after the Rijksmuseum. The audio tour is available in eight languages.

© C messier · CC BY-SAPhoto: C messier, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

• Address: Oudezijds Voorburgwal 38.
• Cost: admission 18 € (as of 09/2026, opsolder.nl), free with the card, but with a pre-booked time slot.
• Hours: Monday-Saturday 10-18, Sunday 13-18.
• The catch: narrow staircases and low passages; the climb to the church isn't for everyone.

Huis Willet-Holthuysen

This late 17th-century canal house is furnished in 19th-century taste. The dining room, salons, and garden tell the story of life among Amsterdam's wealthy upper class. In the semi-basement, the kitchen and service rooms show the daily life of the staff. Behind the house is a quiet 18th-century French-style garden with old trees.

In 1895, Louisa Willet-Holthuysen bequeathed the house, along with its furnishings and art collection, to the city. It has been a museum ever since, and most of the interiors have survived in their original form.

© Txllxt TxllxT · CC BY-SAPhoto: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

• Address: Herengracht 605.
• Cost: admission 15 € (as of 09/2026, amsterdammuseum.nl), included with the card.
• Hours: daily 10-17.
• Who it's for: those interested in interiors and a garden rather than large collections.

Canal cruise

The Amsterdam canal belt is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was laid out starting in 1613 as a planned expansion of the city: three semicircular rings, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht, around the old center. You walk right along the historic axes the city was built on.

From the water you see merchants' houses with narrow facades and wide warehouse gables, the characteristic hoist beams under the roofs, and more than 1,300 bridges. One cruise with a major operator is included with the card, and no advance booking is needed: find the nearest dock and board the next boat.

A one-hour Stromma cruise costs from €13.50 depending on the date and time (as of 09/2026, Stromma). If you want an evening route with lights and a separate departure time, it's worth booking the Amsterdam canal cruise in advance.

© Ank Kumar · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

• Cost: a regular cruise from €13.50, one is already included with the card.
• The catch: the card covers one cruise only, you can't go again.

Rijksmuseum

The largest museum in the program, a ticket costs €25 (as of 09/2026, rijksmuseum.nl). The galleries hold around 8,000 objects, and Rembrandt's The Night Watch hangs in the Gallery of Honour. Outside it's a brick palace, inside there are grand halls with 17th-century art: Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals side by side.

Visitors stand in rows in front of The Night Watch, and at Vermeer's The Milkmaid, take a close look at the apron. The blue comes from ultramarine made of lapis lazuli, and in the original it's deeper than in any reproduction. If you're going without a guide, download the museum's free app: audio tours, routes, and the online collection help you prepare in advance. Behind the building there's a museum garden with free entry, water features, and easels.

Important: a time slot is mandatory and must be booked on the museum's website, even if entry is already paid for with the card. Without a booking, the door stays closed. Entry is free for under-18s.

© Vasyatka1 · CC BY-SAPhoto: Vasyatka1, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

• Address: Museumstraat 1.
• Cost: €25 (as of 09/2026, rijksmuseum.nl), included with the card, free for under-18s.
• Hours: daily 9-17.
• The catch: a time slot is mandatory, book ahead in high season.
• Without the card, Rijksmuseum tickets with a time slot are sold online only and for a fixed time.

A'DAM Lookout

Since 2016, A'DAM Lookout has been one of the city's main attractions. For many years the tower was Shell's office, then it stood empty for a long time until a redevelopment turned it into a creative and music hub. At a height of 100 meters, an observation deck awaits you. The ferry from Central Station takes five minutes, the ride is free, and it's a short walk from the dock.

The view goes all the way around: the old town with its semicircle of canals, the port to the west, and beyond it the flat countryside stretching to the horizon. For thrill-seekers, the Over the Edge swings sit on the roof, among the highest in Europe. Hydraulics push them right out over the edge of the building.

Entry costs €18.50 at the ticket office and €16.50 online (as of 09/2026, adamlookout.com). You don't have to book in advance. The swings are not included with the card: there's a €8.50 surcharge on site or €7.50 online.

© Muck · CC BY-SAPhoto: Muck, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

• Address: IJpromenade 4, ferry from Centraal Station.
• Hours: check the tower's website for the last elevator up.
• The catch: the Over the Edge swings cost extra and are not included with the card.

What's not included and where the card gives a discount

The Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not part of the program, so you buy tickets for them separately. In high season, you need to get them weeks in advance, especially for morning slots. For the Van Gogh Museum, timed-entry tickets are worth buying as soon as you've locked in your date.

At some attractions, the card gives you a discount rather than free entry. That's how it works at the Heineken Experience, Madame Tussauds, and Body Worlds. Check the discount amount in the list of participating attractions. Do the math in advance so you're not surprised at the ticket desk.

Free public transport ends at the city limits. The card usually also gets you free entry to museums in Haarlem, Zaandam, and Volendam, and to Muiderslot Castle. You pay for the trip there yourself. For a day trip outside the city, treat that as a separate budget line.

When the card pays off: four calculations

What matters isn't the length of your trip, it's your itinerary. Below are four scenarios based on regular museum and transport prices. The first one shows when the card loses.

Two days, the big names

Three major attractions over two days don't pay for the card: for 48 hours you pay more than the tickets cost individually. The card starts to work when you add a bike, transport, and two or three more museums.

One day in the canal museums

Here the card comes out ahead for the first time, even on a single day. If you add Art Zoo Museum, you pay 13 € there, because only the discount applies.

Three days at a relaxed pace

Three unhurried days give you a moderate saving of about 18 €. In return, you don't stand at ticket machines and don't count rides. If your itinerary is different, check it against the tables: the card becomes worthwhile on packed days.

Three days with a maximum itinerary

Regular admission prices: from official museum websites and museum.nl, as of 09/2026; ARTIS at the box-office price, Moco at the top slot price (from 17.95 € in early and late hours), bike rental approximate, rental shops charge different prices. The 72-hour card costs 115 € (card rates), the 72-hour GVB pass costs 21.50 € (GVB pass prices).

At maximum pace, you cover ten admissions, ride a bike, and don't buy transport tickets. Here the saving is measured in a hundred euros, not a couple of tickets.

The general rule is simple. Three museums a day plus regular tram and metro rides pay for the card noticeably. What stays below the line depends on your list, not on the number of days.

Without the card, most people pick the Rijksmuseum and the Rembrandt House, and stop there. Left out of the picture are the animal sculptures in the canal house, the church under the roof, and the view from 100 meters up.

© Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA · CC BYPhoto: Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

Museum tickets and opening hours

© Marco Almbauer · CC BY-SAPhoto: Marco Almbauer, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

Book time slots in advance where they are required. Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder takes reservations at tickets.opsolder.nl, where you select "Reservation for free ticket".

Before your trip, check the hours and last entry on the official website: schedules change by season, and some museums close individual rooms. If you don't have a card, Amsterdam museum tickets are easier to buy in advance for the time you need.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much does the I amsterdam City Card cost?

24 hours costs 67 €, 48 hours 94 €, 72 hours 115 €, 96 hours 130 €, 120 hours 140 € (as of 09/2026, card prices on iamsterdam.com). A child card starts at 40 €. The longer the duration, the cheaper the daily rate: on 120 hours a day works out to about 28 €, on 24 hours it's a full 67 €.

What's included in the card?

Around 70 museums and attractions, GVB public transport, one canal cruise, and 24 hours of bike rental. Each museum can be entered once. Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not included, so you need separate tickets for those.

Does the card pay off if you only go to the Rijksmuseum?

No. A Rijksmuseum ticket costs 25 €, while a 24-hour card costs 67 €. It becomes worthwhile with three museums a day plus transport. If your plan includes one museum, buy a ticket separately and don't overpay.

Do you need to book a time slot if entry is already covered by the card?

Some museums require reservations. Rijksmuseum won't let you in without a time slot even with the card, and Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder is booked at tickets.opsolder.nl. The other places on the list let you in on arrival. Before your trip, check the rules on the museum's website.

Can you use the card to go to Haarlem or Zaandam?

Free travel is valid only within the city limits and only on GVB transport. The card usually also gets you free entry to museums in Haarlem, Zaandam, and Volendam, and to Muiderslot Castle. You pay for the trip there yourself.

In short: what's worth booking

• If your plan includes three museums a day: get the 72-hour City Card, it's cheaper than a day of ticket machines and individual tickets.
• If you're only going to the Rijksmuseum and a canal cruise: buy tickets separately, the 24-hour card is more expensive here.
• If you want to cover transport and a bike: get the City Card, it includes both.

What to book in advance: a time slot at the Rijksmuseum, an evening cruise with lights, and a ticket to the Van Gogh Museum. Hotels in the center get more expensive on weekends, so Amsterdam hotels on Trip.com are worth checking right after you pick your dates. Everything else can be decided on the spot, and you activate the card on the day you leave your hotel.