Amsterdam Pass: 45+ Things To Do – Includes Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam’s Go City Pass turns the city into a menu of museums, cruises, viewpoints, bike rentals, day trips, and odd little attractions. The best pairings are Rijksmuseum and the Heineken Experience, followed by the canal cruise and A’DAM Lookout. You can build a busy day around major sights or slow down and pick smaller museums.

I like the freedom to choose from more than 40 activities, and I like that the pass lives on your phone. The main catch is that public transportation is not included, and some popular activities require reservations. At $88.90 per person, you need to use the pass well to come out ahead.

Key points before you buy

• Rijksmuseum is included: This alone can make the pass useful, especially when paired with another major attraction.
• Two-day use can work well: Seven attractions over two days has produced clear savings, but only with a firm plan.
• The canal cruise and A’DAM Lookout pair nicely: One shows Amsterdam from the water, the other from above.
• Reservations matter: Zaanse Schans, Keukenhof, and some other activities require advance planning through the Go City app.
• Transport costs extra: You still need to pay for trains, trams, buses, or other transport unless a specific activity includes it.
• The pass uses calendar days: A two-day pass lasts for two consecutive calendar days, not 48 hours.

What the $88.90 Amsterdam Pass really gives you

The pass is sold in one, two, three, or five-day versions, with the price depending on the option you select. The supplied price is $88.90 per person. Your pass is valid for one year from purchase, but the clock starts when you visit your first attraction.

That first visit activates the pass for the number of consecutive calendar days you bought. Start at 4 p.m. and that still counts as day one. This is why I would avoid activating a two-day pass late in the afternoon unless you already have a short activity planned.

The value depends on your pace. A person who visits two major attractions, takes a canal cruise, and adds one smaller stop in two days has a good chance of saving money. One customer used a two-day pass for seven attractions and found the savings worthwhile. Another person found the pass too difficult to use, with ticket problems and long lines.

Both experiences are possible. The pass is not magic. It saves money when you plan around opening times, reservations, and the location of each attraction.

Rijksmuseum and Heineken make the strongest core

The Rijksmuseum is the pass’s most important inclusion. Five floors cover European art, with major Dutch works and grand galleries. You could spend two hours here and still leave plenty unseen, so do not treat it as a quick filler stop.

The Heineken Experience offers a very different kind of visit. You learn about the company’s heritage, brewing process, inventions, and sponsorships before reaching a tasting room with two complimentary glasses of Heineken. Allow about two hours.

I like this pairing because the attractions feel genuinely different. The Rijksmuseum gives you art and culture, while Heineken offers a polished brand experience with a social finish. Put them on separate parts of your schedule if you want time to enjoy both rather than race through Amsterdam.

The Rijksmuseum can be especially valuable for the pass, but make sure your entry instructions work before you arrive. Some pass users have reported trouble downloading or having museum tickets accepted. The practical lesson is simple: load the pass into the Go City app early and check the current entry rules before leaving your hotel.

Four ways to see Amsterdam in one day

Amsterdam rewards changing viewpoints. The included choices let you see the city from a gallery, a canal, a bicycle, and a high lookout.

A Stromma canal cruise takes about an hour. You float past major sights, including the area around Anne Frank House and Westerkerk. It is a gentle way to get oriented, particularly early in your visit. You are not visiting Anne Frank House through this cruise, so do not confuse the passing view with admission.

At A’DAM Lookout, you get wide views over Amsterdam’s historic center, port, canals, and Dutch polder scenery. The visit takes about an hour. This was one of the most memorable parts for people who used the pass, along with the canal cruise. I would place A’DAM Lookout near sunset only if the timing fits your pass day and the attraction’s operating hours.

MacBike offers an eight-hour bicycle rental from several locations, including Central Station, Oosterdok, Waterlooplein, and Vondelpark. You can ride along the canals, through Jordaan, or beyond the center. This is a useful inclusion if you already feel comfortable cycling in city traffic.

A pedal boat gives you a slower, self-directed canal option. You steer yourself and choose the routes and sights. The tradeoff is time and effort: it is not the same as sitting back while a cruise handles the route.

Smaller museums with more personality

The Moco Museum focuses on modern and contemporary art, including Banksy and other artists. Plan about an hour. It is a good contrast to the Rijksmuseum, especially if old master paintings are not your main reason for coming to Amsterdam.

The Houseboat Museum sits aboard the Hendrika Maria on Prinsengracht in Jordaan. You see how a working boat was converted into living quarters. It is small, direct, and useful for understanding a distinctly Amsterdam way of life.

The Amsterdam Tulip Museum is also compact. Its exhibits explain the cultural importance of tulips in the Netherlands, with displays by local artists. The Amsterdam Pipe Museum covers 2,500 years of pipe-making objects from five continents. Neither needs a whole afternoon, which makes both useful when you have a spare hour.

The Diamond Museum and Royal Coster Diamonds examine Amsterdam’s diamond trade from different angles. At Royal Coster, a private guide explains how diamonds form and are cut, with a chance to see polishers and goldsmiths at work. The Diamond Museum covers 400 years of European diamond history. These are worthwhile only if gems and craft interest you, but they can add variety to an otherwise museum-heavy day.

House of Bols takes about 90 minutes. This self-guided visit covers genever, the Dutch predecessor to gin, with a museum, tasting room, and bar. Food and drinks are generally not included in the pass unless specifically stated, so check what your admission covers before ordering extras.

Attractions for a playful or unusual afternoon

Madame Tussauds offers eight themed zones filled with wax figures of famous film, music, sport, and art personalities. The Amsterdam Dungeon presents 500 years of local history through theatrical scenes involving punishment and torture. It is deliberately dramatic rather than a quiet museum visit.

Our House uses floor-to-ceiling projections and DJ-led installations to tell the story of electronic dance music. Plan about two hours. Boom Chicago, in Jordaan, offers English-language comedy with sketches, improvisation, and songs, also for about two hours.

The BonTon brothel tour is led by a former sex worker and explains the building, sex work, and changes across the centuries. It is an adult-oriented choice and may not suit every group. The attraction’s subject is direct and serious, so read the description carefully before adding it to a family itinerary.

This collection is one reason the pass can work for mixed groups. One person can choose art, another can choose comedy, and another can choose a brewery-style experience. The drawback is that not all inclusions carry the same financial value. A short, small museum may be interesting, but it will not save as much as a major museum or full-day excursion.

Day trips beyond the city center

The pass reaches well beyond central Amsterdam.

Zaanse Schans is an open-air windmill village with working windmills, wooden houses, barns, and shops dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The excursion takes about four hours. Reservations are required, and you should use the Go City app or digital guide for current times and booking instructions.

A combined Volendam, Edam, and windmill tour lasts about five hours. You get three historic Dutch destinations in one half-day outing. This is a practical choice if you want countryside and small-town scenery without arranging every train and bus yourself.

The Rotterdam, Delft, and The Hague excursion takes about eight hours and begins from Rotterdam Centraal Station. It is a long day, but it gives you a quick look at three very different Dutch cities with a live guide. Remember that getting to Rotterdam is not automatically covered just because the tour begins there, unless the current activity terms say otherwise.

Muiderslot Castle offers a shorter historical outing. The medieval castle was built in the 13th century by Count Floris V. Guided tours cover Golden Age rooms, the armory, and other parts of the castle. At about one hour, it may need to be combined with other plans because the trip beyond central Amsterdam takes time.

Keukenhof is seasonal. The pass includes garden entry and a shuttle bus when the attraction is operating, with the next stated operating period in spring 2025. The gardens cover 32 hectares and contain roughly seven million bulbs. Because this is a timed seasonal attraction, check the current year’s dates and reserve before counting it as a sure part of your plan.

How to plan two days without wasting the pass

For a two-day visit, I would group attractions by area and reserve first. A sensible pattern could look like this:

Day one: Rijksmuseum, Diamond Museum or Moco Museum, then the canal cruise. Add House of Bols if you still have the energy.

Day two: Heineken Experience, A’DAM Lookout, and either the Houseboat Museum or Amsterdam Dungeon. Use the bicycle rental only if eight hours of riding fits your style.

This is an active schedule. If you want a slower trip, remove one stop each day. The pass rewards movement, but Amsterdam is best enjoyed when you leave time for canals, cafés, and wandering.

For three or five days, add a day trip or two. Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Edam, Muiderslot, and Keukenhof can make the pass more valuable because individual excursions often consume more time and money. Just remember that transport to many attractions is not included.

The Go City app is central to the experience. It holds the digital pass, attraction details, and reservation instructions. Your pass is available after confirmation, and you use the Get ticket option to update your email and sync it in the app. A PDF guide is also available.

The practical snags you should expect

The pass is digital, so you do not need to print it. Keep your phone charged and make sure the pass displays before you reach the entrance. A small technical problem at a museum can cost valuable time.

Some people have had an easy experience adding the pass to the app and booking the attractions that required reservations. Others have run into failed downloads, confusing instructions, or tickets that were not accepted at a museum. I would not wait until the morning of your first visit to solve these issues.

The attraction list can change, and each attraction can be visited only once. Check the app rather than relying on an old saved plan. The pass is offered in English, and most people can take part. Service animals are allowed, and the attractions are generally near public transportation, but the transport fare itself is not included.

The pass is non-refundable and cannot be changed after purchase. That makes careful planning more important, especially for a one-day or two-day option.

Who gets the best value from this pass?

I would recommend it most strongly to someone staying at least two days who wants major museums, a canal cruise, and one or two unusual attractions. It also suits families or groups with different interests because there are art museums, comedy, bicycles, viewpoints, day trips, and entertainment under one pass.

It is less useful if you want only the Rijksmuseum and one other attraction. In that case, buying individual tickets may be simpler. It is also a poor fit for a slow, unplanned visit if you dislike checking reservation rules and keeping track of consecutive calendar days.

Should you book the Amsterdam Go City Pass?

Book it if you can name at least four included attractions you genuinely want, with two of them being higher-priced or longer activities. A two-day plan with the Rijksmuseum, Heineken Experience, canal cruise, A’DAM Lookout, and one smaller stop can make the $88.90 price reasonable.

Skip it if you mainly want public transportation, dislike mobile ticketing, or expect to visit only one museum each day. The strongest value comes from planning ahead, reserving time-sensitive activities, and using the pass for more than quick stops. If you do that, it can be a handy way to see Amsterdam at your own pace, with enough choice to keep the city from feeling like a checklist.

FAQ

How much does the Amsterdam Pass cost?

The supplied price is $88.90 per person. Prices can vary by the number of days selected, so check the current option before booking.

How many days can I use the pass?

You can choose a pass for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days.

Is the Rijksmuseum included?

Yes. The Rijksmuseum is one of the included attractions.

Is the Heineken Experience included?

Yes. Admission to the Heineken Experience is included, along with two complimentary glasses of Heineken at the end of the visit.

Does the pass include public transportation?

No. Transportation to and from attractions is not included unless a specific activity states otherwise.

Can I use the pass on my phone?

Yes. The pass is digital, and you can download it through the Go City app. You do not need to print it.

When does the pass become active?

The pass activates when you visit your first attraction. It then remains valid for the number of consecutive calendar days you purchased.

Are reservations required?

Some activities require reservations. The Go City app or digital guide provides the current reservation instructions and operating times.

Can I visit an attraction more than once?

No. Each included attraction can be visited only once.

Is Keukenhof included all year?

No. Keukenhof is seasonal. The pass includes entry and shuttle bus service during the stated operating period, so check current spring dates before planning your visit.