Amsterdam Pass: 45+ Things To Do – Includes Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam rewards a well-planned pass. This Go City option gives you access to major sights such as the Rijksmuseum and Heineken Experience, plus canal cruises, museums, bike rental, and day trips. I like the wide choice and the easy phone-based ticket, but the pass works best when you visit several included attractions on consecutive days.

I also like the flexibility: you can mix art, history, views, comedy, and Dutch villages instead of following one fixed route. The main concern is that some popular activities require reservations, transportation is usually extra, and a few users have reported trouble downloading or scanning tickets.

Key points to know before you buy

• Rijksmuseum is included: The pass covers one of Amsterdam’s essential museums, with works spread across five floors.
• Two days can be strong value: One user visited seven attractions in two days and said the pass saved money.
• The canal cruise and A’DAM Lookout pair well: One gives you street-level water views, the other a broad view over the city.
• The pass is not a transport card: You pay separately for most trams, buses, trains, and ferries.
• Reservations matter: Zaanse Schans, Keukenhof, and some tours require advance booking through the Go City app.
• Activation is by calendar day: A two-day pass lasts for two consecutive calendar days, not 48 hours.

What the Amsterdam Pass includes for $88.90

The Amsterdam Go City Pass costs $88.90 per person and can be used for one, two, three, or five days. It gives admission to a changing group of more than 40 activities, sometimes advertised as 45 or more, so check the current app before building your schedule.

This is not a guided tour with one meeting point. It is a digital sightseeing pass. You choose the attractions, show your pass on your phone, and arrange your own route around Amsterdam and beyond.

The value comes from stacking several paid visits into one active day. A single museum may not justify the price. A museum, canal cruise, lookout, and Heineken Experience can make the numbers work quickly. One user used a two-day pass for seven attractions and found it saved money, which is the clearest indication of how to use this product well.

The pass is available immediately after purchase and can be synced in the Go City app. A PDF guide is also available. I would download the pass before leaving your hotel and keep the app ready, since a few users had problems getting tickets to download or scan at the Rijksmuseum and another museum. Those reports do not mean every pass fails, but they are a good reason not to wait until you are standing at an entrance.

Start with Amsterdam’s best art and city views

The Rijksmuseum deserves serious time. Its five floors hold major European art, so you can easily spend two hours here and still leave feeling that you have only skimmed the collection. If this is one of your main reasons for buying the pass, check the entry instructions carefully and allow time for the ticket to load.

The Moco Museum offers a sharp change of mood. This smaller museum focuses on modern and contemporary art, including Banksy and other popular names. Plan on about an hour. It suits you if you want something more direct and current after a traditional museum visit.

At the A’DAM LOOKOUT, an elevator ride takes you to wide views over Amsterdam, its historic center, port, canals, and Dutch polder country. An hour is enough for the visit. The lookout is across the water from the central station area, so grouping it with THIS IS HOLLAND and a canal cruise can save time.

THIS IS HOLLAND uses a 5D flight simulation and four shows to present famous Dutch sights with special effects. It takes about an hour. I would treat it as an entertaining introduction rather than a substitute for seeing the country in person. It is a good choice for families and for anyone who enjoys visual attractions.

The Amsterdam Tulip Museum is small, but its focus is clear. Exhibits and local art explain the tulip’s cultural importance in the Netherlands. The visit takes about an hour and fits nicely into a Jordaan walking day.

Heineken, genever, diamonds, and Amsterdam’s stranger corners

The Heineken Experience is one of the pass’s strongest popular attractions. Over about two hours, you learn about the company’s heritage, brewing process, innovations, and sponsorships. The visit ends with two complimentary glasses of Heineken in the tasting room, which adds a clear perk for beer drinkers.

The House of Bols Cocktail Experience takes about 90 minutes. It covers genever, the Dutch spirit that came before gin, and includes a museum, tasting room, and stylish bar. This is a good pick if you want a drink-focused attraction with more context than a simple tasting.

The Diamond Museum Amsterdam covers 400 years of diamond history in Europe’s only museum devoted to the stone, according to the supplied description. Nearby, the Royal Coster Diamonds experience gives you a personal guide who explains how diamonds form and are polished. You may also see polishers and goldsmiths at work. The two attractions overlap in subject, so I would choose one unless diamonds are a special interest.

Amsterdam’s Houseboat Museum gives you a look at life aboard the Hendrika Maria, a houseboat on the Prinsengracht in Jordaan. The visit shows how the vessel became living quarters. It is compact and easy to combine with the Amsterdam Tulip Museum, Amsterdam Uncovered walking tour, and the Pipe Museum.

The Amsterdam Pipe Museum covers 2,500 years of pipe-making objects from five continents. It is a niche stop, but that is the point. This is the kind of unusual small museum that can add character to a day built around larger sights.

The BonTon brothel tour with a former sex worker explains the building, sex work, and their development through the ages. The subject matter is adult and direct, so choose it because you genuinely want that perspective, not simply because it is included. The tour lasts about an hour.

Cruise, pedal, cycle, and walk through the city

The Stromma Amsterdam Canal Cruise lasts about an hour and passes sights including Anne Frank’s House and the Westerkerk. Amsterdam is built around water, and a canal cruise gives you a different sense of the city’s layout than walking alone. One user called the cruise and A’DAM Lookout the most memorable parts of a four to five-day visit.

The pass also includes a pedal boat for about an hour. You steer yourself along the canals and choose the areas you want to see. It sounds relaxed, but you will be doing the work, so do not schedule it immediately after a long cycling day.

MacBike rental gives you a bicycle for eight hours. Pickup points include Central Station, Oosterdok, Waterlooplein, and Vondelpark. You can cycle beside the canals, through Jordaan, or out of the city. Since transportation is not generally included in the pass, the bike can be a useful way to connect several attractions, though you should be comfortable cycling in Amsterdam before choosing it.

The Amsterdam Uncovered guided walking tour lasts two hours and covers local history, culture, and practical tips from a local guide. This can be a smart early choice because it helps you get oriented before tackling the city on your own.

Museums and attractions for families

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam has more than eight themed zones with wax figures of film stars, singers, athletes, and artists. It takes about an hour and is aimed more at entertainment than art or Dutch history.

The Amsterdam Dungeon presents 500 years of Amsterdam history through actors, dark scenes, and torture-themed storytelling. The experience lasts about an hour and can be intense. I would not choose it for young children without checking whether the tone suits them.

The National Maritime Museum, or Het Scheepvaartmuseum, explores 500 years of Dutch maritime history through interactive displays and historical objects from the Golden Age. The supplied duration says two minutes, which is plainly too short to represent a useful visit. Plan according to the museum’s actual opening information in the app and give it proper time if you want more than a quick entry.

Our House is a modern electronic music experience in a historic central setting. Floor-to-ceiling projections and DJ-led installations create a two-hour sound-and-light visit. It is a good counterpoint to the city’s traditional museums.

At Boom Chicago in Jordaan, an English-language comedy troupe performs topical sketches, improvisation, and songs. The show takes about two hours. It is one of the pass’s most distinctive evening choices, especially if you want a break from museums.

Day trips beyond the canal belt

The pass reaches well beyond central Amsterdam, but these excursions consume much more time.

A trip to Zaanse Schans takes about four hours and presents working windmills, wooden houses, barns, and shops dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Reservations are required for this activity. Use the app to check operating times and book before you arrive.

The Volendam, Edam, and windmills excursion lasts about five hours. It combines Zaanse Schans with the historic towns of Edam and Volendam. This is efficient if you want a broad introduction to traditional Dutch places without arranging several separate journeys.

The full-day tour from Rotterdam Centraal Station visits Rotterdam, Delft, and The Hague in about eight hours. It includes round-trip travel and a live guide. This is a major commitment, and you should not pair it with several central Amsterdam attractions on the same day. It suits a five-day pass much better than a one-day or two-day plan.

Muiderslot Castle offers medieval architecture, Golden Age rooms, an armory, and guided touring. The visit itself takes about an hour, though reaching the castle will require planning. It is a worthwhile choice if you want something beyond Amsterdam’s canals and galleries.

Madurodam presents famous Dutch cities and sights as miniature models. Allow about two hours. It works well for families and for anyone who wants a playful look at the country’s architecture and landmarks.

Keukenhof is seasonal and includes garden admission plus a shuttle bus transfer. The gardens cover 32 hectares and contain about seven million bulbs. The attraction operates in spring, not year-round, and the supplied information specifically notes that the next operating period is spring 2025. Check current dates before buying the pass for this purpose.

How to plan one, two, or five days

A one-day pass is a demanding proposition. You would need to visit several attractions close together, and queues, reservation times, meals, and transport can quickly cut into the day. It may work if you choose the Rijksmuseum, canal cruise, and Heineken Experience, but only with careful timing.

A two-day pass is more practical. One useful plan is:

• Day one: Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum, canal cruise, and Heineken Experience
• Day two: A’DAM LOOKOUT, THIS IS HOLLAND, Houseboat Museum, and one evening attraction

That is still busy, but the sights are varied and the first three can be arranged around central Amsterdam and the north side of the river.

A three-day pass gives you room for a day trip or a slower museum schedule. You might spend one day on the Rijksmuseum and canal area, one day on Jordaan and the smaller museums, and one day at Zaanse Schans or Muiderslot.

The five-day pass is the easiest to use well. You can add a bike rental, comedy show, a longer day trip, and attractions you would otherwise skip. The pass is activated when you visit your first attraction and then remains valid for the number of consecutive calendar days purchased. It does not pause overnight or count in rolling 24-hour blocks.

Reservations, transport, and phone use

The digital format is convenient. You do not need to print the pass, and the Go City app provides attraction details and a planning guide. Still, I would save the pass information before your first outing and make sure your phone is charged.

Some activities require reservations. Zaanse Schans and Keukenhof are specifically flagged, and other venues may also have booking rules. Check every attraction in the app before setting your schedule. An included ticket does not always mean you can walk in at any time.

Transportation is the largest practical gap. The pass does not include general Amsterdam public transport, and the price does not cover most journeys to attractions. The Keukenhof shuttle is included with that activity, and the Rotterdam, Delft, and The Hague excursion includes round-trip travel, but you should budget separately for trams, trains, buses, and other connections.

The attraction list can change, and each attraction can be visited only once. Use the current digital guide rather than relying on an old plan copied from a website.

Who will get the best value

I would recommend this pass to you if you enjoy making your own schedule and want a mix of major sights and unusual stops. It is especially useful for a two to five-day stay, when you can combine a few expensive headline attractions with smaller museums, a cruise, or a show.

It suits first-time visitors who want help choosing from many options, families who need variety, and repeat visitors looking for attractions beyond the usual museum circuit. The app also makes it easier to keep your choices in one place.

I would be cautious if you prefer a slow pace. You may save money only by visiting enough attractions, and the pass can tempt you into racing from one included stop to the next. It is also less appealing if your main goal is only the Rijksmuseum and one other sight.

The mixed rating reflects that difference. Several users found the pass easy to add to the app and said it saved money, while others had trouble with ticket downloads, scanning, or complicated instructions. The pass itself is not difficult in concept, but the details matter.

Should you book the Amsterdam Go City Pass?

Book it if you can name at least four or five included activities that you genuinely want to visit, especially the Rijksmuseum, Heineken Experience, canal cruise, A’DAM LOOKOUT, or a day trip. A two-day pass is likely the best middle ground for many visitors, while five days gives you the freedom to use the smaller museums and longer excursions without rushing.

Skip it if you plan to spend most of your time wandering, sitting in cafés, or visiting attractions outside the current list. The pass is non-refundable, so check the app, confirm reservations, and map out your first day before purchase. Used with a plan, it can be a solid money saver. Used casually, it can become an expensive phone ticket and a race against the calendar.

FAQ

How long is the Amsterdam Pass valid?

You can buy a pass for one, two, three, or five days. It activates when you visit your first attraction and remains valid for the number of consecutive calendar days purchased, not for rolling 24-hour periods.

Is the Rijksmuseum included?

Yes. The Rijksmuseum is included, with access to its collection spread across five floors of European art.

Do I need to print the pass?

No. The pass is digital and can be shown on your phone through the Go City app. A PDF guide is also available.

Is public transportation included?

No. Transportation to and from attractions is generally not included unless specifically stated. The Keukenhof activity includes a shuttle bus, and the Rotterdam, Delft, and The Hague excursion includes round-trip travel.

Do any attractions require reservations?

Yes. Reservations are required for the Zaanse Schans activity, and some other attractions may also require advance booking. Check the Go City app or digital guide for current instructions.

Can I visit an attraction more than once?

No. Each included attraction can be visited only once, and the attraction list may change. Check the current app before planning your visits.