Amsterdam Card and Pass
Amsterdam cards and passes are definitely useful tourist tools when you are planning a trip to the Dutch capital: they will allow you to visit the city's best attractions while saving a lot of money compared to buying single tickets.
One pass to Amsterdam with many services and attractions included.
There are as many as four types, each with its own advantages and logic, with features that can be adapted to different types of travelers and travelers.
In this article I will present all the Amsterdam tourist cards in detail, explaining how they work, what they include and highlighting their convenience.
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Amsterdam card and pass: which one to choose?
Like most European capitals, Amsterdam has its own range of tourist passes, which can be a valuable ally in tackling a trip while trying to optimize costs for the city's tourist attractions.
Specifically, four different types of tourist cards are available in Amsterdam:
Each has its own logic of operation (which we will see in detail in this review), includes entrances to Amsterdam's major attractions, as well as other services and benefits useful to travelers.
All Amsterdam passes are good products, and they find their effective application in different travel approaches.
Finding the one that best suits your needs can be a time-consuming task with associated study phase.
To help you find the most suitable tourist card for your type of travel in Amsterdam, in this article I will present all the options, explaining their advantages and disadvantages, and guiding you in your choice.
I Amsterdam City Card
Here is everything you need to know about its operation.
Buy I Amsterdam City CardWhat it includes
As mentioned, the I Amsterdam City Card includes admission to Amsterdam's best museums and attractions, a full list of which can be found here.
The only major absentee: the I Amsterdam City Card does NOT include admission to the Van Gogh Museum, but does include other major museums such as the Rijksmuseum in return.
Also included in the pass is a canal sightseeing cruise and, most importantly, unlimited use of public transportation (specifically GVB buses, streetcars and subways, recognizable by their blue logos), as long as you travel within the city center boundaries.
With the I Amsterdam City Card you are also entitled to discounts or free admission to some of Amsterdam's most original museums.
N.B. Some attractions must be booked on the official website of the place you want to visit. On this page you can check which ones require reservations, along with instructions for booking.
The canal cruise, on the other hand, can be accessed freely, without booking in advance, by going directly to one of the tour operators offering the service (you can always find them in the list of attractions included in the pass).
How does it work?
The I Amsterdam City Card is available in five formats, namely 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours.
Once purchased, the pass is downloadable digitally via theI Amsterdam City Card app, where it appears as a QR code. Show up at the attractions on your chosen day and time, show the code, and you're done.
Similarly when you need to take transportation, get on GVB vehicles by scanning the code or showing it to the conductor/controller.
The pass is automatically activated the first time you scan it, either in its digital or paper form. Once activated, the pass is valid for the hours you have purchased, until they run out. After that, the QR code no longer works and cannot be used or recharged.
Buy I Amsterdam City CardPrices
Prices for the I Amsterdam City Card vary according to the hours you decide to purchase, following the rates I leave below:
- 24-hour pass: €60
- 48-hour pass: €85
- 72-hour pass: €100
- 96-hour pass: € 115
- 120-hour pass: €125
Children under 10 years old do not pay.
Buy I Amsterdam City CardI Amsterdam City Card: is it worth it?
From an economic point of view, theI Amsterdam City Card definitely pays off.
In addition to providing you with significant savings compared to buying individual tickets, with this pass you also have included public transportation and several attractive discounts on other museums.
A true all-inclusive package that is also advantageous from an organizational as well as a price point of view, because you don't have to worry about anything besides booking certain attractions.
So if you are planning an exploratory trip to Amsterdam, with the desire (and time) to see as many things as possible, this card is the ideal solution.
Where to buy the I Amsterdam City Card
The I Amsterdam City Card can be purchased online through the official website or through Tiqets.
We recommend using Tiqets because of the option-included in the price-to cancel the purchase up to one day before departure, with a full refund.
Where to get the I Amsterdam Card
The I Amsterdam City Card is a digital version, downloaded and activated via the official App that you will always have available on your devices.
Alternatively, if for convenience or preference you prefer to pick up the physical version of the pass, as soon as you arrive downtown I recommend that you stop by the I Amsterdam Store, near Central Station.
Refunds
If you purchase the I Amsterdam City Card online you have a 30-day limit within which to cancel your order to receive a full refund by sending an e-mail to citycard@iamsterdam.com.
Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass
The name might be misleading because it actually includes many museums and attractions but Not the unlimited use of public transportation, which in this pass are instead replaced by the tourist buses and ferries.
What it includes
The Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass includes the most important attractions and guided tours of the Dutch capital, giving you the chance to enjoy the city to the fullest while saving money.
Find the complete list of attractions on this page, where by clicking on the individual museum or tour you can also get useful information, such as opening hours and directions on how to get there.
In addition to admission to Amsterdam's most famous museums and attractions, this pass also gives you unlimited hop-on hop-off tourist buses and boats and some exclusive guided tours both in the city center and outside Amsterdam.
N.B. Again, to visit most attractions you must make reservations first.
Places that require mandatory reservations are listedhere; just choose the attraction you are interested in and follow the instructions on the site to reserve a specific day and time.
The Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass does NOT include admission to the Van Gogh Museum.
How it works
The Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass is available only in digital version in 1-, 2-, 3- or 5-day format.
Basically, within the days of validity, you can visit as many attractions as you want from those included in the pass's coverage.
There is actually an overall maximum limit of attractions that can be visited, called "value operation" (explained in the next section), but basically the logic is this.
Once purchased you can download it to your phone via theGo City app, or print out the code that is emailed to you with the purchase confirmation if you prefer to carry a paper version.
When you arrive at the attraction you want to visit, simply scan your pass directly at the entrance, without waiting in line for tickets.
The pass is automatically activated when you first scan it and is valid until the duration you have purchased runs out. After that it cannot be reloaded.
As for hop-on hop-off buses and ferries, however, just show up at the stop at your preferred time and show your pass to the staff.
Buy Amsterdam All-Inclusive PassOperation by values
I explain the operation-by-value argument, that is, the maximum limit of attractions that can be visited with the pass, depending on its duration.
The Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass (as well as the Amsterdam Pass Explorer, which we will look at in a moment) has a value-based operation: in short, depending on its duration the pass is capped at a total amount of money, calculated from the average ticket price of individual attractions, which once reached no longer allows you to use the card.
The maximum values are these:
- 2-day pass: adults 390€ / children 310€
- 3-day pass: adults €495 / children €400
- 5-day pass: adults €690 / children €520
Of course, these are high figures, which are unlikely to be reached before the card expires.
So it does not represent a de facto limitation in 99% of cases, but it is good to know how it works properly and completely.
Prices
As with all tourist passes, fees for the Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass vary depending on the format you choose:
- 2-day pass: € 114 for adults, € 64 for children (3 - 12 years old)
- 3-day pass: € 139 for adults, € 84 for children (3 - 12 years old)
- 5-day pass: €189 for adults, €119 for children (3 - 12 years old)
Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass: is it worth it?
A savings is there, but this pass is not really "all inclusive" as the name implies.
Certainly there is the convenience of having one ticket to visit the whole city. The ability to use tourist transportation is also a great advantage, because you can use them instead of regular transportation even if not with the same convenience.
However, considering that the prices of the first two passes in this article are more or less aligned, I believe that if you really want an all-inclusive pass the I Amsterdam Pass is the most affordable.
Buy Amsterdam All-Inclusive PassWhere to buy the Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass
The Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass can be purchased online at the official Go City website.
Buy Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass>> Be aware that the same site also sells the Amsterdam Explorer Pass, a pass that has a different offer.
Refunds
In case of unforeseen issues, you are entitled to a full refund within 90 days of purchasing the pass.
To get this, you must contact Go City's customer support (which apparently responds very quickly) by going to the FAQ page and filling out the appropriate form at the bottom.
Amsterdam Explorer Pass
So I would say that this pass is ideal for those who prefer to explore Amsterdam without a clearly defined itinerary at the start, with the freedom to choose at the moment what to see.
Buy Amsterdam Explorer PassHow it works
The Amsterdam Explorer Pass exists in the format of 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions. Choose the ones you are interested in from this list and the pass will give you access to each one simply by scanning the code at the entrance. From the time of purchase you have 60 days to visit the attractions you have included.
Technically the pass gives you no day or time limit to visit your points of interest, but as always some attractions (found on this page) must be reserved, following the directions on the individual attraction's official website.
If you purchase the Amsterdam Explorer Pass, therefore, I recommend checking to see if any of your scheduled attractions require reservations.
Buy Amsterdam Explorer PassOperation by values
The Amsterdam Explorer Pass also works on a per-value basis, with the ceilings I leave below:
- Pass from 3 attractions: € 160 for adults, € 115 for children
- Pass from 4 attractions: € 195 for adults, € 145 for children
- Pass from 5 attractions: € 230 for adults, € 175 for children
- Pass from 6 attractions: € 265 for adults, € 200 for children
- 7-attraction pass: €295 for adults, €225 for children
As you can see, these are again high figures, always calculated based on the average price of individual attractions. There are very few cases where you overrun the value before the number of attractions.
Prices
The fees based on the number of attractions for the Amsterdam Explorer Pass are as follows:
- 3-attraction pass: €69 for adults, €44 for children (3 - 12 years old)
- Pass from 4 attractions: €89 for adults, €54 for children (3 - 12 years old)
- 5-attraction pass: €104 for adults, €64 for children (3 - 12 years old)
- 6-attraction pass: €114 for adults, €69 for children (3 - 12 years old)
- Pass from 7 attractions: € 149 for adults, € 84 for children (3 - 12 years old)
Amsterdam Explorer Pass: is it worth it?
In my opinion, theAmsterdam Explorer Pass is definitely cheaper than the Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass.
In fact, the Amsterdam Explorer Pass gives us the opportunity to choose a fixed number of attractions we are really interested in, a perfect way to make full use of our money and time, and to make sure we only see the things we like.
Not only are the prices slightly lower, but for what you pay you have the ability to create your own personal itinerary and manage your time without being afraid of running out of hours. It certainly can't compete with an all-inclusive tourist pass, because it doesn't have perks like transportation or special discounts, but for those who want some freedom during their trip, while still devoting some time to museums and tours, it is the perfect option.
Where to buy the Amsterdam Explorer Pass
The Amsterdam Explorer Pass is purchased online through the provider's website (Go City) at the links on this page.
You can then download it on the app to get the digital version.
>> Beware of confusion between Amsterdam Pass Explorer and the Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass, as both passes are sold at the same site.
Refunds
As with the Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass, for the Explorer you have 90 days after the date of purchase to cancel the pass and get a full refund.
Refunds are requested by contacting customer service, calling the phone number or using the form at the end of this page.
Amsterdam Pass
It is a card with a more limited offer-and price-than the other cards I have mentioned, but it is still a very good product, allowing you to visit Amsterdam's two most famous museums with a single ticket.
Let's see how it works.
Buy Amsterdam PassHow it works
Like all the passes described in this article, the Amsterdam Pass is emailed to you once you have completed your purchase. You can either print out the code so you have the paper version or keep it in your phone. At the entrance to the museums or before the tour just show it to enter.
Already at the time of purchase you are asked to specify the day and time when you intend to visit the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, and participate in the canal tour. You do not have to visit all the attractions on the same day, because the Amsterdam Pass does not impose time limits on you. It is simply valid for the day and time you choose, and after that it automatically expires.
In addition to the admissions you also have anaudio guidefor each museum and a free app with a useful Amsterdam city guide.
Buy Amsterdam PassPrices
The Amsterdam Pass fares are as follows:
- Card for adults (18 years and older): € 66
- Youth card (12 to 17 years old): € 21
- Card for children (ages 5 to 11): €15
- Card for infants (0 to 4 years old): €1
Amsterdam Pass: is it worth it?
Economically, the Amsterdam Pass does not save much money, because the price of combined single tickets plus audio guide is practically the same as the price of the tourist pass.
The convenience in my opinion lies in the organization: with the Amsterdam Pass you can have the entrances to the two most important museums in Amsterdam (keep in mind that the entrance to the Van Gogh Museum is not included in any of the passes I mentioned earlier) with a single ticket, and you can even book the date and time of the visit directly during the purchase. In short, it is ideal particularly for those who are primarily interested in these two museums and do not want to delve into the city's other attractions.
So if you want to focus only on a mini-tour of Amsterdam and its two most famous museums this pass is for you; otherwise it is better to opt for one of the options I mentioned above, which include more benefits and are also more affordable.
Where to buy the Amsterdam Pass
The Amsterdam Pass is purchased exclusively online at the Tiqets website.
Buy Amsterdam PassValidity and refunds
Tiqets' Amsterdam Pass is the only pass on this page that is non-refundable.
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