Amsterdam passes in comparison! Which City Pass is worthwhile?

Amsterdam and discount cards, also known as City Passes, are a combination that can be found three times in the capital of the Netherlands. As in all major metropolises, whether London, Paris or Barcelona, you pay in advance for free admission to the respective sights and attractions of the city, receive a discount for other sightseeing tours and get free travel or discounts on city tours, public transport or airport transfers.

There are three noteworthy offers available for Amsterdam. In this article, I would like to briefly introduce the individual passes and give my comments on them. However, if you decide to purchase a discount card and want to buy a pass online in advance, there are a few things you should bear in mind:

Each of the Amsterdam City Passes is only really worthwhile if all the benefits are utilised to the maximum. You always lose a lot of time travelling to and from Amsterdam, getting to the various sights and, above all, the duration of the visits.

I can’t recommend a quick run through the world-famous Rijksmuseum or the unique Van Gogh Museum to anyone. Travelling to the airport, train station or getting there by car and especially parking in Amsterdam is always very time-consuming and unfortunately often further restricts the time available for sightseeing.

How much do the Amsterdam Passes cost?

Here are the prices for the individual passes before we get to the individual prices of the most important sights and attractions. Then we continue with brief notes on the individual discount cards, a summary, tips and recommendations from me.

Attractions in Amsterdam

As in many other tourist centres, the entrance fees for paid sights and attractions in Amsterdam are generally very high. Of course, there is a lot to see in the canal city, but like the Louvre in Paris, Gaudi’s works in Barcelona or the Vatican Museums in Rome, some attractions in Amsterdam have no alternative.

In addition to the world-famous canals, these include the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Heineken Museum, for which there is nothing comparable in any European metropolis.

Here is a list of the most important tickets for Amsterdam and their individual prices, without whose free offers a discount card is not worthwhile.

Discounts and reductions for young people and children can be found on the provider’s website.

Amsterdam City Passes in comparison

Visiting times without travelling and waiting times, for example for the Rijksmuseum of approx. 2 hours or the Heineken Experience of 1.5 hours, should already be included in the considerations for a city tour in connection with a discount card.

However, the most important sights in Amsterdam are relatively centrally located, with the exception of Keukenhof, which can only be visited in 2023 during the opening period from 23 March to 14 May. To avoid waiting times, it is generally recommended to purchase individual tickets in advance or tickets in conjunction with the purchase of a discount card. In almost all cases, priority access to the respective event is then guaranteed.

Brief description of the individual cards

I amsterdam city card

If you take public transport to visit the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum on the first day, you have already seen an enormous amount, but you have not yet saved any money with the I Amsterdam City Card. The next day, you can continue on the public transport included in the price.

At the top attractions Heineken Experience, Madame Tussaud or Dungeon there is only a 25% discount on the admission price. The card is not yet profitable. The compulsory programme is completed and on the third day there are many remarkable museum visits, including the Amsterdam Museum, Het Rembrandthuis and Hermitage Amsterdam, all free of charge. Now the I amsterdam city card is starting to pay off. In between, you will certainly find some time to relax on the obligatory canal cruise, which is also included in the price.

My tip: Ideal for museum-enthusiastic Amsterdam visitors who don’t want to walk much, spend more than 2 or 3 days in the city and would rather do without extensive strolling and shopping to make the pass really worthwhile. To book the I amsterdam City Card.

GO City

If you are unfamiliar with Amsterdam and are undertaking a two-day sightseeing programme, it makes sense to consider purchasing the Go City pass. The cost of the benefits mentioned below, as well as the typical canal cruise, is already higher than the purchase price of the discount card, which may also be subject to favourable price adjustments.

Always check the provider’s offer. The only thing missing is the Van Gogh Museum.

The pass is offered as a Go City All-Inclusive Pass with a validity period of 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. Use is always based on calendar days. The Go City Explorer Pass is different in that you can choose between 3 to 7 attractions depending on your booking.

My tip: If you want to get to know the many varied highlights of Amsterdam and spend the rest of your stay strolling in the Jordaan neighbourhood or enjoying the flair of the city in the canal belt, the Go City Pass All-Inclusive and the Go City Explorer Pass are a good way to save some money.

Amsterdam Pass

If you decide to take a short trip to Amsterdam with a visit to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the traditional canal cruise, you should take a look at the Amsterdam Pass from Tiqets, which includes these services and more for free.

If you still have time for the Heineken Experience, Madame Tussauds Amsterdam, Dungeon Amsterdam or even bike hire for a day, you can always benefit from a 10% discount. This also applies to over 100 other attractions from the provider Tiqets. The advantage of this Amsterdam Pass is attractive, because it includes everything you need to see and experience in the world-famous canal city.

My tip: A clear and straightforward offer. Suitable for first-time visitors to Amsterdam. Very practical, as you already have all the important tickets in your hand with one booking. Amsterdam Pass from Tiqets

Is it worth buying or not?

Admission prices for the various attractions and museums in Amsterdam are generally very high, so free services or even small percentage discounts can quickly lead to considerable savings.

When it comes to discount cards for city trips, there is only ever one topic! Is it worth buying or not? The answer for Amsterdam is the same as for the other metropolises that attract tourists in droves. The more often you take advantage of the discounts and benefits of a discount card, the more convincing the result tends to be.

If you compare the one-off purchase of the discount card at a fixed price with the respective individual prices for the various attractions, the purchase of such a discount card is always lucrative if you are staying in the city for 2, 3 or more full days and are one of the more adventurous travellers. However, as already mentioned, you often lose a lot of valuable time travelling by car, airport transfer or other transfer to your accommodation in order to make the best possible use of your discount card.

As the interests of travellers on a city tour are very different, it is important to find out in advance about the offer of the respective discount card to check whether it is worth buying.

For shorter stays of 2 or 3 nights and for first-time visitors, I would opt for the Amsterdam Pass from Tiqets. For longer stays in the canal city, the GO City Pass or the I amsterdam City Card seem to me to be the better choice.

* All prices quoted in this text are for information purposes only. The current price of the provider always applies. Changes, discounts and reductions for young people and children, as well as all important details about the offers can also be found on the respective provider’s website.