IAmsterdam Card

Amsterdam's official city pass is now called the I amsterdam City Card. Like most city cards, it bundles free public transport, free entry to a long list of museums and a few extras for a set number of days. It can save you money and a lot of ticket-buying hassle, but it's expensive, and it only pays off if you plan to use it hard.

It also costs about twice what it did when this page was first written, and two of the three museums most visitors care about aren't included.

The two versions and what they cost

Prices below are from the official I amsterdam site as of September 2026.

Total Experience

The full card: unlimited GVB transport plus entry to everything on the City Card list.

Explorer

A cheaper, digital-only card for people who don't need transport. You pick 3, 5 or 7 attractions from the City Card list and have five consecutive days to use them.

The old complaint that there were no children's cards no longer applies, with one catch: a child card can only be bought together with an adult card.

What's included

• Public transport (Total Experience only): all GVB trams, buses, metros, ferries and night buses. NS trains aren't included, so it won't get you to or from Schiphol.
• More than 70 museums and attractions, including the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk, the Rembrandt House, NEMO Science Museum, the National Maritime Museum, the Verzetsmuseum (Resistance Museum), Wereldmuseum Amsterdam (the old Tropenmuseum), Moco, Foam, the Eye Filmmuseum, H'ART Museum, the Portuguese Synagogue, Hortus Botanicus, ARTIS zoo and A'DAM Lookout.
• A few places outside the city, such as Teylers Museum in Haarlem, Muiderslot Castle and the Zaan Time Museum in Zaandam.
• One canal cruise and 24 hours of bike rental.

What isn't

The Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not on the card. Anne Frank House tickets are sold online only, and both places sell out, so book them separately and early.

Time slots still apply

The card gets you in free, but it doesn't get you in whenever you like. The Rijksmuseum requires every visitor to book a start time, card holders included. I amsterdam says most other City Card locations don't need a reservation, but check the busy ones before you go.

Let's do the math

Start with what you'd pay anyway. A GVB day ticket is €10, and paying by bank card is capped at €10.50 a day. The Rijksmuseum is €25 for adults and free for anyone 18 and under. So a day with the Rijksmuseum and a lot of tram rides is worth about €35, against €67 for the 24-hour card.

To come out ahead, you need to add the canal cruise and at least one or two more paid museums on the same day. That's doable if you start early and don't linger. Over 72 hours, €115 needs two or three paid visits a day plus the transport to pay off.

A few things tilt the numbers:

• Most visitors walk more than they ride. Central Amsterdam is compact, and plenty of people never spend €10 a day on trams. Our transport guide has the details.
• Under-18s already get into the Rijksmuseum free, so a child card only makes sense if the kids will use the other attractions.
• The Explorer card can be better value if you only want three or four specific places and are happy to walk.

(The giant I amsterdam letters in the photo stood outside the Rijksmuseum until the city removed them in December 2018 as part of its push against mass tourism. A set still stands at Schiphol.)

Reasons to get one

1. You're a first-timer planning to see a lot of museums in a short stay.
2. It saves time buying separate tickets and transit passes.
3. It will force you to see the high-culture attractions out of guilt.

Reasons to skip it

1. You may not actually save money, especially if you walk everywhere.
2. It pushes you into packed days of famous attractions and takes away the spontaneity.
3. Your top two sights are the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, neither of which is included.
4. Once it's activated, you can't get a refund.

Where to buy it

Buy online from I amsterdam and use the digital card in the City Card app, or buy a physical card at the I amsterdam Store at the back of Centraal Station, De Ruijterkade 28 B-D. The old VVV offices mentioned in earlier versions of this page are gone. Either way, the card doesn't start until you first use it (or activate it in the app), so you can buy ahead without losing hours. The Explorer card is digital only.

The bottom line

If this is your first visit, take a canal tour right away and plan to see at least one of the big museums. But Amsterdam is also a city that rewards wandering: getting lost in the Jordaan, window shopping, stopping for a beer and watching the world go by. The City Card works against that kind of trip. Get it if you'll really fill the days, skip it if you won't, and see our cheap Amsterdam guide and free things to do for the other approach.

FAQ

Does the I amsterdam City Card include the Van Gogh Museum?

No. Neither the Van Gogh Museum nor the Anne Frank House is included. Book both separately online.

Does the card cover the train from Schiphol?

No. It covers GVB transport only, and the airport train is run by NS. Pay for that with a contactless bank card or a separate ticket.

When does the 24-hour clock start?

When you first use the card, at a museum or on a GVB vehicle, and it runs for consecutive hours from then. Start it in the morning to get the most out of it.