Amsterdam Pass Review | Is The Amsterdam Pass Worth The Money?

It’s easy to see why Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in Europe. And with so many things to check out, a lot of visitors pick up the Amsterdam Pass as a way to save time and money on their sightseeing. But is this pass worth the money? Well, we did the math so keep reading our Amsterdam Pass Review to see if the pass is a good option for your travel style.

UPDATE 2022: The Amsterdam Pass has been reconfigured and rebranded to the Go City Amsterdam Pass. Check out their website to take a look (we’ll have an updated review soon).

Quick Review Of The Amsterdam Pass

For a lot of visitors, the Go City Amsterdam Pass can be a pretty good deal — especially for first-timers wanting to explore the city’s highlights and do a few of the “touristy” things. However, if you just want to do a museum or two then it’s better to skip the pass. 

The Go City Amsterdam Pass is available in a 1, 2, 3, or 5 day version and it covers 30 different sights and attractions — including Amsterdam’s best museum, the Rijksmuseum.

The main two sights that the pass doesn’t cover are the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House — so be sore to make time for those if you’re wanting to visit those sights.

However, it does cover both the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus and the Hop-On-Hop-Off Canal Cruise for the entirety of the pass length — which is a nice bonus since most passes give you a single day. In addition to the Hop-On-Hop-Off Canal Cruise, it also covers a few other canal cruises so the card will save you a lot if you want to spend a lot of time in the water.  

The pass also covers the popular Heineken Experience and a handful of other attractions for more niche interests (including a few attractions/tours slightly outside the city). See the full list of activities here.

Amsterdam Pass Prices (2019)

The Amsterdam Pass comes in both an adult and a child version. We’ve also included the per-day price so you can better determine if this pass is a good value for your travel style. 

Adult:

• 1-Day Amsterdam Pass: €64
• 2-Day Amsterdam Pass: €84 (€42/day)
• 3-Day Amsterdam Pass: €104 (€35/day)
• 5-Day Amsterdam Pass: €134 (€27/day)

Child:

• 1-Day Amsterdam Pass: €32
• 2-Day Amsterdam Pass: €42 (€21/day)
• 3-Day Amsterdam Pass: €52 (€17/day)
• 5-Day Amsterdam Pass: €67 (€14/day)

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In-Depth Amsterdam Pass Review

Alright, let’s dive deep into the Amsterdam Pass to see what it includes, what it doesn’t include, who might want this pass, and tips for maximizing the value of this city pass.

Amsterdam Pass Highlights

The Amsterdam Pass covers more than 30 attractions but we wanted to list the highlights that most people will be interested in visiting. Visit the Official Go City Amsterdam Pass Website to see the full list of things included in the pass.

• Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus: €26-€30
  • These types of tour buses are a good way to see many of the city’s highlights. As an added bonus, you can use the HOHO bus as much as you like for the duration of your pass (most city passes only give you a single day). 
• Hop-On-Hop-Off Canal Boat Tour: €26+
  • Similar to the bus tour, the HOHO canal tour gives a cool view of Amsterdam. And you can jump on the boat for the entirety of your pass length.
• Rijksmuseum: €20
  • The Rijksmuseum is the largest museum in Amsterdam and it holds works from Rembrandt and other Dutch artists. The building itself is also quite impressive.
• Stedelijk Museum: €18.50
  • The Stedelijk Museum is Amsterdam’s modern and contemporary art museum and the building’s interesting architecture has earned it the nickname the “bathtub”. It’s worth a visit.
• Moco Museum: €13.50
  • This small boutique modern art museum features works from Banksy, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and other lesser-known modern artists. It’s super cool and very Instagram-worthy. 
• Amsterdam Museum: €15
  • Learn about the history of Amsterdam.
• Heineken Experience: €21
  • Learn about the history of Heineken in the original brewery. The Heineken Experience is a bit touristy but it’s one of the city’s top attractions and it receives a lot of good reviews from past visitors. You’re also given two beers on the tour so you can’t complain about that. 
• A’DAM Lookout: €13.50
  • Amsterdam doesn’t have many tall buildings so if you want to get a cool view of the city you’ll want to visit the 360 sky deck of A’DAM Lookout. You can also grab a drink or a bite to eat from the bar.
• Open Boat Tour: €21
  • Unlike other big impersonal tours, the Open Boat Tour gives tours in small electric motor boats lead by a friendly guide.
• 100 Highlights Canal Cruise: €18
  • A fun hour-long cruise that hits most of Amsterdam’s highlights and historical information. 
• Johan Cruijff Stadium Tour: €16.50
  • If you’re into soccer or a fan of AFC AJAX then you’ll like this tour. Not a fan? Then you might want to skip this one. 
• National Maritime Museum: €16.50
  • This naval museum is especially fun for children since many of the exhibits are geared toward the kiddos. But we think even adults will enjoy exploring the replica of the 18th-century cargo ship.
• Ferry To Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot: €21
  • The 13th-century Muiderslot Castle is located a bit outside the city and the Amsterdam Card includes the ferry ride and admission to the castle. They put on a lot of activities for children and in the summer they have live falconry demonstrations.
• Zaanse Schans Card: €15
  • Just outside Amsterdam, you’ll find the cute village of Zaanse Schans — which is famous for its traditional windmills and old wooden houses. The Amsterdam Card includes a Zaanse Schans Card which gives you access to a few local museums and entrance to an old windmill. The Zaanse Schans Card by itself probably isn’t worth the money but having it included in the Amsterdam Pass is a nice bonus if you’re planning on visiting the village. 
• Hop-On-Hop-Off Dutch Countryside Bus Tour: €28
  • The Amsterdam Pass recently added an eight-stop bus tour that visits small towns/villages of the Dutch countryside — including Zaanse Schans, the old fishing village of Volendam, and the charming historical town of Edam.
• Tulip Tour to Keukenhof (South Holland’s Tulip Region): €55
  • Every spring over seven million tulips and flowers bloom in the Keukenhof floral garden. The Amsterdam Pass included both bus transportation (1hr journey time) and an entry fee to the Keukenhof floral garden. Note: This tour only runs from late March to late May (when the flowers are in bloom) and advanced reservations are highly recommended. 

NOTE: The Van Gogh Museum (€19) and Anne Frank House (€10.50) are two popular attractions that are not covered by the Amsterdam Pass. 

Calculating Amsterdam Pass Value

Now you have a better idea of what things the Amsterdam Pass covers so it’s time to take a closer look to see if the pass is actually a good deal. 

To do this we first calculate the cost-per-day of the pass and then plug in which activities we actually want to do. Then, once we know which activities we want to do, we simply add up how much buying everything individually costs and compare that to the pass price.

Here’s a reminder of the pass price for 2019:

• 1-Day Pass: €64
• 2-Day Pass: €84 (€42/day)
• 3-Day Pass: €104 (€35/day)
• 5-Day Pass: €134 (€27/day)

From a quick glance, most museums tickets cost around €14-€20, and the more “touristy” attractions cost around €20-€30.

One-Day Amsterdam Pass Value Breakdown

The one-day pass costs €64 so you’ll have to do one or two big-ticket items and a museum or two to make this pass worth the money. 

Sample One-Day Itinerary

• Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus: €26 (morning tour to get an overview of the city)
• Heineken Experience: €21 or the Stedelijk Modern Art Museum: €18.50
• Rijksmuseum: €20
• Open Boat Tour: €21 (evening tour)

Total: Around €87

So the one-day pass can be a pretty good deal if you want to do the four things listed above — it will be a full day but it’s not too crazy. You could technically cut out one of the museums and you’d still come out slightly ahead — plus you’d get the skip the ticket lines. Of course, you could probably even add the A’DAM Lookout (€13.50) to your schedule if you’re feeling up to it.

Two-Day Amsterdam Pass Value Breakdown

The Two-Day Pass breaks down to €42/day so it’s not too difficult to make this pass worth the money. 

Day One Itinerary

• Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus: €26
• Heineken Experience: €21
• Rijksmuseum: €20

Total: €67

Day Two Itinerary

• Stedelijk Modern Art Museum: €18.50
• Moco Museum: €13.50
• Open Boat Tour: €21
• A’DAM Lookout: €13.50

Total: €66.50

As you can see, it is pretty easy to get your money’s worth from the two-day pass. You could even remove one attraction from each day and still break even. We also want to point out that you could easily add the Van Gogh Museum (not included in the pass) to the first day’s itinerary without too much trouble (it’s located across the street from the Rijksmuseum).

Three-Day Amsterdam Pass Value Breakdown

The three-day Pass breaks down to €35/day so you really only need to do 2-3 things a day to make the pass a good value. We like that the three-day pass allows you to explore Amsterdam at a fairly laidback pace. 

Day One Itinerary

• Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus: €26
• Rijksmuseum: €20
• Foam Photography Museum: €11

Total: €57

Day Two Itinerary

• Stedelijk Modern Art Museum: €18.50
• Moco Museum: €13.50
• Open Boat Tour: €21

Total: €53

Day Three Itinerary

• Heineken Experience: €21
• A’DAM Lookout: €13.50
• Red Light District Walking Tour: €16

Total: €50.5

As stated above, the three-day pass lets you explore Amsterdam at a much more relaxed pace — you can also add the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House into this itinerary without much trouble. Most of our calculated days would cost around €50 so you can essentially subtract an attraction or two from the itinerary and you’d still come out ahead. 

Five-Day Amsterdam Pass Value Breakdown

With the 5-Day Pass, you only need to spend €27/day so you’ll come out ahead if you do two things a day — which is pretty easy. And five days in Amsterdam gives you a nice opportunity to explore some of the nearby villages (many of which are covered by the pass).

Day One Itinerary

• Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus: €26
• Rijksmuseum: €20

Total: €46

Day Two Itinerary

• Stedelijk Modern Art Museum: €18.50
• Open Boat Tour: €21

Total: €39.50

Day Three Itinerary

• Heineken Experience: €21
• Foam Photography Museum: €11
• Red Light District Walking Tour: €16

Total: €48

Day Four Itinerary

• Ferry To Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot: €21
• Moco Museum: €13.50

Total: €34.50

Day Five Itinerary

• Hop-On-Hop-Off Dutch Countryside Bus Tour: €28
• A’DAM Lookout: €13.50

Total: €41.50

At €27/day it is easy to get your money’s worth from the five-day Amsterdam Pass — assuming there are enough things on the pass you want to see. This pass also gives you plenty of time to explore at a relaxed pace and to add in other activities that aren’t covered on the pass.

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How To Maximize The Value Of The Amsterdam Pass

Get A Shorter Pass If You’re On a Budget: If you want to see a lot of the sights then you can save a lot of money by visiting all the expensive attractions in a day or two. This can be a bit exhausting but it is a good way to save money. 

Get Up Early: Be sure to check the hours of the sights to see when they close. We recommend getting started early and hitting the sights when they open. If you don’t get started until noon then you might only have a few hours to squeeze everything in before things start closing. Plus, getting started early will help you beat the crowds.

Group Your Sightseeing: Get a map and plot out where things are so you can group your sightseeing by location. Don’t waste your time traveling from one side of the city to the other if you don’t have to.

Download The App: The app goes a nice job of helping you plan where to visit. It also has a handy map feature so you can plan your route easier if you’re not familiar with the city. It’s also handy for seeing things spur of the moment as you’re walking around.

Night Activities and Hours: Some museums and sights are only open during the day so see what activities are open later and do those after the other attractions are closed.

Don’t Waste the First Day: The time on the pass starts the first day you use it, so if you use your pass for the first time at 8 pm, it will count as a full day.

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Amsterdam Pass Final Thoughts

For first-time visitors, we think that the Amsterdam Pass can actually be a very good deal — especially if you do a few of the “touristy” (yet very enjoyable) things like hop-on city bus tours, canal boat tours, and the Heineken Brewery tour.  

That said, if you just want to visit one or two museums and don’t care about the extra attractions then we suggest skipping the pass.

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Where To Buy The Amsterdam Pass

The easiest and cheapest way to buy the pass is to get it directly from the Official Go City Amsterdam Pass Website — we love that you can just have to download a mobile pass straight to your phone. You can also pick up your passes at one of eleven locations in Amsterdam.