Travel guide · Netherlands
Amsterdam Travel Guide 2026: Anne Frank tickets, City Card maths, new taxes and real costs
Canal houses on the Herengracht just after sunset on a winter evening. Photo: Anne Dirkse (www.annedirkse.com), CC BY-SA 4.0
Amsterdam is a compact capital of about 946,000 people built around a UNESCO-listed ring of 17th-century canals, and most of what visitors come for sits within a short tram ride of Centraal Station. Three decisions shape a trip here: getting Anne Frank House tickets the Tuesday they are released, deciding whether the I amsterdam City Card pays off when it leaves out the two most-booked museums, and budgeting for hotel taxes that jumped in 2026. This guide answers those first, then ranks what to do, compares day trips and shows live prices across 1,440 tours we track.
Amsterdam at a glance
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, with 946,447 inhabitants in May 2026. Its 17th-century canal ring, the Grachtengordel, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since July 2010, and the city counts more than 100 km of canals and about 90 islands. English is spoken by roughly 90% of residents, and tap water is safe to drink everywhere.
The city is also actively trying to have fewer visitors. Since 1 January 2026 hotel stays carry 21% VAT on top of a 12.5% tourist tax, the council has decided to halve the number of cruise ships that moor here, and guided tours in the centre are capped at 15 people. None of this should stop you coming, but it changes the budget and some of the tours on offer.
| Population | 946,447 (municipality, May 2026) |
|---|---|
| Heritage | 17th-century canal ring, UNESCO World Heritage since 2010 |
| Canals | More than 100 km of canals, about 90 islands |
| Airport | Schiphol; train to Centraal about 17 minutes |
| Local transport | Tap a contactless bank card; GVB capped at €10.50 a day; city ferries free |
| Tourist tax | 12.5% of the room price (excl. VAT); hotel VAT 21% since 2026 |
| Emergency | 112 (English spoken); police non-emergency 0900-8844 |
Amsterdam in pictures
Tap a photo to enlarge it. Photos: MarcusObal, S Sepp, Bert K., Slaunger — Wikimedia Commons.
Which Amsterdam tickets do you need to book in advance?
Verdict: the Anne Frank House is the only ticket in Amsterdam that can genuinely wreck a plan. It is sold online only, never at the door, and every Tuesday at 10:00 CEST the museum releases all tickets for the day six weeks later — so put a reminder in your calendar exactly six weeks before your visit. The Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum both need a booked time slot too, so reserve them as soon as your dates are fixed.
The Anne Frank House releases tickets on Tuesdays, six weeks ahead
An adult ticket costs €16.50, ages 10–17 pay €7 and children up to 9 pay €1 — every price includes a €1 booking fee, and even babies need a timed ticket. Tickets cannot be exchanged, refunded or transferred to someone else, and payment is by bank or credit card only. The museum takes the Museumkaart but gives no discount for the I amsterdam City Card or student cards.
The house is open daily from 9:00 to 22:00, with shorter hours on a handful of days: from 12:00 on 1 January, and only until 17:00 on King's Day (27 April), 4 May, 25 and 31 December. When you book you can add a 30-minute introductory programme in English that sets Anne Frank's story in the context of the Second World War; for anyone who has not read the diary recently, it is worth adding.
The Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum run on time slots, not queues
Both museums charge adults €25 and let under-18s in free (the Rijksmuseum says 18 and under), but everyone needs a ticket for a set time. Van Gogh tickets are valid only for the date and slot printed on them and are non-refundable. The Rijksmuseum asks Museumkaart holders to book a start time as well.
| Ticket (adult) | Price | Children | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Frank House | €16.50 | €7 (10–17), €1 (0–9) | Online only; released Tuesdays 10:00 for six weeks later |
| Van Gogh Museum | From €25 | Free under 18 | Time slot; non-refundable; audio tour from €3.75 |
| Rijksmuseum | €25 | Free 18 and under | Daily 9:00–17:00; start time required; free with City Card |
| Royal Palace (Dam Square) | €13.50 | Free 17 and under | Audio tour included; card payment only; closed around royal events |
| A'DAM Lookout | €16.50 online | — | Swing 'Over the Edge' €7.50 extra; min. height 1.20 m |
| Heineken Experience | From €24.95 | — | One beer included; Tour + Rooftop €29.95 |
Prices are those published by each venue in October 2026. Check the official site when you book.
26 Van Gogh Museum guided visits with entry tours on Excurgo · from $27, typical $92 per person · rated 4.7 across 4,255 reviews
Is the I amsterdam City Card worth it?
The Total Experience card costs €67 for 24 hours, €94 for 48 hours, €115 for 72 hours, €130 for 96 hours and €140 for 120 hours. It covers free entry to many museums including the Rijksmuseum, one canal cruise, a 24-hour bike rental and unlimited GVB trams, buses and metro. Canal cruises can be used with the major operators without booking ahead. The cheaper Explorer version (€44, €69 or €95 for 3, 5 or 7 activities) leaves out public transport.
What it does not include matters more: the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not covered, and the Anne Frank House gives cardholders no discount. Since those are the two visits most people plan around, the card has to earn its price on everything else.
| Scenario (adult) | Pay separately | City Card | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day: Rijksmuseum + canal cruise + transport | €25 + cruise + GVB up to €10.50 | €67 (24 h) | Only worth it if you add two or three more museums that day |
| 2 days: Rijksmuseum, Royal Palace, A'DAM Lookout, cruise, bike rental, transport | €25 + €13.50 + €16.50 + cruise + bike + transport | €94 (48 h) | Depends on how many paid extras you actually fit in |
| 3 days, mostly Van Gogh, Anne Frank and walking | €25 + €16.50 + GVB day tickets | €115 (72 h) | Skip the card; buy a 72-hour GVB ticket (€21.50) |
Verdict: buy the City Card only if you will see at least three paid museums or attractions per day besides the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House. Most first-time visitors who spend half a day on those two are better off paying the Rijksmuseum separately and tapping a bank card on trams (capped at €10.50 a day). Note that the Explorer version has no transport.
When is the best time to visit Amsterdam?
Late April to early May is the best time to visit Amsterdam — if you can live with tulip-season prices
Late April to early May is peak tulip season, and Keukenhof is only open for about eight weeks from mid-March to mid-May. On King's Day, 27 April, some museums shorten their hours. July and August are the warmest months, but August is also the wettest: according to KNMI averages, 82–99 mm of rain falls each month from July to November.
Winter, roughly November to March, is the cheapest time to come. Highs hover around 6–7 °C in December to February, but the Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027 and gives the dark evenings a reason to be on the water. The artworks are free to see from the canal sides; cruises around Christmas and New Year sell out fast.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.2 °C | 1.2 °C | 67 mm | Cheapest season; Light Festival until 17 January 2027 |
| February | 6.9 °C | 1.0 °C | 55 mm | Cold, quietest month for museums |
| March | 10.1 °C | 2.8 °C | 52 mm | Keukenhof opens mid-March (18 March in 2027) |
| April | 14.3 °C | 5.2 °C | 40 mm | Driest month; tulip peak starts; King's Day 27 April |
| May | 17.8 °C | 8.6 °C | 54 mm | Tulips into early May; Keukenhof closes 9 May 2027 |
| June | 20.3 °C | 11.3 °C | 65 mm | Long evenings, mild weather |
| July | 22.5 °C | 13.5 °C | 82 mm | Warmest month |
| August | 22.4 °C | 13.4 °C | 99 mm | Warm but the wettest month |
| September | 19.2 °C | 11.0 °C | 84 mm | Still mild; a good shoulder month |
| October | 14.7 °C | 7.7 °C | 87 mm | Autumn rain sets in |
| November | 10.0 °C | 4.5 °C | 85 mm | Light Festival from 26 November 2026 |
| December | 6.9 °C | 1.5 °C | 82 mm | Light Festival; festive cruises sell out |
Climate figures: KNMI averages for Schiphol, 1991–2020. Light Festival dates were still marked as subject to change in October 2026.
How do you get from Schiphol and around Amsterdam?
The train is the best way from Schiphol into Amsterdam
The journey from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal takes about 17 minutes, and eight Sprinter trains an hour run via Sloterdijk and Lelylaan. Trains keep going through the night, roughly once an hour. You check in at the poles at Schiphol and out at the gates at Centraal, and you can do both with a contactless bank card. NS gave €5.20 as the 2025 single fare; guides quote €5.50–6.50 for 2026 depending on how you pay.
Bus 397, the Amsterdam Express, costs around €6.50 and becomes the N97 at night. A metered taxi to the centre is roughly €40–55, which only makes sense for a group with heavy luggage.
In town, tap your bank card and let the €10.50 cap do the maths
GVB trams, buses and metro all accept a contactless bank card or phone: check in when you board and check out when you get off. GVB Max caps what you pay at €10.50 a day, and the city ferries, including those to Amsterdam Noord, are free with no check-in. If you prefer a fixed ticket, GVB day tickets start at €10 for 24 hours.
| Route or ticket | Time | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train Schiphol – Centraal | About 17 min | €5.20 (2025 full fare) | 8 Sprinters an hour; hourly at night |
| Bus 397 Schiphol – centre | — | Around €6.50 | N97 at night |
| Taxi Schiphol – centre | — | Roughly €40–55 | Metered |
| GVB contactless (OVpay) | — | Capped at €10.50 a day | Check in and out every ride |
| GVB 1-hour ticket | 1 hour | €3.40 | Rarely the cheapest option |
| GVB day tickets | 24 / 48 / 72 / 96 h | €10 / €16 / €21.50 / €27.50 | Unlimited GVB travel |
| City ferries (incl. to Noord) | — | Free | No check-in |
Cycling is how locals move, but GOV.UK warns that cycle paths are busy and cyclists ride at speed, with right of way over cars. If you have not cycled in a city before, a guided bike tour is a gentler start than a rental bike at rush hour, and on foot always check the bike lane before you step off the pavement.
What are the best things to do in Amsterdam?
The list is ranked for a first visit. Tier 3 means do not leave without it; tier 2 is worth a slot if you have one. Tour boxes show the highest-rated options in our catalogue, with live prices.
The Anne Frank House: the visit that needs the most planning Must do· Book on the Tuesday six weeks before
Behind the canal house at Prinsengracht 263 is the Secret Annex, where the Frank family hid for two years and one month. The museum opened in 1960 and had 1,208,327 visitors in 2024. If you miss the ticket release, an Anne Frank and Jewish Quarter walking tour outside the house is the fallback — it does not include entry.
34 Anne Frank and WWII walking tours tours on Excurgo · from $3, typical $32 per person · rated 4.8 across 17,993 reviews
A canal cruise: the best first hour in Amsterdam Must do· Day one, or after dark
Seeing the UNESCO-listed canal ring from water level explains the city faster than any walk. Group cruises are cheap — $34 is typical across 104 day cruises we track — and a City Card covers one with the major operators. Evening cruises cost about the same ($23); in winter, a Light Festival cruise ($34) is the version to pick.
104 Canal cruises tours on Excurgo · from $11, typical $34 per person · rated 4.9 across 138,888 reviews
The Rijksmuseum: the Dutch Golden Age in one building Must do· 9:00 opening, daily
The national museum on the Museumplein is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, public holidays included. Adults pay €25, visitors 18 and under go free, and a start time has to be booked even with a Museumkaart. It is free with the I amsterdam City Card, unlike the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House.
14 Rijksmuseum guided visit tours on Excurgo · from $49, typical $112 per person · rated 4.7 across 839 reviews
The Van Gogh Museum: book a slot, consider the audio tour Must do· Next door to the Rijksmuseum
Adults pay from €25, under-18s go free, and EU/EEA students pay from €16. The audio tour costs from €3.75 and is cheaper than a guided visit by a wide margin — guided tours with entry are typically $92. Since the City Card does not cover this museum, budget for it separately.
The Jordaan and the western canals on foot Must do· Morning or late afternoon
The Jordaan is the neighbourhood I amsterdam singles out for galleries, fashion and independent shops. It costs nothing to walk; an introductory walking tour (typically $32) is a good first-morning orientation.
82 Small-group walking tours tours on Excurgo · from $3, typical $32 per person · rated 4.9 across 8,374 reviews
De Wallen beyond the windows: the Oude Kerk and Our Lord in the Attic Worth it· Daytime
The Red Light District is also the oldest part of the city. The Oude Kerk is Amsterdam's oldest building and now shows contemporary art, and Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder is a Catholic church hidden in the attic of a 17th-century canal house. Know the rules: smoking cannabis in these streets has been banned since May 2023, bars close at 2:00, and the city says guided tours are not permitted in the district, with any tour required to avoid the windows.
A food tour for Dutch tastes you would not order alone Worth it· Lunchtime
Food walking tours, with Dutch tastings along the way, typically cost $103. If you would rather make something, stroopwafel, pancake and Delft-tile workshops run at around $92.
33 Food walking tours tours on Excurgo · from $11, typical $103 per person · rated 4.9 across 16,245 reviews
A guided bike ride, before you try it alone Worth it· Day one or two
Busy cycle paths and fast riders are the main hazard for visitors, so a guided ride is the safer introduction. City bike tours typically cost $45; countryside rides out to windmills and cheese farms run at about $69. A City Card includes a 24-hour bike rental if you want to go solo afterwards.
43 City bike tours tours on Excurgo · from $11, typical $45 per person · rated 4.9 across 9,022 reviews
The Royal Palace on Dam Square Worth it· From 10:00, check the calendar
The King's reception palace opens to visitors on more than 230 days in 2026, from 10:00, and closes around royal events. Entry is €13.50 for adults, €9 for students and free for 17 and under, with an audio tour included; pay by card only.
Vondelpark for a free afternoon Worth it· Any dry afternoon
The city's main park covers 47 hectares just west of Leidseplein and the Museumplein, opened in 1865, and gets about 10 million visits a year. It pairs naturally with a museum morning.
Amsterdam Noord and A'DAM Lookout by free ferry Worth it· Clear day or sunset
The free city ferries take you across to Noord. A'DAM Lookout costs €16.50 online, and the 'Over the Edge' swing is €7.50 extra (minimum height 1.20 m). Noord is also home to the NDSM wharf, where some hotels occupy converted industrial structures.
Worth skipping
- A City Card bought for the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House — neither is included.
- Smoking or drinking on the street in the centre — both are banned, with nuisance fines from €100 to €650.
- A taxi from Schiphol for one or two people: roughly €40–55 against about €5–6 for a 17-minute train.
- Heineken Experience at full price if beer is not your thing — from €24.95 for a self-guided tour with one beer; the canals and Rijksmuseum are better value for the same time.
What are the best day trips from Amsterdam?
Verdict: for windmills, do Zaanse Schans yourself by train — it is 17 minutes from Centraal plus a 15-minute walk, and the village is still free to enter. Pay for a tour for Giethoorn, which is about 120 km away with no railway station, and in spring for Keukenhof. Bruges is possible but means about three hours each way.
Zaanse Schans: free to enter until at least April 2027
You do not need an admission ticket for the Zaanse Schans site; some windmills and museums charge separately. Zaanstad had planned a €17.50 entry fee for tourists from April 2026, but in January 2026 postponed it to April 2027. Take the train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans — the official site recommends it over the bus because of roadworks detours. Organised trips that add Volendam and Marken typically cost $52.
41 Zaanse Schans and Volendam trips tours on Excurgo · from $9, typical $52 per person · rated 4.6 across 18,766 reviews
Keukenhof: only from mid-March to mid-May
The garden in Lisse plants about 7 million bulbs on roughly 32 hectares and had about 1.4 million visitors in 2025. The 2027 season runs from 18 March to 9 May, 08:00–19:00, and tickets go on sale from mid-October. The park's list shows €21 online against €27 at the box office for adults, so buy online.
28 Keukenhof and tulip trips tours on Excurgo · from $45, typical $171 per person · rated 4.4 across 3,520 reviews
Giethoorn: the one trip where a tour saves real time
The canal village in Overijssel, nicknamed the 'Venice of the North', has 176 bridges and an old centre that had no roads. It is about 120 km from Amsterdam: 75–90 minutes by car, or 2–2.5 hours by train and bus. Group tours, many combined with Zaanse Schans, typically cost $136.
30 Giethoorn day trips tours on Excurgo · from $65, typical $136 per person · rated 4.8 across 6,078 reviews
| Trip | Getting there | Entry | Tours (typical) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaanse Schans | Train 17 min + 15 min walk | Free (fee postponed to April 2027) | $52 | Windmills on a half day |
| Keukenhof | Lisse, south of Haarlem | €21 online, €27 at the gate | $171 | Tulips, mid-March to mid-May only |
| Giethoorn | About 120 km; 2–2.5 h by public transport | Free village | $136 | Canal village by boat |
| The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam (Kinderdijk by tour) | Intercity about 52–82 min (2024 timings) | Varies | $182 | Cities and the UNESCO windmills |
| Haarlem | Intercity about 15 min (2024 timing) | Free town | — | An easy independent half day |
| Bruges | Train about 3 h with one change | Free town | $194 | Only with a full, long day |
Kinderdijk's 19 windmills, built around 1740 and on the UNESCO list since 1997, sit about 15 km east of Rotterdam, so they are usually combined with Delft on organised trips. The Hague and Delft are within about an hour by Intercity, which makes them easy to do independently.
23 Delft, The Hague and Kinderdijk trips tours on Excurgo · from $45, typical $182 per person · rated 4.4 across 2,704 reviews
How many days do you need in Amsterdam?
Three full days cover the essentials without rushing; a fourth and fifth add the countryside. Plan around the fixed points: the Anne Frank House slot you managed to get, and Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh slots on a different half day each.
2 days
Day 1: canal cruise, the Jordaan, the Anne Frank House in the evening (it is open until 22:00). Day 2: Rijksmuseum at 9:00, Vondelpark, Van Gogh Museum in the afternoon.
Tickets ≈ €16.50 + €25 + €25 · cruise ≈ $34
3 days
Add De Wallen by day (Oude Kerk, Our Lord in the Attic), the Royal Palace, a food tour, and the free ferry to Noord for A'DAM Lookout at sunset.
Palace €13.50 · Lookout €16.50 · food tour ≈ $103
5 days
Add Zaanse Schans by train on a half day, and one full-day trip: Keukenhof in spring, Giethoorn, or Delft and The Hague.
Zaanse Schans free · Giethoorn tour ≈ $136
How much do tours and tickets cost in Amsterdam?
Museum tickets in Amsterdam are fairly priced — €25 for the two big museums, €16.50 for the Anne Frank House — and group canal cruises are cheap. The table shows typical and entry-level prices across 1,440 tours we track, updated from the live catalogue. Private tours are excluded from the group categories because they are priced per group.
| Activity | Tours | From | Typical | Top end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canal cruises (day, group) | 104 | $11 | $34 | $86 |
| Evening and sunset cruises | 14 | $14 | $23 | $46 |
| Light Festival cruises | 28 | $21 | $34 | $120 |
| Private canal cruises | 54 | $92 | $344 | $504 |
| Anne Frank and WWII walking tours | 34 | $3 | $32 | $189 |
| Van Gogh Museum tours | 26 | $27 | $92 | $275 |
| Rijksmuseum tours | 14 | $49 | $112 | $275 |
| Walking tours | 82 | $3 | $32 | $152 |
| Food walking tours | 33 | $11 | $103 | $186 |
| Stroopwafel, pancake and tile workshops | 30 | $24 | $92 | $160 |
| City bike tours | 43 | $11 | $45 | $309 |
| Countryside bike tours | 16 | $45 | $69 | $166 |
| Zaanse Schans and Volendam trips | 41 | $9 | $52 | $516 |
| Keukenhof and tulip trips | 28 | $45 | $171 | $540 |
| Giethoorn day trips | 30 | $65 | $136 | $171 |
| Delft, The Hague and Rotterdam trips | 23 | $45 | $182 | $687 |
| Bruges and Brussels trips | 14 | $45 | $194 | $687 |
93% of Amsterdam tours in our catalogue offer free cancellation. Tour prices are per person and change daily.
Where should you stay in Amsterdam?
Whatever you book, add about a third for tax: the 12.5% tourist tax is charged on the room price excluding VAT, and VAT on hotel stays rose from 9% to 21% on 1 January 2026, for a total of about 33.5%. The coalition plans to raise the tourist tax step by step to 20% by 2031, with the first rise expected no earlier than 1 January 2027.
| Area | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Centrum (canal ring) | UNESCO canals, walking distance to almost everything | First-timers on a short stay |
| Jordaan | Galleries, fashion and independent shops | Couples, repeat visitors |
| Oud-Zuid | Chic, by the Museumplein and Vondelpark | Museum-focused trips, families |
| De Pijp | Cosmopolitan neighbourhood | Food lovers |
| Noord | Across the IJ by free ferry; converted industrial hotels around NDSM | Budget and unusual stays |
Verdict: stay in the canal ring or the Jordaan on a first trip of three days or less — the time saved walking everywhere is worth the premium. Choose Oud-Zuid if your days revolve around the museums, and Noord if price matters more than location; the ferry ride is free.
Is Amsterdam safe, and what rules should visitors know?
I amsterdam calls the city one of the safest destinations for tourists, but GOV.UK warns that pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common in the centre, around Centraal Station and on trains and trams to and from Schiphol. Canals are a real hazard after a night out: falling in is dangerous because of the high walls and cold water, and most drownings follow heavy drinking or cannabis. In an emergency call 112; for the police otherwise, 0900-8844.
- No alcohol or cannabis on the street in the city centre; nuisance fines run from €100 to €650.
- Red Light District: no cannabis smoking in the streets since May 2023; bars close at 2:00 and windows at 3:00.
- Guided tours in the centre are limited to 15 people and to 8:00–22:00, and must avoid sex workers' windows.
- Coffee shops: Amsterdam has never enforced the national residents-only rule; a June 2026 report says the new city government rejected it, but check before you go.
- Tipping is optional; 5–10% is customary and service is rarely included.
- Cards rule: the Anne Frank House, the Royal Palace and the Zaanse Schans car park take card only.
For British visitors, GOV.UK lists the Schengen rules: up to 90 days in any 180, with a passport under 10 years old on arrival and valid three months after you leave. The EU Entry/Exit System now registers fingerprints and a photo on first entry, free of charge. ETIAS, the €20 travel authorisation, is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 but was not yet operating in October.
What do first-time visitors to Amsterdam regret?
- Missing the Anne Frank House release. Tickets go on sale Tuesdays at 10:00 for six weeks later, and are never sold at the door.
- Buying a City Card for the wrong museums. It leaves out the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House.
- Forgetting to check out on trams and buses — and not knowing the contactless cap is €10.50 a day.
- Booking a hotel without counting the tax. About 33.5% goes on top of the room price in 2026.
- Paying for a Zaanse Schans entry ticket that does not exist yet — the village is free until at least April 2027.
- Planning Keukenhof outside its season. It opens only from mid-March to mid-May.
- Stepping into a bike lane without looking. Cyclists have right of way and ride fast.
- Smoking or drinking on the street, which can mean a fine from €100.
Amsterdam FAQ
How far in advance should I book the Anne Frank House?
Exactly six weeks. Every Tuesday at 10:00 CEST the museum releases all tickets for visits six weeks later, and they are sold only online — never at the door. An adult ticket is €16.50.
Does the I amsterdam City Card include the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House?
No. Neither is included, and the Anne Frank House gives no discount for the card. The card does include the Rijksmuseum, a canal cruise, GVB transport and a 24-hour bike rental.
How much is the I amsterdam City Card in 2026?
€67 for 24 hours, €94 for 48 hours, €115 for 72 hours, €130 for 96 hours and €140 for 120 hours. The Explorer version without transport costs €44, €69 or €95 for 3, 5 or 7 activities.
How do I get from Schiphol to central Amsterdam?
Take the train: about 17 minutes to Centraal, with eight Sprinters an hour and hourly trains through the night. Tap a contactless bank card at the gates. NS gave €5.20 as the 2025 single fare.
Can I pay for trams with my bank card?
Yes. Check in and out with a contactless bank card or phone on GVB trams, buses and metro; GVB Max caps the total at €10.50 a day. City ferries are free.
What is the tourist tax in Amsterdam?
12.5% of the room price excluding VAT. Since VAT on hotel stays rose to 21% on 1 January 2026, the total tax on a hotel stay is about 33.5%.
Is Zaanse Schans free to visit?
Yes, the site has no admission ticket, though some windmills and museums charge. A €17.50 tourist entry fee was planned for April 2026 but has been postponed to April 2027.
When is Keukenhof open?
Only in spring: in 2027 from 18 March to 9 May, 08:00–19:00. Tickets for 2027 go on sale from mid-October, and buying online is cheaper than at the gate.
Can I smoke cannabis or drink alcohol on the street in Amsterdam?
No. Both are forbidden in public areas of the city centre, and nuisance fines range from €100 to €650. Smoking cannabis in the streets of the Red Light District has been banned since May 2023.
Do I need ETIAS to visit Amsterdam?
Not yet. ETIAS is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 and will cost €20, but it was not operating in October 2026. The Entry/Exit System, which takes fingerprints and a photo at the border, is already in use and free.
Sources and how this guide is made
Written by the Excurgo editorial team with AI assistance. We are a tour comparison site, not a tour operator, and we have not personally tested every tour. Every fact was researched in official and specialist sources and checked against them before publication; prices, ratings and tour counts come from our live catalogue of 1,440 Amsterdam tours. Ratings and review counts are collected by Viator and Tripadvisor. Tours are picked by rating weighted by number of reviews (at least 20); we earn a commission from Viator when you book, and it does not affect the order.
- Anne Frank House — tickets, release schedule, prices and opening hours (Oct 2026)
- Van Gogh Museum ticket shop — 2026 prices and conditions (Oct 2026)
- Rijksmuseum — prices, hours and time-slot rules (Oct 2026)
- I amsterdam — City Card inclusions and Explorer prices (Oct 2026)
- I amsterdam — public transport, GVB Max cap and free ferries (Oct 2026)
- NS — trains between Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal (Oct 2026)
- City of Amsterdam — tourist tax (2026)
- City of Amsterdam — visitor rules and fines (2026)
- City of Amsterdam — rules for guided tours in the centre (2026)
- GOV.UK — Netherlands travel advice: safety and entry requirements (Aug 2026)
- Zaanse Schans — free entry, parking and getting there (Oct 2026)
- Keukenhof — 2027 opening dates (Oct 2026)
- European Union — ETIAS start and fee (Oct 2026)
- Rodi Media — Zaanse Schans entry fee postponed to 2027 (Jan 2026)
- KNMI climate normals for Schiphol, 1991–2020 (via Wikipedia) (Oct 2026)
Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences (CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC0 or public domain); the author and licence are shown under each one. They show the places described, not the exact tours listed.
Changelog. 14 October 2026: guide published.
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