I amsterdam City Card. Is it worth it?
Have you already heard about I amsterdam City Card? What most people know is that it gives free access to 70+ museums, the city’s top attractions and free public transport in Amsterdam. However there are still a few not widely known things that will help you benefit from I amsterdam City Card.
Please note: you are required to book time slots before visiting most of museums and attractions included into I amsterdam City Card.
What is included in I amsterdam City Card?
- free admission to 70 museums and attractions in Amsterdam, including the Rijksmuseum (check the full list here >>)
- free canal cruise in Amsterdam, as well as in Haarlem, Zaanse Schans and Volendam
- unlimited use of the GVB public transport in Amsterdam (bus, tram & metro)
- free entrance to A’DAM Lookout observation deck, one of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions, before 18:00
- free admission or discounts in Haarlem, Zaanse Schans, Volendam
- free detailed map and brochure with attraction’s opening times and addresses
Please note that from July 2022 the Van Gogh museum is no longer included in I amsterdam City Card. Make sure you book the Van Gogh museum tickets separately >>
I amsterdam City Card is available in five options: for 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours.
I amsterdam City Card prices in 2023
| Card valid for | Price | Book online |
|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | € 65 | Book online >> |
| 48 hours | € 90 | Book online >> |
| 72 hours | € 110 | Book online >> |
| 96 hours | € 125 | Book online >> |
| 120 hours | € 135 | Book online >> |
I amsterdam City Card: how it works
1. Order your card online. You can pick it up at I amsterdam Visitor Center at Amsterdam Centraal train station.
NEW! You can also download the I amsterdam app and choose to use your card digitally.
2. Activate your I amsterdam City Card. It works automatically, you don’t need to do anything extra. The card has two components:
- public transport
- museums and attractions.
Each component is activated separately at the moment of first use (the first time you check-in at public transport or enter a museum or attraction).
3. Use your I amsterdam City Card.
- for traveling by public transport with the City Card you just need to scan your card when entering and leaving a bus, tram or metro (do check-in and check-out). Learn more about using public transport in Amsterdam.
- you are required to book time slots before visiting most museums and attractions. Find out how to book your time slots.
Which canal cruises are free with I amsterdam City Card?
Here is an official full list of participating cruise companies in Amsterdam. You can also take a free cruise in Haarlem, Zaanse Schans and Volendam.
I amsterdam City Card and travelling by train
Train service is not included in the City Card. If you are planning to explore the Netherlands, we recommend buying a public transport Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket.
Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket (ARTT) is valid for 1 – 3 days of unlimited travel by train, bus, tram and metro in Amsterdam and surrounding areas (including Schiphol airport, Volendam, Edam, Marken, Zaanse Schans, Haarlem, Zandvoort and Keukenhof).
ARTT map in 2023. Open the image in a new window to enlarge it.
Prices in 2023:
- 1 day – € 21,00
- 2 days – € 31,50
- 3 days – € 40,50
During the Keukenhof opening season the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is also valid in bus lines:
- 852 (Amsterdam RAI – Keukenhof)
- 858 (Schiphol – Keukenhof)
- 50 (station Haarlem – Keukenhof).
The ticket is valid from the first time you check in until 04:00 hours after the last valid day. Order Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket online >>
I amsterdam City Card tips
On I amsterdam official website you can find out what’s included in I amsterdam city card. And here are the card’s hints and hidden treasures, that will make I amsterdam City Card totally worth the money you pay.
So, what is good to know to make I amsterdam City Card absolutely worth it?
1. You can use your card for one extra day
Though some people mistakenly think that I amsterdam City Card is valid for 1 – 5 days, it is valid exactly what the number of your card says: 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours. So if you activate your card on your first day, let’s say, at 11:00, it will still be valid till 11:00 on the day after the last one. You can, for example, enter the Artis Royal Zoo at 10:30 and spend half of the day there.
2. The card’s transport and museum components are activated separately
The City Card contains two elements – one for the GVB public transport, the other one for museums, attractions and a canal cruise. They are both activated automatically: the transport element at the moment you first use tram, bus or metro. The museum element – the first time you visit a museum, attraction or take a canal cruise.
Keeping this in mind, you can plan your itinenary correspondingly to get the best out of your 24 – 120 hours in museums and in public transport.
3. You can get free compliments and gifts
They include free walking tour guide in Volendam and Enkhuizen, free brochure in Haarlem tourist information office, free cup of coffee or tea in a museum cafe in Naarden (the list of gifts and free extras is subject to change).
I amsterdam City Card pick-up location
After completing the online booking process, you will get an e-mail confirmation. You can show it and collect your physical I amsterdam City Card at the following location:
- Amsterdam Central Station: I amsterdam Store, on the North side of the station.
Opening times may be subject to change. Please check it on I amsterdam official website.
Enjoy your visit to Amsterdam!
Related articles:
This page is also available in German: I amsterdam City Card: Wie funktioniert sie?
Geachte,
Is de Amsterdam City Card geldig vanaf het Centraal Station naar het Corendon Village Hotel Amsterdam, Schipholweg, Badhoevedorp en later van het hotel naar het centrum van Amsterdam?
I amsterdam city card is valid only in transport operated by the GVB company. Please check 9292.nl journey planner to see what company operates on your trajects.
If I buy the city card only but can’t activate it until my arrival in May, how can I make time slot reservations for the Van Gogh Museum and Rijks? Is it better to get the museum card if only use it for 5 museums?
With I amsterdam city card you do indeed need to make time slot reservations at the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum.
1. For the Van Gogh museum you need to have the City Card on hand. Reservation can be done via this link.
2. For Rijksmuseum you do not need to have the card on hand. Reservation can be done via the museum’s official website.
There is also an announcement on I amsterdam official website:
Attention: Visitors coming to Amsterdam between 12 April and 2 June 2019
The Van Gogh Museum time slots are almost fully booked for this period. There are a few time slots still available, but you’ll need to reserve one quickly to secure a spot. Occasionally, time slots open up at the last minute, so we recommend checking just before you come to Amsterdam.
Do you need to book any museums ahead of time? (Except for Van Gogh and Anne Frank) I’m a little confused because on the iAmsterdam site, for some of the museums, it says ‘book tickets now.’ Is this necessary?
You also need to book a timeslot for “All the Rembrandts” exhibition in the Rijksmuseum. In other museums online booking is not necessary but it often saves time because you can skip the line, especially in popular museums (Heineken Experience, Madame Tussauds etc.)
I went on Rijksmuseum official website trying to book a time slot for “ All the Rembrandt” exhibition. It asked me to pay €19 entrance fee. I canceled it. How can I just book the time slot with I Am Amsterdam voucher? Thank you in advance.
On official website https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en just pick the option “I already have a ticket/voucher. Free”.
Can my parter and I use the same card or do we have to get separate ones?
To be able to use public transport and enter museums/attractions together, you need separate cards.
Hi there! Which canal cruise can I take for free with I amsterdam city card?
Here you can find a full list of participating boat companies and departure points where you can take your free canal cruise.
Hi, can we still use the I amsterdam city card for discount to Museum visit after it had expired after 1 day?
Thank you
No, you cannot use the I amsterdam city card to enter museums for free after the card had expired.
But you can still use the card to enter museums which offer discount with the I amsterdam city card (like Madame Tussauds museum etc.). Discounts are valid till the end of the year. Enjoy your stay in Amsterdam!
Hi! I didn’t know about the extra day, could you confirm that again? If I bought a 5-day pass and use the pass 9 am on The 3rd of a month, I will actually be able to use it until the 10th?
Hi! The 5-day pass is valid for 120 hours after activation. So if you activate it at 09:00 om the 3rd, it will be valid till 09:00 on the 8th.
If you activate it at 10:00, you will still be able to enter a museum/attraction on the 8th before 10:00, and spend as much time there as you want.
Hi! I am trying to use the City Card to take the metro. When I scan the bar code in the app, my phone defaults to my Apple Pay in Wallet and the bar code won’t scan. I was locked in the metro station. Am I doing something wrong? How do I fix this so I can use my City Card in the app to take the metro?
Thank you.
Hi Darby! Hope you’re fine! For this question it’s better to contact the I amsterdam card webcare team.
The digital card feature is very new, and we ourselves don’t have experience with it yet. I hope the I amsterdam card team will help you. Enjoy your stay in Amsterdam!
In case it’s helpful to anyone, as of today, it looks like you can only pick up a pre-purchased Iamsterdam card at the Amsterdam Centraal train station. (But you can buy one directly at many other locales.)
Their current hours are a little shorter than in 2019:
Monday – Friday: 10:00 until 19:00
Saturday and Sunday: 09:00 until 18:00
Hi Lauren! Thanks a lot for your valuable update! We’ve updated information in the article above.
Hello,
Can I buy the I Amsterdam Card via app and activate it when I arrive to Amsterdam in July? Or does it get activated as soon as I purchase the card?
Thank you
Hello Ledya,
Yes, you can do it. The card is activated not at the moment of purchase, but at the moment you first use it (check in at public transport or visit a museum).
Have a nice time in Amsterdam!
Hello,
I want to pre-book a location now. However, it requires me to provide a promo code. If I enter the promo code, does it mean that my city card has already been activated? (I plan to go to the location on June 21 but today is June 16).
Besides, if I want to go to This is Holland, can I experience it several times? Or only once?
Thanks and Best Regards!
Do I need to buy the card in advance in order to book time slots– I don’t understand how to book time slots at museums without paying for tickets. Should I already buy the card now and that’s the only way to book time slots? Also is the transportation activation different from the museums activation. If I get on a public transport at 9am- I have until the next day at 9 am to use public transport but if I only go to the first museum at 10 then i have until 10 the next day?
Hi Michal,
Public transport and museum activation work independently from each other.
As for the time slots, all museums have their own booking system, and they differ. On most museums’ websites you can just choose “I already have a ticket” and proceed with the time slot booking. The process will be the same as if you purchase a museum ticket, but you will see a €0,00 price at the check out.
“… take a tram line 2, which departs from Amsterdam Central station. Ride to Antwerpenbaan tram stop (it will take 40 minutes).”
– i think it’s incorrect, you have to get off at Laan v. Vlaanderen tram stop. Then walk a few meters to Antwerpenbaan bus stop.
“Here you need to switch to the GVB bus line 69, direction Schiphol Airport/Plaza, which will take you to the airport in 12 minutes”.
– actually it is GVB bus line 369. There is no GVB bus line 69 in Amsterdam.
Please check your text and fix it, it is quite confusing
(I’ve spent last 20 minutes searching the bus line 69).
Thanks.
Hi Lenka, thank you for your feedback. Public transport routes and bus line numbers do change. To get the most up-to-date travel information we advice to use 9292.nl journey planner, which will help to avoid confusing situations.
Hi, I found out that i only can make time slot for Heineken Experience online but not for museum. can you please assists? thanks
Hi Christy! You can book your timeslot for Heineken Experience museum visit via this link https://tickets.heinekenexperience.com/iamsterdam
Hi there!
I’m trying to book our time slot for the Foodie Tour but don’t know how to input the City Card number. How do I find my numbers after placing my order number in the app? Thank you
Hi Theresa! Please address your question to the I amsterdam card official support team. I think they can help better with that. Have a nice stay in Amsterdam!
What I read in their FAQ is:
You can still book timeslots in the app or on our website using your card ID (starting AM04) or CC code provided in your City Card order confirmation email.
If you are trying to add a Digital City Card order to the app, you can also register it in the app by entering the CC code provided in the order confirmation email.
I bought online 4 cards for the family members. I got one code. Can someone help how to split it for 4 persons on 4 mobile phones. Thank you!
Hi there! When I buy a city card, am I able to make reservations before activating the card? Or does the card need to be activated before reservations are able to be made?
Hi! I’ve just checked a few museums (Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt house), and there you don’t need you card to be activated. You just choose “Iamsterdam card holder” and pay €0 at the check out.
I expect it’s more or less the same at other museums, but it’s better to double check the websites of attractions you want to visit.
I want to buy 3 online cards for the family members. Can I split it on 3 mobile phones? Thank you!