The Big Amsterdam Card Comparison: Which One Is The Best In 2023?

Amsterdam is full of sights and great activities. However, an eventful Amsterdam vacation can come at a big price. But did you know you can easily save up to 50% with an Amsterdam City Pass? I’ll tell you how it works!

How Does an Amsterdam City Pass Work?

If you travel a lot, you may be familiar with various money-saving passes that have different offers from city to city. But they all have one thing in common: They help you save money without any effort. These passes can be really worthwhile, especially where there is so much to discover, like in Amsterdam. Overall, you can save up to 50% with the Amsterdam City Pass. So, how do the Amsterdam Passports work?

There are two different types of Amsterdam City Passes: day-based and attraction-based.

Travel-type 1: Validity by number of days

Day-based passes are based on the number of days or hours. You can discover as many attractions as you like during your chosen validity period. It’s virtually an all-you-can-eat deal with unlimited entrees—just during a specific timeframe. The days are always consecutive, and since you pay a fixed price for your Amsterdam Card in advance, the more attractions you visit, the more money you save.

Travel-type 2: Validity by number of attractions

Attraction-based passes are based on the number of attractions you plan to visit. For example, you can buy a pass for five attractions and visit them flexibly within 30 days. This allows you to spend a day without sightseeing. The more expensive the attractions you visit, the more you save because you pay a fixed price for your pass beforehand.

Amsterdam City Passes Comparison

In Amsterdam, you have the choice between four different passes. It is impossible to make a general statement about which is the best. It all depends on what you want to see and how you travel. We have taken a closer look at the Amsterdam City Pass offers for you.

*The Amsterdam City Passes can be purchased on two different websites with the same price and conditions: 1) on the official website, or 2) on Get Your Guide. We suggest using Get Your Guide because the cancellation process is easier and less complicated if you need to change your plans.

Buying Online Saves Money & Time!

With an I Amsterdam Card, you save time and money! Instead of worrying about tickets on the spot, you have everything covered with the I Amsterdam Card. So, for example, you can go to the Van Gogh Museum and show your pass there, and you’ll get your ticket in return. You can safely leave your wallet in your pocket. Those who buy online can also benefit from additional discounts.

1. I Amsterdam Card

Once purchased, the I Amsterdam Card gives you free access to over 70 museums and attractions. The choice of validity period is between 24-120 hours (i.e., 1 to 5 days). You can decide which attractions you visit quite flexibly and spontaneously. In addition to the free admissions, there are other discounts for your use. You can find a complete overview here.

I Amsterdam Card Prices (adult/child*):

• 24 hours: 65 euros
• 48 hours: 90 euros
• 72 hours: 110 euros
• 96 hours: 125 euros
• 120 hours: 135 euros

The same I Amsterdam Card prices apply for children.

Savings with Amsterdam Card

Depending on the validity of your passport, you pay 26-65 euros per day with the I Amsterdam Card. The more days you book, the lower the price per day. Still, the day pass can be worthwhile for just 2 attractions.

To give you a better insight, you can have a look at this sample bill with the Amsterdam Card.

1. Nemo Science Museum: 17,50 Euro
2. Rijksmuseum: 23,50 Euro
3. Artis Royal Zoo: 25 euros
4. Stedelijk Museum: 22,50 Euro
5. Canal trip: 18 euros
6. Moco Museum: 23 Euro

• Cost of individual tickets: 129.50 euros
• Cost of the I Amsterdam Card for 2 days: 85 euros
• Saving: 44,50 Euro

BUY I Amsterdam Card

2. Go City Amsterdam All-Inclusive

The Amsterdam Go City Pass is day-based. You can choose the validity period between 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. During the time (consecutive days), you can visit as many of over 50 museums and attractions as you like. It doesn’t matter which one you watch. You don’t have to set them in advance!

Amsterdam Go City Pass Prices (adult/child*):

• 1 day: 64 Euro/24 Euro
• 2 days: 89 Euro/44 Euro
• 3 days: 104 Euro/54 Euro
• 5 days: 129 Euro/64 Euro

*For children between 3-12 years, you pay just under half for the pass.

Savings with Amsterdam Go City Pass

With the Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass, you pay between 20 and 51 euros per day. Even the 1-day pass can be worthwhile from 2-3 attractions.

1. Canal cruise: 18 euros
2. A’DAM Lookout: 14,50 Euro
3. Heineken Experience: 23 euros
4. Stedelijk Museum: 22,50 Euro
5. Rijksmuseum: 23,50 Euro
6. Moco Museum: 23 Euro

• Cost of individual tickets: 124.50 euros
• Cost of Amsterdam City Pass for 2 days: 89 euros
• Saving: 35,50 Euro

Buy Amsterdam All-Inclusive

3. Amsterdam Go City Explorer Pass

The Amsterdam Go City Explorer Pass is attraction-based. It lets you choose 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 activities from a list of over 25 top attractions and tours. The pass is valid for two years and becomes active only when you visit the first attraction. From start of use, you then have 60 days to visit the remaining attractions.

Amsterdam Go City Explorer Pass prices (adult/child*):

• 3 attractions: 59 Euro/24 Euro
• 4 attractions: 74 euros/44 euros
• 5 attractions: 89 Euro/54 Euro
• 6 attractions: 99 euros/64 euros
• 7 attractions: 109 Euro/69 Euro

*For children between 3-12 years, you pay just under half for the pass.

Savings with the Amsterdam Go City Explorer Pass

Broken down to the attraction, you’ll pay between 13-15 euros per attraction with the Amsterdam Go City Explorer Pass. To see how a passport can help you save, here’s a sample calculation.

1. A’DAM Lookout: 14,50 Euro
2. Heineken Experience: 21 euros
3. Canal cruise: 18 Euro
4. Rijksmuseum: 23,50 Euro
5. Moco Museum: 23 euros

• Cost of individual tickets: 100 euros
• Cost for the Amsterdam Go City Explorer Pass with 5 attractions: 89 Euro
• Savings: 11 Euro

BUY Amsterdam Explorer Pass

4. Amsterdam Pass

With the Amsterdam Pass, you can experience four top activities. Visit the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, take a canal cruise, and explore Amsterdam with a city guide app with the Amsterdam Pass.

Amsterdam Pass Price

• Infant (0-3): free of charge
• Child (4-13): 7 euros
• Jugendlicher (14-17): 10 Euro
• Erwachsener (18): 36 Euro
• Adult (19+): 62 euros

Savings with Amsterdam Pass

Broken down to the activities, you pay about 15 euros per activity with the Amsterdam Pass. To see how easy it is to save with the Amsterdam Pass, here is an example calculation:

1. Rijksmuseum: 23,50 Euro
2. Van Gogh Museum: 22 euros
3. Canal cruise: 19 euros
4. City Audio Guide App: 9,50 Euro

• Single ticket costs: 74 Euro
• Amsterdam Pass cost: 62 euros
• Savings: 12 euros

Buy Amsterdam Digital Pass

Which Amsterdam City Pass is the Best?

My personal favorite is the I Amsterdam Card because it includes most of the best Amsterdam attractions. In comparison, the Amsterdam Go City Explorer Pass can only be used for a maximum of seven attractions. So, you should know beforehand what you want to visit and see if seven activities are enough for you. The Amsterdam Go City Pass and the I Amsterdam Pass are missing some top attractions for me. But for those who place great value on touring, the Amsterdam Go City Pass can be worthwhile.

In short, just because the I Amsterdam Card is my personal favorite doesn’t mean the pass is the best choice for you too. To help you find the best Amsterdam city pass for you, let’s take a closer look at the similarities and differences.

Similarities & Differences

Any Amsterdam City Pass, if you use it correctly, will let you save up to 50%. After purchase, you have one year to activate your card, which is done automatically the first time you use it. From that moment, depending on the pass, the time or number of attractions you have chosen will start running. Note: None of the passes include the Anne Frank House.

The three important questions you should ask yourself as you make your decision are:

• Do I prefer a day-based or attraction-based pass?
• Will I stay in Amsterdam, or do I plan to travel to other Dutch cities as well?
• Are all the sights I want to visit included in the pass?

What is Included in the Amsterdam City Passes

Here, you can see, at a glance, which attractions and activities are included in the different passes.

Even More About Amsterdam

Have you not had enough of Amsterdam yet? You can find more interesting articles about the Dutch capital here: