In the city of tulips, no matter which canal you cross, which neighborhood you may roam, it is certain that you will find some attraction or museum to visit. That’s why Amsterdam has the first spot in the list with the highest museum density in the world map. However, the tickets’ stinging prices (15€ average) will oblige you to leave lots of them out of your list. This is where the Iamsterdam City Card comes in, a card that grants free access as well as lots of benefits to its users.

Let’s see, step-by-step, how it works, how much it costs
and if it is ultimately worth obtaining:

1. What are its benefits?

The card grants free access to more than 40 sites and museums, free transportation, while it guarantees discounts in museums, attractions, rentals of means of transport, food, drink and music events. You can also enjoy a free cruise in the city canals, a daily trip to the Muiderslot castle, while if you combine it with the Region Travel Ticket you can see areas outside of the city. Finally, it comes with a free map of all the places of interest. 

2. What does it not include? What should I be mindful of?

• The card does not mean you can skip the line, aside from three museums: the Van Gogh Museum,  Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk.
• It does not include access to the Anne Frank museum.
• It does not include transportation from and to the airport.
• It does not include transportation with trains.
• You cannot Reuse it for the same museum/attraction.
• To visit the Van Gogh Museum, you are required to book a time slot HERE

3. How much does it cost, how does it work and where can I get it?

How much it costs:

There are four options, the 24/48/72/96 and 120-hour cards, which cost 65/85/105/120 and 130 euros respectively.

How it works: 

• It is valid from the moment that you first use it and not from the moment of purchasing it (and for 24/48/72/96 or 120 hours, depending on what you choose).
• You can get in the museum/site even a few seconds before it expires (and stay in it, even if its valid duration has passed).
• The card is activated separately for museums/sites and means of public transport. So, you are not obliged to activate it at the same time.

Where I can get it from: 

You can order it online or purchase it from one of the tourist offices that exist in the city, with the major ones being at the Schiphol airport and at Centraal station.

4. Traveling with children:

For our little friends there are no special cards, as access to all the museums for children under the age of 4-6 (depending on the museum) is free, while for ages 6-17 they offer special discounts and reduced tickets.

5. Let’s calculate:

According to the Amsterdam DoDo and More you are going to need 170€, while for transportation another 8/15/17/20€ (for 24/48/72 and 96 hours respectively).

Total: 180-190€.

This means that with the Iamsterdam City Card you save around 80-120€ (depending on the card you get*).

6. When is it worth it and when not?

The Iamsterdam City Card, as we mentioned, grants free access and discounts in more than 40 attractions and museums. Ipso facto it is a tad difficult to manage to see them all! Nonetheless, either you visit them as many as you can, either the ones we recommend (DoDo and More), the card is very useful and definitely worth it. The sole occasion in which we wouldn’t recommend it is for the 24-hour option, as it is just too little time to make the most of it.