Is the Go City Amsterdam Pass 2024 worth it? We review value and prices here

The Amsterdam Pass covers the popular Heineken Experience (including 2 beers), the must-see Rijksmuseum, and it gives you access to the famous one-hour canal cruise (100 Highlights). It also covers many more worthwhile museums and attractions, but it depends on how long you’ll be in town as to how many you can fit in.

On the other hand, the Amsterdam Pass does NOT cover the (always crowded) Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum. The included Rijksmuseum is far more impressive and interesting than the Van Gogh Museum, but if you also really want to go to those attractions you’ll have to allow the time and a bit more money. If you have 3 sightseeing days in Amsterdam you can get excellent value out of the Amsterdam Pass and still see those other things if you like.

Basically, if you go to TWO of the big Amsterdam attractions each day, you’ll be saving money with the Amsterdam Pass. Better still, Amsterdam is quite compact and you’ll be passing by many other worthwhile attractions on your way to and from the famous ones, so you’ll be able to pop in and enjoy some things that you hadn’t even been aware of, and they will basically be free.

• Free entry to over 30 of Amsterdam’s most popular and famous museums and attractions
• Ferries and boat tours

In 2023 the pass eliminated the hop-on, hop-off canal boats, but that is probably for the best and the prices now are lower as well. I highly recommend taking the classic one-hour canal boat tour either from in front of Centraal Station or near Museumplein, but the hop-on, hop-off version of these boats is not a good way to get around town. They move slowly and don’t come frequently enough to use as public transportation. In the 15 or 20 minutes you are waiting for the next boat, you could have walked at least halfway across Amsterdam to your next stop.

As of 2024 the Go City Amsterdam Pass comes in two versions. There is the “All-Inclusive” version that most people are used to where you pre-pay for unlimited attractions over a set number of days ranging from 2 to 5.

There is now also the “Explorer” pass where you can instead pre-pay for a set number of attractions (from 3 to 7) and then basically visit them at your leisure. Most people will have a good sense of which is best for them, but we will provide some advice below anyway.

If you decide to buy you can use promo code GO5POT for a 5% discount on all Amsterdam Passes using this link.

Amsterdam Canal Cruise

 – €22.50

These one-hour canal cruises are the best way to familiarize yourself with Amsterdam on the day you arrive. Nearly all of the major sights are located on canals and you’ll see them all and know what they look like and how to get back to them. Seriously, even if you don’t buy an Amsterdam Pass, I highly recommend that you do this tour as soon as you can after you arrive. Not only do these boats pass by pretty much every famous site in Amsterdam, but they are perfect for getting your bearings as to where everything important is located. The city is famously confusing because of its wheel-shaped design, and this tour will get you used to the place in just an hour.

Heineken Experience

 – €23.00

Located in Heineken’s original Amsterdam brewery, this multi-media experience is much more than a brewery tour, and it also includes 2 free glasses of beer at the end. Nearly everyone will ask you if you went to the Heineken Experience when you get home from Amsterdam so you might as well do it. It’s actually a pleasant social event because everyone is in such a good mood when they get their free glasses of beer at the end.

Rijksmuseum

 – €22.50

One of Europe’s best and most famous museums, the Rijksmuseum (state museum) is THE place to see works including Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid. The building itself is amazing and worth the visit alone. The Rijksmuseum was closed for many years for refurbishment and now that it’s reopen it’s better than ever. Honestly, if you only want to visit one museum in Amsterdam, this should be the one. It’s much more impressive than the Van Gogh Museum in almost every way and it has more famous pieces as well.

A’DAM Lookout

 – €18.50

Open only since 2016, the A’DAM Lookout is an observation deck at the top of the Amsterdam Tower, just across the river from Centraal Station. It’s the best place to see the city from above and there are thrilling extras you can do while you are there. Amsterdam is a stunning city and this is really the only place to see more than a little bit of it at one time. They even have a bar where you can buy drinks while you enjoy the view from the top.

Rotterdam, Delft & The Hague Live Guided Tour

 – €59.50

This coach tour of the regions 3 other major tourist towns is definitely worth it if you are staying more than two days or so. Amsterdam is actually quite a small city and if you just spend time in the Canal Zone, you’ll have zero idea of what the rest of the Netherlands looks like. If you only have 2 days in Amsterdam then this isn’t worth the time, but if you’ve got 3 days or more I highly recommend this tour with live commentary. The Netherlands is a fascinating country and quite unique in the way that it’s laid out, so being able to visit two other large cities and one small historic one is a perfect way to see a lot of it in part of a day.

THIS IS HOLLAND

 – €26.50

This is one of those very impressive “5D flight simulator” attractions where you get in a roller coaster-type seat and virtually “fly” over the best scenery in Amsterdam and the region. The ride takes an hour and it packs in a lot of scenery and thrills into that short time. If you don’t have time for the tour mentioned above, this is a good way to at least see the unusual look of the Netherlands with its dykes and reclaimed land and such.

Rembrandt House Museum

 – €19.50

This smaller museum is centrally located and the best quick introduction to the famous Dutch culture through the eyes of the famous painter. I’ve visited this one a few different times with different groups of friends. To me it’s the perfect museum for someone who doesn’t love spending hours in a museum. For one thing, it’s centrally located so you’ll pass it anyway. And it’s small enough that you can enjoy the whole thing in less than an hour. And heck, Rembrandt himself actually lived and worked there!

Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot (incl. ferry)

 – €31.00

The most complete castle near Amsterdam is a bit outside the center, but the ferry ride there (10:45 AM daily) is included with the Amsterdam Pass, along with a tour once you arrive. This is another one that takes half a day or so, and it’s not a great choice if you’ve only got two days in Amsterdam. But if you’ve got 3 or more days this one is really interesting. You first take a ferry along one of the bigger canals, which is interesting in itself, and then you get admission into the castle complex. The ferry even has a bar!

Moco Museum featuring Banksy and other modern artists

 – €22.95
This newer museum is on Museumplein near the Rijksmuseum and it features displays of modern and contemporary artists including Banksy. An audio tour is included with your admission, and those always help for museums like this where not everything is immediately obvious to the casual visitor.

The Amsterdam Pass covers most of the top attractions and tours, with the exception of the two very crowded places below.

Anne Frank House: This is the most popular attraction in Amsterdam and you’ll need to book an entry time in advance to get in. Honestly, it’s much larger than you would expect. People feel like they should go to the Anne Frank House and if that’s you then book well in advance. If you are on the fence, I’d skip it because it’s not really all that special unless you’ve read the diary and know the story well.

Van Gogh Museum: This museum is also always crowded, and many people aren’t big fans of his art once they get inside. Similar to the Anne Frank House, many people feel like this is a place they should visit, but I recommend looking at some of his art online to make sure you are actually a fan because many people really aren’t.

For most people it will be pretty obvious which of these two options to choose, and the simple way is to count how many of the included attractions REALLY interest you and how much time you’d have to see them. As long as you plan ahead a bit, either of the Go City Amsterdam Passes will save you quite a bit of money so it’s just a matter of figuring out which is best for you.

If you only see 3 or 4 of the included attractions that look interesting, the Explorer 3-Choice or 4-Choice Pass is probably the best choice. Each of the most popular ones (Heineken Experience, Canal Cruise, Rijksmuseum, and Madam Tussauds) each cost around €23 or so, which means that any 3 or 4 of them will add up to around €70 to €95 while the 3-Choice version is €65 (with our discount) and the 4-Choice version is €84. This is also a good choice for people who don’t like to wake up early and can’t often get out of their hotel room before 12-noon.

On the other hand, most people will have no trouble visiting 3 or 4 included attractions each day so the All-Inclusive Pass will save even more money. Even if you only have 2 full sightseeing days in Amsterdam, the Pass will cost you €90 (including our discount) and you’ll easily be able to fit 6 attractions into those full days and those will add up to around €130 to €150 if you pick the popular ones. It’s a great deal as long as you plan ahead and start the day early enough that you can do at least one attraction before lunch.

As with all of these city passes, the Amsterdam Pass is a good deal for those who are going to do enough of the included attractions within the set time. Honestly, ALL of the expensive and worthwhile attractions are mentioned directly above so it should be pretty easy for each person to see how many of them they want to do. The city is quite compact so it’s easy to get around quickly, and doing 3 or 4 things per day is quite possible for those who plan ahead and move quickly.

It’s important to note that the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum are NOT included, so if you want to visit those you’ll have to allow enough time. That said, as long as you want to visit the Heineken Experience, Rijksmuseum, and also do the hop-on, hop-off boat and bus tours, it’s pretty easy to get good value out of the Amsterdam Pass.

Amsterdam can feel a bit overwhelming when you first arrive and it’s also very easy to get lost if you are on foot. If you buy an Amsterdam Pass it’s important to get an early start to your sightseeing day and also plan ahead as much as you are able. If you don’t leave your hotel until 11:00 and don’t know where the attractions are, you’ll feel behind schedule all day and it will be hard to get value out of the Pass.

It’s also best if you do the attractions from your top choice down the list to your lower choices. As long as you hit the main things you came to see you will feel good about your visit when you leave. You don’t want to get bogged down in second-choice attractions and risk missing out on the best ones.

• First-time visitors who want to take a boat tour and visit the Rijksmuseum and Heineken Experience
• Visitors who enjoy planning their days and can get around quickly
• Those who can spend at least 2 sightseeing days and want to see the castle, Lookout, castle, or fortress

• Backpackers on the lowest budgets
• Visitors who aren’t too interested in enough of the included attractions
• Visitors who only like to plan as they go and who aren’t well organized

If you decide to buy you can use promo code GO5POT for a 5% discount on all Amsterdam Passes using this link.