In a nutshell
- The I Amsterdam City Card is the official city card of Amsterdam and a true all-in-one pass for your trip.
- It gives you access to over 70 attractions and museums, covers public transportation, and even includes a canal cruise.
- You can buy the I Amsterdam Card online here and use it conveniently via a digital app — no physical card needed.
- We scored it 93 out of 100 points — find out right here whether the Amsterdam City Card is worth it for your trip.
Is the I Amsterdam City Card Worth It?
In our Amsterdam City Pass Comparison, we analyzed all the city cards. The I Amsterdam Card is by far the best city card for Amsterdam.
It scores 93 out of 100 points in our review — an outstanding result. We explain exactly how we arrived at that score further below.
The attractions included with the Amsterdam City Card are really extensive, public transportation is included, and the price is genuinely fair.
On top of that, the card is super easy to use via the app.
We’re genuinely impressed by the I Amsterdam Card and can wholeheartedly recommend it.
If you want to know more, keep reading. You’ll find everything here about costs, included highlights, and even a sample calculation showing how much you can save with the Amsterdam City Card.
How Much Does the I Amsterdam City Card Cost?
The pricing structure for the I Amsterdam City Card is very straightforward.
Price overview:
| What? | Price |
|---|---|
| 24 hours (1 day) | 65 EUR |
| 48 hours (2 days) | 90 EUR |
| 72 hours (3 days) | 108 EUR |
| 96 hours (4 days) | 125 EUR |
| 120 hours (5 days) | 135 EUR |
The validity period is not limited to full days — it’s always counted in hours. So if you activate your 24-hour card on a Tuesday at 2:00 PM, it’s valid until Wednesday at 1:59 PM.
Unfortunately, there are no discounted children’s cards, though the card is still often worth it for kids ages four and up, since discounts at attractions are often only modest. For younger children, it’s not worth it. If you’re visiting Amsterdam with kids, also check out our article The Best Tips for Your Family Vacation in Amsterdam.
What’s Included with the I Amsterdam City Card?
Free Admission with the I Amsterdam City Card
In the table below you’ll find an overview of all the places to visit for free with the I Amsterdam Card.
| Attraction | Regular price |
|---|---|
| Highlights | |
| Canal Cruise (7 providers) | 23.50 EUR |
| A'DAM Lookout | 18.50 EUR |
| Rijksmuseum | 18 EUR |
| Stedelijk Museum | 22.50 EUR |
| Rembrandthuis | 19.50 EUR |
| Moco Museum | 21.95 EUR |
| Transportation | |
| Public transit in Amsterdam | 9 to 33 EUR |
| Bike rental for 1 day (10 providers) | 16.95 EUR |
| Classic Sights | |
| Oude Kerk | 13.50 EUR |
| Nieuwe Kerk | 10 EUR |
| Hortus Botanical Garden | 13.50 EUR |
| Windmill: Molen van Sloten | 8 EUR |
| Attractions with Kids | |
| NEMO Science Museum | 17.50 EUR |
| Artis - Amsterdam Zoo | 26.50 EUR |
| Klimbos Fun Forest | 28.50 EUR |
| Museums | |
| Eye Film Museum | 12.50 EUR |
| Maritime Museum | 18.50 EUR |
| Foam Photography Museum | 16 EUR |
| Canal Museum | 16.50 EUR |
| H'ART Museum (Hermitage) | 22.50 EUR |
| Jewish Museum + Portuguese Synagogue | 20 EUR |
| Wereldmuseum (Tropenmuseum) | 17.50 EUR |
| Diamond Museum | 12.50 EUR |
| Het Ship | 16 EUR |
| Museum of the Mind | 17.50 EUR |
| Houseboat Museum | 9.50 EUR |
| Artis - Groote Museum | 17.50 EUR |
| Artis - Micropia | 17.50 EUR |
| Luther Museum | 8 EUR |
| Amsterdam City Archives | 10 EUR |
| Museum Tot Zover | 11 EUR |
| Amsterdam Museum | 18 EUR |
| Resistance Museum | 16 EUR |
| Embassy of the Free Mind | 15 EUR |
| Allard Pierson Museum | 14.50 EUR |
| Willet-Holthuysen Museum | 12.50 EUR |
| Museum Van Loon | 15 EUR |
| Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder | 16.50 EUR |
| Amsterdam Centre for Architecture (Arcam) | 4 EUR |
| Museum De Dageraad | 16 EUR |
| Pipe Museum | 15 EUR |
| Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography | 12.50 EUR |
| Tulip Museum | 5 EUR |
| Tours and City Walks | |
| Self-guided Food Tour | 12.50 EUR |
| Self-guided Bike Tour with Yellow Bike | 25 EUR |
| Amsterdam Uncovered City Tour | 25 EUR |
| Special Experiences | |
| This is Holland (5D Experience) | 26.50 EUR |
| Boom Chicago Comedy Show | 27.50 EUR |
| Attractions Outside Amsterdam | |
| Muiderslot Castle | 17.50 EUR |
| Fort Pampus | 18.50 EUR |
| Fortress Museum Naarden | 12.50 EUR |
| Frans Hals Museum Haarlem | 17.50 EUR |
| Teylers Museum Haarlem | 16.50 EUR |
| Canal Cruise Haarlem | 21 EUR |
| Verwey Museum Haarlem | 12.50 EUR |
| Zaandam Time Museum | 17.50 EUR |
| Het Dolhuys Haarlem | 20 EUR |
| Museum Cobra Amstelveen | 20 EUR |
| Frans Hals Museum Haarlem | 17.50 EUR |
| Zaans Museum Zaandam | 17.50 EUR |
| Tsar Peter House Zaandam | 6 EUR |
| Wevershuis Zaandam | 3 EUR |
| Boat Trip Volendam - Marken | 16.50 EUR |
| Singer Museum Laren | 18 EUR |
| Zuiderzee Museum Enkhuizen | 18 EUR |
Discounts with the I Amsterdam City Card
At some attractions, the I Amsterdam Card doesn’t get you free admission, but it does get you a solid discount.
You get 25% off at the following attractions:
- Heineken Experience
- Straat Museum
- Body Worlds Exhibition
- Kattenkabinet
- Nxt Museum
- Madame Tussauds
- Amsterdam Dungeon
- Roller disco at Wondr Experience
- Fabrique des Lumières
- Johan Cruyff Arena (Ajax Amsterdam’s stadium)
- Pedal boat rentals from Stromma Tours
- Selected concert tickets at the Opera House, Bimhuis, and Muziekgebouw
Our Review of the I Amsterdam City Card
How Do We Rate?
In our city pass reviews, every pass can earn 100 points, broken down as follows:
- Attractions: 30 points
- Transportation: 20 points
- Ease of use: 20 points
- Value for money: 30 points
Included Attractions
- The I Amsterdam City Card covers almost all the major things to see in Amsterdam.
- In total, almost 70 attractions are included. That’s an exceptionally large number.
- Museum lovers get free entry to over 30 museums in Amsterdam.
- Only the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not included — but those aren’t included with any other city card either.
Our rating: 25 out of 30 points
Included Transportation
- With the Amsterdam City Card, you can use public transportation throughout Amsterdam.
- You can also rent a bike for one day.
- The airport transfer to the city center is not included.
Our rating: 18 out of 20 points
Ease of Use
- The Amsterdam City Card is completely digital. You receive it directly on your smartphone right after purchase.
- Using it via the app is seriously easy and convenient.
- For travelers without a smartphone, a physical card is also available.
- The card is well recognized at all attractions, and you can visit almost all sights directly without a reservation.
Our rating: 20 out of 20 points
Value for Money
- The included benefits are exceptionally good.
- The ease of use and the high acceptance of the card across the city genuinely make your trip easier.
- Despite the extensive perks, the price is very fair — real savings are absolutely possible with the Amsterdam City Card.
Our rating: 30 out of 30 points
Our Verdict
The I Amsterdam City Card scores 93 out of 100 points in our review.
That’s exceptional. It makes the Amsterdam City Card by far the best city card in Amsterdam — and honestly one of the best city passes in the world.
Sample Calculation: 3 Days in Amsterdam
To wrap things up, here’s a concrete example showing what you can actually save with the card.
Many travelers spend three days — or a long weekend in Amsterdam.
Our tip: If you have three days in Amsterdam, with good planning the I Amsterdam City Card for 48 hours is enough.
Day 1: In the morning, stroll through the streets and soak up the city. At noon, activate your card and hop on a canal cruise. In the afternoon, visit a museum — the famous Rijksmuseum is a great choice.
Day 2: Visit another museum, like the Stedelijk Museum for modern art, then head up to the A’dam Lookout observation tower. Spend the rest of the day exploring on foot — maybe the Red Light District.
Day 3: In the morning, visit one more museum — the Rembrandt House, for example — and rent a bike just before your Amsterdam City Card expires around midday. Then explore the city by bike like a true local.
Here’s how the costs break down for this itinerary, with and without the I Amsterdam Card:
| without I Amsterdam City Card | with I Amsterdam City Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost I Amsterdam City Card (48 hours) | - | 85 EUR |
| Canal cruise | 23.50 EUR | free |
| A'dam Lookout | 18.50 EUR | free |
| Rijksmuseum | 18 EUR | free |
| Stedelijk Museum | 22.50 EUR | free |
| Rembrandthaus | 19.50 EUR | free |
| Public transportation (48-hour ticket) | 15 EUR | free |
| 1-day bike rental | 16.95 EUR | free |
| Total | 133.95 EUR | 85 EUR |
And this itinerary is actually fairly relaxed. If you love intensive sightseeing, you can pack in quite a bit more.
Even at this easy pace, the I Amsterdam Card saves you almost 50 euros. Really impressive!
Even if you drop two attractions from the list, the card still pays off.
The longer you stay in Amsterdam, the more the card works in your favor. The price per day gets lower the longer the validity period.
How to Buy the I Amsterdam City Card
Buying the I Amsterdam Card online is easy — here’s how it works:
Buy the Card
We recommend buying the card on this website.
During booking, you’ll need to select a date, but that’s irrelevant. No matter which date you choose, the card won’t be activated until you actually use it for the first time. So if there are discounts for near-term dates, go ahead and select those — even if your trip is months away. You have at least a year to activate the card.
The date only matters if you need to cancel. Cancellation is possible up to 24 hours in advance.
Install the App
Next, install the I Amsterdam City Card App. It’s available for iPhone and for Android.
Don’t be put off by the app’s low ratings. There were some technical issues in the past, but those have since been resolved. Recent reviews are almost universally positive.
Enter the Code in the App
After purchasing, you’ll receive a code by email. Enter this code in the app to load your personal I Amsterdam Card onto your smartphone. Managing multiple cards is simple — just repeat this step for each one.
Reserve Time Slots
For some highly popular spots, you’ll need to book a time slot in advance. This applies to the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Moco Museum, Nemo Science Museum, and the Rembrandt House, plus a handful of less popular attractions.
The app tells you exactly which attractions require a reservation. For some others, you can also optionally book ahead.
Activate the I Amsterdam Card
Finally, activate the card — but wait until you’re actually ready to use it. The validity period starts the moment you activate, so don’t do this too early.
Frequently Asked Questions about the I Amsterdam City Card
Can I use the I Amsterdam City Card without the app?
Yes! You can get a physical card instead. You’ll need to pick it up in person at the I Amsterdam Store in Amsterdam Centraal station.
Do I need to scan the I Amsterdam City Card when boarding buses and trains?
Yes — you always have to scan the card when boarding and again when exiting. Just hold the QR code up to the card reader.
Can I have multiple I Amsterdam City Cards in one app?
Totally! Not everyone in your group needs to install the app. All cards can be saved on just one person’s phone.
If you’re a larger group of more than four people, we’d recommend splitting the cards across multiple devices. Otherwise, one person has to scan all tickets when checking in and out on public transit, which can slow things down a bit.
How and when do I activate the I Amsterdam City Card?
You activate the card directly in the app — it’s self-explanatory. Just make sure to activate it only shortly before you want to use it for the first time, since activation immediately starts your validity period.
Is the airport transfer included in the I Amsterdam City Card?
The I Amsterdam Card covers GVB public transportation — metro, trams, buses, and ferries.
Airport transfers, however, are operated by different companies and are not included in the I Amsterdam Card. Check out our detailed article on airport transfers in Amsterdam for all the details.
Is the I Amsterdam City Card transferable?
The I Amsterdam City Card is personalized in principle. However, if you use the card in the app, you can change the name on it once.
Can I also buy the I Amsterdam City Card on-site in Amsterdam?
Yes, that’s possible. The card is available at the I Amsterdam Store in Amsterdam Centraal station and at selected attractions where the card is valid. We recommend buying online, though — that way you can take your time setting up the app before your trip. Prices are the same in person and online, and sometimes there are online promotions that make the City Card even cheaper.
Is the I Amsterdam City Card worth it for kids?
There’s no discounted I Amsterdam City Card for children. That said, the card is often still worth it for kids ages four and up.
On public transit, children four and up pay the same price as adults, and at typical family attractions, kids often receive only a small discount. At the Amsterdam Zoo, for example, adults pay €26.50 and children pay €22.50. The savings from discounted tickets aren’t huge, so the City Card is often worth it anyway.
How long do I have to activate the I Amsterdam City Card after buying it?
You must activate the card by December 31 of the following year after purchase — after that, it expires. So if you buy in February, you have almost two years to activate it.
What happens if my smartphone battery dies?
Honestly, don’t let it happen. If your phone runs out of battery, you won’t be able to use the I Amsterdam Card. Keep it charged!
Your Questions and Experiences with the I Amsterdam City Card
Still have questions about the Amsterdam City Card? Or maybe you’ve already used it and want to share your experience? We’d love to hear from you — leave a comment!
