Amsterdam Pass Comparison: Which City Pass Should You Buy?

Amsterdam City Passes at a Glance

Public Transit: The only Amsterdam pass that also serves as a public transit ticket is the Amsterdam City Card. All other passes do not include public transportation, and hop-on/hop-off buses in Amsterdam are not included in any of the city passes.

Our Rating of the Amsterdam City Passes

If you want to know exactly how we arrived at each rating, feel free to check out our detailed articles on the individual passes:

Overview: What’s Included in Which City Pass?

Which City Pass for Amsterdam Is the Best?

The question of which Amsterdam pass is best can’t be answered in general terms. The Amsterdam City Card scored the most points in our test, but the All-Inclusive Pass is also the better choice for many travelers.

We’ll walk you through a few different scenarios to help you figure out which Amsterdam card is the right fit for you.

Which Amsterdam Pass is the best if you want to visit as many attractions as possible?

If you want to pack in as many highlights as possible, the I Amsterdam City Card or the All-Inclusive Pass is your best bet.

Which of the two works better for you really comes down to your personal preferences, since both passes cover different attractions. Take a look at our comparison table above to see which one lines up with what you actually want to do.

The I Amsterdam Card tends to lean toward classic cultural attractions, while the All-Inclusive Pass is stronger on experiences — think the Heineken Experience, Wondr Experience, or Madame Tussauds.

Which Amsterdam City Pass is the best if you only want to see the most important attractions?

The top must-sees are included in all city passes — a canal cruise, the A’dam Lookout observation deck, and well-known museums like the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, and Moco Museum.

The only exceptions are the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum, which aren’t included in any of the passes.

For the best value when sticking to the top highlights, the I Amsterdam City Card is usually your smartest pick.

Which Amsterdam City Pass is the best if you want to visit a lot of museums?

If museums are your thing, the I Amsterdam City Card is the clear winner. It gives you free entry to a full 28 museums in Amsterdam — honestly more than you’ll ever get through in one trip.

Which Amsterdam Pass lets you save the most money?

Both the I Amsterdam City Card and the Amsterdam All-Inclusive Pass can save you serious money. Depending on what you want to see, savings of 50 euros or more are totally achievable. The Amsterdam Explorer Pass, on the other hand, won’t get you anywhere near those kinds of savings.

Check out our detailed analyses of both passes — you’ll find concrete calculation examples there:

Is a city pass worth it if you're only in Amsterdam for a short time?

If you’re visiting Amsterdam in just one day, a city pass generally isn’t worth it. The I Amsterdam City Card is available for 24 hours, but at that duration it costs 65 euros. If you do a canal cruise, visit two museums, and use public transit all in one day, it could pay off. If you’re doing less than that, skip it.

Which city pass for Amsterdam is worth it for a longer stay?

Here’s the general rule: the longer you’re there, the more an Amsterdam pass pays off. The All-Inclusive Pass is available for up to five days, and the I Amsterdam City Card for 120 hours — which also works out to five days. The five-day options are the cheapest when you break it down per day. Which of the two suits you better depends on the sights you want to hit.

Is an Amsterdam Pass worth it if you prefer to decide on the fly?

If you like wandering the city freely and dropping into places on a whim, we’d advise against getting a pass.

All city passes only make financial sense if you visit two or more attractions per day. If you don’t think you’ll keep that pace, skip the pass and buy tickets individually on the spot or online shortly beforehand.

Is an Amsterdam City Pass worth it with kids?

It really depends on the age of your kids and exactly what you’re planning to visit.

The best attractions for younger children are covered by the I Amsterdam City Card. It includes admission to the Nemo Science Museum and Artis Zoo. There’s no discounted version of the card, but it can still be worth it — individual tickets for these attractions don’t offer much in the way of child discounts either.

If you have older kids, the All-Inclusive Pass has more to offer. It covers Wondrland Experience, Madame Tussauds, Amsterdam Dungeon, and the Our House Electronic Music Experience, among others — all attractions that older kids and teenagers love, and all pretty pricey without a pass.

Which Amsterdam Card includes public transit?

The only city pass that includes public transportation is the I Amsterdam City Card. It’s a genuine all-in-one package — there’s almost nothing else you need to worry about.

That said, if the All-Inclusive Pass’s attractions appeal to you more, don’t let the transit question put you off. Getting around Amsterdam on public transit is super easy. Just tap your credit card when you board and exit, and the fare is charged automatically — no hunting for the right ticket or fiddling with machines.

If you do plan to ride public transit a lot, though, a multi-day transit ticket or the I Amsterdam City Card is the more affordable way to go.

We’ve laid out all the details on getting around Amsterdam by public transit here:

Frequently Asked Questions About the Amsterdam Pass