In a nutshell
- The Rijksmuseum is the most famous art museum in Amsterdam — and one of the best in the world.
- We cover all the top highlights: The Night Watch, The Milkmaid, the Gallery of Honor, and more.
- Our honest take: we’ve visited multiple times and share exactly what to expect — including how to skip the lines.
- You’ll also find everything you need on tickets, prices, and visiting tips, plus three great alternatives if it’s sold out.
What Can You See at the Rijksmuseum?
To put it briefly: the Rijksmuseum is a museum for which the word “impressive” simply doesn’t do it justice.
You can look forward to one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Amsterdam, with rooms that just keep outdoing each other in beauty.
Here, it’s not just the exhibition that’s the highlight — the entire museum is a massive work of art in its own right.
The Highlights of the Rijksmuseum
- The Night Watch by Rembrandt
- The Milkmaid by Vermeer
- Self-Portrait by Van Gogh
- Winter Landscape by Avercamp
- Gallery of Honor
- The Great Hall
- Cuypers Library
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Tickets & Prices
How Much Do Rijksmuseum Tickets Cost?
A ticket to the Rijksmuseum costs 25 to 27 euros. Children and young people under 18 get in for free.
Where Do You Buy Tickets for the Rijksmuseum?
Your best bet is to buy tickets for the Rijksmuseum online through GetYourGuide.
Tickets there rarely sell out, you can cancel up until shortly before your visit, and the price is really reasonable.
The Rijksmuseum website also sells tickets online. However, we find the booking process a bit more complicated there, and tickets tend to sell out comparatively quickly.
Alternatively, you can pick up last-minute tickets on-site. Just be prepared to wait in line for a while.
How Far in Advance Do You Need to Buy Rijksmuseum Tickets?
Getting tickets for the amsterdam rijksmuseum is easy. You don’t need to book far in advance — we’ve never found ourselves unable to get in.
Most of the time, you can even book online spontaneously for the same day.
Book Rijksmuseum tickets online
During school vacations or special temporary exhibitions, demand is higher. In those cases, tickets can sell out faster.
Is the Rijksmuseum Included in an Amsterdam City Pass?
A visit to the Rijksmuseum is included in all four Amsterdam city passes. Our favorite for first-time visitors is the I Amsterdam City Card.
You can find detailed information about it here:
Is There an Alternative if Tickets Are Sold Out?
If Rijksmuseum tickets really are sold out, Amsterdam has some great alternative art museums.
Near the Rijksmuseum, you’ll find the Van Gogh Museum and the Moco Museum, for example.
If you were really set on seeing Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, we’d suggest the Rembrandthuis as an alternative — it’s our favorite art museum in Amsterdam!
Here we show you even more Amsterdam museums:
Are There Rijksmuseum Combo Tickets?
Yes! There’s a really great combo ticket that includes admission to the Rijksmuseum and a canal cruise through Amsterdam. It lets you knock out two Amsterdam must-dos at once.
Can You Book a Guided Tour of the Rijksmuseum?
Yes, you can book a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum.
Over two hours, you’ll learn all about the masters of the Dutch Golden Age and their historical and social context. Absolutely fascinating for art lovers!
Book a Rijksmuseum guided tour
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Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Admission & Your Visit
Where Is the Rijksmuseum and How Do You Get There?
The Rijksmuseum is located at Museumplein, at the southwestern edge of the city center. The best way to get there is on foot.
From the 9 Straatjes, it’s a ten-minute walk; from the Anne Frank House, about 20 minutes; and from Central Station, around 30 minutes on foot.
Can You Park at the Rijksmuseum?
In the immediate vicinity of the Rijksmuseum, you’ll find paid parking spots. There’s also an underground parking garage beneath Museumplein.
Enter this into your GPS: Q-Park Museumplein, Van Baerlestraat 33b.
You can find more information about parking in Amsterdam here:
What Time Is Best to Visit the Rijksmuseum?
We recommend going to the Rijksmuseum first thing in the morning, between 9 and 10 AM. The crowds aren’t as heavy yet, you won’t have to wait long at security, and you’ll have a much better view of all the works.
Are There Security Checks at the Entrance?
When entering the Rijksmuseum, you’ll go through an airport-style security check. You’ll be scanned and are only allowed to bring in one bag no larger than A4 size.
Strollers and buggies are allowed in the museum. Large diaper bags, however, are not.
Is There a Coat Check or Lockers?
Anything you can’t bring into the museum can be left at the free supervised coat check at the entrance.
Travel luggage, folding bikes, musical instruments, and skateboards cannot be stored.
Is There an Audio Guide at the Rijksmuseum?
You can rent an audio guide at the entrance for 5 euros.
Honestly, those 5 euros are totally worth it. You’ll learn so much more about the works — and you won’t just be standing there with a blank look on your face, not knowing what to make of it all (we’ve been there, haha).
Is the Rijksmuseum Accessible?
The Rijksmuseum is fully accessible and open to everyone. All floors have elevators, and assistance dogs are also allowed inside.
What Must You See at the Rijksmuseum?
When visiting the Rijksmuseum, these are the 6 highlights you absolutely don’t want to miss:
- The Night Watch by Rembrandt
- The Milkmaid by Vermeer
- Self-Portrait by Van Gogh
- Gallery of Honor
- The Great Hall
- Cuypers Library
Are You Allowed to Take Photos in the Rijksmuseum?
Yes, photography is allowed in the Rijksmuseum — but only without flash. Tripods are also prohibited. Your best bet is to use your phone or a camera you can easily carry around your neck.
How Much Time Should You Plan for the Rijksmuseum?
Plan on about three hours for the Rijksmuseum. That’s enough time to take in everything once.
If you want to stroll leisurely through the galleries and listen to the full audio guide, we’d bump that up to four hours.
How Long Can You Stay at the Rijksmuseum?
With a valid ticket, you can stay in the Rijksmuseum for as long as you like. The museum closes at 5 PM, though — that’s when you’ll need to head out.
Does the Rijksmuseum Have a Shop?
Yes, the Rijksmuseum has a museum shop — and a really good one at that. You can pick up books, prints, figurines, and other seriously cool souvenirs.
Our Experience at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
We’ve visited the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam multiple times and never get tired of it.
There’s some debate over whether it’s the best art museum in Amsterdam — for us personally, the incredibly authentic Rembrandthuis and the modern Moco Museum edge it out — but we’re blown away every single time.
We simply can’t get enough of the combination of truly magnificent architecture and all the famous and lesser-known works.
On top of that, you can’t get lost despite all the rooms. The museum is laid out so that you have a perfect visitor experience from start to finish.
Every now and then, it gets a little tiring — your head and eyes can only absorb so many paintings. But even for that, the Rijksmuseum has a great solution: there’s a café right inside the museum. After a coffee, everything looks much better again.
Is the Rijksmuseum worth it? For museum fans and art lovers, it’s a genuine must-see in Amsterdam. Absolutely.
No Art Knowledge? No Problem at the Rijksmuseum.
You don’t need any background in art to visit the Rijksmuseum. Even if you see people tilting their heads in front of paintings, nobody’s going to ask you to analyze the artwork (hehe).
It’s really more about discovering the beauty of art in your own personal way.
And that’s what makes the Rijksmuseum so wonderful. The art here is so diverse that every visitor is sure to find a piece that stays with them long after they leave.
Is “The Night Watch” Really That Great?
Admittedly, I — Jaike — am a genuine fan of Baroque art and may be a little biased.
That said, Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” is a truly impressive work even without a deep love of old painting — thanks to its enormous size, its great age, and Rembrandt’s breathtaking talent.
Rembrandt was famous for his dramatic use of light and contrast. And that’s exactly what you can see so beautifully here.
Can You Skip Rooms in the Rijksmuseum?
With 8,000 objects spread across 80 rooms, the Rijksmuseum is seriously extensive. Even so, we recommend not skipping any rooms on your first visit.
The exhibition is so large and wide-ranging that it would be a real shame to miss anything.
So give yourself plenty of time — we recommend three hours.
If you ever come back to the Rijksmuseum, you can focus on your favorite rooms or works and move more quickly. That’s what we do.
More Frequently Asked Questions About the Rijksmuseum
How do you pronounce Rijksmuseum?
It’s easier than it looks! Basically, you say “Reiksmuseum.”
Why is it called the Rijksmuseum?
Rijksmuseum translates roughly to “National Museum” — “Rijks” refers to the realm or state. The museum bears this name because it is a national museum.
How big is the Rijksmuseum?
The Rijksmuseum covers 14,500 square meters with 80 halls.
How old is the Rijksmuseum?
The museum’s collection was founded in 1800 in The Hague. Construction of the building in Amsterdam began in 1876. The museum opened in 1885.
Is the Rijksmuseum suitable for children?
The Rijksmuseum offers kids a scavenger hunt through the museum. With an app, kids can explore the paintings and answer quiz questions.
We’d recommend the scavenger hunt for children ages 6 and up, though.
Of course, the scavenger hunt should be kept calm so as not to disturb other visitors.
Another plus is that children under 18 get in free. So you can enjoy the art while your child stays busy with the scavenger hunt. Win-win.
Keep in mind, though, that the sheer number of rooms and objects can get genuinely overwhelming even for adults at some point. You’re in the best position to decide whether the Rijksmuseum is a good fit for your child.
If you’re planning an Amsterdam city trip with kids, be sure to also read our article Our tips for a family vacation in Amsterdam.
5 Facts About the Rijksmuseum That Not Everyone Knows
Here are a few facts that make the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum even more interesting:
#1 The Rijksmuseum is the only museum in the world bisected by a road. These days, however, it’s open only to pedestrians and cyclists.
#2 You can see around 8,000 exhibits at the Rijksmuseum. But the museum actually owns a total of 1 million works of art of all kinds.
#3 Rembrandt’s famous work “The Night Watch” was actually larger than it is today. In 1715, the painting was moved to what was then the city hall — today’s Royal Palace. Because the painting was too large for its new spot between two doors, it was simply trimmed on both sides. The cut-off pieces have never been found.
#4 The Dutch stroopwafel is so beloved that you can even spot one in a painting at the Rijksmuseum. In Jan Steen’s “The Feast of St. Nicholas,” the waffle lies in a basket alongside other baked goods. We find that genuinely delightful.
#5 In the 1960s, the museum’s walls were whitewashed. The director at the time believed that the colorful walls distracted from the paintings. In 2013, everything was reversed and the Rijksmuseum once again gleams with colorful, patterned splendor.
3 Great Alternatives to the Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum tickets sold out right when you’re in Amsterdam? No problem! You’ll probably love one of these three art museums:
Rembrandthuis: Visit the house where Rembrandt lived, painted, and taught. You’ll also see many of his works and works by his students.
Van Gogh Museum: Discover the world of Vincent van Gogh and learn all about his life and his most important works.
Moco Museum: Check out modern and contemporary art by Banksy and others.
