In a nutshell
- The Royal Palace is one of the oldest and most iconic attractions in Amsterdam — right on Dam Square in the heart of the city.
- Tickets for the Paleis op de Dam can be bought online or on-site — often even last-minute, with no price difference.
- Because the palace is still actively used by the Dutch royal family, it closes during royal events. Otherwise, you can visit year-round — weekday mornings are the sweet spot.
- We visited ourselves and think it’s absolutely worth it — especially the Tribunal room. You’ll find all our honest tips and firsthand impressions right here.
What You Need to Know About the Royal Palace Amsterdam
- The Royal Palace is located in the heart of Amsterdam on the famous Dam Square. This is the very spot where Amsterdam began as a city.
- The palace has several names: Royal Palace, Paleis op de Dam, and Koninklijk Paleis.
- The building was constructed about 350 years ago as a city hall. All the grandeur was meant to show how wealthy and powerful Amsterdam had become.
- Louis Bonaparte — Napoleon’s younger brother — turned the building into a palace in 1808. And since then it’s been in the possession of the royal family.
- The Dutch king doesn’t govern from here. Today the Royal Palace serves as a reception palace for important state visits.
What Will You See at the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
The Amsterdam Royal Palace is stunning even from the outside. But inside, even more impressive highlights await:
- Citizen’s Hall with a large Atlas statue
- Throne Room
- Royal Apartments
- Tribunal Room
- Collection of Empire furniture
- Historic galleries
- Sculptures and busts
Royal Palace Amsterdam Tickets & Prices
For the Paleis op de Dam, there’s only one ticket option: a standard admission ticket that gets you into the palace and lets you see all the rooms open to visitors.
The ticket has no set time slot. You can visit whenever you like on your chosen day.
The audio guide is also included with your ticket. We’ll tell you more about that in a moment.
How Much Does Admission to the Royal Palace Amsterdam Cost?
Admission is around €13 for adults at all vendors.
Students with a valid ID pay €9, and children and teens under 18 get in for free.
Where Do You Buy Your Ticket for the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
You can buy your ticket either online in advance or on-site at the palace. There’s no price difference and tickets are always available — even last-minute.
Online tickets are available from the following vendors:
Are There Combo Tickets for the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
No. Unfortunately, there are currently no combo tickets that include the Royal Palace.
Is the Royal Palace Included in an Amsterdam City Pass?
Unfortunately, the Amsterdam Royal Palace — just like the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House — is not included in any of the Amsterdam city passes.
If you’d still like to know more, check this out:
Are There Guided Tours of the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
Guided tours of the Royal Palace Amsterdam are only available for groups of ten or more. You can book directly through the Royal Palace website.
Alternatively, you can join a city tour of Amsterdam’s highlights. The Paleis op de Dam will be pointed out and explained along the way — from the outside only, but still totally worth it.
Find more Amsterdam city tours here:
Royal Palace Amsterdam Audio Guide
As mentioned above, your ticket also includes an audio guide in the language of your choice.
You can pick it up at the Royal Palace behind the ticket desk.
And you really should. There are no informational text panels inside the palace — the audio guide is your only way to understand what you’re looking at.
You can either follow a 75-minute guided tour or dip in and out to get information on individual highlights.
In front of each room there’s a sign with a headphone symbol and a number. That makes it easy to find the matching audio track — and you can also identify rooms from the images on the guide.
Visiting the Royal Palace Amsterdam: Tips & Info
Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your visit to the Amsterdam Royal Palace.
Where Is the Royal Palace in Amsterdam?
The Royal Palace sits right in the center of Amsterdam on the Dam — a large square just about a ten-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station.
The exact address is: Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147, 1012 RJ Amsterdam
Royal Palace Amsterdam on Google Maps
How Do You Get to the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
Like most things in central Amsterdam, the easiest way to reach the Royal Palace is on foot. The palace sits right on the Dam and is accessible from all sides.
If you’re coming from further out, trams stop right at Dam Square — at the aptly named Dam stop.
Who Lives in the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
Nobody lives in the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. That said, the Dutch royal family still uses it for official representation.
Heads of state from other countries are received here, for example. Official royal family photos are also taken at the palace — including the wedding photos of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
Royal Palace Amsterdam Opening Hours
The Royal Palace Amsterdam is open year-round, daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. During peak season from July through September, it stays open until 6 PM.
Best Time to Visit the Royal Palace Amsterdam
The best time to visit the Paleis op de Dam is between late August and early April, on a weekday — ideally in the morning or around midday.
Try to avoid Saturdays. That’s when it gets really crowded and the experience is a lot less relaxed.
How Crowded Is It at the Royal Palace?
The same rule applies: if you’re not visiting on a busy Saturday, it won’t be crowded at all and everything feels pleasantly spacious. We were there on a Monday afternoon and rarely had more than five other people in the room with us.
Royal Palace Amsterdam Wait Times
If you’re not there on a Saturday afternoon, wait times are barely an issue. During our visit, we didn’t wait at the entrance or at the audio guide counter. Everything went completely smoothly.
How Much Time Should You Plan for the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
Plan for about one to two hours for your visit. The full audio guide runs 75 minutes, which gives you a solid benchmark and keeps you from feeling rushed.
Is the Royal Palace Amsterdam Accessible?
The Paleis op de Dam is fully accessible and offers facilities for wheelchair users and visitors with special needs.
Is There a Coat Check at the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
Yes, the Royal Palace Amsterdam has a large coat check. You’ll actually be asked at the entrance to leave your jackets and bags there. Strollers and large luggage can be stored here too.
The coat check is supervised and free of charge. You’ll get a small chip to retrieve your things after your visit.
Is There a Museum Shop?
Yes, the Royal Palace Amsterdam has a small museum shop with all kinds of souvenirs.
The prices did catch us off guard, though. Compared to other souvenir shops across Amsterdam’s museums, this one is seriously on the expensive side. We left empty-handed.
Can You Eat at the Royal Palace?
No, the Royal Palace Amsterdam doesn’t have a restaurant or café, and eating inside isn’t allowed. But right on the Dam there are some great restaurants and cafés just steps away.
Our recommendation: Majestic. They serve fries, pasta, meat dishes, and vegetarian options — and from the outside seating you get a great view of Dam Square.
Our Experience at the Royal Palace: Is It Worth It?
We visited the Amsterdam Royal Palace on a Monday afternoon — and we really hit the sweet spot timing-wise. Not a line in sight.
We walked straight in, showed our online ticket, dropped off our bags and jackets, and picked up our audio guide. The whole thing took about five minutes.
The visit starts with a short film in the foyer. Honestly, you can safely skip it. We didn’t feel like we’d missed anything.
The first room is already the biggest highlight: the Citizen’s Hall. A massive, light-flooded hall with a marble floor, sculptures, ceiling paintings, and an abundance of grandeur. This is also where you’ll find the famous Atlas statue holding the globe.
In person, the hall is even more impressive than in photos. Standing there and looking around, we genuinely felt a sense of awe. Incredible!
The Citizen’s Hall is essentially the centerpiece of the palace. All the other corridors and rooms branch off from here.
For us, that was actually a plus. We got a little turned around a few times — there are so many red rooms and marble hallways. But each time we just kept walking, knowing we’d end up back in the Citizen’s Hall eventually — ha!
The other rooms couldn’t quite match the Citizen’s Hall for sheer beauty — if we’re setting the bar that high — but every single one is steeped in history.
And that’s exactly why the audio guide is so worthwhile. It’s packed with stories about the rooms, the furnishings, and how they were used over the centuries.
Our personal favorite was the Tribunal — the historic courtroom where death sentences were handed down in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The atmosphere in there was completely different from the rest of the palace. Our imaginations really ran wild and we could vividly picture the scenes.
It’s a narrow, high-ceilinged room where you stand before an overwhelming wall of weeping statues. A long staircase for the tribunal, a dock for the accused, and high above, a window through which the plaintiffs looked down.
The audio guide also shares a moving story about a trial that took place here. So once again — thumbs up for the audio guide.
So Is the Royal Palace Worth It or Not?
Absolutely! The Paleis op de Dam is 100% worth your time. Before we entered the Tribunal, our verdict was: “Very beautiful. Worth seeing. And honestly pretty good value for the entry fee.”
After the Tribunal, we say: “What a significant piece of the city’s history. Wow! Not just grandeur and glitz and royals, but real history — preserved and made accessible to everyone.”
So if you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam and have enough time — and we know how many things to see the city has to offer — definitely don’t miss the Paleis op de Dam.
