What to book in advance in Amsterdam, and what you can walk into
Two of Amsterdam's big three sell nothing at the door. The Anne Frank House sells tickets only on its own website, and the Van Gogh Museum sells online only, with a start time for every visitor. Book those two first, as soon as your dates are fixed. The Rijksmuseum also asks everyone to book a start time, and keeps a small number of tickets at the entrance while they last. That's the short answer to what to book in advance in Amsterdam, and each rule below links to the official page that sets it.
The Anne Frank House is the one that catches people out. Its tickets go on sale in weekly batches, six weeks ahead, and they don't come back. So I read each official page again this week and wrote down what it says.
Last checked: Nov 2026. Prices, hours and booking rules change, so open the official page before you buy.
What to book in advance in Amsterdam: the table
| Place | Book ahead? | The official rule | Walk-up option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Frank House | Yes, required | Own website only, released every Tuesday for six weeks later, €16.50 | No |
| Van Gogh Museum | Yes, required | Online only, start time for everyone, €25 | No |
| Rijksmuseum | Yes, recommended | Start time for everyone, €25 | Limited, while stocks last |
| Stedelijk Museum | Recommended | Buy online in advance, €22.50 | Check before you go |
| Royal Palace | Check the calendar | Open on set days only, €13.50 | Check before you go |
| Westerkerk | No | Free, weekdays 11:00 to 15:00 | Yes |
| Restaurants and canal cruises | Usually | Each one sets its own | Sometimes |
Book these first: online only, no tickets at the door
The Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank House ticket page is blunt about it: "Tickets only available through this website!" and "Tickets are not sold at the door, only online." Every Tuesday at 10:00 CET the museum releases all tickets for visits six weeks later. If your trip is less than six weeks out, check the page anyway, but plan for that Tuesday morning if you can.
An adult ticket is €16.50, a ticket for ages 10 to 17 is €7.00 and children up to 9 pay €1.00. Each of those includes a €1.00 booking fee. Museumkaart holders also pay €1.00 and still book a date and time online, and the I amsterdam City Card gives no discount. You can pick a plain museum visit or one with an introductory program.
Read the terms before you click buy. Tickets can't be exchanged or refunded, they're non-transferable, and they're valid only for the date and time printed on them. The museum opens daily from 9:00 to 22:00, with shorter hours on a few dates such as King's Day (27 April) and 4 May, and the page lists each exception.
The Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum's ticket page says "Tickets are available online only." Every visitor needs a ticket with a start time, including people who get in free with a discount card: they reserve a free start-time ticket online. In the museum's words, "Without start time you can't visit the museum."
An adult ticket is €25, rising to €26 from 1 January 2027. Under-18s go free. EU and EEA students pay €16 with a student card or proof of enrolment. Every ticket covers the collection and the temporary exhibitions, with no extra exhibition fee.
Buy at tickets.vangoghmuseum.com or one of the resellers the museum names on that page (Tours&Tickets, GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Musement and Klook). The museum warns that other platforms may offer fraudulent tickets.
In November 2026 the museum opens 9:00 to 17:00, and on Fridays it stays open to 21:00, except 27 November. From 1 to 18 December the hours stay the same, with late Fridays.
Book a start time: the Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum opens every day of the year from 9:00 to 17:00, public holidays included. Its rule: "All visitors are required to book a start time. This applies to everyone, also with a Museum Card." The same page says "A limited number of tickets are also available at the museum entrance, while stocks last." So a walk-up ticket can work on a quiet morning, and a booked start time is the sure way in. Once you're inside, you can stay as long as you like until closing.
Adults pay €25 (€26.50 from 2027), and visitors aged 18 and under go free. The whole museum is cashless, so bring a card. The shop and café stay open to 18:00, and between 17:00 and 18:00 you can walk into them without a ticket.
Book if you're going: the Stedelijk and the Royal Palace
Stedelijk Museum
The modern art museum on the Museumplein opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00, with no entry after 17:45. The Stedelijk's visit page asks you to buy your ticket online in advance, and Museumkaart holders to reserve a time slot. Adults pay €22.50, students €12.50, and under-19s get in free. Whether the desk sells tickets on the day isn't stated on that page, so check before you go if you plan to turn up without one.
The Royal Palace on Dam Square
The Royal Palace is the King's official reception palace, and it opens to visitors on set days: more than 230 days in 2026, from 10:00. State visits and receptions close it, and the palace publishes its open days in a calendar up to six months ahead. When I checked, the site said it was open to visitors until 11 November 2026. Look at the calendar before you plan a day around it. Tickets are €13.50 for adults with the audio tour included, €9 for students, and free for ages 17 and under and Museumkaart holders.
Walk right in: the Westerkerk
The Westerkerk, steps from the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht, is open for visits as a rule from Monday to Friday, 11:00 to 15:00, and entry is free (the church welcomes a donation). The entrance is at Prinsengracht 279. Rembrandt was buried here on 8 October 1669, though the church no longer knows where, and a memorial plaque on the north wall remembers him. The church says its tower can't be climbed; the City of Amsterdam owns it.
Restaurants and canal cruises
Restaurants and canal boat companies each set their own booking rules, so check the one you want on its own site. If a dinner or an evening cruise is the point of the day, book it first and fit the museums around it.
Dates and days that change what you book
Most of Amsterdam's big museums open every day, so the traps here are about release days and special dates, all from the official pages above:
- Tuesdays, 10:00 CET: the Anne Frank House releases tickets for visits six weeks later.
- Fridays: the Van Gogh Museum stays open to 21:00 (not on 27 November 2026).
- Weekends: the Westerkerk is open for visits on weekdays only, 11:00 to 15:00.
- King's Day, 27 April, and 4 May: the Anne Frank House closes at 17:00.
- The Royal Palace: open on calendar days only, so check its calendar for your date.
The Rijksmuseum is the easy one: 9:00 to 17:00 every day of the year. If you can only get a late Anne Frank House slot, that works too, since it's open to 22:00 most days.
How I checked an Amsterdam day for what to book ahead
I built a Wednesday in Amsterdam in Passage AI for 18 November 2026: the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum on the Museumplein, then north through the canal ring to the Westerkerk and the Anne Frank House. It puts the three big booking rules in one day, and Wednesday suits all four stops. Both museums are open, the Westerkerk is open on weekdays, and the Anne Frank House runs to 22:00.
The walks come to 4 minutes between the two museums, 23 minutes up to the Westerkerk and 1 minute from the church to the Anne Frank House. Walk times are straight-line estimates between stops, and Directions opens your phone's maps app for the street route.
Optimize found an order with 3 minutes less walking, starting at the Van Gogh Museum. Both orders work, since the two museums sit a few minutes apart on the same square. I kept the Rijksmuseum first to give the bigger museum the start of the morning; tap Apply if you'd rather take the shorter walk.
The Need tickets? scan
Need tickets? reads the whole trip and lists the stops worth booking ahead, each with a short reason, a confidence tag and a link to the official site, where you book. On this day it marked the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum as likely, and called the Westerkerk lower priority or walk-in friendly.
The official pages agree. The Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum sell online only, the Rijksmuseum asks every visitor for a start time, and the Westerkerk is free.
On the day
Once you're there, Guide opens each stop with a story, and Listen reads it aloud. The Rijksmuseum story starts with the building itself, Pierre Cuypers' design that opened in 1885. Your saved plans also open without a signal.
For a full day on foot, the one-day Amsterdam walking itinerary starts at the Rijksmuseum and walks north through the old centre to the Jordaan. Heading on to another city? Read what to book ahead in Paris or what to book ahead in London, or plan a day in Prague or Vienna.
FAQ
Can you buy Anne Frank House tickets at the door?
No. The museum sells tickets only on its own website, and none at the door. Every Tuesday at 10:00 CET it releases tickets for visits six weeks later. They can't be refunded, exchanged or transferred.
How far ahead should you book the Anne Frank House?
As early as the museum allows: tickets go on sale every Tuesday at 10:00 CET for visits six weeks later. Set a reminder for that Tuesday morning.
Do you need to book the Van Gogh Museum in advance?
Yes. Tickets are sold online only, and every visitor needs a start time, including under-18s and discount-card holders who get in free. An adult ticket is €25 (€26 from 1 January 2027).
Can you buy Rijksmuseum tickets at the entrance?
A limited number of tickets are sold at the entrance while stocks last. The museum asks every visitor to book a start time online, so booking is the sure way in. It's open 9:00 to 17:00 every day and cashless inside.
Is the Westerkerk free?
Yes. Entry is free, and the church welcomes a donation. It's open for visits on weekdays from 11:00 to 15:00. The tower can't be climbed.
How this was made: planned in Passage AI on 5 Nov 2026, facts checked against the official sites of the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Royal Palace Amsterdam and the Westerkerk, written by Edward.
Cover photo: Gerd Eichmann on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
