- On July 14, 2026
- In Tips for travellers
The I amsterdam City Card promises free entry to more than 70 museums, free trams and a free canal cruise — but is it actually worth the money? For a lot of visitors it pays for itself in a day. For others it quietly loses money, especially since two of the city’s most famous sights, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, are not even included.
This is our honest 2026 guide: the real prices, exactly what is and is not covered, how the card works, the simple maths to check whether it suits your trip, and how it compares with the alternatives.
Last updated: July 2026.
What is the I amsterdam City Card?
The I amsterdam City Card is the city’s official tourist pass, run by Amsterdam’s own tourism board. The standard version — now branded “Total Experience” — bundles four things into one card for a set time window:
- free entry to over 70 museums and attractions;
- unlimited GVB public transport (trams, metro, city buses and ferries);
- one free canal cruise;
- one free 24-hour bike rental, plus around 25% off a range of partner attractions.
It comes as either a physical contactless card or a digital card in the official app. In May 2026 a second option also appeared — an Explorer (Special Edition) card, where you choose a fixed number of attractions (3, 5 or 7) at a lower price, but with no public transport included. Most of this guide is about the standard Total Experience card, which is what people usually mean by “the I amsterdam City Card.”
I amsterdam City Card prices in 2026
At the time of writing, the standard Total Experience card is priced at roughly the following, with a single price for adults and children alike:
| Duration | Price (approx.) | Works out per day |
|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | ~€67 | €67 |
| 48 hours | ~€94 | ~€47 |
| 72 hours | ~€115 | ~€38 |
| 96 hours | ~€130 | ~€33 |
| 120 hours | ~€140 | ~€28 |
The longer the card, the cheaper each day becomes — which is why the 72- to 120-hour cards are usually the easiest to justify. The newer Explorer option starts from around €44 for three attractions. Prices change regularly, so check the current figure before you buy.
What’s included with the I amsterdam City Card?
Here is what you actually get:
Free public transport (GVB)
Unlimited travel on Amsterdam’s GVB network — trams, metro, city buses, ferries and even night buses — for the full validity of your card. Note the limits: it does not cover NS trains, so the train between Amsterdam Central Station and Schiphol Airport is not included, nor are regional buses. A standalone GVB pass alone would cost roughly €10 for 24 hours up to €34 for 120 hours, so this is a big chunk of the card’s value.
Free entry to 70+ museums and attractions
The headline benefit. Big names included free (normal entry in brackets) are:
- Rijksmuseum (~€25) — the single most valuable inclusion; see our Rijksmuseum guide;
- Moco Museum, H’ART Museum (the former Hermitage) and the Stedelijk Museum of modern art;
- Rembrandt House Museum and Museum Van Loon;
- NEMO Science Museum, ARTIS (the Royal Zoo and Micropia) and Hortus Botanicus;
- A’DAM Lookout and This is Holland — both usually free with the card, though it is worth confirming.
A free canal cruise and a free bike
You also get one free canal cruise (worth around €16 — the classic way to see the city, and a highlight in its own right) and one free 24-hour bike rental. On top of that there are discounts of roughly 25% at a range of partner attractions and restaurants.
What’s NOT included — the gotchas
This is the part that catches people out, and it is where an honest guide earns its keep. Before you buy, know that these are not covered:
- Van Gogh Museum — not included at all. It was dropped from the card back in 2022 and is still out in 2026: no free entry and no discount. Since it is one of the busiest museums in the city and sells timed tickets that book up days ahead, reserve your Van Gogh Museum tickets separately and early.
- Anne Frank House — not included. It has its own timed online tickets that sell out weeks in advance and must be booked directly on the official Anne Frank House website.
- Heineken Experience, Madame Tussauds and Body Worlds — discount only (around 25% off), not free.
If your Amsterdam wish list is essentially Van Gogh plus Anne Frank plus a couple of other things, the card will almost certainly lose you money — you would be better off booking those two separately and paying as you go.
Is the I amsterdam City Card worth it?
It comes down to simple maths. A major Amsterdam museum averages around €22 to enter, the free canal cruise is worth about €16, the 24-hour bike about €15, and the transport €10–€34 depending on duration. So roughly:
| Card | Break-even |
|---|---|
| 24h (~€67) | About 3 paid attractions, or 2 museums + the canal cruise + a day of trams |
| 48h (~€94) | Roughly 2 attractions a day over 2 days, plus cruise and transport |
| 72h (~€115) | About 4–5 attractions across 3 days |
| 96–120h (~€130–140) | 5–7 attractions over the period — the easiest cards to justify |
The card is worth it if you are an active sightseer who will visit around two or more paid museums a day, you will use the trams and metro, and you want the free cruise and bike thrown in. On the 72- to 120-hour cards, the fixed extras alone cover a big share of the cost, so you only need a handful of museums on top to come out ahead.
It is not worth it if your must-sees are the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House (both excluded), you prefer to walk the compact centre rather than ride, you sightsee slowly at about one thing a day, or you are travelling with young children (who are often free or cheap at museums anyway).
How to use the I amsterdam City Card
A few practical points that save confusion on the day:
- Card or app: you can use a physical contactless card or the digital version in the official I amsterdam City Card app, which shows a QR code.
- On public transport, check in AND check out. Tap the card (or scan the app’s QR code) on the GVB reader when you board and again when you get off, every single trip. Forget to check out and the system can flag it.
- The clock starts on first use, not at purchase, and then runs continuously. A 48-hour card first used at 5pm on Friday runs until 5pm on Sunday — it is 48 real hours, not two calendar days, so activate it when your sightseeing actually begins.
- Some attractions still need a timeslot. Most sites let you walk in with the card, but a few popular ones (and the Rijksmuseum at busy times) ask you to reserve a free slot online in advance — check each one the day before.
Where to buy the I amsterdam City Card
You can buy the card online in advance (the simplest option, and the digital app version means no queue at all), or collect a physical card in the city — the main pick-up point is the I amsterdam Store at the back of Amsterdam Central Station. Buying ahead online also lets you compare the current price and pick the right duration before you arrive.
I amsterdam City Card vs the alternatives
It is not the only pass in town. In short:
| Pass | Best for |
|---|---|
| I amsterdam City Card | Active museum-hoppers who also want free transport, a cruise and a bike |
| Go City Amsterdam Pass | Bigger paid attractions and experiences (Heineken, Madame Tussauds, tours) rather than lots of museums |
| Holland Pass | A multi-city Netherlands trip — but no free GVB transport |
| Museumkaart | Museum obsessives and longer stays — 400+ museums nationwide (including Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum), but no transport or attractions |
One neat trick for Van Gogh fans: the Museumkaart covers the Van Gogh Museum where the I amsterdam City Card does not, so heavy museum-goers sometimes weigh that up instead. For a general first trip, though, the I amsterdam City Card’s bundled transport and cruise usually make it the more convenient choice.
The verdict
For an active first-time visitor packing in museums, trams, a canal cruise and a bike ride, the I amsterdam City Card is genuinely good value — the longer cards especially. Just go in with your eyes open: book the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House separately, do the quick maths against the things you actually plan to do, and pick the duration that matches your pace. For more on budgeting the rest of your trip, see our guide to money and costs in Amsterdam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the I amsterdam City Card worth it?
It is if you are an active sightseer visiting roughly two or more paid museums or attractions a day and using the trams. With free entry to over 70 sites plus a canal cruise, a 24-hour bike rental and unlimited GVB transport, most visitors break even quickly on the 72- to 120-hour cards. It is poor value if your main targets are the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House (neither is included), if you walk everywhere, or if you sightsee slowly.
What does the I amsterdam City Card include?
Free entry to over 70 museums and attractions — including the Rijksmuseum, Moco, H’ART, Stedelijk, Rembrandt House, NEMO and ARTIS — plus unlimited GVB public transport (tram, metro, bus and ferry, but not NS trains or the airport train), one free canal cruise and one 24-hour bike rental. You also get around 25% off partner attractions such as the Heineken Experience and Madame Tussauds.
How much is the I amsterdam City Card in 2026?
The standard Total Experience card costs roughly €67 (24h), €94 (48h), €115 (72h), €130 (96h) and €140 (120h), at one price for adults and children. A newer Explorer option lets you pick 3, 5 or 7 attractions from around €44, but it does not include public transport. Always confirm the current price on the official iamsterdam.com site before buying.
Which museums are free with the I amsterdam City Card?
Big names included free are the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum, H’ART Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Rembrandt House, Museum Van Loon, NEMO and ARTIS (Micropia and the zoo), among more than 70 in total. The Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House are not included and must be booked separately.
Is the Van Gogh Museum included in the I amsterdam City Card?
No. The Van Gogh Museum was removed from the card in 2022 and is still not included in 2026 — you get neither free entry nor a discount. Because it is one of Amsterdam’s most popular museums and sells timed tickets that book up, reserve a Van Gogh ticket separately and in advance.
Does the I amsterdam City Card cover the airport train?
No. The card gives unlimited travel on Amsterdam’s GVB network — trams, metro, city buses, ferries and night buses — but not NS trains. The train between Schiphol Airport and the city centre is run by NS, so you need to buy that ticket separately.