The official Rijksmuseum website is rijksmuseum.nl, operated by the Rijksmuseum Foundation — the independent foundation that manages the national museum of the Netherlands under a mandate from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The standard adult ticket costs €22.50 and includes the full permanent collection and all temporary exhibitions. The site is available in both Dutch and English — the English version is comprehensive and the booking flow is fully translated. Children under 18 enter free with no reservation required. Guided tours are not sold on the official site.
The Rijksmuseum is the most visited museum in the Netherlands and one of the great art museums of the world — home to Rembrandt’s Night Watch, Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, and a collection of 8,000 objects spanning 800 years of Dutch and world history. Unlike many major European museums, the Rijksmuseum’s official website has an excellent English interface and a straightforward booking system. The primary challenge is one shared with most popular Amsterdam attractions: the museum sells out on busy weekend dates, and a number of unofficial reseller sites confuse visitors searching for the correct place to book. This guide explains exactly what the official website is, how to navigate it, and the best alternatives when the official site has no availability.
The Rijksmuseum entry ticket is the most practical option for visitors who want flexibility. For a curated experience of the collection’s highlights, choose the Rijksmuseum guided tour. For a fully private experience, the private guided tour gives skip-the-line entry with a dedicated guide who tailors the visit entirely to your group’s interests.
The official Rijksmuseum website is rijksmuseum.nl, operated by the Rijksmuseum Foundation. The foundation manages the museum under a mandate from the Dutch government and is responsible for the collection, operations, and public programming. The site covers all official ticketing, collection research (the online collection database contains over 700,000 objects), current and upcoming exhibitions, and visitor information. It is fully available in both Dutch and English.
Warning: Several unofficial websites sell Rijksmuseum tickets at inflated prices under names like ‘rijksmuseumtickets.com’ or ‘amsterdam-rijksmuseum.com’. The official adult ticket costs €22.50 with no added booking fee. Always verify the URL is rijksmuseum.nl before entering payment details. Do not search “buy Rijksmuseum tickets” on Google and click a paid result — those results are frequently unofficial resellers.
Signs you are on the correct official site:
| Ticket / Access Type | What It Includes | Price (2026) |
| Standard adult ticket | Full access to the permanent collection and all current temporary exhibitions. No audio guide included. | €22.50 (adult) |
| Youth (0–17 years) | Free entry. No ticket purchase required; no online reservation needed. | Free |
| Museumkaart holders | Free entry with a valid Dutch Museumkaart. Show card at the entrance — no separate ticket or reservation needed. | Card only |
| I amsterdam City Card | Entry included in the I amsterdam City Card. Timed-entry reservation recommended on the official site. | Card only |
| Entry ticket | Standard timed-entry ticket with reserved access. Free cancellation available. | From €22.50 |
| Guided tour | Timed entry + licensed English-speaking guide for a curated 1.5–2 hour tour of the highlights. | From €39 |
| Viator private tour | Reserved skip-the-line entry + private guide. Maximum flexibility in pace, language, and focus. | From €69 |
The official website does not sell guided tours or audio guides. Audio guides are available to hire at the museum entrance on the day. For guided tour options, see our full guide to Rijksmuseum tickets, which covers every ticket and tour option available.
The Dutch Museumkaart is an annual museum pass (€74.90 for adults) that gives free entry to over 400 museums across the Netherlands, including the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and Moco Museum in Amsterdam. It is available to both residents and visitors, and pays for itself after three or four major Amsterdam museum visits.
Museumkaart holders enter the Rijksmuseum free by showing their card at the entrance — no separate ticket or online reservation is required. During peak season, a timed-entry slot is recommended even for Museumkaart holders to manage crowd flow; check the current policy on rijksmuseum.nl before your visit.
I amsterdam City Card: The I amsterdam City Card includes Rijksmuseum entry. However, in peak season the card does not guarantee immediate entry — a timed-entry reservation through rijksmuseum.nl is recommended even for City Card holders. Check the current terms on the I amsterdam website before relying on it for entry.
Cloakroom requirement: The Rijksmuseum requires all large bags, backpacks, and luggage to be stored in the free cloakroom before entering the galleries. This is strictly enforced. Allow 10–15 minutes at the cloakroom on busy days, especially in summer. Small handbags and day bags that fit within a 40 × 35 × 15 cm limit are permitted.
The Rijksmuseum does not operate a fixed advance-release window like the Colosseum. Tickets are available on a rolling basis through rijksmuseum.nl. Weekday visits outside summer (September–May, Tuesday–Friday) typically retain availability with just a few days’ notice. Weekend visits in peak summer, particularly Saturday mornings in July and August, can sell out one to two weeks in advance.
Three situations where advance booking is strongly recommended:
When the official Rijksmuseum website shows no availability for a specific date or slot, three options remain: (1) check GetYourGuide and Viator, which operate from separate allocations and often have timed-entry tickets and guided tours available when the official site does not; (2) try a different time slot on the same day — afternoon slots are consistently the last to sell out; (3) check the official site again as cancellations are released continuously.
Yes — rijksmuseum.nl is operated by the Rijksmuseum Foundation and uses standard SSL encryption. Payment is processed securely. The primary risk is landing on an unofficial reseller site that mimics the official site and charges above the €22.50 face value. Before entering payment details, confirm:
| Official Site (rijksmuseum.nl) | GetYourGuide / Viator | |
| Face-value price | €22.50 — no booking fees | Same price; free cancellation usually included |
| Language support | Dutch and English (both comprehensive) | 20+ languages |
| Guided tours available | No | Yes — group and private tours |
| Free cancellation | No — non-refundable | Yes — usually up to 24 hrs before |
| Booking window | Weeks ahead; popular dates sell out | Often available when official site is sold out |
| When official site sold out | No alternative | Often still available |
| Customer support | Email and phone (Dutch office hours) | 24/7 chat and phone |
| Walk-up purchase | Limited — a small number of day-of tickets sold at the entrance | No |
| Audio guide included | No — available to hire separately at the museum | Not included in entry tickets; guided tours include guide |
The official website is rijksmuseum.nl, operated by the Rijksmuseum Foundation. It is available in both Dutch and English. The standard adult ticket is €22.50 with no booking fee. For a complete overview of every way to buy Rijksmuseum tickets, see our guide to Rijksmuseum tickets.
Yes — fully. Unlike many European museum sites, rijksmuseum.nl has a comprehensive English-language version that covers the full booking flow, collection database, exhibition information, and visitor guide. Use the language toggle in the top-right corner to switch between Dutch and English. All confirmation emails are also sent in the language selected at booking.
The standard adult ticket costs €22.50 and includes the full permanent collection and all current temporary exhibitions. Children under 18 enter free with no ticket or reservation required. Dutch Museumkaart holders and I amsterdam City Card holders also enter free, though a timed-entry slot may be recommended during peak season.
For weekday visits in low season (September–May), advance booking is not strictly necessary — the Rijksmuseum typically has available slots on short notice. For weekend visits in summer (June–August) and during popular temporary exhibitions, booking one to two weeks in advance is recommended. Morning slots on summer Saturdays can sell out significantly in advance.
Official website tickets are non-refundable once purchased. For flexibility, book via GetYourGuide — their Rijksmuseum tickets include free cancellation, typically up to 24 hours before the visit. This is useful if your Amsterdam itinerary is subject to change.
The Rijksmuseum is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, including weekends and most public holidays. It is closed on 27 April (King’s Day) when the museum is itself a venue for national celebrations — check the current calendar on rijksmuseum.nl, as exceptional closures can occur around major events. Last entry is at 16:30.
Yes — audio guides are available to hire at the museum entrance on the day of your visit. They are not sold through the official website and cannot be pre-booked online. The audio guide is available in multiple languages including English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese. For a guide who explains the collection with live commentary and answers your questions, book the guided tour instead.
The permanent collection spans 800 years of Dutch and world history across 80 galleries. The essential works include: Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Night Watch (1642) — the museum’s centrepiece and the largest Dutch Golden Age painting; Johannes Vermeer’s The Milkmaid (c. 1658) and Woman Reading a Letter (c. 1663); Jan Steen’s genre scenes; the Delftware collection; and the architectural model of Amsterdam’s 17th-century city. Allow at least two to three hours for a thorough visit to the highlights.
Yes. Both cards include Rijksmuseum entry. Museumkaart holders show their card at the entrance and are admitted free with no prior reservation, though a timed slot is recommended in peak season. I amsterdam City Card holders are also admitted free — check the current terms and whether a timed reservation is required, as this may vary by season.
Yes. Photography for personal use is permitted throughout the Rijksmuseum, including in the main galleries and in front of The Night Watch. Flash photography is prohibited. Tripods are not permitted without prior authorisation. Photography may be restricted in specific temporary exhibition spaces — look for signage at the entrance to each gallery.
The Rijksmuseum is located on Museumstraat, Museumplein — in the museum quarter of Amsterdam South, approximately 3 km from Amsterdam Centraal station. The most convenient route from the city centre is tram 2 or 12 (stop: Museumplein) or a 15–20 minute walk through Vondelpark. Cycling is also practical — the museum has a large free bicycle storage area beneath the building. There is no dedicated car park; public transport is strongly recommended.
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