Is the I Amsterdam card worth it?
City passes can be a fantastic investment for a city break on a budget or an unnecessary waste of money, so it really pays to work out whether you’ll be getting the most from it before you splash out – and for Amsterdam, that means asking is the I Amsterdam card worth it?
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I’ve blogged previously about other city passes – the Paris Pass, Copenhagen card and Helsinki card, and on our first trip, I tested the Amsterdam city pass or I Amsterdam card as I checked out some of the best things to do in Amsterdam with kids, before buying my own pass on my most recent visit.
With over 70 museums and attractions included, along with a canal cruise and public transport, it sounds like a great deal. So is the I Amsterdam card worth it – or should you save your Euros? Here’s my review.
**EDIT: This post was updated in 2026 – always check the site to see the latest costs, attractions included and available information**
How does the I Amsterdam card work?
There are five options available – a 24h, 48h, 72h, 96h and 120h card which cost 67, 94, 115, 130 and 140 Euros respectively.
You can get a physical card, which is activated when you first use it, or a digital card, which you activate by clicking the ‘get started’ button in the app when you want to first use it – make sure you don’t press this before you arrive…
The time starts ticking when you first use it but then runs for the full hours – so if you start at 5pm on a Friday, a 48h card continues to 5pm on Sunday rather than lasting two calendar days as in some cities. Time your entry right and you could get into one final attraction just before your card expires.
It also includes unlimited use of public transport in the city, so you just tap against the card reader when you get on and off buses or trams (or use the QR code from the digital pass with the scanner). You do also need to check out with it when you get off transport – the QR code can be a bit fiddly and you might need to jiggle it under the scanner. It’s only registered once you see it flash green.
The card doesn’t work on the train from Schipol airport though, so you’ll need to buy a separate ticket for that journey.
Previously the pass worked as two sections, so you could begin the transport option on day 1 and start the museums/attraction section later if you wanted – that’s no longer the case, so if you use it first on public transport, the clock will now start ticking.
You may need to book timeslots for some attractions covered by your I Amsterdam city card rather than being able to turn up. You can find a list of locations and how to book ahead here.
In a lot of cases, I was booking a separate ticket for my daughter (as many Amsterdam attractions have free entry for under-18s, so it wasn’t worth buying one for her) and it was easy to select the free option for myself at the same time.
How do you get an I Amsterdam card?
You can order the pass in advance, as they’re valid for a year from purchase and only start once you activate them. If you don’t want it sent to your home, you can pick them up at Schiphol airport as well as the I Amsterdam store in the city.
It comes with a fold-out map of the centre as well, along with a booklet and magazine, plus you can download an app.
You can also buy them from sites like Get Your Guide, and with a discount if you use my code MUMMYTRAVELS6 at Tiqets,
What are the benefits of an I Amsterdam card?
The attractions part of the card includes a canal tour as well as entry to various museums, including 70 Amsterdam museums and attractions and some other discounts.
The Rijksmuseum is also now included in the pass, which means most of the city’s major attractions are free – the Anne Frank house and the Van Gogh Museum are two of the few which are not.
The card includes smaller quirky attractions as well as the big boys. So the Amsterdam tulip museum is on the list as is the pipe museum, along with family-friendly options including Artis Royal Zoo and Science Center NEMO.
Any other bonuses?
It also lets you skip the queues to some attractions, although you may need to book a timed entrance in that case.
For some of the canal cruises you no longer have to queue to get a free paper ticket to present at the entrance or book a timeslot – simply pick the cruise you prefer, turn up and you can board the next available boat. Do check though, as there may be different restrictions depending which option you choose from the list.
Having the pass is also a lot easier than buying individual tickets for trams and buses – although you can also get a 24-hour transport pass for £8, as well as options covering 48h, 72h and on up to 7 days of transport.
It can even save you money outside the city, if you’re planning day trips from Amsterdam with kids.
You also get additional discounts. I often find these are usually obscure restaurants and bars, although it’s worth a look – at one point, it included the small chain of Pancakes restaurants, one of Amsterdam’s best-known places to eat pancakes, although there’s nothing quite as tempting the last time I checked.
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Do you save money with the I Amsterdam card?
When we travelled, I found it wasn’t always the easiest site to work out if you’ll save money, unless you know exactly what you plan to visit or unless you’re focusing on the major attractions.
It’s been through a few changes since then too – you still get a list of everything included and a map version, although neither the website nor app seem to show a simple list of what you save, only whether it’s free or discounted.
The downloadable PDF with the information no longer seems to be available either, so it means manually clicking through to check entry prices and doing your own calculations.
If you took a canal cruise, used public transport, visited the zoo and Rijksmuseum, you’d spend around 81 Euros.
So you’d only need one more major attraction, such as the Nemo Science Centre, to put you comfortably ahead of the 94 Euros you spend on a 48h card.
H’Art Amsterdam costs 22.50 Euros and the Rembrandt House 23.50 Euros, for example, while the Nieuwe Kerk is another 22.50 Euros and the Oude Kerk costs 14.50, so it’s easy to squeeze in a quick visit somewhere else to at least break even.
What if you’re travelling with kids?
There are plenty of family-friendly options included. Artis Royal Zoo costs 29.50 Euros while the Science Center NEMO is 21.50 Euros for adults, so combined with the canal cruise and public transport, you’re already saving if you can squeeze everything into a day, or like the example above, you only have to find another option to start saving on a two-day Amsterdam card.
There’s also the Amsterdam Dungeon and Madame Tussaud’s, while the art museums often have children’s audio tours, for example, so those are definitely still an option.
If you’ve got younger kids, it might not be such a good deal though. If your kids are under 10, entry is usually is free or discounted so it’s almost certainly not worth buying a card for them – the Zoo and Nemo Science Center are a couple of the exceptions. The Royal Palace and Rijksmuseum both have free entry for under 18s too.
There is no separate I Amsterdam card for child or teens, or other child versions apart from the adult Amsterdam city pass.
There’s a helpful set of suggestions for things for families to do in Amsterdam and you can easily click through to the individual websites to see the ticket prices if you want to check the cost with kids.
On my most recent visit with my 13-year-old, it still worked out cheaper to buy her discounted tickets (or book free slots), and use a contactless card for public transport rather than buying the I Amsterdam card.
So is the I Amsterdam card worth it?
Despite the occasional trickiness, absolutely. Unless you’re only planning to visit the Anne Frank house and lounge in the Vondelpark, you’re almost certainly going to make your money back.
We ran out of time to see some attractions on our first trip, as packing in too much on a hot weekend with a toddler isn’t a great plan, but still saved cash and hassle, plus they’ve added the Rijksmuseum since our visit which I’d have happily popped into but didn’t want to pay full price for what was likely to be a very short visit.
Being able to skip some queues and not feeling like I’d wasted money if we only made a quick visit to a museum (thanks to the easily bored two-year-old in tow) was a huge advantage, as was not having to bother getting separate transport passes.
On our return visit, I made the most of the free entry to the Rijksmuseum, as well as the Maritime Museum and Our Dear Lord in the Attic, with the Rembrandt House, Oude Kerk and Niuewe Kerk also on the list, plus free public transport.
The biggest downside was not having all the information on the website before you order the card, which adds some hassle of researching it all.
Especially compared to the simplicity of the Copenhagen card which lets you tick the elements you want to visit and calculates the total, so it’s instantly easy to see if and what you save.
Verdict: is the I Amsterdam card worth it?
Despite a few niggles, that’s a firm yes from me.
PIN FOR LATER: IS THE I AMSTERDAM CARD WORTH IT?
Disclosure: My first I Amsterdam card was courtesy of the Amsterdam Tourist Board, I bought my second myself. All opinions and reluctance to queue are my own
Images: tram image courtesy Depositphotos; all others copyright MummyTravels
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You always wonder if these cards are good value as a visitor don’t you? We got the one in Rome when we visited a few years ago which although I don’t know if it saved us money, got us to bypass all the queues at the Coliseum so worth it for that alone! I have never visited Amsterdam, it looks lovely x
Definitely – I think some are better than others although saving time is a big plus as well as money. Amsterdam is lovely, very much worth a visit.
It does look fab and the ability to skip queues with kids is a godsend, Amsterdam is on our list to do very soon but then so is the rest of the world there is just so much choice arghhh I need to be away all the time x
Definitely – I would pay not to have to stand in line with a bored toddler, for sure. And your list sounds VERY much like mine…!
I think when I saw you wrote ‘can skip queues’, makes it immediately worth it! Great idea #triedtested
Haha, my thoughts exactly – to be fair, the Van Gogh museum was a shorter queue rather than no queue, but definitely saved time.
This sounds fantastic! Very handy to have just for skipping the queues x
The time saving is definitely proving popular – I do like the way these cards can save hassle as well as money.
I love these cards. We used a similarly one in Copenhagen and saved loads. #citytripping
I thought the Copenhagen one was one of the best I’ve used.
What wonderful day trip destination. Interesting post
Thanks!
We had the card in Amsterdam too and loved it for the transport and the queue hop at the Van Gogh Museum. There’s a fine balance though between trying to get your money’s worth and spending quality time in a city. However we probably wouldn’t have visited the Tassenmuseum without free entry and that was a real gem!
#citytripping
Yes, I’ve sometimes realised that I’d have to do back-to-back visits of attraction after attraction to make some cards pay – not exactly a fun experience. But I suspect I wouldn’t have gone into the Tassenmuseum either without it (and had one or two others I fancied trying but which were shut, alas) or some of the places in Copenhagen, so it’s great to have those little bonuses.
We never invest in these cards, but I think it’s certainly time to start using them and saving money! So I’ve saved this as we’re probably headed to Amsterdam for the Kreukenhof Gardens in April for our 4 year anniversary! #CityTripping
Hope it comes in useful then, and have a great break – I think it depends so much what you’re doing but definitely worth checking out.
Great advice. I rarely buy these cards so will consider it in future. Not having to work out the baffling tram fares in Amsterdam is another huge advantage!
Thanks – always worth looking into, I think. And I definitely like a nice straightforward pass for public transport – some places seem to make it a minefield to buy tickets and know how to use them, so I’ll pay a few Euros just to be able to swipe one card and not worry about it.
I never use these cards as we tend to walk everywhere (in places like Amsterdam) and in a short visit never go to many museums. I like wandering around, getting lost and sitting in cafés to absorb the atmosphere as much as museums. It’s a shame it doesn’t include the Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum. However I appreciate your research, and you never know, might consider getting a card one day!
That’s it absolutely – it always depends so much on what you’re doing as to whether they’re worth it. We were staying slightly out of the centre and with a two-year-old, I knew we’d want some public transport at least and quite a few of the big attractions like the zoo. But last time I visited, before my daughter came along, we stayed in the centre, did lots of wandering and sitting in cafes, and visited the Anne Frank House so there was no point.
Thanks for the breakdown, this is really handy as we’re traveling there in a few weeks. Can’t wait! I shall have to look into our plans ahead of time and work it out. #citytripping
Ah, perfect timing – definitely worth looking into and have a fantastic time.
Not a place we’ve visited yet, but the card sounds like a great idea!
It’s definitely worth checking out if you get there.
Great info Cathy! We used the Stockholm pass recently and found that ideal for exploring the city. We saved money and had much of the transport paid which is handy as it is a fairly large city. It has made me look into using these city passes a lot more. Even better if you can skip queues!! #citytripping
Thanks! And that’s definitely handy if you’re doing a lot of travelling around – small kids are not known for their patience with queues either, so the fewer we have the better!
We were in Amsterdam last week and found the i Amsterdam city guide really useful, particularly on the tram and free entrance to museums and other attractions. The free canal cruise was a very welcome addition. I don’t think I’d recommend buying one for small children though as it’s usually free for kids in the museums and only €2.50 for 24 hour travel for kids on public transport. #citytripping
It makes things very straightforward – and I totally agree about kids. We didn’t have one for my daughter, who was two then, and even if your kids are older it doesn’t seem worth it. I liked the download they have now where you can check the different prices for the different ages.
We used the Munich version in the summer and just about broke even, but being able to jump on and off trams, trains and tube made it worth it! #CityTripping
Yes, sometimes it’s not just saving money, it’s the hassle-free factor which makes it worthwhile.
Looks like such a cute city! Have a great week! #citytripping
Very!
I wish I’d have known about this before my visit! The transportation alone would have made a huge difference! #citytripping
Oh what a shame, my timing’s off – always worth checking out for European cities as all the ones I’ve come across include transport too.
I guess I’ll just have to go back, so I can take advantage of all your great advice!
Absolutely! Perfect excuse 🙂
Thanks for this thorough review of the I Card! Its always really tricky to know whether to get the city passes or not – thanks for doing the legwork on that for us! With this one the shorter queues are an added bonus. #citytripping
My pleasure! And avoiding a few queues is definitely worth a few Euros.
I went to Amsterdam for a long weekend and did not get the card because I also found it difficult to figure out if I would save money and if it was worth it. I’m so glad they’ve updated the website and that you have now written a very good post on why the I Amsterdam card will be one of my first purchases when I head back!! #citytripping
Thanks – it did seem really complicated when we got ours, makes so much sense to have updated it now. I hope you get back there!
I like that the transport and attractions are seperate, so you could spend one day just seeing the city and another doing indoor activities. I’ve been tempted to buy passes like this several times but I’m always worried I’ll spend too much time figuring out what we can do and how. Guides like this one are definitely useful. Thank you! #citytripping
Yes, I thought that was a clever idea – and definitely worth planning in advance to get the most from it.
I always love getting these cards because they just make travelling so easy. Sometimes I don’t even care whether it really saves me money or not, I just get them for the convenience. But after that I make it a point to tick off as many destinations covered by the card as possible just to make my money worth. LOL…. #CityTripping
I’m with you! I would definitely pay money to make life easier at times…
I enjoy learning about these cards since they are easy to use and provide access to popular attractions Plus, sometimes they help you to discover hidden gems in a city. I like that it provides quick access to some attractions. To me, that is a big plus. #citytripping
Yes, I love sometimes finding little museums or other quirky places you might otherwise overlook – and it’s easy to pop in for a quick look too when it’s already covered.
Great to know there is a wonderful money-saving option in Amsterdam. The city is filled with so many museums, I’d be overwhelmed trying to arrange everything, so it’s great to see more cities adopting this combination method. I’m glad I read your post to learn about the I amsterdam card! #citytripping
Thanks! There is so much to see and I loved how many little museums there were as well as the big names, definitely worth taking a look at this.
I never normally bother with these type of cards so it is nice to know they can be worth it. Maybe next time I’ll look at this option #citytripping
It definitely depends what you do, but I always think they’re worth checking out
Very helpful post. I haven’t tried one of these cards before but that certainly is helpful to have quick access and sounds like it was a great value. I like that idea with the Copenhagen card to tick which attractions you want to visit to see what you’d save. #CityTripping
Thanks – they can be great depending what you’re doing. And I loved that with Copenhagen, so easy to think if I did this, this and this, what would happen, rather then playing around with a calculator
We have just come back from Copenhagen and as we weren’t sure if it was worth it we didn’t buy into a similar card – needed this sort of post before we went!! About time we went back to Amsterdam so have pinned to consult if we do! #citytripping
Ah shame about the timing – hopefully it’s a good motivator to go to Amsterdam and helpful when you get there.
I have used Paris Pass before, so I can imagine some cost savings if I was to use a similar pass in Amsterdam. Initially we weren’t sure if the pass really helped us to save money in Paris but it certainly helped us to queue at the shorter line! I don’t know what it’s like travelling in Europe during the colder months, but my experience in Paris at the end of spring season was not so pleasant due to long queues! Thankfully, the Paris Pass helped us to save time 🙂 Thanks for the tip about the Amsterdam Pass, will certainly get it when I travel to Amsterdam. #citytripping
Yes, I used the Paris pass on one of my previous visits and I’m not sure you do save as much as some of the others but the queue jumping is great.
Would love to take the kids to Amsterdam. I always try and work out if these cards are worth it before we travel but it is sometimes tricky so great post, thank you! #citytripping
It’s a great city with kids – hope you do get there.