Rijksmuseum Tickets 2026
Tickets cost €25 and sell online only. Here's how to book, which time slot to pick, and what to do when your date looks sold out.
The Rijksmuseum holds 8,000 objects across 80 galleries, but most visitors come for one painting. Rembrandt's Night Watch hangs at the end of the Gallery of Honour, visible from 30 metres away the moment you walk in. The rest of the museum earns its two hours — four Vermeers, an entire wing of Golden Age painting, and rooms upstairs that most people never find. Every ticket is timed and sold online. Book the right slot and you'll have the Gallery of Honour nearly to yourself.
How much are Rijksmuseum tickets in 2026?
All tickets are online only, with timed entry. Same price whether you book on the official site or through GetYourGuide — but GYG adds free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Current prices (2026):
- Adult: €25 (online only, timed entry)
- Under 18: free (booking still required)
- CJP / EYCA: €11.25
- Museumkaart holders: free (must book a time slot)
- I Amsterdam City Card: included (must book a time slot)
- Audio guide: free via the Rijksmuseum app. €6.50 rental if you don't have a smartphone
The museum is cashless. Bring a card.
Where to book
Our take: Same €25 price, but GYG gives you free cancellation 24h before and separate allocations — often has slots when the official site is sold out. Book the 9 AM slot at least a week ahead.
Want a guided tour? The Rijksmuseum Guided Tour (2 hours, 4.8★) covers The Night Watch, the Vermeers, and the Golden Age galleries with an art historian. Skip-the-line entry included.
What are the Rijksmuseum opening hours?
Daily: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, year-round. Open every day including public holidays. The shop stays open until 6 PM.
Your timed ticket indicates when you enter. Once inside, you can stay until closing. Arrive 10 minutes before your slot — there's a brief bag check at the entrance. Bags larger than A4 must go in the free cloakroom.
What's on now
Metamorphoses: Masters of Transformation (6 February – 25 May 2026) gathers 80 masterpieces exploring metamorphosis across centuries. Titian, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rodin, Brancusi, and Magritte all examine change and transformation. It's a high-level exhibition that rewards slow looking — plan an extra 45 minutes if it interests you.
Concurrently, FAKE! Early Photo Collages and Photomontages (same dates) shows how photographers faked and manipulated images before Photoshop. Both are included in your standard ticket.
Coming up in 2026
- Carel Visser (5 June – 25 October 2026) — retrospective of the Dutch sculptor.
- Ed van der Elsken (19 June – 13 September 2026) — first major survey in a decade of the Amsterdam street photographer.
- Willem de Kooning at Work (9 October 2026 – 17 January 2027) — the largest de Kooning exhibition in Europe in years, focused on his process. Confirm dates on the official what's on page before booking.
How do you get the most out of the Rijksmuseum?
Start on the second floor. Go straight to the Gallery of Honour and The Night Watch. By 10 AM, the room is three rows deep with tour groups. If you arrive at 9, you'll have space to stand back and see what Rembrandt actually composed.
Notice the four Vermeers. They hang in the Gallery of Honour, but most visitors walk past three of them while rushing to The Night Watch. The Milkmaid, Woman Reading a Letter, and The Little Street are all here. Stop.
Compare Rembrandt's self-portraits. The museum has several across different decades. The confidence of the early portraits, the weight of the later ones. You're watching someone age through their own eyes.
Look for the Delftware room. Blue-and-white ceramics that inspired Vermeer's palette. It's a detour most visitors skip, and it connects art to daily life in a way the paintings alone don't.
Track the light in the building itself. Pierre Cuypers designed the Rijksmuseum as a cathedral for art. The natural light shifts through the galleries during the day. Morning light in the Gallery of Honour is warmer and more dramatic than afternoon.
What do most visitors wish they knew about the Rijksmuseum?
The third floor exists. The Art Nouveau and Art Deco rooms upstairs are often empty. The 20th-century collection and Special Collections are here too. If the main galleries feel crowded, go up.
The Asian pavilion is a separate building. Connected to the main museum through the garden level, it holds Buddhist sculpture, Japanese prints, and Chinese ceramics. Five minutes from the main galleries, no crowds. Included in your ticket.
The gardens are free in summer. Open 9 AM – 6 PM, with outdoor sculptures and a quiet space to decompress after the galleries.
Download the app before you arrive. The free multimedia guide is better than most paid audio guides. It covers the key works and lets you build a custom route. The museum's WiFi works throughout the building.
Tickets sorted? Book Rijksmuseum tickets on GetYourGuide — same price as official, free cancellation, instant confirmation.
Planning your Amsterdam museums? The Van Gogh Museum is a 5-minute walk from the Rijksmuseum and the two are often combined in a single morning. The Stedelijk Museum for modern art completes the Museumplein trio. Check the Museumkaart guide if you're visiting multiple museums — it can save serious money. See our best art museums in Amsterdam for a prioritised shortlist.
- Museum
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
- Ticket
- €25 adult (online only, timed entry)
- Under 18
- Free (booking required)
- CJP/EYCA
- €11.25
- Hours
- Daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, year-round
- Audio guide
- Free via app · €6.50 rental
- Cloakroom
- Free. Bags larger than A4 must be checked
- Getting there
- Tram 2, 5, or 12 to Rijksmuseum stop · 15 min walk from Centraal
- Book at
- GetYourGuide · 4.7★ · free cancellation · rijksmuseum.nl
- Guided tour
- Guided Tour with Art Historian (2 hours, €55) · skip-the-line, 4.8★
- Website
- rijksmuseum.nl
Hours and prices can change — confirm on the official site before you go.
Last verified: April 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much are Rijksmuseum tickets in 2026?
Adult tickets cost €25, purchased online only with a timed entry slot. Under 18 is free (booking still required). CJP and EYCA cardholders pay €11.25. Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card holders enter free but must still book a time slot.
Do you need to book Rijksmuseum tickets in advance?
Yes. The Rijksmuseum only sells timed tickets online. There are limited walk-up tickets at the entrance, but they sell out early. Book at least 2-3 days ahead in peak season (April-August). Weekends and holidays sell out faster.
How long do you need at the Rijksmuseum?
Two to three hours for the highlights: Gallery of Honour, The Night Watch, Vermeer rooms, and the 17th-century galleries. Art lovers who want to explore the Asian pavilion and special exhibitions should budget 4-5 hours.
When is the Rijksmuseum free?
There are no regular free admission days. Under 18 always enters free. Museumkaart holders (€75/year, Dutch residents) get free access to 400+ museums including the Rijksmuseum. The I Amsterdam City Card also includes entry.
What is the best time to visit the Rijksmuseum?
The 9 AM slot is best — you reach The Night Watch before tour groups fill the room. After 3 PM is also calm. Avoid 11 AM to 2 PM. Tuesday and Wednesday are the quietest days. April, May, and August are the busiest months.
The Rijksmuseum rewards the early visitor. Book the 9 AM slot, start on the second floor, and you'll see The Night Watch the way Rembrandt intended — with space to breathe. Ready to book? Get Rijksmuseum tickets on GetYourGuide (4.7★, 28K reviews) — same price, free cancellation.