Van Gogh Museum Tickets
Tickets cost €25, sell out days ahead in summer, and are only available online. Here's how to book, which slot to pick, and what the audio guide is actually worth.
The Van Gogh Museum sells out. Not sometimes, not in peak season — most days. It holds the world's largest collection of his work: over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and 750 letters, arranged chronologically across four floors. You walk through his life from the dark Dutch period to the frenzy of Arles. Every ticket is timed and sold online only. Book the wrong slot and you'll share the Sunflowers room with two school groups and forty selfie sticks.
In 3 minutes, you'll know:
- What tickets cost and how far ahead to book
- Which time slot gives you the quietest visit
- Whether the multimedia guide is worth €6
- How to combine the Van Gogh Museum with the Rijksmuseum in one morning
How much do Van Gogh Museum tickets cost in 2026?
Adult tickets cost €25. Under 18 enters free but still needs a timed ticket. Museumkaart holders and I Amsterdam City Card holders enter free — both still require a time slot reservation.
The multimedia guide is €6 extra, available at the entrance in 11 languages. A separate family audio guide costs €3.75 for adults and €2 for kids 13–17 (free under 13). It covers around 40 works and adds real context from Van Gogh's letters. Most visitors who use it rate it highly; most who skip it say they regret it.
Get the Van Gogh Museum room-by-room guide
- Exact route through all 4 floors with timing
- Which paintings to stop at and what to notice
- The works most visitors walk past
- Designed for your phone — open it inside the museum
Where to book
Our take: Same €25 price, but GYG's fast-blue-lane cuts the wait and lets you cancel up to 24h before. Safer pick for most visitors.
Want a guided tour? The Van Gogh Museum Guided Tour (entry included, ~€80) puts an art historian next to you for the highlights. Worth it to understand what made Van Gogh's technique revolutionary, not just recognise the famous paintings.
When is the best time to visit the Van Gogh Museum?
The museum opens daily at 9 AM and closes at 6 PM (Fridays until 9 PM). Last entry is 90 minutes before closing.
The 9 AM slot is the quietest. By 11 AM the museum fills up and stays busy until 3 PM. Friday evenings (6-9 PM) are a well-kept alternative — far fewer visitors, and the building has a different energy after dark.
Weekdays beat weekends, especially Tuesday to Thursday. Weekend mornings attract the heaviest crowds, school groups book Monday and Friday slots.
Seasonal tip: In summer, tickets sell out 7-10 days ahead. Book 2-3 weeks in advance if you're visiting between April and September. Winter (November to February) is noticeably calmer.
What should you see first at the Van Gogh Museum?
The collection is chronological. Floor 0 covers Van Gogh's early Dutch period: dark, heavy peasant scenes. Floor 1 moves to Paris and the explosion of colour. Floor 2 is Arles, Saint-Rémy, and Auvers-sur-Oise: Sunflowers, The Bedroom, Almond Blossom, Irises. Floor 3 hosts temporary exhibitions — currently Yellow. Beyond Van Gogh's Colour (13 February to 17 May 2026), the first exhibition devoted to what yellow meant to Van Gogh and his contemporaries. Around 50 works from 1850 to 1915, plus a light installation by Olafur Eliasson. Included with your standard ticket. If you're planning for autumn, a James McNeill Whistler retrospective — the first devoted to this artist in the Netherlands — runs 16 October 2026 to 10 January 2027.
Start from the top floor and work your way down. This is the visitor tip that appears repeatedly on Reddit threads: reach Floor 3 before the crowds arrive, then descend through Floors 2, 1, and 0. You'll avoid the main crush around Sunflowers on Floor 1. The chronological descent from later work to earlier work actually works better once you've seen the highlights — the early dark paintings gain weight knowing where Van Gogh was headed.
The self-portraits tell a story across the floors. Track them from the stiff early attempts to the Arles portraits where the brushstrokes themselves carry emotion. It's the most powerful sequence in the museum and most visitors miss it because they see them out of order.
What do most visitors wish they knew about the Van Gogh Museum?
The bag policy is strict. Only small bags (max A4 size) are allowed. Free lockers exist but they're small. Leave backpacks at your hotel.
Two entrances exist. Individual visitors enter through the oval-shaped building on Museumplein. The group entrance is on Paulus Potterstraat — don't queue there by mistake.
The letter display changes everything. Van Gogh wrote over 800 letters, mostly to his brother Theo. The museum displays originals alongside the paintings they describe. Reading even a few changes how you look at the work. Give them five minutes.
Start from the top when a temporary exhibition is on. Most visitors do the chronology first (floors 0, 1, 2) and run out of energy for Floor 3. If Yellow interests you, go straight to Floor 3 on arrival. The first 30 minutes after opening you practically have it to yourself, and you can walk the main collection downward after.
Combine with the Rijksmuseum. They're a 5-minute walk apart. Book the Van Gogh at 9 AM (1.5-2 hours), then the Rijksmuseum at 11 AM. You'll see both before lunch. The Stedelijk Museum for modern art is right between them if you still have energy.
- Tickets
- €25 adults | Under 18 free | Online only, timed entry
- Hours
- Daily 9 AM – 6 PM | Fridays until 9 PM
- Audio guide
- €6 multimedia guide at entrance (11 languages) · Family guide €3.75
- Time needed
- 1.5 – 2 hours (permanent) + 30 min (temporary)
- Best time
- 9 AM weekdays or Friday evenings (6-9 PM)
- Book at
- GetYourGuide (free cancellation) · official site
- Getting there
- Museumplein, tram 2, 5 or 12 to Van Baerlestraat
Frequently asked questions
How much are Van Gogh Museum tickets in 2026?
Adult tickets cost €25, purchased online only with a timed entry slot. Under 18 is free but still needs a ticket. Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card holders enter free but must reserve a time slot.
Do Van Gogh Museum tickets sell out?
Yes, regularly. In high season (March to October), tickets sell out 7-10 days in advance. Book at least 2-3 weeks ahead for summer visits. Winter is easier but still requires advance booking.
Is the Van Gogh Museum audio guide worth it?
Yes. The multimedia guide costs €6 and covers the highlights in 11 languages. It adds context you won't get from the wall labels alone, especially about Van Gogh's letters and mental state during specific paintings. Most visitors who skip it say they wish they hadn't.
How long do you need at the Van Gogh Museum?
1.5 to 2 hours for the permanent collection with the audio guide. Add 30-45 minutes for temporary exhibitions. Art lovers who read everything should budget 3 hours.
Can you visit the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum in one day?
Yes, they're a 5-minute walk apart on Museumplein. Start at the Van Gogh Museum at 9 AM (smaller, 1.5-2 hours), then walk to the Rijksmuseum for an 11 AM slot. You'll finish by 1 PM with energy left for the Stedelijk or lunch.
The Van Gogh Museum is one of those places where booking the right time slot matters more than anything you'll read in a guide. Get the 9 AM on a weekday, start on Floor 2, and give the letters room five minutes. Get Van Gogh Museum tickets on GetYourGuide — same price as the official site, free cancellation.
Last verified: April 2026