Everything you need to know about Go City’s Amsterdam passes

Canals, culture and cold beer: discover the very best of Amsterdam with one handy pass and zero stress.

Published: October 23, 2025
Amsterdam canal cruise

Planning a trip to Amsterdam? Think Insta-perfect canals, lively cafés, world-class museums and day trips out to famous Dutch windmills. With Go City Amsterdam, you can bundle many of the city’s top experiences into one easy pass and choose the pace that suits your style. Pick between two flexible options—the All-Inclusive Pass and the Explorer Pass—to match how you like to travel. Families, first-timers, weekenders and return visitors all get the same perks: straightforward planning, easy entry, and serious savings across 45+ attractions and tours.

The basics: what is the Go City Amsterdam pass?

 

It’s a simple way to see more and spend less. Choose either the All-Inclusive Pass or the Explorer Pass, then show your tickets in the app to access stacks of top tours, attractions and experiences across Amsterdam and beyond.

All-Inclusive Pass

  • Choose a 1, 2, 3 or 5-day pass.
  • Best for energetic explorers who want to pack the diary—think canal cruise in the morning, museums after lunch, then A’DAM Lookout at sunset.
  • Visit as many included attractions as you like each day for one fixed price.
  • Great value if you’re planning two or more paid experiences per day and want the freedom to be spontaneous.

Explorer Pass

  • Pick a pass with a set number of choices—choose 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions from the lineup.
  • Ideal for slower trips, long weekends or travelers who know their must-dos (hello, Heineken Experience and canal cruise) and want flexibility between.
  • You’ll have 30 days to use your choices from first activation—perfect if you like to mix sightseeing with café downtime.
  • Easy to budget: lock in your favorites and take your time enjoying them.

Buying and activating your pass

 

  1. Buy online: Get the best price and live availability on the official Go City website or app. You’ll get a confirmation email with everything you need.
  2. Download the Go City app: Your pass, attraction details, opening times, maps and booking links all live here. Sign in and your pass appears instantly.
  3. Activate when you’re ready: Your pass activates at the first scan. All-Inclusive is valid for consecutive calendar days; Explorer is valid for 30 days from first use.

Using your pass

What’s included?

Inside the Rijksmuseum

With 45+ attractions, tours and day trips available, mixing your perfect Amsterdam itinerary is easy. A few favorites...

Canals and waterfront

 

A classic canal cruise glides past gabled houses, arched bridges and historic warehouses—it’s the best first-day overview. Prefer to captain your own vessel? Some providers offer pedal boats for a different perspective. Harbor and river routes highlight modern architecture and give you space to snap skyline shots away from the crowds.

Art, design and history

 

Moco Museum brings pop and contemporary art to life, with bold Banksy works and immersive installations that are great for art lovers and casual museum-goers alike. The Rembrandt House Museum offers a peek into the painter’s studio and everyday life, complete with fascinating printmaking demonstrations. And you won’t want to miss the iconic Rijksmuseum, home to Dutch Golden Age masters from Vermeer, Rembrandt and many more. 

Views and immersive experiences

 

Ride the lift to A’DAM Lookout for wide-open city views; if you’re brave, strap into Over the Edge, Europe’s highest swing. Step into This Is Holland, a 5D flight experience that swoops over tulip fields, dikes and the Wadden Sea—great fun, and a neat primer on Dutch engineering. The Heineken Experience leads you through the original brewery with interactive exhibits, heritage stories and a tasting at the end.

Beyond the city: windmills, tulips and fishing villages

 

Day trips to Zaanse Schans and Volendam serve up wooden houses, working windmills and more—classic Dutch scenes without the hassle of planning transport. You’ll also find broader regional tours—think Rotterdam’s modern skyline, Delft pottery and The Hague’s royal avenues—so you can see more of the Netherlands in a single day.

Plan ahead

 

A little planning pays off in Amsterdam. Start by grouping sights by area to save time. For example, pair Moco Museum with a stroll around Museumplein, then hop a tram to De Pijp for the Heineken Experience and the Albert Cuyp Market. Head across the IJ River on the free ferry from behind Centraal Station to tackle A’DAM Lookout and This is Holland in one go—they sit a few minutes’ walk apart in Amsterdam-Noord.

Build your days around attractions with set times, like day trips, brewery slots or flight experiences. Lock those in first, then fill the gaps with flexible options like a canal cruise or a museum visit. If you’re using the All-Inclusive Pass, starting early helps maximize value; savings add up fast when you’re hitting two or three experiences per day. On an Explorer Pass, spread your choices over the trip and weave in plenty of café stops and neighborhood wanders.

Check opening hours and any seasonal notes—some smaller museums close on Mondays, and Keukenhof tulip field day trips only run in spring. Amsterdam moves efficiently by tram and metro, but walking can be just as fast in the center, and biking is often the quickest way of all. If you do rent a bike, always use the provided locks and stick to bike lanes. Finally, leave buffer time between activities; crowds ebb and flow, and part of Amsterdam’s charm is lingering by the water with a stroopwafel in hand.

Reservations

Go City Amsterdam app

Some experiences require a time slot. Popular picks like the Heineken Experience, This is Holland and most full-day tours (windmills, Keukenhof, Rotterdam/Delft/The Hague) usually need advance booking. Your app lists which attractions require reservations and links straight to the booking pages—use the email and pass number tied to your purchase. If plans change, check the cancellation window in the app; many partners allow easy rescheduling, but day tours often have stricter cutoffs. For canal cruises and museums without reservations, arrive early on weekends and holidays to avoid queues.

What’s the main advantage of Go City Amsterdam passes?

 

  • Real savings compared with buying individual tickets for the same set of experiences.
  • Flexibility to choose your sightseeing style: go all-in for busy days, or pick a set number of favorites and take it slow.
  • Instant mobile entry in the Go City app—no paper tickets, no printing, no fuss.
  • Discovery built in: try experiences you might have skipped—like a flight simulator or a countryside tour—without second-guessing the price.
  • Clear info in one place: opening hours, maps, directions and booking links at your fingertips.

Is buying a pass worth it?

Tourist in Amsterdam

If Amsterdam is on your list for canal cruising, Heineken tastings, big views, inventive museums and a day among windmills or tulips, the answer is yes. The All-Inclusive Pass shines when you want to stack experiences over a few consecutive days, while the Explorer Pass suits relaxed itineraries and longer stays. Either way, you’ll streamline planning and keep costs in check—so you can spend your time immersing yourself in the Netherlands, not scrolling for deals.

For example, if you’re planning a few headline experiences—say a canal cruise, the Rijksmuseum and a windmills day trip —you’ll usually come out in the black. Prices for many big-ticket attractions can run upwards of €40–50 individually, so it doesn’t take very long for the pass to start paying its way. 

Let’s say you get a 3-day All-Inclusive Pass and visit: 

Day 1

  • Madame Tussauds Amsterdam (€26.50)
  • Bitterballen and two drinks at bar De Pierewaaier (€17.90)
  • Moco Museum (€22.95)
  • The Upside Down Amsterdam (€24.95)

Day 2 

  • Cheese tasting experience (€17.50)
  • This is Holland (€27)
  • Day Trip to Zaanse Schans Windmill Village (€22.50)

Day 3:

  • The Amsterdam Dungeon (€26.50)
  • Immersive Experience AMAZE (€26.95)
  • Hello Amsterdam – Introductory Walking Tour (€29)

That’s €264.25 worth of tickets on a €149 pass. That equals serious savings of over €100 or around 39%!* 

*prices accurate as of October 2025

Looking for more Amsterdam inspiration? Discover all the best things to do near the Rijksmuseum and find activities and attractions for rainy days.

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