Rijksmuseum: all you need to know to enjoy it

A visit to Amsterdam is incomplete without a visit to the Rijksmuseum, one of the largest and most important museums in the city. Such is its magnitude that not even 5 hours are enough to appreciate all its works.

Of course, the museum is very well organized so that you can visit those works and collections that interest you most before visual fatigue from seeing so much beauty in paintings takes over you. It also has a souvenir store, coffee shop and bookstore in case you want to change your focus or take something home.

The best option

Amsterdam Rijksmuseum Guided Tour

Your guided entrance to the Rijksmuseum without queues

A highly recommended option if you are looking to enjoy an excellent visit and see the best works of Dutch art. All without wasting time in the queues.

Duration: 2 hours

From $74 at Hellotickets

With this guided tour of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, you can enjoy a 2-hour tour through the corridors full of art and history of this important museum in Amsterdam. In addition, you will have an expert guide by your side who will accompany you and inform you about all those artistic aspects that catch your attention.

Recommended if: in addition to seeing the highlights of the Rijksmuseum, you are interested in understanding art and delving into Dutch history and culture.

If on your visit to Amsterdam you are thinking of visiting the Rijksmuseum, a plan that I consider a must, you can purchase tickets through the official website, buy them at the box office or visit the Hellotickets website where you have several options available.

• Guided tour of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam: With a duration of 2 hours, it is priced from 61 € and includes a guided tour of the National Museum of Amsterdam and the accompaniment of a professional guide.
• Private guided tour of the Rijksmuseum: With a duration of 2 hours, it is priced from 117 € and includes the private tour of the National Museum of Amsterdam and the accompaniment of a local guide.
• Private guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam: With a duration of 5 hours and a half, it is priced from 230 € and includes admission to the two museums, direct access without queues and the accompaniment of a professional guide.

If you opt for a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum, whether private or not, you will avoid having to buy your ticket on the spot. Also with the private guided tour of the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, reducing the time. So do not hesitate, opt for one of these three proposals.

Guided tours usually last two hours, and in them an art expert will guide you and make sure you do not miss the masterpieces, telling interesting stories and anecdotes to give life and meaning to your visit. In addition, once your visit is over, you can continue walking around the museum for as long as you wish. The price of the adult ticket starts at 60 €.

Another option is to take a private tour of the museum. This is the most expensive and professional option in which an art expert guide will explain the technical aspects of the paintings and will reveal the hidden meanings of some works. The ticket costs from 117 €.

One way to save money if you are planning to visit the two most important museums in Amsterdam is to book the private guided tour to the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, it will be cheaper than if you buy them separately. This ticket is priced from 230 €.

Self-guided tickets to the Rijksmuseum are the cheapest and most popular, costing 21 € for all adults over the age of 19. Admission to the Rijksmuseum is free for children 18 and under, but you must make this clear, either before entering the museum, or by indicating your age on your online booking.

The Dutch art museum does not offer discounts for seniors or students. However, if you have the I Amsterdam card, you will get a 100% discount on your visit to the Rijksmuseum; you only need to show it.

In the past, tickets for the Rijksmuseum used to be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase; however, nowadays you must select the date and time of the visit and be at the museum at least 10 minutes before the selected time slot. The entrance ticket allows you to enter the museum up to 15 minutes after the time mentioned on the ticket, so be careful not to be late.

The Rijksmuseum opens at 9 am and closes at 5 pm, all year round. Last admission is at 4.30 pm, and that is when the Rijksmuseum ticket office also closes.

The Rijksmuseum gardens, the Rijks Shop and the Rijks Café, remain open for visitors from 9 am to 6 am and do not require tickets.

When you visit the Rijksmuseum, you must queue in two lines. The first queue is at the ticket counter, and depending on the day and season, you may have to wait anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. If you have already booked your tickets in advance, you can queue directly in the second line. While it's true that you can't skip the second queue, the good news is that it moves very quickly.

Rijksmuseum recommends spending at least five hours to see all the exhibits in the art museum, but if you want to focus only on the masterpieces, you can finish your tour in just two hours.

Also, after the second hour, fatigue starts to kick in, so it's wise to take a quick break before continuing the tour. You also have the option of dividing your visit in two as if it were a series. On the first day you see one part of the museum and on the second day you see the part you are missing. Perhaps the bill will be a little more expensive, but you will enjoy the tour better.

The Rijksmuseum is located on Museumstraat and is easily accessible by public transport, car and bicycles. Amsterdam is car friendly, but I recommend using Amsterdam's public transport to get there. In the case of the I Amsterdam card it gives you free access to 44 museums and attractions in Amsterdam and free travel on public transport for a single flat rate. I advise you to find out which are the best tourist passes in Amsterdam.

Tram lines 2, 5, 19 and 12 can take you to the Rijksmuseum Tram stop. If you are far away, I recommend the Amsterdam metro, Weesperplein is the closest metro station. From there, you can hop on line 1, 7 or 19 and get off at the Spiegelgracht streetcar stop, which is only a two-minute walk from the museum.

Rijksmuseum is also accessible by regional buses. Bus number 288 can take you from the Marnixstraat regional bus station to the Rijksmuseum bus stop. Also, bus number 397 will take you from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport to the Rijksmuseum.

The best time to visit the Rijksmuseum is as soon as it opens, at 9 am. The next best time to visit the Rijksmuseum is after 3 pm, as by then the large group tours will be gone. If you enter the museum at 3 pm, you have a maximum of two hours to explore the museum, because they close at 5 pm. So keep that in mind.

If you visit Amsterdam in the summer or in May, you should be aware that at those times the Rijksmuseum gets crowded and visitors can wait up to 1 hour before entering (hence the importance of booking online).

Fridays, weekends and school vacations are also not the best time to visit the Rijksmuseum. If you don't like waiting in long lines, you should avoid rainy days to avoid entering in an unpresentable way.

Located in Amsterdam's Museum Square, the Rijksmuseum is a famous art museum well known and respected throughout the world. In this museum you will be able to enjoy a wide variety of works of art by artists of great renown and history such as: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen and much more.

Remember that it is one of the most important museums in Amsterdam, so pay close attention to the quality of the works you will find*. Among these are the Self-Portrait by Vincent Van Gogh and The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer. In addition, it has the most important room of works in Holland, Gallery of night watch, this covers some of the most popular collections that you will find while strolling through the halls of this wonderful museum. To name a few, you will be able to see Rembrandt's very own, "The Night Watch".

If you are short on time, the best way to explore the Rijksmuseum is to focus on the masterpieces.

• Among the highlights of the museum is "The Night Watch", painted by Rembrandt van Rijn in 1642. It is the artist's most famous oil painting.
• The second option to see is "The Milkmaid'' which was painted by Johannes Vermeer between 1658 and 1660 and shows a typical kitchen maid pouring some milk into a jar.
• The third option to view is the "Marriage Portrait of Isaac Massa and Beatrix van der Laen," a 1622 painting by Franz Hals, which represents an unusual portrait by 17th century standards. First, for that time it was rare to show sitters smiling; and second, it was unusual for a couple to be seated so close together in public.
• The fourth work I recommend you see is <a href="link|text="The Threatened Swan|url=https://www.infobae.com/cultura/2021/11/09/la-belleza-del-dia-el-cisne-amenazado-de-jan-asselijn/">"The Threatened Swan'' by Jan Asselijn painted in 1650.
• The fifth work that I also recommend you to contemplate is the "Battle of Waterloo'', painted by Jan Willem Pieneman in 1824.

• The Rijksmuseum is divided into several sections, zones and floors, all depending on the year the painting was created. If you are visiting the museum for the first time, you may have trouble finding your way around. For this, a map of the Rijksmuseum can help you save time and make sure you don't miss the masterpieces. A map will also help you find tourist facilities such as restrooms, cafes, smoking areas, souvenir stores, etc.
• Photography and video are permitted, but you may not use flash or lighting of any kind. Also, to use tripods / selfie sticks you must ask for written permission.
• The Rijksmuseum offers a free checkroom where you can leave your purse, umbrellas, backpacks and other items. However, they don't have space for larger items, so keep this in mind before visiting the museum.
• The Rijksmuseum is included in almost all Amsterdam tourist passes, so keep that in mind.
• You can expect to wait in a 20-30 minute queue in the busiest months. These months are May, July and August. Here are some more tips for your visit to Amsterdam.

The museum store features an exclusive collection of Rijksmuseum gifts and souvenirs. You can buy a wide range of decorative items for the home, toys, books and even jewelry. Most of the items on sale feature modern Dutch design and are inspired by works by Rembrandt and Vermeer. The book section covers topics such as fine art, history and photography.

The Rijksmuseum's webshop also delivers. Wherever you are, you can bring a piece from the Rijksmuseum to your home. Of course, if you are one of those who prefer to buy things on site, I recommend you visit the store's website before you go, so you have an idea of what's on sale, and what's not.