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.

However, the museum is very well organised so that you can visit the works and collections that interest you most before visual fatigue from seeing so much beauty in paintings takes hold of you. There is also a souvenir shop, café and bookshop in case you want to change your focus or take something home with you.

The best option

Amsterdam Rijksmuseum Guided Tour

Your guided entrance to the Rijksmuseum without queues

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

Duration: 2 hours

From CAD 101 at Hellotickets

With this guided tour of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, you can enjoy a 2-hour walk through the art and history-filled corridors of this important Amsterdam museum. You will also have an expert guide at 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 learning more about Dutch history and culture.

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

• Guided tour of the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam: With a duration of 2 hours, it has a price 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: This 2-hour tour is priced from €117 and includes a 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 5.5 hours, the price starts at 230 € and includes entrance to both museums, direct access without queuing and the accompaniment of a professional guide.

If you opt for a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum, whether private or not, you don't have to buy your ticket on the spot. Also with a private guided tour of the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, you can cut down on time. So don't hesitate, opt for one of these three options.

The guided tours usually last two hours, and an art expert will guide you and make sure you don't miss the masterpieces, telling interesting stories and anecdotes to give life and meaning to your visit. Once you've finished, you can continue to wander around the museum for as long as you like. Admission for adults starts at €60.

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

One way to save money if you are planning to visit Amsterdam's two most important museums is to book a private guided tour of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which 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 you enter the museum, or by indicating your age when you book online.

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

In the past, tickets to the Rijksmuseum used to be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase, but nowadays you must select the date and time of your 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 are open to 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 between 10 minutes and 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.

The 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.

Besides, after the second hour, tiredness starts to kick in, so it's wise to take a quick break before continuing your tour. You also have the option of splitting your visit into 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 missing part. The bill may be a little more expensive, but you will enjoy the tour more.

The Rijksmuseum is located on Museumstraat and is easily accessible by public transport, car and bicycle. 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 tram 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. Bus number 397 can also 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 have left. If you enter the museum at 3 pm, you have a maximum of two hours to explore the museum, as they close at 5 pm. So keep this in mind.

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

Fridays, weekends and school holidays are also not the best time to visit the Rijksmuseum. If you don't like waiting in long queues, you should avoid rainy days so as not to enter in an unpresentable way.

Located on Amsterdam's Museum Square, the Rijksmuseum is a famous art museum that is well known and respected throughout the world. In this museum you can 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*. These include Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait and Johannes Vermeer's The Milkmaid. In addition, Holland's most important art gallery, Gallery of Night Watch, covers some of the most popular collections you'll find as you stroll through the corridors of this wonderful museum. To name a few, you'll be able to see Rembrandt's very own 'The Night Watch'.

If you're 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 see is the "Marriage Portrait of Isaac Massa and Beatrix van der Laen", a painting from 1622 by Franz Hals, which represents an unusual portrait by 17th century standards. Firstly, for that time it was rare to show the sitters smiling; and secondly, 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 various 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. 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 toilets, cafés, smoking areas, souvenir shops, etc.
• Photography and video are allowed, but you may not use flash or lighting of any kind. In addition, you must ask for written permission to use tripods / selfie sticks.
• The Rijksmuseum offers a free cloakroom where you can leave your bag, umbrellas, backpacks and other items. However, they do not have space for larger items, so be aware of this 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 queue for 20-30 minutes in the busiest months. These months are May, July and August. Here are some more tips for your visit to Amsterdam.

The museum shop has an exclusive collection of Rijksmuseum gifts and souvenirs. You can buy a wide range of decorative items for the home, toys, books and even jewellery. Most of the items on sale feature modern Dutch design and are inspired by works by Rembrandt and Vermeer. The book section covers subjects 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. However, if you prefer to buy things on the spot, I recommend you visit the shop's website before you go, so you have an idea of what's on sale, and what's not.