Rijksmuseum + Amsterdam Canal Cruise

Very enjoyble experience, the captain of the cruise gave us a very funny and interesting description of the city, and the staff gave an excellent service.

The canal cruise was perfect, the captin come guide gave us headphones to listen in our own language. The riverboat was clean and tidy, easy to walk on and off, it was a nice day and we got some beautiful pictures!! A great end to a fantastic tourist holiday!!

We did the early evening cruise to see the lights of the city. Easy to get tickets by turning up and allocated the next cruise. There is an audio link that you can use, but we decided to just sit outside and watch the views. An hour cruise which was interesting and pretty.

We had an hour cruise around the canals in Amsterdam and learnt a lot whilst doing it. We really enjoyed every second. My five year old didn’t want to get off. The captain was also very knowledgeable.

This is a must do on your list of things to do while visiting Amsterdam. It takes you through areas that you may not be able to walk to. The captain points out things of interest and tells the story behind it.

We had a really lovely time on the one-hour canal cruise. Our captain was very lovely and cracked a good few jokes throughout the tour. The GPS guided tour via the headphones was a fab idea and there were so many language options available which was a really pleasant surprise. We learned so much about the history of the city and the tour even helped us to find places to visit again in further detail after the tour. The price was extremely reasonable considering the excellent experience we got, and our boat even left a little early which was nice. All in all, we would definitely recommend it!

We really enjoyed it. We show I I amsterdam cards at the ticket office ans were on a boat and on our way within 10 minutes. Our captain (Tony I believe was his name) was lovely ,cheerful and very knowledge of the area, he also had 2 traniees with him and they were also lovely. The facilties were clean. If I hadn't have had the I amsterdam card I would have still paid what the price was (which I think is reasonable).

1st time in Amsterdam and loved it Booked on the Lovers Canal cruise early in the morning to get a feel for the city and to get our bearings The tour showed the highlights of the city and the comentry was good

sitting backward is really annoying... Except that I think it is very nice and the captain was a nice guy, he was really funny, making jokes.

Booked through Get Your Guide literally 20 mins before boarding. They let us join a boat that was boarding as soon as we got there, which was great, no standing around as they weren’t so busy. We took a daytime trip and glad we did. Maybe evening cruises would be better in warmer months with open boats. The boat was modern, clean and warm and no condensation at all during any part of our cruise. The headphones were included and the audio commentary was interesting. The captain also added bits and pieces of extra info which was appreciated. It was a great introduction to the canals of Amsterdam as we decided to do this trip literally an hour after arriving in Amsterdam. It helped us with our bearings and with general historical info about the city. The reason for 4 rather than 5 stars is that we seemed to stay on one canal, no museums seen, no Anne Frank house, nothing like that, which was a shame as lots of tourists probably visit these places afterwards. Maybe the canal boat starting from the museums area take that route? We took the one from the station. There are lots of canal boat companies, but we were more than happy with Lovers as their boats appear a lot more modern than many others we saw. I would definitely recommend the cruise and my teenage daughter said it was one of the nicest things we did when in Amsterdam.

A amazing tour with some great canal boat skills performed and a great host. This tour is very much for couples and being alone I felt a little out of place.

Done the open boat tour during the summer. A great way to see the city and the audio guide gave plenty of information along the way. Extremely relaxing to the point I almost fell asleep half way around. Would definitely do the tour again if I’m back in Amsterdam

Guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Although it rained, I still enjoyed the tour. The only complaint was the audio was difficult to hear at times.

Nice relaxing hour around the canals. Duco (sorry if I have not got the name correct) was informative with history and fun facts. Would recommend.

It was educational, slowed down at the right places. The pilot was polite and explained well- was fun and energetic.

Un gran tour con una guía en distintos idiomas narrando algunas historias de monumentos que están al rededor del canal. Muy recomendable.

Eine tolle Crew begrüßt einen lächelnd und zuvorkommend. Wir durften sogar spontan das Boot wechseln, da wir draußen sitzen wollten und nicht jedes Boot hat dazu die Möglichkeit. Die Station liegt direkt am Bahnhof und ist daher sehr zentral. Preis-Leistung ist top.

Nous avons fait un tour des canaux en février inclus dans la IAmsterdam City Card (que je recommande d’ailleurs de prendre). Le guide était très gentil et très drôle, ce qui a rendu la balade encore plus agréable. Nous avons eu la chance de visiter les canaux sous un magnifique ciel bleu, ce qui a rendu l’expérience vraiment magique.

Excelente atención, y te dan traductores para que comprendas al guía mientras explica el recorrido

El tour está muy bien, en cambio si ya has hecho un freetour por la ciudad recomiendo el crucero primero, te da una vista más general, mi amiga y yo al haber hecho antes el freetour volvimos a ver sitios en los que ya habíamos estado.

Croisière avec le groupe lovers Sympathique croisière traduit en plusieurs langue 1h pour vous faire un tour des canaux avec visite guidée et indication sur les différents quartiers/monuments / place/ marché /histoire / musée de la ville etc Très bien pour découvrir une 1er fois en famille en amies en couple cette croisière et très bien adapter

Petite balade bien sympathique, est l’audio était très bien fait rien à redire. Le petit bar pour attendre est très sympa aussi avant d’accéder au bateau.

Wir hatten einen super symphatischen Bootsführer der viele Nebeninfos gab. War schön und informativ. 1 Stunde hat gut gereicht und empfehlenswert. Gute Karte erhalten für den Treffpunkt und pünktlich, sowie sauber.

Muy puntuales, un paseo tranquilo, recomiendo que cuando lo cojan miren bien la metereología, pues así podrán disfrutar mejor de las vistas.

Giro dei canali in barca assolutamente da consigliare. Audioguida in italiano e Simon simpaticissimo conducente che comunque dava ulteriori informazioni in inglese. La durata è di un'ora ma ci è dispiaciuto scendere!!

Die Stunde waren zwar nur ca. 50 Minuten, aber die Tour war wunderschön. Unbedingt abends machen, die Atmosphäre ist unbeschreiblich!

Sehr nette Bootstour über die Kanäle von Amsterdam! Man bekommt viele interessante Informationen über die Stadt und deren Geschichte erzählt.

La promenade sur les canaux dure une heure. Les audio guides permettent de suivre les commentaires dans différentes langues. Le long de cette promenade fluviale, nous découvrons l'histoire de la ville et des monuments "célèbres". Par contre, le confort est rudimentaire.

Las vistas son preciosas, aunque desde posición incómoda porque el barco estaba muy lleno. El capitán muy simpático e hizo agradable el viaje.

Crociera molto carina con guida in tutte le lingue. Partenza vicino ala stazione centrale. Durata circa un ora. Visita dei canali principali di Amsterdam. Da provare

The museum has a lot to see and you may not finish everything in a few hours. Go early if you wish to visit everything. It gets really crowded with no available lockers, so try to go there with a small and light bag. If not, try the cloak room. Get the app or audio guide if you need to, so that you can view the artwork from wherever you are rather than squeeze with everyone at the front. The admission fee is ok considering how extensive the works are. The directions may not be clear but you don't necessarily have to follow everything in sequence. Don't let that dampen your experience.

There is too much here to experience in one day-so plan ahead to enjoy your visit. We did Van Gogh from 9am to 11:15 so planned Rijksmuseum from 2pm to 5pm to enjoy less crowds at closing. 1) Download the free app and enjoy the mapping, audio description etc with your own headphones or ear buds. 2) We started in the less popular areas we wanted to see and finished in the most popular Gallery of Honor. Between 4:15 and 5:00 it was relatively uncrowded. 3) We used the App’s highlight by department (as well as searching descriptions by artwork #) and skipped around according to our interest. The rooms do not always connect numerically in an easy to follow manner so it required checking the doorways for gallery numbers. Additionally we got in the entrance line about 15 minutes early and were allowed to enter at that time.

We wanted to see the Night Watch and the Van Goghs - which we did- although the night Watch was being renovated it was quite interesting to see!

The Rijksmuseum is well worth the visit. Recommend taking the tour offered by the museum. We didn’t originally plan for it, but glad we did. Sasha was an excellent guide and pointed out so much in each of the paintings she took us too. Made it a memorable visit to a large art museum. There is a lot see. Go early!

I am not an art expert but was blown away by the art in this museum and the setting and they way everything was displayed.

My wife and I visited the Rijksmuseum recently whilst on long weekend in Amsterdam. It is a must do if in Amsterdam. It is beautiful building and lot to see. Buy tickets ahead of time and reasonable admission fee. It was busy but very spread out so did not feel too crowded. Recommend to see Night Watch by Rembrandt and the history around it. There is large hall that is must see. Art ranges across multiple centuries. Allocate enough time to see things including the gardens.

Fantastic museum. Download the free Rijskmusuem app , take headphones if you have them to save paying €6 audio guide. If your bags are medium / large there is a locker (€11/day min charge ) just beyond the Van Gogh museum on an intersection which is also an underground car park . If you have a small backpack there is a free locker and cloak room at Rijskmuseum. Don’t walk round holding a water bottle or carry anything on your back or you will be told off , like I was. No signs indicating either was discouraged . The Night Watch is half obscured by renovation platform which was disappointing but there is a life size copy on both sides as you leave the original . I spent 6 hours here and loved it , except for the grumpy female staff member. Oh and my rucksack would definitely have fitted in the free locker but we had to walk 400m to the paid one . Be consistent!

The app worked quite well; layout is slightly confusing. We didn't manage to see everything - you'd need a whole day I think! Some beautiful artwork.

An imposing entrance with helpful guides. It does cost 25 euros to get in and there are no older person discounts. Overall a real picture of Dutch culture unfolds on different floors and in different time zones. A helpful picture guide is provided. Worth a visit if a bit expensive dedicated floors for different times

Two to three hours tops. Pretty inside and outside. Make sure to walk around outside the museum, as well!

One of the best museum i‘ve been too, right next to the Louvre, the Prado, the Uffizi galleries but better organized (not enough toilets for that quantity of tourists though). Don‘t miss it when in Amsterdam.

The building alone is fantastic! Wonderful experience to see Dutch masterpieces.

The only reason this is not a 5 is because we didn’t have enough tome to see even 1/2 the museum. The central exhibit with the Dutch masters is very impressive. The Night Watch is being renovated which, frankly, was kind of cool to see how the work was being done. The museum is large and note the ashiest to navigate but the collection is amazing. We were lucky enough to be in Bruges on a beautiful sunny day. Walking around the park outside and having a snack at the food trucks made it all the better.

I’m not really into art. But I can assure you this was an awesome museum. It’s huge and it’s very easy to get lost. Just remember there is a north, south, East and west side all of which have multiple floors. Lots of walking. There is a great cafe and I found a small coffee shop. It was €50 for two people, but because of the size of the place this became completely understandable .

Amazing place, but it was extremely crowded and noisy. It didn't help that at the time of my visit several.school groups were visiting, and the school staff didn't make any effort to teach them how to behave in a place like that. There is no such thing as too young to learn about good manners, especially when visiting a museum. The museum itself is extremely impressive and it hosts a large variety of art work. Of course, Rembrandt and Van Gogh were the favourites and it was well worth it. Make sure you allocate 3-4 hours for it.

An amazing place! Don’t miss the gardens! There are benches and chairs for people watching!

An art lover could easily spend all day here, there's so much to see. There are many other fascinating objects aside from the paintings. The library is amazing! It's one of the world's greatest art museums, and not very crowded on weekdays. The staff are very relaxed, and are very approachable. I loved it here, and hope to be back soon.

Shocklingly fabulous. Left without the usual museum tried, I was energetic! The paintings, and architecture, and the whole experience was how all museums should look and run.

Huge museum with variety of art. Specifically went to see the newly "discovered" Rembrandt. Glad we bought tickets in advance there was a line to get in to buy tickets and this was on a weekday. Had soups at the cafe that were absolutely delicious.

Visited the museum was about 20mins stroll from our hotel, was 25 euros each which was quite steep I think, lots to see Rembrandt art was being cleaned so only able to see a little of it

I visited the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in February 2026 together with an American friend, and we spent about half a day there. The main goal of our visit was to see some of the iconic works, especially Rembrandt’s Night Watch and the Van Gogh paintings, and it did not disappoint. Seeing these masterpieces in real life is a completely different experience compared to photos — definitely a highlight of our trip. We didn’t take the audio tour and instead focused on the key works, which worked well for a half-day visit. The museum is well laid out and easy to navigate if you plan your route a bit in advance. One downside was that it was quite busy, even in February. Around the most famous paintings, it can get crowded, which takes away a bit from the experience. That said, the Rijksmuseum remains a must-visit in Amsterdam, especially if you’re interested in Dutch Golden Age art, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. The collection is world-class and very impressive. In summary: Pro. Incredible artworks (Night Watch, Van Gogh) Pro. Well organized museum Con. Can be crowded, even outside peak season

It was well worth the money,spent several hours,going through all the rooms,have to say,one of the most impressive,museum I have ever visited

This is one of the finest Museums i have ever been to! Not just Priceless works of Art, but Everything you can imagine that belongs in a museum .

I went to the Rijksmuseum twice this month and would go back again next week if I lived closer! The layout of the museum makes you feel like you’re travelling through time, and you learn a lot about the evolution of Dutch art and upper class culture. I didn’t expect to be as wowed by the fashion as I was, the pieces were in astounding condition and the display cases still let you get very close and examine all the details. The rooms were spacious and well designed so that even on busy weekend days there was breathing room. The only room with crowding was the hall of masters but that was to be expected! I left both times feeling inspired to create. Definitely would recommend a visit!

An exceptional experience - a well made webpage and an app (very modern, i love it), great staff, wasn’t packed (in spite of the size of the collection and it being in the centre). You reserve a ticket choosing a specific time slot to enter (1h) and the day is yours to explore. Beautiful presentation of art and history.

The Rijksmuseum is a superb museum. I thoroughly enjoyed the Metamorphoses exhibition (I recommend the audio guide) which is not something I would normally have gone out of my way for. It was great seeing the Old Masters. The (human) guide at Rembrandt's The Night Watch gave us some very interesting information about the picture being de-varnished and the frame that has been made especially for it. We also enjoyed the 20th century galleries. The 40 minute 1931 video about Phillips was absolutely fascinating! The Rijksmuseum building is itself magnificent. There was no way we could do the whole museum but picked the bits we particularly wanted to see. Definitely worth it.

What a beautiful place and lived up to all of my expectations. Particularly enjoyed seeing the Great Masters. Worth booking and getting in early on in the day as it was very busy by the time we left.

Visited here for the day after booking timed tickets online, which is a must. The place gets quite busy and is situated in the city itself. However, it's easy to find and get to. We walked here from our hotel and picked up some breakfast on the way. The place is full of old masters over three floors. The best thing to do is start at the top and work your way down. You can pick up a floor map before you start and I would advise you do this. One of the most famous paintings here is the Nightwatch. This was painted by Rembrandt and is smaller than it's initial completion. Apparently it was too big to fit on the intended wall so sections were cut from the left edge as you look at it and from the top. The painting is about 400 years old and currently going through a period of repair to remove the old varnish and replace it so conserving the piece for generations to come. Sadly, it is behind glass with people working on it, but you can still get a decent view so sit back and enjoy while you can. For those interested in getting up close there is a copy on the wall at the top of the stairs so can can still get a great view, although not of the original. There are other famous masters here including Van Gogh and Vermeer, although these collections are small but there is a self portrait of Van Gogh. Such a pity he only sold 1 painting in his lifetime as his paintings collectively are now worth hundreds of millions. Again. you can get right up close to the art. There are also tapestries to see for those interested in this. We took most of the day to walk round and were somewhat disappointed in comparison with the Mauritshuis. There is a cafe on site but the queues were tremendous so we didn't get to have a drink. Finding the Van Gogh's were tricky as they were not in the main area. You have to walk back down and then up another staircase to the right before turning to the left. Sadly, there were few paintings of his great works. However, there are lots of masterpieces to view but it just didn't have the feel to it like The Hague and we left at the end of the day feeling a little let down overall. There is a gift shop inside as well as one outside, but there's nothing special in them to be honest. Overall, a bit of a letdown but I'm glad I went.

A must see for art lovers. A return visit for us to see some masterpieces. The restaurant is very good too.

Amazing museum full of wonderful works of art and lots of variety to keep you interested. Staff were very helpful and the cloakroom was efficient and a great idea so you’re not trudging round in your coat all day! Lovely cafe and reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend a visit if in Amsterdam.

We pre-booked tickets but noticed people were easily buying tickets in a day. So much to see and we didn’t have enough time to look all the way round so maybe consider more than one days visit. A highlight for me was the Exhibition: ‘American Photography’. And viewing some of the Vermeer paintings.

Very interesting, booked the tour and really enjoyed the information.

While in Amsterdam the last weekend (Feb. 8), I opted for the Guided Tour The best of the Rijksmuseum". The guided tour lasts one hour, but afterwards you can stay in the museum for as long as you like. In my opinion, the guided tour is a must because it gives you a better understanding of the works and the guide can answer your questions, which the audio guide cannot do. The group consisted of 20 people. There are obviously the "Masterpieces" such as the famous Night Watch which is Rembrandt most famous canvas or the Milkmaid by Vermeer or Self-Portrait by Van Gogh. However, the museum is full of outstanding pieces such as navy models (level 0), the Gallery of Honor (level 2) with the masterpieces. I was very impressed with the Doll's Houses (which actually are not toys). Important: the museum (like all the museums in Amsterdam) closes at 5pm. Therefore, make sure you arrive early to enjoy the museum. Reservation is highly recommended.

I’m not usually one for spending hours in museums, but the Rijksmuseum is just something else. I went in thinking I’d stay for an hour and ended up staying for nearly four. The building is huge and honestly feels more like a palace than a gallery. The Night Watch is obviously the main event and seeing it in person is pretty wild because of how massive it actually is, but don't sleep on the other rooms. The old library looks like it’s straight out of a movie set and the collection of old model ships was surprisingly cool even for someone who isn't an art buff. One tip: definitely book your tickets online before you go. The line for people trying to buy them at the door was crazy long, but we walked right in with our QR codes. It gets busy around the famous stuff, but the place is so big that you can always find a quiet corner to just take it all in. If you’re in Amsterdam, this is definitely worth the money. One of the best things we did all trip!

The building is impressive and the galleries are easy to follow. Some rooms get crowded, but there are plenty of quieter sections. Great choice even if you are not an art expert.

Visiting the Rijksmuseum was really impressive. The building itself is beautiful, and there’s so much to see that it never felt boring. I especially liked how clearly everything was laid out, so you can take your time without feeling lost. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Amsterdam.

Incredibly easy to navigate, the simple guide alone is sufficient to get you well oriented, and includes suggestions of pieces of art as "must see", which was very useful, since otherwise you can easily invest 4+ hours here. Night Watch, Van Gogh Self Portrait, The Milk Maid and a dozen others are must see of course, but the "Doll House" exhibit is something you absolutely must see. Waterloo is another must see impressive drawing. The Cuypers Library, the largest art history library in the Netherlands with an interior that looks like it's from Harry Potter .. it will blow you away. My only "regret" is not having gotten the Amsterdam Card as my admission fee and instead paid the €25. Since I visited this museum, MOCO, took a Canal cruise and wanted to do the Rembrandt museum as well, it would have worked out. I had the 9am time slot to enter, so basically had the whole place for myself. By the time I completed my visit it was after 12pm, and even a bit earlier, it started to fill up a bit, but it was very sparse and non disruptive.

The building is impressive and the galleries feel well paced. I liked that it has famous works but also plenty of quieter rooms where you can slow down. It felt organized without being strict, and the staff were helpful when I asked for directions. If you only have a short visit, pick a few sections and do them thoroughly.

The Rijksmuseum was absolutely amazing and way bigger than we expected. Seeing the Night Watch in person was unreal and def the highlight for us. The museum is super well organized and easy to walk through, even if you’re not a huge art person. We spent hours there and still felt like we couldve stayed longer. 100% a must do when you’re in Amsterdam.

we absolutely loved this museum and would recommend for all (even if not particularly into art/history). it’s a well organised museum with so much to look at and keeps you occupied with each section. the perfect size to get around in a couple of hours (if looking at every section). there’s a lovely gift shop and cafe also.

This museum is huge and has an enormous collection of exhibits over several floors. There is also a cafe and a large gift and bookshop. No visit to Amsterdam is complete without visiting here. It might take several visits to view and appreciate everything as there is so much to see. Staff are friendly enough and the location is easy to get to using public transport and is close to several other museums, all only several minutes walk away. Looking forward to another visit on my next trip to Amsterdam.

Recently visited and thoroughly enjoyed the experience with the self-guided audio tour of the highlights of the masterpieces, free to download via the App. Use of cloak room was great & easy secure entry. Well worth a visit when in Amsterdam.

Not usually someone who spends a lot of time in art museums, but this was well worth it. I went right when they opened on a Monday and it was very manageable until late morning, when it started to get crowded. The building itself is impressive and the exhibits are easy to enjoy without feeling overwhelming. The Night Watch is currently under restoration, which was a bit disappointing, but still interesting to see the work in progress. Overall, definitely worth a visit

Rijksmuseum is one of the best museums I've been to in the world. The outdoors around the museum has items of interest with sculptures and gardens. I went midday on a Monday and it wasn't too crowded. I will be back!

We loved the kids activity. It was really fun! The night watch was spectacular! Very close to the Van Gogh museum as well.

An amazing art museum. We had only one day in Amsterdam, and everyone advised that we must make time to visit it. It’s massive, so wear shoes to suit! The building itself is worth the visit. I’m not a big fan of art, particularly art from the middle ages up to the 1700s. But I have to admit that even I began to appreciate Rembrandt. There are free lockers for coats etc. We went in the morning, and it wasn’t too crowded. By the time we left in the early afternoon it was getting quite crowded. The cafeteria was busy but worth the short wait to get in — really excellent food.

Turned up on the day and bought tickets. Massive museum with lots of different collections. Great highlights include seeing the night watch by Rembrandt and a number of Van Gogh paintings Potentially you could spend all day if you wanted to.

Despite the size and impressive architecture, the museum doesn’t feel too overwhelming or impersonal, on the contrary. In addition to selected parts of the permanent collection, I also checked out the temporary exhibition (Life in the 17th century) which was really interesting. A nice surprise and bonus !

When in Amsterdam, we always visit here as their range of artefacts are so wide that you can spend hours in there on each floor. Well worth a visit !

This is a must do visit. Lots of art and artefacts some good and some great. I personally don’t like the Rembrandt paintings as I find them gloomy but I still appreciate the mastery of the craft. De Nachtwacht was under renovation behind glass when we visited. The Vermeer paintings on the other hand are fantastic and show great wizardry capturing light on the subject. Lots of wonderful furniture pieces, other artists work, model ships and an exhibition of 17th Century living were on show when we visited. The Dolls House was fantastic. The cafe is great with excellent service and the museum staff were very knowledgeable and ready to help. So much to see you might need an entire day.