Go City Amsterdam Pass — How It Works
The Go City Amsterdam pass bundles 30+ attractions, day trips and a canal cruise — Rijksmuseum, Heineken Experience, A’DAM Lookout, Madame Tussauds and more — as either a time-based All-Inclusive pass (1–5 calendar days) or a pick-your-own Explorer pass (60 days), with no public transport included.
The Go City Amsterdam pass is a sightseeing bundle that covers entry to 30+ attractions, guided tours and a canal cruise on one digital pass, sold in two formats: an All-Inclusive pass that lets you visit as much as you can fit into 1, 2, 3 or 5 days, and an Explorer pass where you choose a set number of attractions (typically 3, 4, 5 or 7) and use them across 60 days. You scan a QR code in the Go City app at each venue — there is nothing to collect in person.
It is built for sightseers who want big-ticket experiences — the Rijksmuseum, Heineken Experience, A’DAM Lookout, Madame Tussauds and a Stromma canal cruise — without buying each one separately, and it adds something the official card does not: guided day trips to Zaanse Schans, Giethoorn, Keukenhof and Volendam. Unlike the I amsterdam City Card, it does not include public transport, so the saving comes purely from attraction entry. This guide explains which version fits which trip, how the validity clock works, who saves and how it stacks up against the official card.
What the Go City Amsterdam pass covers
The pass covers entry to 30+ paid attractions plus several guided tours and a canal cruise, weighted toward the names visitors actually search for. The smartest way to use it is to spend the pass on the highest-priced attractions and tours, then pay out of pocket for the cheap ones — that is how you maximise the saving on any single pass.
- Rijksmuseum — the national museum of Dutch art and history (timed entry, pre-book a slot)
- Heineken Experience — the interactive tour on the original brewery site
- A’DAM Lookout — the rooftop deck and Over the Edge swing across the IJ
- Madame Tussauds, Moco Museum, Stedelijk Museum, STRAAT, Rembrandt House and the Amsterdam Dungeon
- A Stromma canal cruise, A-Bikes 24h bike rental and a city bike tour
Guided day trips and tours included
Day trips are where Go City pulls ahead of a museum-only card, because a single guided excursion can be worth more than a whole day pass. If you want to leave the city centre, the included tours often pay for the pass on their own.
- Zaanse Schans — the working windmill village northwest of the city
- Giethoorn — the canal village often called the “Venice of the North” (full-day)
- Volendam, Edam and Marken — the fishing-village and cheese loop
- Keukenhof entry plus shuttle in spring (tulip season only)
- Rotterdam, Delft and The Hague as a combined day out
All-Inclusive vs Explorer — which to pick
Choose the All-Inclusive pass if you sightsee fast: it is time-limited (1, 2, 3 or 5 days) and rewards cramming several attractions into each day, because the more you visit the lower your effective cost per entry — the 5-day pass works out cheapest per day. Choose the Explorer pass if you travel slowly or stay longer: you pick a fixed number of attractions (3, 4, 5 or 7) and have around 60 days to use them, with no daily pressure.
A simple rule: more than two paid attractions a day points to All-Inclusive; a relaxed trip built around a couple of pricey day trips points to Explorer. Be careful with Explorer, though — for many of the cheaper included attractions you would actually pay more on a per-choice Explorer pass than at the door, so it only makes sense when every choice is an expensive one. Both formats run on the same app and draw from the same attraction list.
How validity and booking work
The All-Inclusive pass runs on a calendar-day basis (not a rolling 24 hours) and the days must be consecutive — once you scan your first attraction, the clock counts each calendar day until midnight, so activate early in the morning to get a full day. The Explorer pass activates on first use and stays valid for about 60 days, which suits split or slow itineraries.
Some headline venues — the Rijksmuseum and certain tours among them — still need a timed-slot reservation through the Go City app even though the pass is your ticket, so book those before you arrive. Passes are per person (children need their own), and an unactivated pass can usually be refunded within a generous window if your plans change.
Go City vs the I amsterdam City Card
The single biggest difference is transport. The I amsterdam City Card bundles unlimited GVB tram, bus, metro and ferry travel plus a canal cruise, 24h bike rental and 70+ museums into a fixed hourly window (24h €67 up to 120h €140, roughly €28/day at the top tier), whereas the Go City Amsterdam pass includes no transport and instead leans into commercial experiences like Heineken, Madame Tussauds and the Amsterdam Dungeon plus guided day trips, which the official card does not cover.
In practice they suit different travellers. If you will hop across the city by tram and metro and want a museum-heavy, culture-led itinerary, the official card often wins on value and includes transport you would otherwise pay for. If you mostly walk the centre, want experience attractions and day trips, or are travelling with children who get a reduced Go City rate, Go City fits better. Note that neither pass includes the Anne Frank House or the Van Gogh Museum. See the table below for a side-by-side.
Who saves money — and who should skip it
You save with Go City when you visit several paid attractions in a short window or take a guided day trip. With the Rijksmuseum alone around €22.50 and a canal cruise around €23.50, two flagship entries plus a cruise on day one already push the All-Inclusive day pass close to break-even, and a third attraction — or any excursion — puts it clearly ahead of buying tickets separately. Buying on one of Go City’s frequent 10% sales widens the margin further.
Skip it if your trip is built around the Anne Frank House (not on any pass, and bookable only directly with the museum, with timed tickets released six weeks ahead on Tuesdays at 10:00 CET) or the Van Gogh Museum (also excluded), if you sightsee slowly without taking day trips, or if your main need is getting around — in that case a GVB transport ticket (a 1-day GVB ticket is €10 in 2026) plus a couple of individual museum tickets is cheaper. Locals and long-stay expats are usually better served by the annual Museumkaart.
Go City Amsterdam pass vs I amsterdam City Card
| Feature | Go City Amsterdam | I amsterdam City Card |
|---|---|---|
| Attractions | 30+ (incl. Heineken, A’DAM, Madame Tussauds) | 70+ museums (no Heineken/A’DAM) |
| Public transport | Not included | Unlimited GVB tram, bus, metro, ferry |
| Day trips | Zaanse Schans, Giethoorn, Keukenhof, Volendam | None as guided excursions |
| Canal cruise | Included (Stromma) | Included (choice of operators) |
| Children | Reduced child rate (~3–12) | No child price |
| Formats / validity | All-Inclusive 1–5 calendar days, or Explorer ~60 days | Time-based only (24–120 hours) |
| Best for | Experience-led, mostly-walking trips and day trips | Museum-heavy trips with lots of transport |
| From | ~€79 | ~€67 |
