Rijksmuseum

No surprise, this stellar national museum gets crowded. Consider purchasing a skip-the-line Rijksmuseum ticket, which lets you head right inside. (Be aware, blockbuster exhibitions sell out way in advance.) To maximize your experience, opt for a Rijksmuseum tour to visit with a licensed art historian, either as a private guide or on a group tour. Or combine a canal cruise with a skip-the-line ticket, allowing you to see the museum on your own schedule.

• Allow at least a half-day for your visit, to see just some of the highlights of the Rijksmuseum’s huge collection.

• You do not need a ticket to visit the gardens, shop, or café.

• The museum has free Wi-Fi.

• Flash photography, selfie sticks, and videos with lights are not allowed.

The Rijksmuseum is located in Amsterdam South on the Museumplein (“Museum Square”), at Stadhouderskade and Museumstrasse. It's easily accessible via tram to Hobbemastraat. Nearby attractions include the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Royal Concertgebouw. The Red Light District is also within walking distance.

The museum is open daily, with the busiest months being April, May, and August. From morning to mid-afternoon, the estimated wait time at the ticket office is about 20–30 minutes, so it’s best to book a skip-the-line ticket. The last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.

The Dutch Golden Age in Holland was a time of prolific art and powerful commerce, and some of the most famous paintings on display at the Rijksmuseum include works from this time period. Be sure to see Night Watch by Rembrandt (1650), showing the militia led by Frans Banning Cocq. Other featured 17th-century Flemish and Dutch masters include Jan Vermeer (The Milkmaid, Woman in Blue Reading a Letter), Frans Hals (The Merry Drinker), and Jan Steen (The Merry Family). Beyond the celebrated paintings, other notable galleries include Sculpture and Applied Art (Delftware, dollhouses, porcelain, furniture), Dutch History, and Asiatic Art in the Asian Pavilion, which includes the famous 12th-century bronze statue of a dancing Shiva.

Yes, you do need to book entrance tickets for the Rijksmuseum. Even if you have a Museum Card, you'll still need to schedule a start time and arrive at your chosen time slot. You can buy your tickets online on the Rijksmuseum website. Some tours and the Amsterdam City Card include Rijksmuseum admission tickets.

Home to more than 6,000 paintings, you need at least 4–5 hours to see the best of the Rijksmuseum. However, if you’re short on time and only have a few hours, a tour is the best way to see the museum's highlights.

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum tends to be most crowded during the middle of the day (between 11am and 3pm), especially on weekends. That said, the best time of day to visit is either as soon as it opens in the morning or towards the end of the afternoon—make sure you check the opening times so you know when the last entry is.

Yes, a guided tour of the Rijksmuseum is worth it. It can feel overwhelming knowing where to begin among the 6,000 paintings, but a guided tour ensures you cover the highlights and provides a more detailed level of cultural and historical information than you’d get from the information panels alone.

You can only bring small bags, such as handbags, into the Rijksmuseum. If you’re carrying a backpack, you must leave it in the free cloakroom, along with umbrellas. There isn’t space to store large luggage such as suitcases at the museum.

Yes, you can take pictures inside the Rijksmuseum, as long as they’re just for personal rather than professional use. You can’t use a tripod or extra lighting, but you can snap as many shots as you like on hand-held devices such as smartphones and digital cameras.