What to know before you go
Three features of Amsterdam matter more with children than they do among adults.
- The canals almost never have railings. The quays drop straight into the water, often with no barrier: hold small children by the hand along the grachten, and keep an eye on them on the low bridges.
- Cycle lanes are everywhere. They are red, often level with the pavement, and cyclists ride fast. Teach children never to walk on them and to look both ways before crossing.
- Many places refuse cash. Artis, the Hortus Botanicus, the Maritime Museum and A'DAM Lookout only accept cards.
When it comes to booking, most museums sell timed-entry tickets: book online the day before, especially during Dutch school holidays (in October 2026, the autumn holidays run from 10 to 25 October depending on the region), when local families fill NEMO and Artis.
Museums that are free for under-18s
Good news for the budget: the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are free for under-18s, who still need a €0 ticket booked together with the adults' tickets (€25 per adult at each of the two museums).
The Rijksmuseum
At the Rijksmuseum, ask at the information desk for the free Family Route, designed for children aged 6 and over: mini-quests get them to make up a story in front of a painting or strike the pose of a sculpture. Pushchairs are allowed, and the museum has baby-changing tables and a breastfeeding area; the café serves children's meals. Open daily from 9am to 5pm. At weekends and during the holidays, workshops and interactive tours are added to the programme. For the museum and its neighbours, see the Rijksmuseum page.
The Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum only admits children under 12 when accompanied by an adult. It runs painting workshops for 6 to 12-year-olds, including sessions in English on Saturday afternoons, at €15 per child (materials and a drink included). During school holidays, treasure hunts and drawing activities in the galleries complete the programme. Full details: Van Gogh Museum.
With young children, an hour and a half in each museum is often the limit: plan one museum in the morning and a park in the afternoon, since the Vondelpark is a five-minute walk from Museumplein.
Science, ships and views: visits made for children
NEMO Science Museum
Renzo Piano's large green building, above the entrance to the IJ tunnel, is Amsterdam's top family outing: five floors of hands-on experiments on science, everyday technology, the universe and the human body, with extra workshops during the holidays. Tickets cost €21.50 from age 4, free under 4; tickets have an entry time, and the ticket desk only sells what is left. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm, and also on Mondays during Dutch school holidays. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. The roof terrace, open without a ticket, offers a free view over the Oosterdok. See the NEMO Science Museum page.
Het Scheepvaartmuseum, the Maritime Museum
A few minutes' walk from NEMO, the Maritime Museum has a replica of the Dutch East India Company ship Amsterdam moored at its pontoon: children can climb aboard, try out the hammocks and visit the captain's cabin. The Doris the Diver area welcomes little ones from age 2. Adult ticket €20, €8.50 for ages 5 to 17, free up to age 4; open daily from 10am to 5pm. Details on the Amsterdam Maritime Museum page.
A'DAM Lookout
Across the IJ, a few minutes from the centre on the free F3 ferry, A'DAM Lookout offers a 360° view from 100 metres up. Adult ticket €16.50 online, children aged 4 to 12 €10.50 online, and family tickets from €31 online for one adult and two children. The "Over the Edge" swing, out over the drop, has a minimum height of 1.20 m (supplement €7.50 online). See the A'DAM Lookout page.
Body Worlds, better for older children
On the Damrak, Body Worlds displays real plastinated human bodies to explain how the body works and how to stay healthy. The museum recommends it from age 6, admits younger children and advises preparing them before the visit: it is an outing for curious children who know what they are going to see, rather than for toddlers.
Animals and gardens
Artis, the city-centre zoo
Founded in 1838 in the Plantage district, Artis brings together giraffes, elephants, lions and gorillas, a historic aquarium and a planetarium included in the ticket. The zoo is open daily from 9am to 6pm until 31 October, then from 9am to 5pm from November to February. Prices start at €29.50 online from age 13 and at €25.50 for ages 3 to 12, free under 3; prices vary by day and are always higher at the gate. A late ticket, valid from 4pm, costs €15. Picnics are allowed. Micropia, the neighbouring museum of micro-organisms, is free up to age 12. See the Artis page.
The Hortus Botanicus
Right next to Artis, the botanical garden founded in 1638 appeals to children with its tropical butterfly house and its three-climate greenhouse, where you walk from rainforest to desert. Adult ticket €14.75, €8.50 for ages 5 to 17, free up to age 4; open daily from 10am to 5pm. A visit takes about an hour. See the Hortus Botanicus page.
Parks, forest and a goat farm
The Vondelpark
The city's big park, free and open day and night, is where Amsterdam families spend their afternoons. In the middle of the park, the Groot Melkhuis café-restaurant (Vondelpark 2) has its own playground, with a large sandpit, and terraces from which parents can watch the children; it is open daily from 10am to 8pm. From May to September, the Openluchttheater, the park's open-air theatre, puts on children's shows on Saturday afternoons, with free entry (a voluntary contribution is requested). Watch out for the many cyclists on the main paths.
The Amsterdamse Bos and its goat farm
South-west of the city, the Amsterdamse Bos is a 1,000-hectare forest, free to enter, with cycle paths, ponds and meadows. Its organic farm, the Ridammerhoeve (Nieuwe Meerlaan 4, Amstelveen), is a favourite with young children: in spring they bottle-feed the kids, collect eggs in the henhouse and play in the playground, while parents try the goat's cheese on the terrace. Entry is free, from 10am to 5pm; the farm is closed on Tuesdays, and also on Mondays from 1 November until the February half-term holiday. The De Boshalte rental shop, at the entrance to the forest, hires out bikes for the signposted 14 km route.
On the water: the pancake boat
The Pannenkoekenboot, or pancake boat, leaves from the NDSM quay in Amsterdam-Noord for a 75-minute cruise on the IJ with unlimited pannenkoeken (large Dutch pancakes), plain, with apple or with bacon, and a buffet of toppings. Children get a ball pit in the hold and colouring pages. Online prices: €27.50 per adult and €22.50 for ages 3 to 11 on weekdays, €29 and €24 at weekends, free under 3; on top of this come €2.70 tourist tax per person, drinks, €2 extra per person for a ticket bought on board and €5 extra on public holidays. NDSM is about fifteen minutes away on the free F4 ferry from behind Central Station; the area and its street art are covered on the NDSM page.
Classic canal cruises, nearly all of them under a glass roof, also suit children: an hour is enough for the youngest.
Getting around with children
- Tram, bus and metro (GVB): free for under-4s. From 4 to 11, the GVB 24-hour child ticket costs €5 and covers Amsterdam's trams, buses and metros.
- Train (NS): under-4s travel free; from 4 to 11, the Railrunner costs €2.50 for the whole day for a child travelling with an adult, handy for a trip to Zaanse Schans or Keukenhof.
- From 1 January 2027, children aged 4 to 11 will travel free on Dutch public transport when accompanying a paying passenger.
- Ferries: the IJ ferries behind Central Station are free for everyone, pushchairs and bikes included.
- Bikes: rental shops offer child seats and cargo bikes (bakfiets), but traffic in the centre is heavy; keep cycling for the parks and the Amsterdamse Bos if you are not confident.
How the cards and tickets work is explained in our guide to getting around Amsterdam.
Children's prices at a glance
| Place | Free up to | Child price | Adult price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rijksmuseum | age 17 inclusive | free | €25 |
| Van Gogh Museum | age 17 inclusive | free | €25 |
| NEMO Science Museum | age 3 inclusive | €21.50 from age 4 | €21.50 |
| Het Scheepvaartmuseum | age 4 inclusive | €8.50 (ages 5-17) | €20 |
| A'DAM Lookout | age 3 inclusive | €10.50 online (ages 4-12) | €16.50 online |
| Artis | age 2 inclusive | from €25.50 online (ages 3-12) | from €29.50 online |
| Hortus Botanicus | age 4 inclusive | €8.50 (ages 5-17) | €14.75 |
| Pannenkoekenboot | age 2 inclusive | €22.50 on weekdays (ages 3-11) | €27.50 on weekdays |
| Vondelpark, Amsterdamse Bos, Ridammerhoeve farm | free for all | free | free |
Prices checked in October 2026.
A sample two-day family plan
Day 1, the east of the city. In the morning, NEMO at opening time, then a break on its free roof terrace if the weather is fine. In the afternoon, the Maritime Museum's ship, a few minutes' walk away, or Artis and the Hortus Botanicus in the neighbouring Plantage district.
Day 2, the south and the IJ. In the morning, the Rijksmuseum with the Family Route, then lunch and the playground in the Vondelpark. In the late afternoon, take the ferry to NDSM for the pancake boat, or to the A'DAM tower for the sunset view.
With a third day, add the Amsterdamse Bos and its goat farm, or a train trip to the windmills of Zaanse Schans.
Further reading
For grey days, our guide to what to do in Amsterdam when it rains lists indoor visits. Outings that cost nothing are gathered in free things to do in Amsterdam, and to choose a quiet hotel, see where to stay in Amsterdam.
