Explore Pass Amsterdam

Amsterdam certainly doesn’t have a “shortage-of-things-to-do” problem. It has world-famous museums, canal cruises, historic sights, day-tours, and enough experiences to fill a month, let alone a long weekend.

The hard part isn’t finding things to do – it’s booking them. Different sites, different rules, different prices, all for attractions that can sell out weeks ahead. And with Amsterdam attracting more than 20 million visitors a year, “book ahead or miss out” isn’t a suggestion for the hotspots – it’s the rule.

This is exactly why the Explore Pass Amsterdam from Tours & Tickets is such a smart shortcut. One purchase gets you a single place to book everything, at up to 30% off standard prices, which frees up both your planning time and your budget for the things that actually matter, like shopping and stroopwafels!

I used mine to visit two of my favourites – the ARTIS Royal Zoo and the Rijksmuseum – with plenty of sightseeing squeezed in on the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, which comes free with the pass. Here’s how it worked, and whether it deserves a spot in your own Amsterdam itinerary.

Say goodbye to long queues and multiple booking platforms and save money with the Explore Pass Amsterdam.

You get to ride the 24-hour City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Bus for free.

The roof of the bus is covered – very handy in Amsterdam weather!

What you need to know about the Explore Pass

If you’re weighing up whether the Explore Pass is worth it for your Amsterdam trip, here’s everything you should know, plus a few tips that made using it much smoother.

How the Explore Pass works

Most city passes work on a simple “pick a number of days” basis, but the Explore Pass does things differently. Instead of choosing a time window, you choose a pass loaded with a set number of Explorer Points – currently you can pick from 40, 75 or 100 points. Each attraction has its own points value so when you book an attraction, those points come off your balance.

Because of this, it’s worth planning a rough itinerary before you buy, so you can work out roughly how many points you’ll need and pick the right pass size.

Everything is managed through the Explore Pass website (it’s browser-based – no app download needed, which I appreciated). Once you’ve activated your pass, you can browse attractions, make reservations where needed, and access all your tickets in one place. I found this so much easier than juggling half a dozen different attraction websites and trying to remember which ones needed advance booking.

Read the fine print before you book.

A few practical things to keep in mind:

Once you’ve redeemed points for an attraction, that’s it. You can’t change your mind and get the points back onto your pass, so if there’s any chance your plans might shift, it’s worth checking that specific attraction’s cancellation terms before you confirm. If you need to reschedule something, you can get in touch with that specific venue.

The pass is valid for one year from the date of activation or until you’ve used up all your points, whichever comes first, so there’s no pressure to cram everything into one trip. Activation is when you actually activate the pass (via that email link) to start redeeming points for tickets.

Popular spots need booking ahead. Places like the Rijksmuseum can fill up fast, especially in peak season, so I’d book those as early as possible. Plenty of other attractions on the list are far more flexible and can be booked closer to the day, which gives you room to plan the rest of your itinerary on the fly.

There’s no child pass. Many Amsterdam attractions already offer free or discounted entry for kids, so this isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker – just factor it in when you’re budgeting for a family trip.

The pass doesn’t include public transport. If you’re planning to rely heavily on the tram or metro, you’ll need a separate ticket or OV-chipkaart for that.

And don’t skip the free 24-hour Hop-on Hop-off bus – it’s included with every Explore Pass and doesn’t touch your Explorer Points at all, which makes it one of the best-value inclusions. I used it both to get between attractions and just to sit back and see more of the city from a different angle.

Entrance to the Rijksmuseum. The museum was was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened in 1885.

The Rijksmuseum is home to more than 2,000 Dutch Golden Age paintings, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen, making it one of the world’s finest collections of Dutch art.

Rembrandt van Rijn’s famous The Night Watch is currently in a glass chamber, under reconstruction.

The gardens at Rijksmuseum are well worth a visit too

Our thoughts on the Explore Pass

I genuinely enjoyed using the Explore Pass, and I’d happily recommend it to any traveller. For me, the appeal wasn’t just the money saved (though that’s always welcome) – it was having everything in one place and never having to wonder where to buy a ticket or whether I’d booked the right thing. Once it was all organised, I could just enjoy the places.

Although it wasn’t my first visit to either ARTIS Royal Zoo or the Rijksmuseum, the pass made it easy to slot them back into my itinerary without arranging separate bookings for each. They’re both places I keep going back to, and ones I’d happily recommend to anyone visiting Amsterdam for the first time or the fifth.

The included Hop-on Hop-off bus was another highlight. It was genuinely an enjoyable way to see the city from a different perspective, and relax my feet a bit after many steps through the city.

One thing I really like is that this isn’t just a pass for a whirlwind weekend. Because it’s valid for a full year, there’s rush to use it all at once. It’s also not limited to the city centre: the pass includes experiences like the Countryside & Windmills Tour, which takes you out to Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Marken, so it’s a great option if you want to see a bit of the Dutch countryside.

One small gripe: the website doesn’t send you reminders for upcoming bookings. It’s a minor thing, but after each reservation I added it straight to my phone’s calendar – a habit that saved me more than once when I was out exploring and lost track of time.

If you’re the kind of traveller who likes ticking off museums, attractions and experiences rather than just wandering the canals, the Explore Pass is worth a look. It lets you have everything organised in one place and lets you build your itinerary fairly flexibly and at your own pace.

There’s no shortage of picture-worthy sights atop the hop-on, hop-off bus

The ARTIS Zoo,  founded in 1838, is one of the five oldest zoos in the world.

A sleeping crocodile in the zoo’s reptile section.

Pretty-in-pink flamingoes.

The giraffes are easy to spot at ARTIS Zoo!

Entrance to the aquarium, one of the zoo’s newest attractions.

A family of elephants at ARTIS.

FAQ’s about the Explore Pass Amsterdam

Can I share an Explore Pass between multiple users, or does every user need a separate one?

The pass isn’t linked to a specific name, so it is possible to share it. However, you won’t be able to book the same activity twice, and you’ll get more value out of two separate passes if multiple people want to visit the same attractions.

Is the Explore Pass worth it?

Depending on the activities you’re planning, it can offer solid savings – the pass offers savings of up to 30% compared to standard admission prices, plus huge savings over standard admission prices across 35+ attractions and tours. It’s worth it especially if you plan to visit several paid attractions – if you only want one or two, buying individual tickets may be cheaper. For the convenience, the Explore Pass is well worth it – you’ll save time booking on one site.

Do I need to install an app to use the pass?

No. You do not have to download an app – the Explore Pass “app” is actually a website you access via your browser

Can the Explore Pass credits be topped up if I run out?

No top-up option is offered. Each pass comes with a fixed number of Explorer Points (choose between passes with 50, 75, or 100 points), and redeemed Explorer Points are non-transferable and non-refundable. If you run out, you’ll need to buy a new pass.

Do I need a smartphone with data to use the pass?

Yes. The pass is fully digital and always accessed via your phone through the booking web-app, so you’ll need a smartphone with an internet connection to manage bookings and redeem tickets.
At each attraction, staff need to scan your ticket from your phone to let you in, so you’ll need it on hand and accessible at the entrance.

Can unused credits be refunded?

No. Leftover points cannot be redeemed for cash back – redeemed points are non-refundable, and the pass itself is non-refundable once activated. Therefore, it’s advisable to calculate upfront what attractions you’d like to book with the pass and how many points you need.