Official Website of the Rijksmuseum 2026: How to Book Tickets & Plan Your Visit

Every year, visitors planning a trip to Amsterdam search for the Rijksmuseum’s website and land on a confusing mix of reseller pages, travel aggregators, and lookalike domains. The official source is a single address — rijksmuseum.nl — but because the museum is a large public institution with a catalogue of over a million objects, a full exhibitions programme, and a research library, finding what a first-time tourist visitor actually needs takes a little navigation. This guide explains exactly where to go, what you can do there, and where to turn when the official site is not the easiest option.

What Is the Official Website of the Rijksmuseum?

• Official URL: rijksmuseum.nl
• Languages: English and Dutch
• Managed by: Stichting Het Rijksmuseum (Dutch national institution)

Note: Several unofficial sites sell Rijksmuseum tickets under names like “rijksmuseum-tickets.com” or “amsterdam-rijksmuseum.com.” Some are legitimate resellers, some are outright misleading. The only official source is rijksmuseum.nl. Always check the domain — the `.nl` top-level domain is reserved for Dutch entities and is the authoritative suffix for the museum.

What Can You Do on the Official Website?

Buy Timed-Entry Tickets

Entry to the Rijksmuseum — which includes the full permanent collection across all four floors — can be purchased through the official site’s ticketing section. All tickets are timed: you select a date and a 15-minute entry window. Tickets are issued as e-tickets with a QR code.

If you prefer a booking interface built for international visitors — with free cancellation up to 24 hours before your visit and English-language customer support — the same entry ticket is available through authorised reseller at the same €25 price.

Book Special Exhibition Slots

Special exhibitions (such as the Metamorphoses exhibition running 6 February – 25 May 2026) are usually included in the standard entry ticket, but they require a separate free timed slot booking. The official site is the only place to book these exhibition slots. They’re released alongside the main entry ticket and can be reserved in the same booking flow.

Check Opening Hours and Practical Info

The official site publishes the museum’s opening hours (9 AM to 5 PM, every day of the year including public holidays), accessibility information, cloakroom rules, directions by public transport, and the building floor plan. Our Rijksmuseum opening hours guide covers the best times to visit and how timed entry works, but the official site is the authoritative source for any last-minute schedule changes.

Browse the Online Collection via Rijksstudio

Rijksstudio is the museum’s online collection platform — over 750,000 digitised objects, fully searchable, downloadable in high resolution, and free to reuse. It’s one of the most generous open-access museum collections anywhere. The platform is a major reason to visit rijksmuseum.nl even if you’re not planning a physical trip.

Find Accessibility Information

The official site includes a section covering wheelchair access, lifts to every floor, accessible toilets, assistance-dog policies, and the recommended quieter hours for visitors with mobility aids. Our Rijksmuseum accessibility guide covers the same ground with additional detail from visitor experience, but the official site is the authoritative source for current policies.

Step-by-Step: How to Buy Tickets on the Official Website

• Go to rijksmuseum.nl and switch to English using the language toggle at the top of the page
• Navigate to “Visit” → “Tickets” or click the prominent “Book your visit” button on the homepage
• Select your preferred visit date from the calendar — green dates have availability, and you can see available slots by hovering
• Choose the number of tickets per visitor category (adult, child under 18, CJP/EYCA concession)
• If a special exhibition is on, you’ll be offered a separate free time slot for it — select one to lock in entry
• Add to basket and proceed to checkout — you can create a Rijksmuseum account or continue as a guest
• Complete payment with credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), iDEAL, Apple Pay, or Google Pay — the museum is entirely cashless
• Save your e-ticket — it arrives by email as a PDF with a QR code. Screenshot it before you arrive in case of weak signal near Museumplein

Arrival tip: Entry is through The Passage — the arcade running under the museum. From the Museumplein side, enter the passage and the ticket-holder doors are on your left. Have your QR code open before you reach the door.

When the Official Site Is Sold Out or Hard to Navigate

• Check authorised reseller: same €25 price, instant confirmation, free cancellation up to 24 hours before
• Consider a guided tour: the Rijksmuseum Guided Tour includes entry plus a 2-hour expert walk-through — tour allocations are separate from general admission, so they’re often available when standard tickets are sold out
• Combine with another attraction: the Rijksmuseum + Canal Cruise combo or the Rijksmuseum + Van Gogh Museum tour sometimes have slots when standalone Rijksmuseum tickets don’t

For a full comparison of where to buy and which options offer the best value, see our Rijksmuseum ticket prices guide.

Official Website vs Third-Party Booking: Quick Comparison

Navigating the Official Site: Common Mistakes

Searching for rijksmuseum.com directly. The `.com` domain is not the museum’s official site. Always go to rijksmuseum.nl — the `.nl` suffix is reserved for Dutch entities and is the authoritative address.

Forgetting to book a separate slot for a special exhibition. A standard entry ticket gets you into the permanent collection but not the special exhibition. You need to book a second free time slot for the exhibition in the same booking flow. Miss this step and you’ll be turned away at the exhibition entrance.

Assuming Museumkaart or I Amsterdam City Card holders skip the booking step. They don’t. Free-entry passes still require a timed slot booked in advance via the official site. See our guide on how far in advance to book Rijksmuseum tickets.

Trying to pay in cash at the ticket desk. The entire museum — including the on-site ticket desk, shop, café, and restaurant — is cashless. Bring a card. This also applies to visitors who prefer to walk up and buy rather than book online, though walk-up tickets often sell out on busy days.

Booking through a lookalike domain. Search-engine results often include resellers with URLs designed to look official. If the URL isn’t rijksmuseum.nl, you’re on a reseller site. That’s fine — many are trustworthy — but the prices may include service fees that you wouldn’t pay on the official site.

Is the Official Website in English?

Yes. rijksmuseum.nl is fully available in English. Use the language selector in the top navigation bar to switch from Dutch. The ticketing, visitor information, and collection search are all fully translated. Some deeper curatorial content — academic essays, Dutch-specific historical material — remains primarily in Dutch, but everything a visitor needs to plan a trip is accessible in English.