Before You Book the Royal Palace Amsterdam: Every Cost, and What's Worth It
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Prices last checked 3 November · 3 min read
The Royal Palace on Dam Square is still used by the Dutch king for state visits and receptions, which is why it closes to visitors on many days of the year. The good news is that it's one of the cheaper big sights in Amsterdam, and the audio tour is included. There are adult and student prices, free entry for under-18s and Museumkaart holders, and city passes that don't cover it. Most of them sound worth knowing about. You don't need to pay extra to have a great visit. In this guide we walk through what each option costs, what you really get, and how to choose the right time, whether that's a quiet 10 am or a busy afternoon.
At a glance
Adult
About €13.50
Student
About €9
Under 18
Free
Museumkaart
Free
Audio tour
Included
Hours
Usually 10 am-5 pm
Quietest
10 am to noon
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The real total: entry price vs what a typical visit costs
An adult ticket costs about €13.50, according to The Better Vacation, and includes the multimedia audio tour; some listings show €12.50, so check the official site. Students pay about €9, under-18s are free, and Museumkaart holders get in free. The I amsterdam City Card isn't valid here, according to Amsterdam Tips. Because the audio tour is included, there's nothing else to buy.
Visitor
What they buy
Price
Adult
Entry + audio tour
About €13.50
Student
Student ticket
About €9
Under 18
Free
€0
Museumkaart holder
Free
€0
Tickets and entry: what each one gets you
Cost
Price (€)
Type
How to cut it
Adult, with audio tour
About €13.50
≈ US$16
Unavoidable
Book online for a timed slot.
Student
About €9
≈ US$10
Unavoidable
Bring student ID.
Under 18
Free
Unavoidable
No ticket cost.
Is it worth it?
The palace was built in the 17th century as Amsterdam's city hall, and the Citizens' Hall, with the world map inlaid in its marble floor, is the highlight. You'll need about an hour. Our verdict: good value by Amsterdam standards, especially if you have a Museumkaart.
Is the Museumkaart worth it for this?
If you're also visiting the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the Museumkaart usually pays for itself, and the palace becomes free. See our Rijksmuseum cost guide.
What visitors say
Visitors say the Citizens' Hall and the chandeliers are stunning and the included audio tour is excellent. The most common complaints are finding it closed for royal events and that some rooms feel sparse, so the advice is to check the opening calendar before you go.
Prices last checked: 3 November. Prices vary with the season, peak and off-peak dates and promotions, and we recheck them every month. Visitor-reported costs are marked as estimates, and US$ figures are rough conversions.
The crowd tax: what busy hours really cost you
Our crowd data shows the palace moderate from 10 am to noon, then busy from about noon until closing on most days; on Tuesdays it eases from about 4 pm. We have no data for Mondays. The crowd tax is a busier Citizens' Hall and a short wait at the entrance.
When
Crowds (our data)
What to do
10 am to noon
Moderate
Best time
Noon to closing
Busy
Book a timed ticket
Crowds by day and time
From the typical weekly visitor pattern for Royal Palace Amsterdam, based on Google’s popular-times data.
Least busy time
Tuesday, 10 am-12 pm
Busiest time
Sunday, 12-5 pm
When
Skip-the-line and tours: when they're worth it
Reseller tickets with the audio guide cost more than the official ticket, which already includes it. Our verdict: book directly from the palace.
Short on time? What you'd regret missing
The Citizens' Hall, with maps in the marble floor.
The Tribunal, where death sentences were once passed.
The Empire furniture collected by Louis Napoleon.
Getting there
The palace is on Dam Square, a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal; trams stop at Dam.
Rules and closures
The palace closes for royal events, receptions and state visits, sometimes at short notice. Usual hours are 10 am to 5 pm, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. Always check the official calendar before you plan your day around it.
What can go wrong
It's closed for a royal event.
You expect the I amsterdam City Card to cover it.
Afternoon: busy in our data.
What one adult really spends
Level
What's included
One adult
Museumkaart
Entry + audio tour
€0
Typical
Entry + audio tour
About €13.50
FAQs
How much is the Royal Palace Amsterdam?
+
About €13.50 for adults, including the audio tour. Under-18s and Museumkaart holders are free.
Is the audio guide included?
+
Yes, the multimedia audio tour is included.
Is the Royal Palace in the I amsterdam City Card?
+
No, but it's free with the Museumkaart.
Why is the Royal Palace closed?
+
It's still used for royal events and state visits; check the calendar before you go.
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other. Crowd figures come from our own crowd data. Prices last checked 3 November. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
What to expect
Verdict
Weekdays, 10-11 am
A steady flow of visitors, short waits at the main spots. Before the main crowds arrive.
Best
Weekdays, 11 am-3 pm
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Peak sightseeing hours, when most visitors are on site.
Worst
Weekdays, 3-5 pm
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Stays busy into the afternoon.
Worst
Saturday and Sunday
Peak crowds, queues at the entrance and main sights. Similar to weekdays.
Worst
📍 Live crowd check
See how busy Royal Palace Amsterdam is right now, plus today’s hourly forecast.
