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World-class art in Amsterdam

  • Amsterdam , North Holland, Netherlands

Last updated: 12 March, 2024

Amsterdam has a rich artistic heritage that stretches back centuries. In the 1600s, now known as the Dutch Golden Age, wealth flowed into the city, and prosperous merchants commissioned paintings and portraits, to decorate the walls of their gabled mansions. Artists set up workshops to meet the demand, including Rembrandt in the capital and Frans Hals in nearby Haarlem.

No surprise then that the city is now home to three of the world’s leading art museums – all within walking distance of one another.

Perhaps no Dutch artist is more revered than Van Gogh, and though he lived only briefly in Amsterdam, it’s here that you can see the largest collection of his works – some 200 paintings and 400 drawings – at his namesake museum. The nearby Rijksmuseum houses an unparalleled collection of Old Masters, including Rembrandt’s celebrated ‘The Night Watch’ and four paintings by Vermeer.

The 20th century saw important Dutch art movements such as De Stijl and CoBrA, whose influence spread far beyond the country’s borders. A stellar assortment of these works – including the precise, primary-colour-blocked paintings of De Stijl founder Piet Mondrian – can be seen at the Stedelijk Museum, which also holds a first-rate modern and contemporary collection by international artists.

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  • Amsterdam , North Holland, Netherlands

Exterior view of the museum during daytime

Bucket List Experience

The Rijksmuseum

One of the world’s great art collections, the Rijksmuseum is packed with Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, showcasing the finest works of Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer alongside memorable dolls’ houses and Delftware.

A total of 8,000 exhibits are displayed in 80 rooms – including an Asia Pavilion – tracing 800 years of Dutch art and culture.

The Rijksmuseum is also one of the world’s oldest state museums. It first opened in 1800 before moving in 1885 to its current location in a grand neo-Renaissance building, designed by Pierre Cuypers.

Adult price: £16

Good for age: 18+

  • Amsterdam , North Holland, Netherlands

Close up of a painting with a man pointing to it in the background

Bucket List Experience

Van Gogh Museum

Follow the story of Van Gogh’s life through two hundred works of art, displayed chronologically to show the troubled artist’s development. The exhibition begins with gloomy Dutch scenes, before proceeding to classic, optimistic works painted in Arles (such as Sunflowers and The Bedroom).

The exhibition ends with the foreboding landscapes around Auvers-sur-Oise, painted just before his suicide. The top floor holds an extensive collection of art by other leading 19th-century painters, and a wing at the rear showcases major exhibitions.

Adult price: £15

Good for age: 18+

  • Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

One of the city’s ‘Big Three’ art museums, the Stedelijk showcases an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art, highlighting international artists of the 19th to 21st centuries.

The collection features renowned artists like Van Gogh, Mondrian, and Warhol, along with innovative installations by contemporary artists. There’s a fine collection of works by Piet Mondrian. Temporary exhibitions explore various themes and artistic movements.

All housed in a striking, avant-garde design building that’s become an architectural landmark.

Adult price: £17

Good for age: 18+

  • Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

The newest addition to Museumplein’s art attractions, this privately-owned museum specialises in contemporary art and exhibitions from famous artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Salvador Dali. The museum aims to make modern art accessible to a wider audience, featuring works that are often controversial and thought-provoking.

Look out for iconic works such as Banksy’s ‘Laugh Now’ and ‘Beanfield’, as well as various temporary exhibitions that explore the latest trends in contemporary art. In addition, the museum features a unique collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum, where visitors can see some of Van Gogh’s most famous works interpreted by contemporary artists.

Adult price: £17

Good for age: 18+

  • Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, commonly known as Rembrandt, is one of the most celebrated Dutch artists of all time. Born in 1606, he was a masterful painter and etcher who achieved unparalleled success during the Dutch ‘Golden Age’.

Renowned for his exceptional skill in capturing light and shadow, his works are characterized by their profound emotional depth and realism. His portraits, historical scenes, and biblical narratives showcase his mastery of technique and ability to convey the human experience.

From 1639 to 1656, Rembrandt lived and worked in this graceful townhouse, which features a recreation of his studio and period furnishings from the Golden Age; a modern addition displays his prints and lesser paintings.

Adult price: £13

Good for age: 18+

Logistics

Price: Free
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Who to go with: organised tours

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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

  • Amsterdam

The 5.5 hour semi-private (8 guest maximum) guided museum combo tour includes entry to both Rijksmuseum & Van Gogh Museum so you can skip the line and learn about the museums’ collections with one of our engaging expert guides.Join our most popular group tour of Amsterdam’s best museums. Perfect for an introduction to Van Gogh and the artists of the Dutch Golden Age. This intimate tour with a maximum of 8 people in each group will take you on an artistic and historical journey through the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Price €238

Min age 0

Rating 4.97 / 5 [352 ratings]

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  • Amsterdam

Take our most popular private tour of Amsterdam’s best museums. Perfect for an introduction to Van Gogh and the artists of the Dutch Golden Age, this tour will take you on an artistic and historical journey through the 18th and 19th centuries. The 5.5-hour Exclusive guided museum combo tour includes entry to both museums so you can skip the line and learn about the museums’ collections with one of our engaging expert guides, whom you’ll have all to yourself.

Price €238

Min age 0

Rating 4.97 / 5 [215 ratings]

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  • Amsterdam

No trip to Amsterdam is complete without a visit to the Rijksmuseum. But what's the best way to enjoy this attraction to the max? Leave it to a local guide! Enjoy the Rijksmuseum hassle-free with this private skip-the-line tour. Step into this world-famous attraction without waiting long and check out the painting Battle at Waterloo, Rembrandt's Nightwatch and its ins and outs. Forget about audio guides and big guided groups; inside it's you and your local guide, so ask away! After your time with your local guide is over, keep exploring at your own pace or leave to enjoy Amsterdam with local recommendations from your private guide. Withlocals Skip the Line Private Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn fair fees. We support local economies by only offering local products and preventing overtourism with only small non-intrusive groups. Our tours are carbon neutral & away from the standard tourist routes.

Price €125

Min age 1

Rating 4.74 / 5 [134 ratings]

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  • Amsterdam

STRAAT celebrates a wide variety of styles, shapes, techniques and messages, as told by the greatest art movement of our time: street art. The ever-changing exhibition at Amsterdam's Museum for Graffiti & Street art kicks off before you even walk through the doors. On the outside of the building you will find a gigantic multicolored portrait of Anne Frank. Artists from all over the world have traded their murals in the streets of New York, Tokyo and São Paulo for a more traditional medium. Nothing has been sacrificed in terms of size; their canvases remain life-size, as do the stories and lives of the artists who brought their work here.

Price €20

Min age 0

Rating 4.85 / 5 [107 ratings]

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