museum tours in Amsterdam

There is no approximate when some say you can spend all day in one museum. It happens that not all in a group will have the same level of interest in one place or 3 consecutively in one day. Sometimes it is better to go separate ways instead of forcing it on a group if you aren't going with children. But the Anne Frank is an hour more or less with a visit to the cafe since it is vertical and can get a little tight in some of the smaller rooms when people stop moving.

Wow! You are squeezing a lot in! I'm not sure about the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and Stedeliijk all in one day. Sounds exhausting as you could spend all day just at the Riijksmuseum. We spent about 3 hours there. (Part of that time was a group tour.) I believe we spent about 90 min+ at the Anne Frank House, then stopped in the cafe to process what we'd just experienced; and probably 90 minutes at the Dutch Resistance Museum. Here's where you will save time... Spend 0 time at the Bloemenmarkt. It's stalls that all look the same, and are full of Amsterdam magnets and other tourist trinkets. So disappointing. Definitely get a canal cruise in.

Make sure you have your calendar and alarm clock set knowing what day tickets go on sale for the for Anne Frank. They sell out very quickly.

Reading about the Stedelijk Museum, this appears to be primarily modern art. Is that correct? Just looking at the website, not sure it's a place I want to go to. Comments?

Reading about the Stedelijk Museum, this appears to be primarily modern art.

Read about the places where you want to go just like you did the Stredejik and don't go by what people say only by what you are interested in.

I've not been to the Stedelijk but have been to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh, both on the same day several times. It's pretty tiring. You will need to limit yourselves in the Rijks, perhaps just starting in the Old Masters area and maybe seeing their more recent room with a Van Gogh.

Van Gogh usually takes me about 2 hours. I recommend you start on the top floor of the Van Gogh (where all the good stuff is, lol) and work your way down.

I'd say book Rijksmuseum for 1st thing in the AM. Do lunch afterward and then book Van Gogh for about 2P. IF you have a strong interest in Modern Art, then possibly Stedlijk between the Rijks and Van Gogh (they are all there together on the MuseumPlein so easy to get to).

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I agree with Jazz+Travels. I suggest you first read up about the places you listed. Only visit them because they interest you, not because other people believe they are a must see.
Also I suggest you check a map of Amsterdam and check where everything is located. The Royal Palace is right at Dam Square, so it doesn’t make sense to visit them on 2 separate days.
The Amsterdam Historical Museum technically no longer exists, because it was renamed Amsterdam Museum back in 2010. However the building the museum is housed in is currently undergoing major renovations. Parts of the Amsterdam Museum are now housed in a temporary location elsewhere, but check their website first to see if the temporary museum interests you.

Really appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions. Wading through so much info online can be challenging at times.

Thanks!

Wading through so much info online can be challenging at times.

This is why a guidebook from a trusted source - such as the RS Amsterdam and the Netherlands - can be invaluable as a tool for planning your trip - the research has been done for you.

Among other things, it would give you an indication of the approximate amount of time needed to visit various museums, that the Stedelijk Museum is indeed modern art, etc. RS also provides his own written tours of major museums.

There is also a listing for recommended canal tours, including shorter ones.

As others have suggested, consider how well your attention span will hold up when planning your day - there is much more to see besides museums in Amsterdam.

We were in Amsterdam in mid-June this year. The Rijksmuseum is huge. We spent 2-3 hours there and used a highlights tour on their audioguide, which was an app you downloaded on your own phone. It helped narrow things down because we didn’t have a specific plan of what to see. Definitely could have spent a lot more time there, if we had been so inclined. For us, it would have been overwhelming without the help of the audioguide. For this, we didn’t book in advance, but bought tickets on our smartphones when we showed up in person for an upcoming entry time. It seemed like this was the only way to do it, as there weren’t any in-person ticket sellers that we saw. I think we waited 15 minutes or so for our time slot.

For me, three art museums in one day would be overload.

We also used the audioguide at the Van Gogh and it was about 2-2.5 hours, like someone else said above. I liked that museum and really learned a lot about Van Gogh. We booked tickets a couple of months ahead online.

Anne Frank House was about 90 minutes for us, but we chose the introductory program, which added about 25 minutes or so, I think, to the total time. Definitely get advanced tickets, as in be online and ready when tickets are released if you’re dedicated to a particular day and time (sounds like you have a tight schedule in mind).

I see you’re interested in a canal cruise. We went on one with Captain Jack’s, which I read about on this Forum. It was a small group of about 12 passengers and included beer, wine, sodas, and snacks, led by a local. Really nice!

For a delightful day, bound for just about anybody to get their jollies, go to Holtkamp for an apple pie breakfast and then tour Rijksmuseum. Holtkamp is by Rijks.

After Rijks, go to Albert Cuyf market for Rudi stroopwafel, market shopping and other food. Then go to Vondelpark to walk it off and soak in some fresh air in a beautiful green area. Then walk to Van Gogh and tour that.

Download Rijksmuseum app and bring your own headphones. Do not buy Rijksmuseum audioguide at the museum; it’s not worth it. It Book both museums in advance.

Enjoy two of the best art museums around. I did not do Stede. The Rijks and Van Gogh were higher on my list.

Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and Stedelijk for one day

You have from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (except Friday when Van Gogh is open until 9:00) PM if you time your visits based upon individual opening/closing times. You can see all three in these 9 hours.

Other than Dam Square, which only takes a few minutes to see unless you want to sit and people watch, I have not visited these other museums and have no opinion regarding how long to spend at each.

We were in Amsterdam this past April, 2024. Because one can't get to every museum the first thing in the morning, I went to the Rijksmuseum at 2:00 pm. Even with a timed ticket, (and the time wasn't sold out) it was too crowded for me to enjoy on that day. The museums hangs many of its prestigious pieces in the Hall of Honor, so the crowds go there and take selfies. I wish these museums would just ban selfies in front of the art. It was noisy and hot. I didn't do the audio guide and wish I had, (but was burned out on audio guides by then, because many that I tried in other museums just weren't that easy or helpful. I don't need an audio guide that just reads what's printed on the wall.)
We went to the Van Gogh the same day, midmorning, and I really enjoyed that experience. The timed entries sell out about three weeks in advance, and the museum does keep the numbers to a moderate level. I was able to enjoy the art in a more peaceful environment.
If I did this over, I would go to the Rijksmuseum early or late in the day. Since the Van Gogh seemed to control their numbers, probably any time is good.
I have done all day in museums, so I knew my tolerance. However, if you have not, I would advise a max of two museums in one day.
The Dutch Resistance Museum was well-presented, we bought tickets at the door, and was not crowded. I would recommend visiting this museum.
When is this trip?
I'd also recommend one of the smaller canal cruises, not the large boats which may have taped presentations. We used the Damn Boat Guys, but that is an adults - only tour.
Have a great trip! Safe travels.

Thanks everyone! Bought morning admission into Rijksmuseum and late afternoon to Van Gogh. Will also take the advice of downloading their apps to use their audioguides.

"Bought morning admission into Rijksmuseum and late afternoon to Van Gogh. Will also take the advice of downloading their apps to use their audioguides."

Just to clarify, there is an official Rijksmuseum app from the museum. There is not an official museum app for the Van Gogh museum BUT their audio guide is excellent.