I lived in Amsterdam for many years and loved Amsterdam deeply. I understand entirely that most visitors to the Netherlands want to visit Amsterdam. An important question is how much it will cost to visit Amsterdam. You can see most of Amsterdam in 3 days, and I calculated the cost of a 3-day trip to Amsterdam for three different kinds of travelers.
The average cost per person for a 3-day stay in Amsterdam is € 500 (US$ 600)/person. Costs range between € 350 (US$ 415)/person for budget travelers and € 850 (US$ 1015)/person for high-end travelers. The travel costs to Amsterdam will depend on your location.
Read on to find out which aspects of visiting Amsterdam make it expensive and how you can save money while visiting Amsterdam. Saving money is very Dutch, and let me show you how to stay within your travel budget. If you are interested in the best day trips from Amsterdam, you should read this article.
How Much Does A 3-Day Trip To Amsterdam Cost?
You will find an overview of the average 3-day trip to Amsterdam cost per person for budget, intermediate, and high-end travelers. The cost of a return ticket to Amsterdam is not included in this table because these costs will vary depending on your location.
The accommodation costs for a 3-day stay in Amsterdam are based on two nights. The accommodation calculation is based on a couple in a shared double bedroom or Airbnb location for average travelers. The analysis is based on the cost of hostels for budget travelers, and for high-end travelers, the cost of high-end shared double bedrooms is used.
The cost calculations also assume you use public transportation in Amsterdam (trams and metro) with an Amsterdam City Card and avoid expensive taxis. Taxis in Amsterdam are a hassle anyway, and public transport in Amsterdam is excellent.
| Cost item | budget traveler | average traveler | high-end traveler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (2 nights in a double room) | € 120 | € 150 | € 300 |
| Food & drinks | € 90 | € 150 | € 300 |
| City Pass (3 days, entry tickets + transportation) | € 90 | € 120 | € 150 |
| Miscellaneous | € 50 | € 80 | € 100 |
| Total Cost/person (€) | € 350 | € 500 | € 850 |
| Total cost/person (US$) | $ 415 | $ 600 | $ 1015 |
How Much Does It Cost To Travel To Amsterdam?
The table below shows the prices of return flight tickets to Amsterdam from several major cities. The general rules for ticket prices to Amsterdam are like flight tickets to any other city.
- The ranges in prices of flight tickets are mainly due to the price variations throughout the year. For example, the costs of flight tickets to Amsterdam in the low season (February-March and October-November) are significantly lower than in the high season (July – August).
- The earlier you can book your flight to Amsterdam, the greater the discount.
| City | Ticket Price (€) | Ticket Price (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| City | Ticket Price (€) | Ticket Price (US$) |
| New York | € 500 – 800 | $ 595 – 950 |
| London | € 110 – 160 | $ 131 – 190 |
| Montreal | € 450 – 600 | $ 535 – 715 |
| Sidney | € 1300 – 1600 | $ 1550 – 1900 |
| Being | € 800 – 1000 | $ 950 – 1190 |
| Tokyo | € 600 – 800 | $ 715 – 950 |
If you live in Europe and are considering visiting Amsterdam, I recommend going by train or car.
These days excellent international train connections with Germany and France exist. These international trains stop at Amsterdam Central Station, right in the city’s center. Your train will arrive in the heart of Amsterdam, where you will find one gorgeous Instagram shot after another. Be aware that parking in the city is costly if you come by car, and you must have a hotel with enough parking space to park your vehicle.
The advantage of coming by car to Amsterdam is that you can book accommodation outside Amsterdam and use the train to get to Amsterdam. Accommodation will be much cheaper than in Amsterdam, and you will have no parking costs if you take the train to get to Amsterdam. Alternatively, you can save money driving to Amsterdam and using the P&R parking locations.
How Much Does Accommodation in Amsterdam Cost?
I have listed the price ranges of diverse accommodations in Amsterdam in the table below.
| Accommodation Type | Price/night (€) | Price/night (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel (dorm room) | € 40 – 60 | $ 47,50 – 71,50 |
| Hostel (private room, 2-10 persons) | € 60 – 300 | $ 71,50 – 360 |
| Budget Hotel | € 70 – 200 | $ 83,50 – 240 |
| Airbnb | € 100 – 250 | $ 120 – 300 |
| Apollo Hotel | € 110 – 120 | $ 130 – 145 |
| Hotel Okura | € 200 – 350 | $ 240 – 415 |
Prices of accommodations are at the top end of the range during July and August. Prices of accommodations are at the bottom end of the range in February, March, October, and November.
How Much Is Tourist Tax In Amsterdam?
Tourist taxes in Amsterdam are the highest of any city in The Netherlands. The Amsterdam tourist tax will be included in your bill and is part of why Amsterdam’s accommodations cost much more than other Dutch cities.
Amsterdam is the only large city that charges a tourist tax for a room/night plus an additional tax per person/night.
| Accommodation Type | Tourist Tax (%/room/night) | + Tax/person/nigh |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 7 % | € 3,- |
| Campings | 7 % | € 1,- |
| Other | 10 % | — |
All other large Dutch cities charge a tourist tax per room/night or person/night.
Below is an overview of the 2022 tourist tax tariffs in other Dutch cities.
- Utrecht = 6% / room / night
- Leiden = € 2,50 / person / night
- Haarlem = € 2 – 5 / person / night
- Rotterdam = 6,5% / room night
How Expensive Are Food and Drinks In Amsterdam?
| Food / Drinks | Price (€) |
|---|---|
| Coca-Cola (1,5 liter, supermarket) | € 2,29 |
| Milk (1 liter, supermarket) | € 0,95 |
| Beer (glass, tourist hotspot) | € 2,95 |
| 3-course menu (drinks excluded) | € 40 |
| Big Mac Menu | € 7,45 |
How Much Do Amsterdam Tourist Attractions Cost?
In the table below, I listed the costs of entry tickets in 2022 for the most famous Amsterdam tourist attractions.
| Tourist Attraction | Price (€) |
|---|---|
| Canal Cruise (standard, 60 minutes) | € 15 – 25 |
| National Museum | € 20 |
| Van Gogh Museum | € 19 |
| Anne Frank House | € 14 |
| Heineken Experience | € 18 |
| Madame Tussaud | € 31 |
| Keukenhof | € 19 |
| Zaanse Schans | € 15 |
You can save significantly on entry tickets to Amsterdam attractions if you purchase one of the Amsterdam City passes (see below).
You can enjoy the beautiful canals of Amsterdam with a canal cruise at a discount.
How To Save Money While Visiting Amsterdam?
I strongly recommend purchasing one of the “city cards” that provide free public transportation and free access or discounts to many of Amsterdam’s most popular tourist attractions. It is easy to save money while visiting Amsterdam with the added benefit; you can skip the queues for many popular tourist attractions.
There are quite a few of these Amsterdam city cards, and they all have pros and cons and come with different price tags. Which city card is best depends on how long you want to stay in Amsterdam and how many tourist attractions you would like to visit. In any case, studying which city card will be best for you is worth exploring.
The most popular all-inclusive Amsterdam City Cards are:
- I Amsterdam City Card
- Amsterdam Pass
- Holland Pass (custom-made)
- Amsterdam City Pass
How To Save On Accommodation Costs While Visiting Amsterdam?
One of the easiest ways to save on your required budget is to book accommodation outside of Amsterdam and hop on the train to reach the center of Amsterdam in less than 30 minutes.
You can look for accommodation in smaller cities like Utrecht, Leiden, or Haarlem in the neighborhood of Amsterdam. These smaller cities are just like Amsterdam before Amsterdam became extremely popular. You will be in Amsterdam within 30 minutes if you hop on the train in these cities. You will save significantly on accommodation and, at the same time, enjoy the smaller Dutch quintessential town.
Visitors from the United States may be particularly interested in staying in Leiden. Leiden was the hometown of the Pilgrim Fathers, the United States’ founding fathers, from 1609-1620.
The Pilgrim Fathers departed from Leiden in 1620 to board the Mayflower in Southampton and sail to the New World.
Leiden is also an ideal location to enjoy the Dutch tulip fields in the springtime because the tulip fields and Keukenhof Gardens are in Leiden’s neighborhood.
I recommend that you choose one of the following four cities:
