Go City Amsterdam Review: Explorer vs All-Inclusive Pass

Which Go City Amsterdam pass should you buy?

Go city amsterdam actually sells two different passes, not one, and picking the wrong one is the most common mistake shoppers make in this category. The All Inclusive Pass is unlimited entry to 40+ attractions across 1 to 5 consecutive days, and it is the only Amsterdam pass anywhere bundling the Rijksmuseum with the Heineken Experience. The Explorer Pass instead sells 3, 4 or 5 attraction choices redeemed over a relaxed 30 day window, built for a shorter list rather than a marathon. This review runs both side by side, honestly, including the one thing neither includes: public transport.

How does Go City Amsterdam actually work?

Both passes run through the same Go City app: buy online, load the pass, then scan in at each participating attraction rather than showing a paper ticket. The go city pass amsterdam family covers more than 40 attractions between its two products, from headline museums to experience style stops like A’DAM Lookout and Madame Tussauds, plus food tours and day trip excursions to Zaanse Schans and, in season, the Keukenhof gardens.

What is the real difference between Explorer and All Inclusive?

The gap comes down to how you pay for access, not just price.

Feature	Go City Explorer Pass	Go City All Inclusive Pass
Price from	EUR 44	EUR 79
How access works	Pick 3, 4 or 5 attractions	Unlimited entry to 40+ attractions
Validity	30 days to redeem your choices	1 to 5 consecutive calendar days
Rijksmuseum included	No	Yes
Heineken Experience included	No	Yes
Public transport	No	No

The Explorer Pass suits visitors who already know their short list and want to spread it across a slower trip without a ticking clock. The All Inclusive Pass suits high energy sightseers who stack three or four attractions a day and want the two biggest headline names, the Rijksmuseum and the Heineken Experience, both included free.

Why is the Rijksmuseum and Heineken Experience combo Go City’s real edge?

No other pass on the market matches it. The I amsterdam City Card makes the Rijksmuseum a free entry too, but treats the Heineken Experience as only a 25 percent discount, not a free ticket, and the Explorer Pass drops the Rijksmuseum entirely, keeping it exclusive to the bigger All Inclusive tier. For a visitor whose must do list genuinely includes both the national museum and the old brewery tour, the All Inclusive Pass is the only single product covering both for free, which is exactly why Go City leads its own marketing with that pairing.

What does the Amsterdam explorer pass include and skip?

The Explorer Pass menu leans toward experience style attractions rather than classic museums: A’DAM Lookout, Madame Tussauds, a canal cruise, the Moco Museum, the Amsterdam Dungeon, the THIS IS HOLLAND flight ride, the Rembrandt House, bike rental and a Zaanse Schans windmill transfer. Notice what is missing: the amsterdam explorer pass does not include the Rijksmuseum at all, and no Go City product of either tier includes the Van Gogh Museum, which sells its own separate timed tickets.

What does Go City not include, on either tier?

Public transport, full stop. Neither the Explorer Pass nor the All Inclusive Pass bundles any GVB trams, buses or ferries, so budget around EUR 10 per day separately or plan to walk the compact center. That is the single structural weakness against the I amsterdam City Card, which folds unlimited transport into the same price as its museum list. Neither Go City tier includes the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House either, matching every pass on the market, since both museums sell exclusively through their own official channels.

How does the Go City app handle bookings and reservations?

Both passes run through the same digital app rather than paper vouchers, and the app flags which attractions on your list need a reservation ahead of time versus a simple walk up scan. The Rijksmuseum on the All Inclusive tier is the clearest example, since it caps daily numbers regardless of how you paid, so book that slot the moment your dates are confirmed rather than waiting until you land. The cruise and the Zaanse Schans transfer on the Explorer Pass carry similar reservation notes in high season. Getting comfortable with the app before you fly, rather than figuring it out at your first attraction, saves real time on day one of either pass.

Go City vs the I amsterdam City Card: who actually wins?

It depends on your list, not on brand loyalty. Go City’s All Inclusive Pass wins outright if the Rijksmuseum and the Heineken Experience are both non negotiable, since no other product bundles them together for free. The I amsterdam City Card wins for almost everyone else planning an Amsterdam only trip, because unlimited transport plus a deeper museum long tail usually beats Go City’s experience heavy list once you count in the EUR 10 a day of trams Go City leaves out. Read the full Amsterdam pass comparison for every option lined up together, or check whether Holland Pass fits better if your trip reaches beyond the city.

How much does each tier actually save versus buying separately?

Run the numbers before assuming any pass wins by default. The All Inclusive Pass at EUR 79 for one day needs roughly the Rijksmuseum, the Heineken Experience and one more mid priced stop, together close to EUR 60 to 70, before it clearly beats paying at each door. The Explorer Pass at EUR 44 for three choices needs those three picks to average above about EUR 15 each, which marquee attractions like A’DAM Lookout, Madame Tussauds or a canal cruise comfortably clear on their own. Where both tiers lose is on a slow day with only one or two attractions planned, since neither Go City product rewards a light schedule the way an unlimited card does with a heavy one.

What do first time Go City buyers get wrong?

The most common mistake is buying the Explorer Pass expecting the Rijksmuseum to be included, when in fact that museum sits only on the bigger All Inclusive tier. The second is underestimating how many attractions the All Inclusive Pass actually needs in a single day to clear its price, since a relaxed one attraction morning leaves real value on the table against its EUR 79 starting price. The third is forgetting transport entirely: budgeting for the pass itself but not the roughly EUR 10 a day of trams neither Go City tier includes, which quietly narrows the gap against the I amsterdam City Card once you add it back in.

Ready to compare live prices? Book the Go City Amsterdam Pass for the full attraction list, or check the I amsterdam City Card if transport matters as much as the museums on your list. The City Card Amsterdam site compares every pass on this market in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is Go City Amsterdam worth it? Yes, if you plan the Rijksmuseum and the Heineken Experience together, or if you already know a short list of 3 to 5 experience style attractions. It loses value fast if your trip needs public transport or a deep museum list, where the I amsterdam City Card usually wins.

What is the difference between the Go City Explorer and All Inclusive passes? The Explorer Pass sells a fixed number of attraction choices redeemed over 30 days, while the All Inclusive Pass gives unlimited entry to 40+ attractions across 1 to 5 consecutive days and is the only tier including the Rijksmuseum.

Does go city amsterdam pass include public transport? No. Neither Go City tier includes GVB trams, buses or ferries. Budget a separate transport ticket or compare against the I amsterdam City Card, which bundles unlimited transport instead.

Is the Van Gogh Museum included on any Go City pass? No. Neither the Explorer Pass nor the All Inclusive Pass includes the Van Gogh Museum, matching every other Amsterdam pass on the market. Book it separately through its own official timed ticket system.

Which Go City pass is better for a short weekend? The All Inclusive Pass suits a packed one to three day weekend where you stack multiple attractions daily. The Explorer Pass suits a calmer trip or a longer stay where you spread three to five choices across your full visit.

Can I upgrade from the Explorer Pass to the All Inclusive Pass? No, the two are sold as separate products rather than tiers of the same pass, so decide upfront based on whether the Rijksmuseum and unlimited access matter enough to justify the higher starting price of the All Inclusive Pass.

Do children pay the same price for a Go City pass? Pricing usually differs for younger visitors on both tiers, though exact age cutoffs and discounts shift over time. Check the live child pricing shown at checkout on the booking page for your travel dates rather than relying on an older figure.