Morsilla

One day in Amsterdam, Netherlands

One day in Amsterdam with children can start on the Oosterdok waterfront at the NEMO Science Museum and the National Maritime Museum with its replica ship Amsterdam, then continue by tram or Metro line 52 to Museumplein for the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Book timed tickets online ahead.

Children are 2 to 11 years old; infants are under 2.

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Updated 23 October 2026

Plan your trip to Amsterdam

NEMO Science Museum in the morning

Start on the waterfront east of Amsterdam Central Station at the NEMO Science Museum at Oosterdok 2. The museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30, and it is also open on Mondays from April to September, on public holidays and during school holidays.

Entry uses a timed start ticket, and once inside your family can stay as long as you wish to explore hands-on science exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations across the building. Most galleries suit all ages, with certain activities designed for children aged 6 and over, and families are welcome to bring their own food and drinks to eat in the designated picnic areas.

The National Maritime Museum and the ship Amsterdam at midday

Walk across the Oosterdok footbridges to Het Scheepvaartmuseum, the National Maritime Museum, at Kattenburgerplein 1—a 19-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station along Prins Hendrikkade or a short ride on bus 42 from Central Station IJzijde to the Kadijksplein/Het Scheepvaartmuseum stop. Housed in a historic naval storehouse built in 1656, the museum opens Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00, and children up to 4 years old enter free.

Pause for lunch in the covered Open Courtyard, where children can also pick up a free sea-monster colouring and activity sheet in the café, then climb aboard the full-scale replica East Indiaman ship Amsterdam moored outside to test the hammocks, cargo pulleys, captain's cabin and helm. Inside the museum, families with toddlers aged 2 and up can explore Doris the Diver, while children aged 6 and over can walk inside a life-size whale in The Tale of the Whale and listen to the free Junior Audiotour.

The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum in the afternoon

Return to Central Station to take Metro line 52 to Vijzelgracht—less than a 10-minute walk from the museum quarter—or ride tram 2, 5 or 24 directly to Museumplein. At Museumstraat 1, the Rijksmuseum is open every day from 09:00 to 17:00, admission is free for everyone up to 19 years of age, and the galleries of Rembrandt and Vermeer are fully accessible with a stroller or wheelchair.

Across the square at Museumplein 6, the Van Gogh Museum opens daily at 09:00, closing at 18:00 from March to September and during peak holiday weeks, at 17:00 on most days in November, December, January and February, and at 21:00 on most Fridays. Children can discover Vincent van Gogh's paintings, including Sunflowers and The Yellow House, through the museum's family activities.

Museumplein at the end of the day

Finish the afternoon with an easy stroll across the open lawns and paths of Museumplein outside the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. When you are ready to head back, trams 2, 5 and 24 stop right at Museumplein for the ride back to Amsterdam Central Station, and trams 5, 12 and 24 also stop at nearby Concertgebouw.

Plan your one day in Amsterdam

All visitors to the Van Gogh Museum must pre-book a timed entry ticket online, and booking a timed start ticket online in advance is also recommended at NEMO Science Museum and the Rijksmuseum. If you visit on a Monday between October and March outside school or public holidays, NEMO is closed, while the National Maritime Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum open seven days a week.

At the National Maritime Museum, buggies and strollers are allowed throughout the building and lifts reach all exhibitions and part of the replica ship Amsterdam, but child back carriers are not permitted inside—you can borrow a loan stroller at the entrance instead, and family restrooms with baby-changing tables are in the basement and next to Doris the Diver on the first floor.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you spend one day in Amsterdam with children?

Start at the NEMO Science Museum on Oosterdok in the morning, walk to the National Maritime Museum at midday to board the replica ship Amsterdam and see Doris the Diver and The Tale of the Whale, and ride the tram or Metro line 52 to Museumplein in the afternoon for the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.

Which Amsterdam museums on this route are free for children?

The Rijksmuseum is free for all visitors up to 19 years of age, and the National Maritime Museum is free for children up to 4 years old.

Can you bring a stroller into the National Maritime Museum and the Rijksmuseum?

Yes. Both museums are accessible for strollers and wheelchairs with lifts. At the National Maritime Museum, child back carriers are not allowed in the galleries, so a loan stroller is provided, and family restrooms with baby-changing facilities are on the first floor and in the basement.

How do you get from Amsterdam Central Station to Museumplein?

Take tram 2, 5 or 24 from Amsterdam Central Station directly to the Museumplein stop, or ride Metro line 52 from Central Station to Vijzelgracht and walk less than 10 minutes to the Rijksmuseum.