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Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam

4.2 (56 reviews)
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Andrea U.

This palace was built as a city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The building became the royal palace of King Louis Napoleon and later of the Dutch Royal House. Today it is used by the monarch for entertaining & official functions during state visits and other official receptions, such as New Year receptions. Award ceremonies take place here. Queen Beatrix stood on the balcony in 1980, when her mother crowned her.

Kay H.

25€ for two (12,50€/ea adult). Such a gorgeous palace. Although it's no longer inhabited by the royal family, it's still used for state dinners, weddings, etc. Many gorgeous furnishings, and my favorite, the Atlas statue. Free headsets and audio tours with admission. The staff were wonderful. Also, handicap accessible with elevators -you simply have to ask.

Pavel V.

The palace was very interesting to see, but it personally wasn't anything to rave about. It wasn't my style of "museum" but I still gave it four stars because it was very nice and I'm sure other people loved it. I appreciate that they had a free audio tour. Some parts were frustrating because the rooms were blocked with clear barriers and tour groups took up a lot of space so it took some time to see the rooms. The tour didn't take long as many doors were closed so it was quick to walk through. As other reviews noted, it is essentially just a tour of a big house but still very nice to see. The cloakroom and restrooms were very nice. I think it was priced fairly for what it was.

Sunil R.

Beautiful and awe-inspiring! A definite stop when you are here in Amsterdam. Amazing paintings and art everywhere and loved learning about the history of Nederlands.

Sanjay G.

It is situated on the west side of Dam Square in the center of Amsterdam, opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk. the Royal Palace Amsterdam once served as Amsterdam's town hall. The grand structure, which measures 259 feet wide and 180 feet tall, held the distinction of being the largest secular building in Europe for two centuries. ( yes taking a guided tour can be useful here ;). I did not go inside as it was a walking tour. It has been used by Dutch royalty for official events for many years. The public is welcome to tour the property when the building isn't in use for state visits. Time 10 AM- 5 PM. Entry is 12 euro and an audio guide is included in this. It's just a 5 min walk from Central station.

Incredible tour! Beautiful bathrooms, free cloakroom service, and free audio tour equipment. We were SO impressed with this entire operation. The rooms were beautiful, and such history! It's fantastic that the Royal Family allows so many to walk through each year. Don't miss this one!

Wonderful architecture
Kevin B.

The royal palace in Amsterdam is a fun tourist attraction! Get the audio guide and listen to centuries of Dutch history while you explore the town-hall-turned-palace. There are many rooms to explore and enjoy -- and you'll get cultured while you're at it! I spent about an hour and a half here. Overall a fun stop during the day!

Christian W.

Beautiful palace that just inspires awe at every turn. To be among such great pieces of work and history is truly humbling. This place is very befitting of the title "Royal" and is a marvel with the intricacies of the paintings, sculptures, and works of art scattered throughout. The admission is fairly priced and comes with a free audio tour that provides nuggets of information on the various rooms and history associated with them. Additionally, the tour gives you options of learning the extra facts relating to a sculpture and/or painting. I really feel like you could come here 2 or 3 times and still learn or see something new here. Absolutely beautiful in hundreds of ways, witnessing this building and all its treasures firsthand is something spectacular. Pictures don't do it justice.

Treasury extraordinary room
Goku U.

Amazing. This palace was a great stop for our visit to Amsterdam. We recommend checking out the website for hours because sometimes they close the palace for government events. You basically go on a walking tour through the palace, they always give you the option to learn more about certain furniture pieces or rooms. The only downside is that some of the furniture is not original. But regardless, nice tourist stop!

Welcome
Arcangela M.

This was my all-time favorite place to be in Amsterdam to date. You walk in, give your bag up, and then you get an audio tour. Bring your own earphones otherwise you have to hold it like a phone. It's not that crowded, in every single room has its own tour an explanation. The staff are sweet sweet sweet, handsome, pretty, and all-around willing to help. The last room is a gift shop and is singularly the most inexpensive gift shop I've been to date

Jeremy S.

A beautifully scenic building located right in the heart of Amsterdam's Dam Square. This place has a lot of history and is very picturesque from the inside out. This structure is pretty much a must see when in Amsterdam as it has a ton is historical significance and is visually stunning when seen in person.

Atlas on rear pediment
Dave H.

A decent stop in Amsterdam to learn a it about the city administration in its Golden Age, but mostly the rooms are appointed with furniture from Napoleon's time, so other than the names of the room and the somewhat slow silly audio tour, there is not much information gained by personally seeing the interior. One exception is The Tribunal in the basement, which has amazing relief sculptures.

Atlas Holding Globe
Andrew S.

Came here and joined the CMYE tour. If it weren't for that I would not have had the privilege to view the handful of exquisite royal artifacts, artwork and architecture inside. And with a group of ten awesome people. I have passed by Dam Square countless times and I have noticed the palace only once, because I'm too busy trying to find which street I'm suppose to be going to while in this hub of a square: twisting my foot on these stone pathways. The only thing I ever notice is the National Monument. The benefit of participating in the tour is that you get an organized and timely explanation on the details on particular objects on display. For example: statues, heirlooms, artwork...the history of Amsterdam besides the touristy side was explained. Some of the objects do not have written explanations of what they are. The tour guide explained the meaning behind the acronym SPQR (with royal crest under it), which she pronounced as Senatus Populusque Romanus . She also explained that the Brother of Napoleon had a rule in The Netherlands. The place definitely has a Roman and French influence. The God statues were of Greek? I did learn a few things. The downside to the tour is that if you want to spend a little extra time viewing something on display, and you take a moment while the group moves on, you might miss what the tour guide has to say. But luckily at the end, you are relinquished from the tour and can go about on your own to have a second look. Somethings that went through my head as we toured: The tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. She reminded me of a librarian with her chic glasses and accent, rrrrrrrr. Never mind, back to what I was saying. Robert Langdon was here a decade or so ago. When I viewed the floor in the Central Hall where Atlas is holding the globe up, it immediately brought a picture of a scene from The Da Vinci Code. Minus the paintings. How much to rent a room for a month? I would like to rent a room here, bling son :o Everything is gold or plated as such. Ms Flip asked me what do I think. I was thinking what I can compare the Palace to and I was looking for a museum in New York City to compare it to: Metropolitan Museum of Art is the closest that came to mind for it's grand scale and for what's on display. Then I compared royalty of the past to government head of NYC present, does the billionaire Michael Bloomberg live this way? Does Amsterdam's government heads live this way?

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Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam

“We recommend checking out the website for hours because sometimes they close the palace for government events.”

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Leidseplein - "Against All Currents" honors late crime journalist Peter R. de Vries, symbolizing support and justice for the oppressed

Leidseplein

3.7(37 reviews)
1.1 km•Centrum

This is one of many centrally located squares in Amsterdam, a touristy area with many restaurants,…read morebars and some entertainment options, and one of the less significant transit hubs in the city. You can reach it via metro to Leidseplein or various tram and bus lines. Surrounding the square notably are: the Heineken Grand Cafe, the Hirshgebauw (a historic landmark building with shops and offices including an Apple Store), the Amsterdam International Theater, the Diamond Hotel with clear glass facade over the front of the building, and Albert Heijn grocery store. Close by within a couple blocks are Pathé City cinema, the Holland Casino and Hard Rock Cafe. Worth walking or transiting thru and stopping for a look at the memorial sculpture in the center of two hand s touching, called "Against All Currents" a tribute honoring late investigative crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, who reported and contributed to evidence on several very high profile international crimes, including the Natalee Holloway case.

Leidseplein is where I first began my discovery of Amsterdam. I stayed at the Marriott and because…read moreof its central location, the shops, restaurants and Vondelpark, it's a favorite location. I deducted a star because some of the restaurants are very touristy, which is okay, but anytime someone is standing out front trying to lure you inside its a place for me to skip. But this is the best place stay as visitor in Amsterdam in my opinion. I can write for hours about where to go from here, but that is your adventure to learn next time.

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Leidseplein - On a wet Fall evening

On a wet Fall evening

Leidseplein
Leidseplein

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Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek - St. Nicholas relic

Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek

4.6(9 reviews)
0.7 km•Centrum, De Wallen

So I'm in A'Dam for work and on Sunday I look for church when I'm away. Catholic for a day!…read more St. Nicks, easy to find, Across from Centraaaaal Station. All good. Mass was 10:30 for me. The place was mostly full. Crowd was mostly Dutch and in upper-class casual. Folks kept their fancy coats on but I was amazed at the population. Full church! The church is beautiful and Interesting. Classic transept catholic style. Stations of the cross, helpfully numbered. Morning light streams thru the stained glass windows above the altar and in the cupola. Cool beans. Music was tops. Familiar hymn style tunes, Rather than Sunday school hits. Organist nails it, especially during the outro. What do you call that? The Tocatta&Fuge portion? It was boss tho. Choir came to win that day. Filled the place with choral winning. Service is Dutch so don't expect to understand anything, but It is familiar as a standard mass. A program is handed out prior by friendly bilingual Dutch folks. Priest spends time twice during service talking in English to make the visitors feel welcome and explain that coffee is available après. Final: if you prefer actually visiting a church rather than nosing your fat Anglo Hilfiger into someone else's parish like a tour'eifel noob, this place is a gooder.

Coming from our hotel we had seen this marvelous cathedral, and I knew we had to stop by on our…read morereturn. Fortunately it was open, as we saw some others going in. The cathedral is gorgeous, awe inspiring. The quiet and reverence here offers a complete escape from the outside world. After soaking up the timeless architecture we were lucky stumble on the choir practicing for their Saturday 5 PM performance - amazing, beautiful voices and music. We only wish we had more time and could have stayed for the complete performance.

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Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek
Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek - Church of St. Nicholas

Church of St. Nicholas

Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek

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Dam Square - October 19

Dam Square

4.2(69 reviews)
0.2 km•De Wallen, Centrum

I stumbled on the square by accident. I received directions of where the mall was, where Louis…read more Hutton was located and stumbled upon the square. It's a huge wide open area, in which, it's heavily populated with tourists and people shopping. All the touristy places are here and they had a large monument which I was told was a memorial for their fallen heroes after the World War. I would definitely say this should be an essential stop on your trip to Amsterdam and get some photos!

Dam Square - one of the main squares in the city, if you're visiting for at least 2-3 days you may…read morepass through on most itineraries. Based on how Amsterdam is laid out in a semi-circle, this is in the inner part of its radius, so relatively speaking close to the center. What might bring you here? Some of the notable landmarks and buildings are: - the Nationaal Monument: a WWII memorial sculpted of white travertine marble erected in tribute to the fallen civilians and soldiers. Figures representing suffering, resilience and the victory of peace are carved as reliefs on this obelisk. Two lion statues symbolizing the Dutch nation are placed close by. The statue was unveiled May 4, 1956 which is The Netherlands' WWII Remembrance Day. - the Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam (Royal Palace Amsterdam): since the 17th C, this palace has been used for official state receptions and events, and was temporarily closed when I visited in November 2025, though re-opened December 17 thru January 4 for the holidays. Adult tickets normally €13.50, discounted tickets available for students, certain groups and pass holders, and include a free 45-min audio tour. For more info: https://www.paleisamsterdam.nl/en/ - De Nieuwe Kerk (The New Church): a medieval church turned into modern event space, they host a variety of happenings--most commonly museum exhibitions, as was the case when I visited, though also royal weddings and music recitals. Tickets are €22.50 for adults, discounted tickets available for students, certain groups and pass holders, and include a free audio tour. Takes about an hour to go thru the tour, maybe an extra 30 minutes to check out the church building itself. For more info: https://www.nieuwekerk.nl/en/ - Madame Tussaud's Amsterdam: a branch of the world-renowned wax museum where you can see close replicas of famous celebrities. €24 online price €27 at the door. - Ripley's Believe It or Not: g-map description "museum with kitschy oddities on display" sounds about right. Go to be amazed and entertained though also take the exhibits with a grain of salt. €22.50 for adults, €13.50 for kids. - Kalvarstraat: this thoroughfare perpendicular to the south east edge of Dam Square is a main shopping destination with retailers lining the street. - Magna Plaza shopping mall: while not directly next to the square it's a block west and the neo-Gothic architecture is a treat. Given the amount of things to do in the relatively compact city that is Amsterdam, I would put this area as a "nice-to-stop-by" if you have the time, if the palace is open for visit, or there's an interesting exhibit at De Nieuwe Kerk. It's a more touristy area and weekend crowds can be significant so keep this in mind if you're looking for a calmer, quieter experience.

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Dam Square
Dam Square
Dam Square

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Het Begijnhofkapel - Main altar from the center

Het Begijnhofkapel

4.2(31 reviews)
0.5 km•Centrum

There is a large, fairly obvious church located on the grounds of the Begijnhof, and then there is…read morethe Begijnhofkapel, a hidden church located right across from it. The large church used to be the church of the Catholic Beguines, the religious women that lived in the houses surrounding the grounds, but the Catholic religion lost out to Protestantism, and the church became the English Reformed Church. The Protestant leaders allowed the Beguines to build a new church on the condition that it not look like a church, so they decided to join two houses together, and today it is known as the hidden church. Obviously, it does not have the magnificence of a cathedral, but it is still a very pretty and charming little church. The 3 altars, woodwork, and artwork make it appear grander than it is. People today still use it to worship, so respect is still expected upon entering. This was a nice little surprise to discover in the heart of Amsterdam. 3/2020

While I hadn't initially known about Het Begijnhof before stumbling upon it on a weekend afternoon,…read moreI'm glad to have visited. It was an insightful glimpse into the hundreds of years of history and thousands of lives impacted by this community, for women seeking religious and economic sanctuary. While it doesn't balance out the inequity of treatment across classes, race, religion and gender back then, it's still quite a progressive undertaking for those times. Since many other reviews have gone into detail about the religious backgrounds, I'll just add a few observations: - walking up to the entrance gate, a security guard is posted at all times, he reminds visitors to respectful of the environment and inhabitants of the neighborhood. The streets around are pretty busy and loud so I'm glad that they're there to maintain a calmer environment. - no walking or stepping on the lawn areas, there are signs with this request posted around the outdoor spaces. - the chapel designed in 1671 within the two townhouses for catholic worship was considered a "hidden" church, since Catholicism wasn't openly sanctioned after the late 16th century. The church building on the courtyard is a Protestant church; both are working church structures. Though the English Reformed Church building isn't always open for visitor access. - there's no tourism photography allowed in the chapel so take note for those who like selfies. Begijnhof is free to visit, hours are 10am-6pm daily. For more info: begijnhofkapelamsterdam.nl

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Het Begijnhofkapel - The English Chapel, now English Reformed Church

The English Chapel, now English Reformed Church

Het Begijnhofkapel
Het Begijnhofkapel

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Jewish Quarter - The entrance to the Joods Museum in the square

Jewish Quarter

4.7(3 reviews)
0.9 km•Centrum

It's definitely a part of Amsterdam that I want to revisit when there's more time. It just happened…read moreto be our drop off and pick up point when given free time to roam about in Amsterdam during a shore excursion. Our guide gave us a little history about the Jodenbuurt before walking us over the Amstel River to a more centralized part of the city. The Joods Museum and the Portuguese Synogogue are the biggest highlights in the quarter. The Jewish History Museum is housed in a building that once had four separate Ashkenazi synagogues. It focuses on the 350 years of Jewish history in Amsterdam prior to Nazi occupation. The Portuguese Synogogue is also a place that shouldn't be missed. It miraculously survived through WWII untouched thanks to Leo Palache (a volunteer firefighter) who somehow prevented the occupying forces from turning it into a Jewish deportation center. There are still Jewish relics being discovered today that were hidden in the synogogue by the fire brigade to protect their heritage. It's stories like this that really bring it all to light. As you're walking through the Jewish quarter, you'll also come across many brass plated stumbling stones that signify the loss of this great community. These have the names of people who were deported and then taken to extermination camps. I just happened to see 2 memorial stones from the Abrahams family who later died at Auschwitz. Their memory lives on as more people discover their names in the bricked pathways. Rembrandt's house (now a museum) is also in the Jewish Quarter. It's about a 5 minute walk away when passing through Waterlooplein. There's a lot of natural beauty and many cafés as you head in the opposite direction towards the botanical garden in De Plantage. So, there's really a lot to see and do in this area. It was a part of Amsterdam that I hadn't seen before. Hopefully we'll return to discover more hidden gems in this area.

The former Jewish Quarter is where from the late 16th century to WWII most Jews lived. The Statue…read more'De Dokwerker' on the Jonas Daniël Meijerplein, waserected in memory of the February Strike of 1941 For more than 350 years, Amsterdam was a center of Jewish life & its Jewish community was a major contributor to the city's vitality and prosperity. The Waterlooplein area was their neighborhood, where they held their market & built their synagogues. In 1593, Sephardic Jews from Portugal & Spain settled in this neighbourhood. In the course of the 17th century Ashkenazi Jews from Central, Eastern, and partly Western Europe also moved into the area. After WWII those that survived relocated to Israel, Canada & the United States. There are art installations & guest speakers bringing attention back to this neighborhood.

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Jewish Quarter
Jewish Quarter - A close up of the Arsenaal

A close up of the Arsenaal

Jewish Quarter - The yellow star near the Joods Museum

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The yellow star near the Joods Museum

Homomonument

Homomonument

4.3(14 reviews)
0.5 km•Centrum

A beautiful pink granite structure jutting into one of the primary canals in the heart of…read moreAmsterdam. Somewhat underwhelming and easy to miss. I've missed it every time I've walked or rode by over the years. I didn't realize it was there until I listened to the tram one day at the Westerkerk stop say "Homomonument", I said "whuuut"? My friends told me about it and then I finally walked over there when I was shopping on the Prinsengracht. It's has a PRIME location and beautiful canal, but below street level and in the shadow of Anne Frank and the Westerkerk church (on the Keizersgracht). My presumptions are it is keeping a low profile as the homosexuals had to do for centuries to avoid prosecution and persecution. Please see "Bruce K"'s review from October 23 here for more detailed explanation on the design!

As we were walking around Amsterdam, we came across the Homomonument, the first monument in the…read moreworld commemorating gay men and women who were killed by the Nazis due to their sexual orientation. The monument was designed by artist Karin Daan and unveiled on September 5, 1987. The memorial is composed of three pink granite triangles laid in the ground, and each triangle forms the point of a larger triangle. Each point of the triangle is symbolic -- one points towards the National Monument in Dam Square, one points towards the Anne Frank House, and one points towards COC Amsterdam, a Dutch LGBTQ+ rights group founded in 1946. While I love what the monument represents, if it weren't for the sign, I probably wouldn't even have known that I was walking over a monument. The only way to see the entire memorial is from above, but from the ground, you can't see the entire memorial at once or get a good photo. If walking by, stop and take a look, but I would not go out of my way to see it. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Monuments, Memorials, and Historical Markers]

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Homomonument
Homomonument
Homomonument - 31/3/25

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31/3/25

Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam - landmarks - Updated October 2026

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