Royal Palace of Amsterdam

The Royal Palace Amsterdam stands on the west side of Dam Square, opposite the National Monument and beside the Nieuwe Kerk. It was not built as a palace. Amsterdam commissioned it as a new town hall, Jacob van Campen took charge of the project in 1648, and the building was opened on 29 July 1655 by burgomaster Cornelis de Graeff. It rests on 13,659 wooden piles driven into the marsh, a figure Dutch schoolchildren still learn.

Almost every room on the main floor is open, together with the Tribunal on the ground floor, so the route is a single storey plus one flight. The centre of it is the Citizens' Hall, a vast marble room built to place Amsterdam at the middle of the universe, with the marble galleries running off it. A free booklet, Traces of Slavery, sits opposite the audio tour desk. Summer brings a changing exhibition; the rest of the Palace stays open during it.

The Palace answers this itself: asked how much time a visit takes, its visitor information page says about an hour on average. Its own full audio route, the Royal Palace Tour, runs 75 minutes, and the shorter Palace Highlights Tour runs 45. This guide plans 75 minutes, which is the longer of the two operator figures and the one that matches walking the whole main floor with the audio tour rather than skipping through it. Add time at either end. General adult admission is €13.50, including the audio tour.

Check the Palace's date-specific calendar before committing to a visit. It is a working reception palace, so royal events can close it to the public; a seven-day opening pattern during one period is not a permanent weekly timetable. The operator publishes opening days and times up to six months ahead and warns that they can change. If a quieter visit matters, its accessibility advice suggests arriving before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m., especially on weekdays outside school holidays. Confirm the calendar again close to your visit, then choose a timed entry ticket for a day that is actually open.

The Palace currently lists standard adult admission at €13.50, including a complimentary audio tour. Students are listed at €9; visitors aged 17 or younger enter free. Dutch Museumkaart and ICOM holders also have free admission, while the I amsterdam City Card is not accepted. Choose a date and starting time before purchase and keep the ticket for entry; the operator says online purchases cannot be refunded. The audio device is subject to availability, so do not buy a separate audio ticket solely on the assumption that one is required. Recheck the official tariff for your travel date because prices and programmes can change.

The visitor entrance is on Dam Square, on the right side of the Palace's main façade. From Amsterdam Centraal, the operator describes a roughly ten-minute walk straight along Damrak to the square. A city-centre tram to the Dam stop is another option; metro line 52 serves Rokin, from which you continue on foot. Use the entrance on the square rather than a service door around the building. There is no reason to assume that nearby parking is free: the operator lists paid central garages. If you need step-free access, the Dam Square entrance has a sloping ramp; check your final transit route separately.

Only small hand bags up to 30 × 30 × 15 cm may be carried through the visitor rooms. The free cloakroom can take some larger hand bags and umbrellas, but it cannot store large backpacks or rolling suitcases; arrange separate luggage storage before arriving from a train. The Palace has no café, so plan food outside the visit. It provides a ramp, lift and accessible toilet, and allows wheelchairs, prams and assistance dogs. A companion may enter free when a disabled visitor cannot tour independently. Ask staff about a suitable route rather than assuming every room is accessible in the same way.

Personal still photography is allowed without flash. The Palace prohibits filming, vlogging, tripods and selfie sticks, and does not permit wedding photography. This distinction matters if you plan to document the Citizens' Hall or the Tribunal: bring a hand-held camera rather than a filming setup. Some rooms are dimmer than others, but the no-flash rule still applies. Give other visitors room to use the galleries and follow any instructions for a room in use or a special event. The operator's visitor rules, rather than an old visitor photograph, should determine what equipment you bring.