Discover two of Amsterdam’s most celebrated museums with a private guide, combining the remarkable life and work of Vincent van Gogh with the masterpieces and treasures of the Dutch Golden Age.
Travel advisors are welcome to book this tour for their clients. Learn more about Travel Advisors
Discover two of Amsterdam’s most celebrated museums with your own private guide. This four-hour tour combines the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, giving you an introduction to Dutch art, history, and culture through the works of some of the country’s greatest artists.
Your experience begins at the Van Gogh Museum, where you’ll follow the remarkable life of one of history’s most influential painters. Through engaging stories and easily understood explanations, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of the man behind the paintings, discovering the inspiration behind masterpieces such as Sunflowers, his self-portraits, and Almond Blossom.
Continue to the Rijksmuseum to explore the highlights of the Dutch Golden Age. From Rembrandt’s iconic Night Watch to works by Vermeer, Jan Steen and many other celebrated artists, your guide will bring the collection to life with fascinating stories, historical context and plenty of fun facts. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or simply curious to learn more about Dutch culture, this tour offers a great introduction to two of Amsterdam’s world-renowned museums.
By combining both museums into a single experience, this tour offers a fascinating journey through centuries of Dutch art. From Van Gogh’s deeply personal works to the grandeur and ambition of the Dutch Golden Age, you will discover how art evolved in the Netherlands and the lasting impact these artists continue to have around the world.
Whether you are visiting Amsterdam for the first time or returning to explore its artistic heritage in greater depth, this private tour provides an engaging and enriching introduction to two of the city’s most important museums.
This four-hour tour is available on three levels, and your guide carries the same approach through both museums.
Best for a first visit to Amsterdam, when you want both collections in one go. Your guide picks the works that matter in each museum and keeps the pace comfortable, with the walk between the two as a breather rather than a rush. Suits a guide such as Chris, who got to know the city through his camera and loves finding the why behind everything.
Best if you already know the paintings, or would rather understand a few works properly than see everything once. This is the version the combined tour suits best: seeing the Golden Age and then Van Gogh in one day shows what he inherited and what he broke with, which is the real reason to put the two museums together. Suits a guide such as Kaleigh, who has a BSc in Art History and an MA in Tourism and Culture, or by Michael, who looks at the collections as an artist does, through creativity and emotion rather than dates.
Works from around eight upwards rather than five, because four hours and two museums is a long day for younger children. If yours are smaller a single museum is usually the better tour, and we will say so when you ask. Children get to look for things rather than stand and listen, from the self-portraits to the dogs hidden in the Rijksmuseum paintings. Suits a guide such as Chris or Kaleigh, who both love taking families around.
Seeing both museums together gives a rounded exploration of Dutch art. Van Gogh makes more sense once you have stood in front of the Dutch painters that inspired him, and the Golden Age takes on a different perspective when seen through Van Gogh’s eyes. Your guide will link the two museums throughout, so the entire tour is one story rather than two museum visits in an afternoon.
KaleighArt historianBSc in Art History and an MA in Tourism and Culture. She ties the paintings to the wider story of the city, and loves turning a gallery into a game for younger visitors.Meet Kaleigh →
MichaelArtist and musicianLooks at the collection through creativity and emotion rather than dates, and is remarkably good with people who think they are not museum people.Meet Michael →
MoniqueFormer journalistA true Amsterdammer and former journalist, with an eye for the detail everyone else walks past.Meet Monique →At the ATM, outside Cobra Cafe
Hobbemastraat 18, Amsterdam
Bespoke Amsterdam Experiences is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 3,115 guest reviews on Google, Tripadvisor, Airbnb and GetYourGuide.
Together, these museums provide an excellent introduction to Dutch art and culture. You will experience both the deeply personal works of Vincent van Gogh and the masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age, creating a broader understanding of the Netherlands’ artistic heritage.
The tour lasts approximately four hours, allowing enough time to explore the highlights of both museums with your private guide.
Yes. Your guide will introduce you to many of the museums’ best-known works, while also sharing lesser-known pieces and stories that help bring the collections to life.
Absolutely. The tour is designed for both art enthusiasts and first-time museum visitors. Your guide will explain the artworks in an engaging and accessible way.
In addition to masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other Dutch masters, the Rijksmuseum houses historic doll’s houses, Delftware, ship models, furniture, decorative arts, weaponry, and many other fascinating artefacts from Dutch history.
The Van Gogh museum has an extensive collection of Vincent’s letters to his brother and many of his possessions on display.
Both museums are accessible and equipped with lifts and accessible facilities. However, as this is a four-hour tour with a significant amount of walking and standing, guests with mobility concerns should contact us in advance so we can discuss the best way to tailor the experience to their needs.
Photography without flash is allowed in most areas of the museums, provided it is for personal use only. Selfie sticks and other filming equipment are not permitted. Your guide will let you know where photography is allowed and where restrictions apply.
We meet at the ATM outside Cobra Cafe on Hobbemastraat and start at the Van Gogh Museum, then walk across Museumplein to the Rijksmuseum. It is a five-minute walk in the open air. Your guide carries the tickets for both.
As early as you can. The museums work on timed entry, and slots can sell out well in advance. The Van Gogh Museum in particular can be fully booked weeks in advance, particularly at weekends and in spring. A month ahead can usually ensure availability for most dates. If you are looking for a quieter slot, give us more notice, and we will try to secure it.
Yes. Some guests prefer a museum a day, especially with children or when jet lag is still in play. Tell us when you book, and we will arrange it as two shorter private tours instead of one four-hour block. However, this will be charged at the regular museum rate, rather than the combined tour rate.
Live booking calendar, last checked 14 Nov 2026, 02:13 Amsterdam time.
Available to book online every day of the week.
Every time below can be booked online with instant confirmation: click a time to open the booking form for that departure. For other dates or times, please contact us.
Next available: Sun 15 Nov 12:30 · Mon 16 Nov 12:30 · Tue 17 Nov 12:30 · Wed 18 Nov 12:30 · Thu 19 Nov 12:30
Always-current link to the next available time: https://amsterdamexperiences.nl/book/van-gogh-and-rijksmuseum-private-tour/next/
All tours you can book online, with their next available times
Still deciding?
We’ll help you choose, or shape one around you.
