Amsterdam is an amazing city for many reasons: world-class art and magnificent museums, unforgettable food, unique architecture and street scenes, and so much more. But visiting the Anne Frank House while you’re here—the museum at the location of Anne Frank’s secret annex—is one of the most meaningful and memorable activities. An absolute must-not-miss.
This post will give you all the most important stuff you need to know for visiting the Anne Frank House.
Visiting the Anne Frank House
Consequently, the Anne Frank House is also one of the most popular tourist sites in town so you must plan ahead. This visit may take a little more planning than usual but it’s worth every extra bit. Start here with these top tips for visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
1. Re-read the Diary of Anne Frank before your visit
I can’t stress this enough: read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl before your trip to Amsterdam and the Anne Frank House. I’m sure you’ve read it before (remember 8th grade?) but that was a long time ago. I can assure you the material is so much more impressive when you read it as an adult. The profound ideas that girl could put forth, wow.
Reading her diary before your trip will really help to put everything you see and experience at the Anne Frank House into perspective. The space is preserved just as it appears in the book and you’ll get to see for yourself so much of the story in real life. Plus, that diary is the whole reason you’re here in the first place.
It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.
Anne Frank (July 15, 1944)
Also read: Visiting World War II Museums with Kids: Should you? Here’s what you need to know.
2. Book your tickets far in advance
Of all the tips for visiting the Anne Frank House, this is by far the most important. Admission tickets to the Anne Frank House are only sold directly through the Anne Frank House and only online. You can’t buy tickets through any third-party sellers, discount clubs, tourist services, at the museum itself, nothing.
Also, given the nature of the space—a small, cramped, hidden annex—the Anne Frank House only sells tickets on a timed basis. This ensures that only a certain, predetermined number of visitors will be inside the space at any given time.
These two factors, along with the immense popularity of the site, mean that tickets sell out every day and they sell out fast. Because of this, you’ll need to reserve your tickets to the Anne Frank House as early as possible. As soon as you know you’re going to Amsterdam, book those babies.
Tickets to the Anne Frank House go on sale two months in advance.
Don’t miss the WWII sites in Frankfurt (where Anne Frank was born). You can see the houses where she first lived and several museum exhibits dedicated to her and her family.
How far in advance to get tickets
The Anne Frank House has recently updated their ticketing policy. They used to save some tickets for day-of purchases, but not anymore.
Now, they release all tickets six weeks in advance. Every Tuesday at 10am (CEST), they release the next batch of tickets. So, the earliest you can buy tickets is six weeks in advance. After those tickets are sold, there are no more tickets.
It used to be they’d also release extra tickets each day and you could snag these by standing in line, in person, at the museum, but that’s no longer the case. Everything is done solely online now.
3. Arrive early
Tickets to the Anne Frank House are a hot commodity and you may or may not have had to struggle to get them. Your ticket will have an assigned time for you to enter the museum—DO NOT MISS THIS. This will be your only chance to visit the Anne Frank House. If you are late or completely miss your window, you will not be allowed in. (Re: space constraints)
Instead, arrive early. Like, way earlier than you think you need to, just to be safe. There are places to eat and drink near the Anne Frank House. The scenery is beautiful so walking the neighborhood (but not straying too far) is always an option. Just, whatever you do, don’t miss your assigned time slot.
4. Anne Frank House accessibility
Again, given the nature of the location—little more than an attic up a steep set of stairs—the Secret Annex part of the Anne Frank House is, unfortunately, not wheelchair accessible. However, the modern part of the museum and the café are.
There’s also the option of touring the Anne Frank House using virtual reality (if you have the necessary equipment to do so). You can download the Anne Frank House VR app here, for free. Read more about the Anne Frank House’s accessibility options here.
5. Photography is prohibited
In an effort to preserve some of the older pieces in the museum and to avoid what they (rightfully) call a nuisance, they do not allow photography inside the Anne Frank House.
Instead, keep your phone and cameras put away and really just immerse yourself in the experience. You’ll be able to get some great photos of the exterior and find what you need of the inside on their website. But you won’t be able to get back the experience of touring her secret annex.
If your travels are also taking you to Germany, be sure to visit Dachau Concentration Camp outside Munich for a life-changing experience.
6. Leave big bags at your hotel
As you’ve probably figured out, the theme of this post is “Don’t do anything that will jeopardize getting inside the Anne Frank House.” And here’s another: don’t bring anything bigger than the size of a standard sheet of paper with you.
The Anne Frank House does have a cloak room where you can store your coat, umbrella, smaller bag, etc. However, they will not allow entry of anything larger than a sheet of paper—a backpack, shopping bags, suitcase, etc. And, oh look, you’ve just missed your time slot.
The Anne Frank House is small, compact, and not easy to navigate. The stairs are tight, old, and very steep, and more than a couple of people in here at the same time will feel crowded. Arrive with nothing at all or a small purse so you can get right on in without issue.
7. Explore the Jordaan after your visit
The Anne Frank House is located within the Jordaan district of Amsterdam, a beautiful neighborhood built along winding canals in the 17th century. (Pronounced Your-don) You’ll find old churches here and lots of that famous Amsterdam architecture, tree-lined streets, bobbing houseboats, tons of museums, and much to see and do.
After your visit to the Anne Frank House, be sure to spend some time in the Jordaan checking out the neighborhood (if you’re not already staying here). You can:
- Visit Lindengracht Market for delicious produce and cheeses
- Eat some famous pancakes at the Pancake Bakery or apple pie at Winkel 43
- Have a beer in one of the famous “brown cafés” like Café Kalkhoven, one of the oldest cafés in Amsterdam (opened in 1670)
- …or a cocktail at a speakeasy (shh, it’s called Bar Oldenhof)
- Take a food and history tour of the Jordaan
Optional Anne Frank Amsterdam Tours
Follow up your visit to the Anne Frank House with these popular tours around Amsterdam:
Where to stay when visiting the Anne Frank House
Besides being the home of the Anne Frank House, the Jordaan is the perfect place to stay in Amsterdam. It’s quiet and scenic, yet within walking distance to phenomenal restaurants, entertainment, attractions, and more. I highly recommend staying in the Jordaan neighborhood of Amsterdam.
Hotel Mosaic City Center
Personally, I can’t say enough good things about the Hotel Mosaic City Center. The location is great as is the staff, the rooms, the value. From here, it’s just a (very scenic, especially delicious) 20-minute walk to the Anne Frank House and a 15-minute walk to Museum Square, home to the Van Gogh Museum, the world famous Rijksmuseum, and more.
Book your stay here: Hotel Mosaic City Center
Mr. Jordaan
Another highly rated hotel is the Mr. Jordaan, just a 6-minute walk from the Anne Frank House. It offers a 24-hour front desk along with luggage storage, a continental breakfast, free wifi, all in an amazing location.
Reviewers love the friendly staff and attention to details at this modern hotel.
Book your stay here: Mr. Jordaan
Recommended reading and viewing
For more on the topic of the incredible Anne Frank, check out these books and shows:
More tips for visiting the Anne Frank House
- Hotels: Find great places to stay on Booking.com (my go-to). Expedia and Hotels.com are worth checking too. VRBO is best for apartment rentals.
- Rental cars: Check out the best local rental car deals here.
- Don’t forget to pick up an Amsterdam guidebook and this must-have Netherlands customs and culture guide.
- For more local tours, check out all the options from Viator and Get Your Guide.
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Hi Ashley,
I just read in your guide above that there is a chance to get tickets to Anne Frank’s house if I buy them the same morning at 9. But where do I find these tickets? There is only one site selling tickets and I can only find the link to buy tickets far ahead. Much appriciated for your help!
Hi Annika, I just checked with them and they have recently updated their ticket policy to simply releasing all tickets at once – as the page shows, they release all tickets for the following 6 weeks on Tuesdays at 10am. If a date is showing as sold out, then it is sold out.
Hello, Ashley.
My family and I will be on a cruise next summer and are really hoping to visit the Anne Frank House while docked in Amsterdam. The cruise line has not posted tours yet, but from what I am seeing, the Anne Frank House is not usually included in many tours and does need to be book a couple months in advance on our own. Given the time frame and transportation to and from the cruise terminal, I’m not sure it is going to be possible, but I plan to keep checking the cruise options. The “Walk” tour that you provided on your post sounds like a good option after getting into the city, but it does not look like they have any tickets available now or into the coming months. Do you have any more information on this tour company?
Thank you!
Hi Karen! I just talked to someone at Walks and unfortunately they have recently stopped running that tour altogether. (I’m updating the post now.) But everything else you said is correct – you would need to book the tickets on your own and as in advance as you can.
Did someone try to book the “takewalks” tickets with guaranteed admission?
Is it reliable? It looks intriguing as for the dates I am planning to visit it looks like the only option available
Hi Eva, I personally haven’t taken this tour, but I know lots of people who love the Take Walks tours and find them to be reliable. I just reached out to them for you and they confirmed that they purchase the tickets on the guest’s behalf so that the whole tour fits together the way it should. If you want to ask more questions, you can head to their contact page and there’s a chat box in the lower right corner. They’re super quick and helpful. 🙂
My daughter and I visited in 2019. My husband and I will visit in 2023. He is a history buff and it can’t fail to effect him.
We will also be visiting Dachau – thanks for your amazing posts. We are Aussies who love travel.
Oh that’s good to hear Wendy! I hope you have a great time on your trip!
I’m surprised you didn’t do a post on the Corrie ten Boom house in Haarlem while you were in the area. Maybe on your next trip to the Netherlands!
I definitely will next time when I have more time!
How do you get tickets from the USA-we want to visit on April 30 in the morning
Hi Christine. Please see the highlighted text on this page. What this means is that tickets for visiting in April will become available on the first Tuesday in March. So, it looks like on March 1st you’ll be able to reserve tickets for April 30th. If you click on “buy tickets” you can see the availability on the calendar. 🙂