Booking choice: The small-group Anne Frank walk, from $21 per person. Check dates Tour details
Most first-time visitors worry about crowds. The thing that decides your visit is earlier than that: tickets for the Anne Frank House are sold only on the museum's own website, annefrank.org, in timed slots, and they go on sale six weeks ahead. Once you hold a slot, the rest is easy to plan.
This guide covers the best time to book and to go, how long you need inside, the rules on photos and bags, what to expect on the stairs, the 2026 dates with different hours, and how to get from the Prinsengracht to the Van Gogh Museum or the Rijksmuseum on the same day.
The quick answer
Book on the Tuesday your date is released: every Tuesday at 10:00 CET the museum opens tickets for visits six weeks later. Then pick the hour. The museum is open 9:00 to 22:00 on regular days, a visit takes about an hour, and the evening slots suit people who spend the day walking. Our favourite plan: a guided walk in the morning, then your museum slot.
What is the best time to visit the Anne Frank House?
The best time is decided at booking: tickets go on sale every Tuesday at 10:00 CET for visits six weeks later, and good slots go fast. Any day of the year works once you hold one.
The museum is small, and demand is higher than the number of places. It sells timed tickets online only, with no sales at the door and no waiting list. Every visitor needs a slot, children up to 9 and Museumkaart holders included. That makes the release day the date to put in your calendar.
An example of how the rule works: a visit on Tuesday 15 December 2026 goes on sale on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 10:00 CET. Be online a few minutes before, know your preferred time and a second choice, and pay by card. Tickets cost EUR 16.50 for adults, EUR 7.00 for ages 10 to 17 and EUR 1.00 for children up to 9 (2026, booking fee included). Our ticket guide walks through the booking screen.
One more thing to decide early: tickets cannot be rescheduled or refunded, so lock in your travel dates first.
| Step | When | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Choose your date | More than six weeks ahead | Check the Tuesday that opens it |
| Release | Tuesday, 10:00 CET | Book on annefrank.org as soon as it opens |
| Walking tour | Any time before | Book a guided walk for the same day |
| The visit | Your start time | Arrive at Westermarkt 20 a little early |
What time of day is best for the Anne Frank House?
Any slot works, so plan around your day: morning with a walk before or after, or an evening slot until 22:00, available on most days.
The museum gives no official quiet hour, and we will not invent one. What changes through the day is how the visit fits your plans.
- Morning walk, museum after. This is the order we like. A guide shows you the Westerkerk, the canal houses and the Jewish Quarter, tells the family's story where it happened, and you walk into the museum with the context fresh. The small-group walk in groups of 15 advises booking your slot about two hours after the tour starts.
- Museum first, walk later. It works the other way round too. Sonya (Oct 2026) wrote: "I booked the 900 am Anne Frank house museum ticket myself and then made it to the 1030 tour. It was a perfect combo."
- Evening slot. The doors stay open until 22:00 on regular days. After a full day of sightseeing, a late visit leaves time to sit in the museum café afterwards, with its view over the Prinsengracht.
On short winter days a walk in daylight and an evening museum slot is an easy rhythm. Our winter post covers the rest.
A reflective walk in a group of up to 15 that finishes outside the Anne Frank House, the right lead-in to your museum slot.
Check dates for the small-group walk in groups of 15Which dates in 2026 have different opening hours?
Four changed dates remain in 2026 and early 2027: 7 November (9:00 to 18:30), 25 and 31 December (9:00 to 17:00) and 1 January (12:00 to 22:00).
Outside these dates the museum keeps its regular hours of 9:00 to 22:00, every day. Earlier in 2026 it also closed early on King's Day (27 April), on 4 May and on 20 September, and it closed on Yom Kippur (21 September). Hours on holidays change from year to year, and the museum lists them on its tickets page; the 2027 dates are not out yet. Our opening hours post keeps track.
Season matters less than people think. Rain can come in any month, the visit is indoors, and the walking tours go ahead in most weather. Pack a light rain jacket and comfortable shoes, and you are set.
| Date | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Regular days | 9:00 to 22:00 |
| Saturday 7 November 2026 | 9:00 to 18:30 |
| 25 December 2026 | 9:00 to 17:00 |
| 31 December 2026 | 9:00 to 17:00 |
| 1 January 2027 | 12:00 to 22:00 |
How long does it take to go through the Anne Frank House?
About an hour on average. Your ticket fixes only the start time, so you can stay as long as you need.
The route takes you through the front house and, behind the hinged bookcase, up into the Secret Annex. In the diary room the original red-checked diary is on display. The audio tour, included with every ticket, comes in nine languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. A version called "Anne's Story" tells it from Anne's point of view for young visitors.
With the 30-minute introductory programme (in English, EUR 7.00 extra), plan about an hour and a half. The programme cannot be added to a ticket you already bought, so choose it at booking. The café and the shop are reachable only through the museum, and both take cards only.
For the whole morning, add the walk: one or two hours on the small-group Anne Frank walk, which holds 4.8 out of 5 from 15,449 reviews.
| Part of your day | Time to allow |
|---|---|
| Guided walking tour | 1 to 2.5 hours, depending on the tour |
| Museum visit | About 1 hour |
| Museum with the introductory programme | About 1.5 hours |
| Café with a canal view | As long as you like |
Can you take photos inside the Anne Frank House?
No. Photography and filming are not allowed anywhere in the museum, and that includes smart glasses, camera glasses and AI glasses.
The museum gives two reasons: to protect the original items and to avoid disturbing other visitors.
Outside is another matter. The canal front of Prinsengracht 263, the Westerkerk tower and the Anne Frank statue at the Westermarkt are all within about 100 m of the entrance, and the walking tours in the area pass them. Take your pictures on the walk, then put the phone away inside.
A specialist guide, a small group and Anne's story told on the streets where it happened, in one or two hours.
Explore the small-group Anne Frank walk Tour detailsWhat can you bring into the Anne Frank House?
Only bags smaller than an A4 sheet of paper. Coats, larger bags and buggies go to the free cloakroom; suitcases and big backpacks cannot be stored.
- Small bags: anything smaller than A4 comes in with you.
- The free cloakroom: for coats, bags and buggies.
- Suitcases and large backpacks: the museum has no room for them. Leave them at your hotel or at the drop & go at Amsterdam Central Station, otherwise you may not be let in.
- Payment: cards only, in the café and the shop.
The same advice works for the tours. The small-group walk asks guests not to bring luggage or large bags, and you will be happier on the cobblestones without them.
The entrance is at Westermarkt 20, around the corner from Prinsengracht 263. Until February 2028 no tram stops at the Westermarkt, so take a tram to Dam Square and walk about 10 minutes, or walk about 20 minutes from Central Station. Our tram stop post has the routes.
Is the Anne Frank House accessible, and is it suitable for children?
The historic front house and the Secret Annex are not wheelchair accessible because of the stairs. The museum advises a minimum age of 10.
The route has three steep staircases up, three normal staircases down, one high step of 39 cm and two small staircases. Seating is only at the start and the end; you can ask for a portable stool at the information desk. The modern part of the building, with the temporary exhibition, scale models of the Annex, the café and the shop, is partly accessible by lift with the help of a staff member, through an accessible entrance.
If the stairs are too much, the museum offers an online virtual tour of every room. Another way to see the rooms furnished is the virtual reality visit of the Secret Annex at the end of the Last Walk tour.
For families: the museum says it is not suitable for children under 10, and its introductory programme is for ages 10 and up. Older children often get the most from a guide who tells the story outside first.
Walk the last part of the family's route to the Prinsengracht, then see the Secret Annex furnished in virtual reality.
Check dates for the Last Walk and VR Annex tourHow far is the Anne Frank House from the Van Gogh Museum, and which museum should you add?
About 2.3 km, roughly a 25 to 30 minute walk through the canal belt, or about 17 to 18 minutes by tram. Van Gogh Museum or Rijksmuseum depends on your interests.
The walk south from the Prinsengracht to Museumplein is a pleasant one along the canals. The Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum stand about 300 m apart, so either one makes an easy afternoon after a morning in Anne's neighbourhood.
- The Van Gogh Museum is devoted to Vincent van Gogh. Book online and check its own website for times and prices.
- The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of art and history: EUR 25 for adults in 2026, free for ages 18 and under, open daily 9:00 to 17:00, with a timed start slot for everyone, Museumkaart holders included.
For a day that stays with the same story, look east instead. The Jewish Cultural Quarter and the Dutch Resistance Museum are about 2 km away, and our WWII Amsterdam guide lists the memorials in between.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit the Anne Frank House?
Book on the Tuesday your date is released, at 10:00 CET, six weeks ahead. Any slot works after that; morning slots pair well with a walking tour, and evening slots run until 22:00 on regular days.
How many hours do you need at the Anne Frank House?
About one hour on average, or about 1.5 hours with the 30-minute introductory programme. Only the start time is fixed, so you can stay longer.
Can you take pictures inside the Anne Frank House?
No. Photography and filming are not allowed inside, including smart glasses and camera glasses. Photos outside, on the Prinsengracht and the Westermarkt, are fine.
Can I bring a backpack into the Anne Frank House?
Only bags smaller than an A4 sheet can go inside. Coats and bags go to the free cloakroom; large backpacks and suitcases cannot be stored, so leave them at your hotel or at Central Station.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Anne Frank Small-Group Walking Tour
- Anne Frank specialist guide in your language
- One- or two-hour walking route
- Small group, or private on two hours
Anne Frank Guided Small-Group Walk
A reflective walk in groups of up to 15
Anne Frank Guided Walking Tour
- Guide in English, German, Italian, Spanish or French
- Two-hour walking route
- Start at the Anne Frank monument
