Getting There – Arrival at the Rijksmuseum

The access road to the Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands, is open to pedestrians and cyclists only.

Which means that there is no direct access to the Rijksmuseum by taxi (the recommended means of arrival, as the nearest bus stop at Spiegelgracht has yet to be adapted for wheelchair users).

However, there is a “Kiss & Ride” drop-off point approximately 100 metres from the museum entrance (on the corner of Jan Luijkenstraat and Stadhouderskade). This is the best place for taxis to drop off visitors.

Entrance – Access to the Rijksmuseum

All visitors to the Rijksmuseum are required to book a start time for their visit. However, once inside the Rijksmuseum you can stay for as long as you want during opening hours.

To help control the number of people who are in the Rijksmuseum at any one time, these start times are staggered. So when buying your entrance ticket online (recommended), you must select a specific date/start time.

Tickets are free for holders of the I Amsterdam City Card, otherwise the wheelchair user has to pay full adult price (entry is free for one companion though – so in addition to selecting your own full-price ticket, also select the “I already have a ticket/voucher” as the ticket option to obtain your free companion ticket – the free companion ticket can then be picked up at the ticket office when you arrive).

If you haven’t booked your tickets in advance though (but you really really should), then you should definitely arrive EARLY in the day. The queues can be horrendously long. And as a relaxed visit can take around 3 hours (you could easily spend a whole week in the Rijksmuseum though), you really don’t want to end up standing in a queue for hours later in the day – only to end up seeing the Rijksmuseum in just one very rushed hour!

Rijksmuseum Accessibility

The entire Rijksmuseum is fully wheelchair accessible.

You can borrow a wheelchair, rollator, pushchair , walking cane or foldable museum stool at the information desk (free of charge).

A floorplan showing the lifts, seating areas throughout the museum and disabled toilets is also available at the information desk.

Wheelchair accessible lifts will take you to all upper floors, and also to the main Rijks Café, located above the Rijksmuseum shop in the central atrium.

Free WiFi is available throughout the Rijksmuseum.

Wheelchair Accessible Toilets in the Rijksmuseum

Adapted toilets for wheelchair users are located at various places within the Rijksmuseum (indicated on the map available from the Information Desk).

There is also a fully-equipped “Changing Places” style room (which has a mobile lift, bed and sink). Nearby staff will happily point out the location if required.

Wheelchair Accessible Cafe/Restaurant in the Rijksmuseum

The main Café is accessible (and is centrally located above the Shop – and can be accessed by a wheelchair accessible lift). But it can be quite busy. So if you prefer a quieter coffee, head to the espresso bar in the Philips Wing (next to the “Rijksrestaurant”). There is a wheelchair accessible toilet here too.

See the Wheelchair Accessible Amsterdam Guide for details of other wheelchair accessible attractions, restaurants and hotels in Amsterdam.