How to Get to the Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum sits in one of Amsterdam’s most convenient cultural clusters — Museumplein. The Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum are within a five-minute walk, which makes the area easy to combine with other attractions in a single day. Getting there, regardless of your starting point in the city, is straightforward once you know which tram to take.

Museum Address and Location

Van Gogh Museum
Museumplein 6
1071 DJ Amsterdam
Netherlands

The museum entrance faces the open square of Museumplein, with the Rijksmuseum visible to the north and the Stedelijk Museum to the south. The main entrance is on the Museumplein side of the building, not on Paulus Potterstraat — some older guides and some maps still list the Paulus Potterstraat address, which is now outdated.

By Tram — The Recommended Option

Tram travel in Amsterdam uses the OV-chipkaart (the national public transport card) or contactless bank card payment. You can also buy a single-use ticket from the tram driver or at ticket machines, though the contactless option is the most convenient for visitors.

Key tram stops for the Van Gogh Museum:

• Van Baerlestraat — served by trams 2, 5, and 12. This is the closest stop, less than a 2-minute walk to the museum entrance.
• Museumplein — served by trams 3, 5, and 12. Also a short walk to the museum.

From Amsterdam Centraal Station, take tram 2 or tram 12 from the tram stops outside the main entrance. Both go directly to Van Baerlestraat.

From Leidseplein, trams 2 and 5 pass through and stop at Van Baerlestraat — a journey of about 5 minutes.

From Rembrandtplein, tram 4 travels toward Museumplein, though a change may be needed. Trams 2 and 5 from nearby Koningsplein are a simpler option.

By Bus

Several bus routes serve the Museumplein area:

• Bus 347 and 357 stop at Museumplein, giving access to the museum from the southern parts of Amsterdam and surrounding areas.

Bus travel uses the same OV-chipkaart or contactless payment system as trams.

By Metro

There is no direct metro stop for the Van Gogh Museum, but the metro can get you close:

• Metro line 52 (Noord/Zuid line) stops at De Pijp station. From there, take tram 3 (direction Zoutkeetsgracht) or tram 12 (direction Centraal Station) to Van Baerlestraat — two stops, around 5 minutes.

This route works well if you are coming from Amsterdam Noord (after a ferry crossing from Centraal) or from the southern residential neighbourhoods.

By Bicycle

Amsterdam is designed for cycling, and Museumplein is no exception. The museum is reachable from Centraal Station in around 15–20 minutes by bike, following the main cycling lanes along the canals southward.

There are bicycle parking facilities on Museumplein itself, and several rental docking stations near the museum for visitors who want to cycle from their accommodation. Renting a bike for a day is one of the most enjoyable ways to combine the Van Gogh Museum visit with exploration of the city’s canal ring.

By Car and Parking

Driving to the Van Gogh Museum is possible but not generally recommended. Amsterdam’s city centre has extremely limited street parking, and most streets near Museumplein are either restricted or metered at high rates.

The nearest car park is Q-Park Museumplein, with its entrance on Van Baerlestraat, open 24 hours and a short walk to the museum entrance. Paid street parking is available on nearby streets, subject to permit zone restrictions. Amsterdam’s city-wide policy actively discourages car use in the museum district, so if you are travelling from outside Amsterdam, arriving by train and using the tram from Centraal is considerably less stressful.

From Amsterdam Airport (Schiphol)

The journey from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to the Van Gogh Museum takes approximately 30–45 minutes by public transport:

1. Take the Intercity train from Schiphol Airport Station to Amsterdam Centraal — approximately 15–20 minutes, with trains running every 10–15 minutes.
2. From Centraal, take tram 2 or tram 12 to Van Baerlestraat — approximately 15 minutes.

An alternative is the Airport Express bus (Bus 397), which travels from Schiphol to various stops including Leidseplein. From Leidseplein, trams 2 and 5 continue to the museum.

A taxi or ride-share from Schiphol takes 20–40 minutes depending on traffic and costs roughly €40–€55. This is a comfortable option for groups or those with heavy luggage, but not meaningfully faster than the train during off-peak hours.

Nearby Landmarks for Orientation

If you are navigating on foot or by tram, these reference points help with orientation around Museumplein:

• Rijksmuseum — directly across Museumplein to the north, 5-minute walk
• Stedelijk Museum — adjacent to the Van Gogh Museum on the south side
• Vondelpark — 8-minute walk to the west, useful for a post-visit stroll
• Cobra Café — on the north side of Museumplein, often used as a meeting point for guided tours
• I Amsterdam sign — located in front of the Rijksmuseum, a common landmark for visitors arriving at Museumplein for the first time

Tips for Arriving Smoothly

• Plan to arrive 10–15 minutes before your timed slot. The entry queue forms before your booked time, and clearing security takes a few minutes.
• Leave your large bags at your hotel if possible. The museum has a cloakroom and lockers, but large luggage creates delays at the entrance security check.
• Avoid arriving by car on Saturday and Sunday. Weekend traffic in the museum district is heavy, and parking capacity near Museumplein is limited.
• Check tram disruptions before you travel. Amsterdam occasionally has weekend track maintenance that reroutes trams. The GVB website and app shows real-time service updates.

For information on what to do once you arrive — including how long to plan for your visit and what to see first — read our tips for first-time visitors to the Van Gogh Museum.