ARTIS Amsterdam Tickets: Prices, Opening Hours & Tips

Inside ARTIS: what you’re paying for

ARTIS opened in 1838, making it the oldest zoo in the Netherlands, and it still sits where it started: in the leafy Plantage neighbourhood, a short tram ride from Amsterdam Centraal. The full name, Natura Artis Magistra, means “nature is the teacher of art”, and the place feels more like a 19th-century park with animals than a modern safari zoo. Monumental buildings, old trees and canals run right through it.

ARTIS Amsterdam tickets include three attractions in one:

• ARTIS Zoo — the animal collection spread across the park, from big cats and giraffes to birds, reptiles and small mammals, plus a butterfly pavilion.
• The Aquarium — housed in a grand 19th-century building, with freshwater and saltwater tanks and a walk-through that rewards slow looking.
• The Planetarium — included shows under the dome; check the daily schedule when you enter to fit one into your route.

Two separate museums share the same site and can be added with a combination ticket:

• ARTIS-Micropia — the museum of microbes, the invisible life in and around you.
• ARTIS-Groote Museum — exhibits on how humans connect with the rest of nature, open late on Thursdays.

ARTIS suits families with young children (short distances, plenty of benches and cafés), couples and city-breakers who want a calm half-day between museums. It doesn’t suit visitors expecting a large safari park with drive-through enclosures. For that, head to Beekse Bergen in Brabant, where one ticket covers car, bus, boat and walking safaris.

Not everything here needs a ticket. Artisplein, the square by the entrance, is free and open from early morning until late evening, and the ARTIS shop and Café-restaurant de Plantage next to it work well as a meeting point before or after your visit.

Timing is everything

ARTIS is busiest on weekends, during Dutch school holidays (spring, May, summer and autumn breaks) and on sunny bank holidays. Amsterdam’s tourist season adds steady crowds from April to September. Visit on a weekday morning outside the school holidays, and you’ll have the Aquarium nearly to yourself.

Arrive for opening at 09:00. Animals are more active early, the light under the old trees is softer, and school groups tend to arrive mid-morning. Check the daily programme for feeding moments and Planetarium show times as you walk in, and plan around one or two of them. Do the outdoor zoo first, then move indoors to the Aquarium and Planetarium in the busy middle of the day or when it starts to rain.

Rain plan: a wet day at ARTIS is better than it sounds. The Aquarium and the Planetarium are both indoors and included in the ticket, and Micropia and the Groote Museum are next door. If the forecast is poor, book the combination ticket and split the day between the outdoor zoo in the drier hours and the museums when it pours.

From November to February, ARTIS closes at 17:00 and the light goes early, so start in the morning to see the outdoor animals in daylight.

Insider tip: The online price changes by day. Before you book, check a few dates in the official price calendar — a weekday visit is often cheaper than a Saturday, and the saving per person adds up quickly for a family.

The insider entry

If you’re short on time or already in the Plantage late in the day, look for the late-afternoon ticket: in autumn, ARTIS has sold zoo entry from 16:00 for €15 (age 3+), with Micropia or the Groote Museum at €9. It’s a good way to see the zoo at feeding time and in the evening light without paying the full day price. In winter, with a 17:00 close, it only buys an hour, so it suits summer and early autumn better.

How to save on tickets

• Always book online. The counter price for ages 13+ is €32.50; online starts at €29.50 and varies by day.
• Know the age bands. Ages 0–2 are free, 3–12 pay from €25.50 online, and 13+ pay the adult rate.
• Students pay €16.25 for ARTIS Zoo, with proof of study.
• Museum Pass holders get a discount on ARTIS Zoo tickets and free entry to Micropia and the Groote Museum. Under-13s also go free in the two museums.
• Combination ticket. If you plan to see Micropia or the Groote Museum anyway, the combination ticket (from €35.50 online for 13+) costs less than buying both separately.
• Bring a picnic. Own food is allowed, which saves a lot on a family day in Amsterdam.

On GetYourGuide, the ARTIS ticket was listed from €29.50 at the time of checking, rated 4.6★ from 6,349 reviews — the same as the official lowest online price.

Getting there without the hassle

ARTIS is at Plantage Kerklaan 38–40, east of the old centre.

• Tram: line 14 runs between Amsterdam Centraal and Javaplein and stops at ARTIS, around the corner from the main entrance.
• Metro: Waterlooplein station (lines 51, 53 and 54) is about a 10-minute walk.
• Bus: lines 22 and 43 stop at Kadijksplein.
• Car: ARTIS has its own car park, but parking costs about €17 for a day for non-members, and central Amsterdam is slow to drive. Use a park-and-ride on the ring road and the tram instead.

Accessibility: ARTIS lends a limited number of wheelchairs at the ticket desk for a small deposit, and four can be reserved by phone at least a day ahead. Pushchairs for children up to 3 are allowed throughout the zoo, and the paths are flat, as you’d expect in Amsterdam.

From Schiphol Airport, take the train to Amsterdam Centraal (about 15–20 minutes) and then tram 14.

Make it a trip

The Plantage is one of Amsterdam’s quietest neighbourhoods, and ARTIS fits into a relaxed city day:

• The Hortus Botanicus botanical garden and the Dutch Resistance Museum are both a few minutes’ walk from the zoo gates.
• For a day out of the city, Madurodam in The Hague shows the Netherlands in miniature and is about an hour away by train.
• Thrill-seekers can head to Walibi Holland in Flevoland, about an hour by car, or compare all options in our guide to theme parks near Amsterdam.

A practical one-day plan: be at the ARTIS gates at 09:00, see the outdoor zoo and the Aquarium by lunchtime, eat on Artisplein, then spend the afternoon at Micropia or the Hortus Botanicus. You’ll be back at Centraal on tram 14 in about a quarter of an hour, with the evening free for the canals.

Browse more on our Netherlands destinations hub or compare animal parks across Europe on the zoos and aquariums hub.