If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam, visiting the Anne Frank House should be at the top of your list. However, obtaining tickets to the Anne Frank House can prove to be challenging. It is a small museum, and the number of tickets are therefore limited. This blog post covers the best way to get Anne Frank House tickets, and how you can (likely) still get them even if they’re sold out.
Many people don’t realize that getting tickets to the Anne Frank House is essentially an extreme sport. I was one of those people. You can’t imagine my excitement as I was going online to buy my tickets and then my immediate horror and disappointment when I learned they were sold out every day that I would be in Amsterdam.
That is…until I discovered this secret to getting tickets to the Anne Frank House even when the day is marked as “sold out.” And now, I’m going to show you, too!
Who Was Anne Frank?
Anne Frank, along with her family and four others, hid in concealed rooms above her father’s business in Amsterdam during World War II. She referred to their hiding place as the “Annex.” For over two years, they lived in secrecy, fearing Nazi persecution as Jews.
Anne documented daily life and aspirations in her diary until that fateful day in 1944 when the family’s hiding place was discovered, leading to their arrest by the Gestapo. They were sent to concentration camps, where Anne ultimately died. Nonetheless, her diary survived and eventually became published.
“The Diary of a Young Girl” is the true story written by Anne that told of the horrors of war, the struggles of cohabitation, and her plans for her future whenever the war was over. It is one of the best known re-encounters of the Holocaust.
Is It Worth It to Tour the Anne Frank House?
The short answer is an overwhelming YES – so you should do whatever you can to get tickets!
The Anne Frank House is a special kind of museum. A lot of museums that are dedicated to a specific person aren’t located in the building where that person actually lived and worked.
When you tour the Anne Frank House, you actually get to walk in the rooms that the Frank family hid in during WWII. The original bookcase that concealed the door to their secret hiding place is still there. At the end, you get to see Anne’s diary, along with other memorabilia and historical videos.
What to do Before Going to the Anne Frank House
If you’ve never read The Diary of a Young Girl, I recommend buying that book off of Amazon and reading it before you go. Since you will be touring the actual Annex that Anne and her family stayed in, you will be able to recognize things from the book (such as the bookcase where the entrance to the Annex was).
Additionally, as you go through the different rooms of the house and see the photographs and memorabilia, you will have a much better understanding of the different people that are mentioned throughout the tour. IMO, this makes the tour much more meaningful.
How to Get Tickets to the Anne Frank House
Tickets to the Anne Frank House can ONLY be purchased through the official Anne Frank House website.
You will find tours on Get Your Guide and Viator that mention Anne Frank, but know that this is a historical tour, NOT the tour of her family’s annex.
There are 2 different types of tickets you can purchase: You can get a basic ticket, or a ticket with a 30 minute introductory program that takes you through the history of Anne Frank in the context of WWII.
On the day of your tour, you should arrive at least 15 minutes before your tour starts. You will enter the museum on the side of the building, and from there, be led into the actual house where the Frank family stayed.
The tour comes with an audioguide, so you are able to hear about the different rooms as you walk through them by scanning the QR code in that room and listening to the guide.
When Do Tickets to the Anne Frank House Go on Sale?
Tickets go on sale every Tuesday at 10:00am for a visit 6 weeks out. The Anne Frank House is a small museum and sells a limited number of tickets for each day.
If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam, I strongly advise purchasing your Anne Frank tickets as soon as they become available. If not, you risk them being sold out (and trust me, they sell out fast).
I tried purchasing my tickets 3 weeks before I was set to go to Amsterdam, and when I went on the website, they were sold out! I figured 3 weeks would give me plenty of time, but this was not the case. Fortunately, I was able to figure out a way to still snag some tickets, which I talk about below.
What to do if The Anne Frank House is Sold Out
If you’re reading this, I assume you are in panic mode because you went online to purchase your tickets and realized they were sold out. Don’t worry – all hope is (likely) not lost!
In addition to releasing tickets for 6 weeks out every Tuesday at 10am, the Anne Frank museum will also release a small number of tickets for the following week for anyone looking to go at the last minute.
For example, if you are looking to go to the Anne Frank House sometime during the first week of August, you want to make sure you go on the website at 10:00am the Tuesday before that week to purchase last-minute tickets.
However, keep in mind that 10:00am means 10:00am Amsterdam time. I live on the East Coast of the United States, so 10:00am in Amsterdam was 4:00am for me. Nevertheless, my alarm was set. Make sure you extrapolate your time correctly!
Getting Last Minute Tickets
When my alarm went off at 4:00am the Tuesday before I was set to go to Amsterdam, I immediately logged on to the Anne Frank House website. I remember having to refresh the screen a few times before I saw available tickets. The tickets started showing up as available around 4:07am (so don’t panic if you don’t see any right away!).
I also remember seeing the tickets come available in waves. For example, when the tickets first started showing up, I saw some that were available on Wednesday only. **waits a few minutes – refreshes screen** …now, there are some that are showing up for Sunday and Tuesday as well.
This is to say that if your specific day isn’t showing up right away, give it a minute or so and refresh the screen. Eventually, I saw the whole week become available!
Other Anne Frank Activities
Click any of the links below from Get Your Guide for more Anne Frank tours, including a guided walking tour, an Anne Frank World War II walking tour, and Anne Frank’s Last Walk. Keep in mind, these tickets will NOT get you a tour inside the Anne Frank house.
Want Help Planning Your Trip to Amsterdam?
Check out my itinerary blog post: 3 Days in Amsterdam: The Itinerary for all of my favorite things I did in this incredible city! If you like guided tours and activities, check out the link from Get Your Guide below:
Hotel recommendation
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THIS HO(S)TEL is the perfect place for solo travelers. Unlike your typical hostel where you share a room, THIS HO(S)TEL had cube rooms so you had a room to yourself! (Disclaimer: everyone on your floor shares a bathroom – girls and guys included).
Click your favorite link below to book, and read my review of THIS HO(S)TEL here!
I didn’t know that Anne Frank’s house would sell so fast. I’m planning to go there on August 2 to August 11, 2024. Is it possible for you to get tickets for a group of 6 people. I’ll pay the tickets and give a donation.
Hi! What I would suggest you do is go on the Anne Frank website at 10:00am the Tuesday before that week (so July 30) to purchase last-minute tickets. Remember this is 10am Amsterdam time, so make sure you set an alarm! You may have to wait for a bit and refresh your screen a few times before the tickets will appear. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to get 6 for one time slot or if your group will have to split up. Maybe you can do back to back times (for example, 3 of you go at 12pm and 3 of you go at 1pm). I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Thank you for your post on getting tickets to the Anne Frank House (even when it’s sold out)!!! I was in Amsterdam and had the same experience you did of being utterly disappointed that I couldn’t get tickets to the Anne Frank House while I was in country.
You’ll never believe this, but I was browsing options for the Anne Frank House online, and I somehow landed upon your website, read your post about the Anne Frank House at 9:52 am in Amsterdam on a Tuesday morning, hopped on the website for the Anne Frank House at 10 am, and scored tickets for the following Tuesday for me and my whole party!! It’s was incredible timing!
I am beyond thrilled to have gotten to do this unforgettable experience. Thank you so much for guiding me through finding those last-minute tickets!
Oh my gosh, I am SO HAPPY for you!!! Thank you so much for your sweet message 🙂 it always makes my day to know I’m helping others! I hope you have the best time on the rest of your trip <3
So does this mean I cannot try to get tickets for the same week by 17 Sep? We’re traveling on Friday / 20 Sep and hoping to get 2 tickets for a visit on 21 or 22 Sep.
Hi Cathy! I would still try on the 17th. You may have luck! 🙂
Thanks so much for this info! I was ready to give up after 30 minutes but, as if by magic, the multitude of ticket options appeared! I’m so happy I stumbled upon this helpful post!
YAY!!! I’m so glad it helped you! I hope you have a great time on your tour 🙂