Operator
GVB city trams
Museum quarter
2 / 24 from Centraal
Payment
OVpay or GVB ticket
Routes checked
25 October 2026
In short
Amsterdam’s trams are useful for street-level trips through the canal belt and to Museumplein, Plantage and De Pijp. Start with the stop near the entrance you need, then read the tram’s direction. Several familiar routes changed in 2026, so an old list of tram numbers can send you to the wrong place.
- From Centraal to Museumplein, trams 2 and 24 are useful direct street-level options.
- For Waterlooplein and ARTIS, tram 14 serves the eastern side of the old centre and Plantage.
- Tram 12 no longer goes to Centraal: it links Amstelstation, De Pijp, Concertgebouw and the western neighbourhoods.
- Use OVpay or a valid GVB ticket, and check out when leaving the tram. There is no tram directly to Schiphol.
☰ Table of contents
Useful tram routes for Museumplein, ARTIS, De Pijp and IJburg
This selection covers visitor journeys rather than every line in the network. The routes below were checked against GVB’s current line pages. Stop names are more precise than an attraction district: Museumplein and Concertgebouw are different stops, while ARTIS has a stop named Artis/Holocaustmuseum.
Amsterdam tram map and the route changes in 2026
Use the official GVB rail-network map to understand how trams meet the metro and railway stations. The linked map is the April 2026 network snapshot. For a journey on a particular day, use the current stop display or planner as well: a static map does not show every temporary diversion.
Tram 12: do not wait at Centraal
Since the March 2026 network change, line 12 runs between Amstelstation and the western neighbourhoods via De Pijp and Concertgebouw. For Centraal–Museumplein, use the relevant 2 or 24 service instead.
Tram 24: a direct route from Centraal
Line 24 now reaches Centraal through the Museumplein–Leidseplein corridor. Older advice describing its route through Ferdinand Bolstraat and Vijzelstraat is no longer the current route.
Tram 3: an old number on an old guide
Line 3 was withdrawn in March 2026. Parts of its former east–west role are covered by lines 12 and 25, alongside other connections; do not build a current trip around waiting for a number 3.
Diemen and eastern works
GVB’s Linnaeusstraat works affect the eastern tram routes. Line 19 is shortened to Muiderpoortstation, with a separate line 29 on the Diemen Sniep–Oostpoort section. A through line 19 to Diemen is not the current arrangement.
Choosing the right tram stop for Museumplein and De Pijp
Museumplein is a large outdoor square, not one shared museum entrance. For a visit to Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk or Concertgebouw, compare the walking approach with the entrance on the admission or venue information. A stop beside one end of the square can leave a longer walk to the other end.
From Centraal, trams 2 and 24 stop at Museumplein. Line 24 also continues to Concertgebouw. From station Zuid, line 5 serves Concertgebouw and Museumplein; from Amstelstation or De Pijp, line 12 serves Concertgebouw and Van Baerlestraat. Read the direction as well as the number, especially when you return.
For Albert Cuypmarkt, M52 station De Pijp or tram 4’s Albert Cuypstraat stop can be useful, depending on your starting point and the end of the market you want. The normal market does not operate on Sunday. For Rijksmuseum from M52, leave at Vijzelgracht and allow the walk; there is no metro station named Museumplein.
GVB tram ticket prices, OVpay and day-ticket validity
The figures below are 2026 GVB tariffs, checked on 25 October. An hourly ticket and a distance-based OVpay journey are different ways to pay. For a day mostly spent walking between Spui and the Jordaan, a pass may add little; repeated journeys between the centre, Museumplein and your accommodation make the comparison more useful.
A physical bank card and the same card in a phone wallet are different payment forms. Keep the same one throughout the journey and for the GVB Max calculation. Child, group and longer-duration tickets have their own conditions; the detailed tickets guide compares those products and the airport passes.
Boarding a tram, validating the ticket and checking out
At busy stops such as Leidseplein, Dam and Museumplein, check the destination display before boarding. The opposite direction may use a different platform or side of the street. Follow the marked boarding doors on the vehicle; Amsterdam uses more than one tram layout.
- Have a valid payment form before boarding. GVB says tickets cannot be bought on buses or on trams without a conductor. Do not depend on paying the driver after joining the queue.
- Check in or scan the correct ticket format. Use the contactless reader for a bank card or the appropriate scanner for a barcode ticket. Keep other contactless cards away from the reader.
- Request your stop and move towards the marked exit. On a crowded Museumplein or Leidseplein service, allow time to reach the exit without blocking the boarding flow.
- Check out with the same card or device. If you change to another tram or to the metro, finish the first journey and follow the check-in requirements for the next vehicle. Do not leave an OVpay journey open by forgetting the final tap.
A missed OVpay check-out can produce a correction fare. Identify the actual GVB journey in OVpay and use its correction process; buying a new pass afterwards does not retrospectively pay for the incomplete trip.
Tram access, airport luggage and the bicycle exception on line 26
A low-floor tram is only one part of an accessible journey. Check the stop, direction and boarding point for your route, as well as the vehicle. Around Museumplein or station Zuid, the final street crossing and any lift used during a transfer matter as much as the tram floor.
If you arrive with luggage from Schiphol, the airport train or bus is a separate first leg. Choose an Amsterdam arrival station that suits the hotel: Centraal is useful for the old centre, while Zuid can connect with M52 and tram 5. A direct train followed by one short connection can be easier than forcing every airport journey through Centraal.
Ordinary non-folding bicycles are not generally permitted on GVB trams. Tram 26 is the specific exception, with its own bicycle-ticket and travel-time rules. The free bicycle arrangement on an IJ ferry does not automatically apply on tram 26 or the metro. Keep wheelchair and pushchair spaces available and follow staff instructions when the tram is busy.
Late tram journeys and connections after a show or dinner
After an event near Leidseplein, Concertgebouw or Rembrandtplein, check the last departure from the stop and in the direction you actually need. A timetable from the other end of the line can be misleading, and a tram running in one part of the city does not establish that your connection is available.
For a return to Noord, the F3 ferry to Buiksloterweg runs 24/7, but a tram connection to Centraal has its own timetable. For a return to Schiphol, check the complete late-night rail or bus trip separately. GVB night buses use separate fare arrangements from an ordinary hourly tram ticket; a GVB day or multi-day ticket includes GVB night services.
What to know
- For Centraal–Museumplein, look for the relevant 2 or 24 service, not an old recommendation to take tram 12.
- For ARTIS, tram 14’s Artis/Holocaustmuseum stop is more useful than choosing a generic “east Amsterdam” destination.
- From Amstelstation or De Pijp, tram 12 to Concertgebouw can avoid a detour through Centraal.
Keep in mind
- Do not wait for the former tram 3 or assume old route maps reflect the 2026 network.
- Do not use a GVB tram ticket as payment on the NS airport train or Connexxion 397.
- Do not take an ordinary bicycle onto another tram because you have seen bicycles on line 26.
Frequently asked questions
Which tram goes from Amsterdam Centraal to Museumplein?
Trams 2 and 24 provide useful direct street-level routes from Centraal to Museumplein. Check the correct direction and the entrance you need. Tram 12 no longer runs to Centraal.
Can I pay for an Amsterdam tram with a bank card?
Eligible contactless cards and devices can use OVpay. Check in and out with the same payment form. A plastic card and its phone-wallet version count as different forms.
Can I buy a ticket from every tram driver?
No. GVB says tickets cannot be bought on trams without a conductor. Arrange a valid ticket or supported OVpay payment form before boarding.
Which tram is useful for ARTIS and Plantage?
Tram 14 serves Artis/Holocaustmuseum and Plantage Lepellaan, as well as Waterlooplein. Check the current route for works farther east.
Does an Amsterdam tram go to Schiphol Airport?
No. Schiphol has NS trains and airport buses. A GVB tram may form the city connection after your airport leg, but its fare does not automatically cover that train or a Connexxion bus.
Can I bring a bicycle on the tram?
Not on ordinary GVB trams. Tram 26 is an exception with a separate bicycle product and restrictions. Check its rules before combining an IJburg trip with a bicycle.
Museumplein visits to book separately from the tram
Van Gogh Museum and the Bols Cocktail Experience are both in the museum-quarter area, but they offer different visits and have their own admission arrangements. A GVB fare covers the journey; it does not include either venue booking.
