Madame Tussauds and Ticket Reseller Scams
A street tout near Dam Square offering a discounted “skip the line” ticket is one of the most common small scams a first-time Amsterdam visitor runs into, and knowing which sights this even applies to matters more than knowing it happens at all.
Madame Tussauds and the Amsterdam Dungeon: a real combo, worth checking current pricing
Both attractions are confirmed open in 2026, Madame Tussauds on Dam Square itself and the Amsterdam Dungeon nearby, and both are commonly sold as a combo ticket. Exact current combo pricing shifts often enough with promotions that it is worth treating any specific figure as needing a same-day check rather than something to lock in ahead of the trip. Book Madame Tussauds Amsterdam or book the Amsterdam Dungeon directly through a recognized platform, or check current combo pricing at madametussauds.com/amsterdam .
The scam that touches nearly every major timed sight
Fake or inflated resellers exist for essentially every popular timed-ticket attraction in this city, not just the two above. The single most important case: Anne Frank House tickets exist only at annefrank.org , full stop, with no legitimate resellers anywhere, at any price. The Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum should route to their own official ticket pages or their own listed official resellers, never a random third-party markup site found through a search ad or a tout on the street. Our sightseeing guide covers what genuinely is free to visit nearby, no ticket or reseller risk involved at all.
Hop-on-hop-off buses: current pricing changes constantly
Multiple operators run double-decker city-circuit buses with recorded or live commentary past the canal ring and Museumplein. This segment discounts and repromotes constantly enough that a specific price quoted here would likely be wrong within weeks, so compare current listings close to your travel date rather than trusting an old figure.
Guided Zaanse Schans tours, now bundling the entry fee
Small-group guided day tours to Zaanse Schans exist as an alternative to the DIY train-and-walk version, pitched on explaining what the working mills actually grind rather than just photographing them. Since the site now charges its own Zaanse Schans Card for the interiors, a tour price increasingly bundles that card rather than adding a separate cost on top, worth confirming before assuming you are paying twice.
Buy timed tickets only through the venue’s own site or a platform you already recognize; if a price looks unusually good on a hand-held flyer near Dam Square, it almost certainly is not a real discount.