Group audio rules at the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and other Amsterdam sites (2026)

Amsterdam's city rules do not require headsets, but its museums leave little room for a raised voice. The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Royal Palace on Dam Square expect guest guides to bring their own whisper set, while the Anne Frank House allows no outside guides at all. On the streets, a city policy bans sound amplification.

A whisper set brought by the guide, for the guide and every guest. In the Rijksmuseum's conditions for registered guest guides, the KPN wing is the one part of the museum with its own rule: a self-brought whisper set, at most 12 guests plus the guide, and a separate start time.

"Rondleiden is toegestaan maar alleen met gebruik van een zelf meegenomen fluisterset voor jezelf en je gasten. Er zijn maximaal 12 gasten + een gastrondleider toegestaan."

In English: "Guiding is allowed, but only using a whisper set you bring yourself for you and your guests. A maximum of 12 guests plus one guest guide is allowed."

Guest guides register every calendar year and wear a personal badge; registration cost EUR 50 for 2026. Elsewhere no whisper set is required; the museum notes that groups with sound sets spread out because they hear the guide anywhere, so keep yours together.

It may. The museum bans live-streaming and recording tours and defines neither term. A local broadcast from the guide's phone to guests' phones is not an internet stream, but the wording does not draw that line, so ask the museum in writing first, and never record.

"Het live-streamen of (digitaal) opnemen van rondleidingen is niet toegestaan."

In English: "Live-streaming or (digitally) recording tours is not allowed."

With Your Next Tours, the guide's phone broadcasts over a pocket WiFi router without internet, and guests listen in their own phone's browser through their own earphones. Live translation sends the guide's voice over the internet, so keep it off in the Rijksmuseum unless the museum confirms it.

Both ask guest guides to keep their voices down and use a whisper set where needed, brought by the guide. Neither sets a group size that triggers it; both cap groups per guide, require guest guides to register first and give their own guides priority.

"Spreek zachtjes om andere bezoekers niet te storen en gebruik zo nodig een fluisterset bij het geven van uitleg. Zorg zelf voor een fluisterset."

The museum's own English version: "Speak softly in order to avoid disturbing other visitors, and if necessary, use a tour guide system when providing explanation. You are required to bring your own tour guide system." It allows 5 or 15 people per guide; a third breach can bar the guide.

"Spreek zacht en gebruik indien nodig een fluisterset met koptelefoons (zelf mee te nemen)."

In English: "Speak softly and, if necessary, use a whisper set with headphones (bring your own)." The Royal Palace caps groups at 20 per guest guide and wants groups of 15 or more announced a day ahead.

No. The visiting conditions forbid tours inside by anyone other than authorised Anne Frank House staff, unless the management gives explicit permission, and the museum runs no guided tours itself. Visitors follow an audio tour in nine languages or book a 30-minute introductory programme.

"rondleidingen in het museum te geven anders dan door daartoe bevoegd personeel van het Anne Frank Huis of na expliciete toestemming van de directie van het Anne Frank Huis"

In English, visitors are forbidden "to give tours in the museum other than by authorised Anne Frank House staff or with the explicit permission of the Anne Frank House management."

Tour operators may not book for third parties, groups are capped at 35, and breaking the conditions can mean losing access without a refund. A phone-based system cannot be used for narration inside; a guide's part of the story happens outside, before the timed entry.

Across the Centrum district, guided tours need a city exemption once a group has five or more participants. Under the conditions in force since 1 April 2020, groups are capped at 15, tours run between 08:00 and 22:00, and sound amplification, shouting and noise are not allowed.

"Groepen bestaan uit maximaal 15 deelnemers." and "Geluidsversterking is niet toegestaan."

In English: "Groups consist of at most 15 participants" and "Sound amplification is not allowed."

Tours past prostitution windows are banned, and groups may not gather at the same spot. A breach brings a fine and an immediate end to the tour; a third one suspends the exemption for three months. The policy does not mention headsets; a headset system carries the voice to earpieces, not into the street.

Other countries' rules are on our tour group headset rules page.

Where a museum asks you to bring your own whisper set, your group already carries the receivers. Install the guide app, create a tour and share its QR code before you enter: guests listen on their own phones and earphones while you speak softly. See how it works and pricing.

Translations of the Dutch texts are ours, except the Van Gogh Museum's own English; the Dutch originals are authoritative.