Amsterdam: Portuguese Synagogue Entrance Ticket

Beautiful Sephardic synagogue that's still being used by a diminished congregation. The building is unique with a long history. It's unheated and doesn't have electricity. The audio guide is very informative. It explicates the long history of the Jewish community in Amsterdam and the devastation of the holocaust. Amazingly, the congregation was able to reconstitute itself.

Lovely old building. Really interesting audio tour telling about the synagogue and the community in general. Well worth a visit.

If you are history buff you need to see this. Several WW II memorials in the area. It is sad that it is no longer used.

It is an incredible piece of history. The fact that it has survived is impressive. The Judaica that has survived is extraordinary.

What an amazing building. Opened in 1675 and very soon became a major tourist attraction in Amsterdam. Still no heating or electricity! It really is a 'must see' if visiting Amsterdam. Second oldest synagogue in Europe still in use.

Visiting the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam was a truly moving experience. It’s incredibly generous of the Sephardic community to open their Synagogue and facilities to visitors. The building itself is stunning and transports you back to 1675, the year it was built. An absolute must-see.

I was looking forward to our whole day in the Jewish Quarter to get an education about the Jewish history and experience in Amsterdam. We visited this Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, the Dutch Resistance Museum, the Holocaust museum, the Jewish theatre, and the Holocaust memorial. It was a jam packed day. Of all of these, we felt the most impactful experience, most educational, and most interesting was the Dutch Resistance museum and the Holocaust museum. I am not sure why Rick Steves gave the Portuguese Synagogue two triangles (stars) instead of one star. It was okay, as was the audio guide. Maybe a private tour would have increased the experience to make it more interesting but I'm not sure.

What experience? We booked tickets to visit the Portuguese Synagogue on Sunday, September 7, 2025, and paid for the tickets. When we got to the synagogue, we were denied entrance because a special event was happening. Why were we not not advised of this beforehand? Very bad experience.

We came here with Naomi, our guide with Jewish Amsterdam Tour, and the experience was enlightening and moving. To see that this sacred place was spared in the war, and that it’s still being used today for religious services and milestones, is amazing, and uplifting.

A fascinating destination for Jewish visitors. Not sure how it will resonate with Gentiles. A great window into the history of the Sephardi community in Amsterdam, which is ritually a bit different than most other Jewish communities in the West.

Interesting experience. The ticket gives entrance to both the Portuguese Synagogue and the Jewish museum. If you enjoy history and old buildings, you will appreciate this experience.

Very interesting, this is an active synagogue that opens to tourists when no services are being held. I only stayed maybe 3/4 of an hour. Wheelchair accessible.

The second-oldest continuously operating synagogue in Europe, you feel like you're stepping back in time when you enter this magnificent building. The synagogue is beautiful and well-preserved, and there's a self-guided audio tour that gives you a lot of background information. It was one of the highlights of my time in Amsterdam.

We were booked and paid $43 for this venue, but when we arrived on Sunday, the synagogue was closed all day for a private service. Highly disappointed. We had also paid another $43 for the Jewish Museum, and when we arrived there to enter the museum, we were told the $43 fee included both venues. It was very hard to find customer service contacts to request a refund and wondering why that wasn’t “caught” when we booked both venues! Finally, the representative stated the synagogue was open, and they refused to refund my money. I even provided proof, but they refused. Just go on your own and pay when you arrive. We won't be using Trip Advisor for any future bookings.

The synagogue was very interesting. Unfortunately, when we were there in 2023, it was undergoing a complete renovation. We spoke with the Rabbi, and he was very informative about its history. There were beautiful religious artifacts, and it was definitely worth the visit. If we have time during our next visit to Amsterdam, we will visit again.

Beautiful historic and moving experience. Loved the audio information tour and the freedom to take our time and explore. Nice gift shop!

Absolutely fascinating, incredible and historical. when built it was the largest synagogue in the world. It’s astounding and so impressive that it is still in use.

Very historic synagogue and well-preserved. You cannot purchase a ticket for just the synagogue, however. It includes the museum, which I wasn't interested in paying for, so it was 22 euros just to see this one room--very expensive. Plus, you get a 2 euro discount for using the app, but it did not give you an option to translate into English when you used the QR code. When I entered the actual address, it gave me an option for English, which it did show on the next screen but reverted to Dutch thereafter. I tried about 20 minutes, but finally gave up and paid extra at the entrance. The audio guides were great and easy to use. I especially liked a piece of music played which included the lyrics, "Be strong".

I was very emotional to see my roots! Love to see how wonderful and beautiful it is!!!’ Thank you for keeping our story alive. Am Israel Chai

Amazing this synagouge is still standing, built in 1600's when Jews were expelled from Portugal. No electricity or heat, but we were here on a beautiful day. The audio guide and map are good. Only downside is they only sell a combo ticket to the Jewish museum, which we didn't have time for. Would have preferred just a synagouge ticket

We bought tickets to the synagogue & museum across the street. Worth going to both to learn about Jewish life here in Amsterdam. Both had some construction going on but luckily not major. It's good to see that they are doing upkeep but you can still enough going to see. I feel it's important to go & support Jewish culture. I like to buy items from the gift shops too while at any European Synagogue or museum.

We walked across the street after the Jewish Museum. The synagogue was under construction so we could only walk in the back and leave. It looked beautiful and they are doing a lot of work. The most interesting part was the basement where you see the tapestries, silver, and torah for the Synagogue. There is also a very informative video about the Synagogue, it's history, and role in daily life. You have to wear a yarmulke I didn't see a bathroom no food no gift shop

Beautiful synagogue with exquisite Aron haKodesh. Still lit with candles, no electricity. Worth a visit !

This synagogue is a piece of Jewish history. The main sanctuary is most impressive, but the winter synagogue is used most of the time. Must bring photo ID to be admitted for services--contact them in advance. The attached museum had many treasures and was very well organized.

I had previously visited the Jewish Museum, which I also recommend, but this time I had a personal tour guide through the Portuguese Synagogue. It was at one point the largest synagogue in the world, and it influenced several other Portuguese Jewish communities throughout the globe. The synagogue itself wasn’t particularly ostentatiously, but it remains an impressive sight nonetheless, and the treasure room further demonstrates the community’s wealth and power. 2 hours was a perfect amount of time to appreciate the synagogue, the historic Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam, and the tiny community of Jews still using the facilities.

The videos in the 1900 to now. Very informative and brought the stories to life. Im Jewish? Display. Can relate to their feelings.

It was very informative. I would highly recommend a visit. An hour is enough time. Go early enough so you have time to go to the Jewish museum.

Amazing trip Beautiful city Great site seeing Synagogue is beautiful Museum was very informative and interesting

Learning the history about the Amsterdam Jews and the synagogue, before and after the holocaust. Inspired by their resilience.

The synagogue is huge but you could see it in 20 minutes. It is definitely overprices (19 euro per ticket) but we are still glad we saw it.

This was recommended to me by some friends at shul in Washington, DC, and I’m so very grateful they did! A highlight of this trip.

I was told the synagogue was beautiful and had to be seen. Part of my disappointment was probably due to construction going on inside the synagogue. However, moving around the different parts of the complex, the signage was very poor. We didn’t know what was on the grounds and had to wander blindly to stumble across things.

Beautiful synagogue, still in use. Great when paired with the (nearby) Jewish Museum and Holocaust Memorials. Gift shop is also excellent. Recommended for anyone interested in the subject matter.

No electricity inside the synagogue, so all the candles are lit for light on holy days. This is a step back in time yet everything is so well maintained. It is without doubt a very special place.

I used the free audiotape and they were very helpful. The museum was interesting and I ran out of time viewing the exhibit s.

Beautiful synagogue built in the late 1600's and still in active use today. Main sanctuary has no heat or electricity, everything is lit by candles. Audio guides are helpful in giving information and context to the main building and the surrounding rooms, including a mikvah, kosher kitchens, rooms for preparing the dead, board room, winter chapel, offices, etc.

It is not the correct info,I had to pay for extra admissions the ticket includes the museum ……I will ask for refund.

The main synagogue is outstanding architreture and reflects ghe splendour of when it was built over 300 years ago. The seats are arranged for a huge congregation and there would have been at one time. The chandeliers it seems still use candles anexceptional.d the roof is itself It is the synagogue of the Sephardic community with the rival Ashkenazi community having been housed in an equally impressive building across the road now the Jewish Museum (included in the same tour). Also on the site is the 'winter' synagogue, apparently used during the war, buildings and furnishings as appropriate for a Jewish burial and also a 'mikva' - where women are expected to bathe after menstruating (to please the men!) or before a marriage. Friendly staff and well worth a visit alongside the neighbouring museum.

The synagogue was very dusty and underwhelming . The information available on the tour was lengthy , quite dry, a pretty heavy afternoon. The museum was very interesting and interactive however, so spend your time here not in the synagogue .

This is an amazing space with an incredible story. We were greeted warmly by everyone we encountered while visiting. We were encouraged to explore the nooks and crannies of the place, and watched for a few moments while a Cantor (Possibly Rabbi?) was teaching a gentleman how to properly roll the Torah. The amount of detail was fascinating. The ticket also includes admission to the museum across the street which was well laid out and told the story of Judaism in Amsterdam. Most sobering was learning about the locked seats which had contained the prayer shawls and books of so many who never returned after WWII. The contents were eventually removed and placed into storage. As a Shiksa with many Jewish friends, I was aware of the rituals surrounding the Mikveh, however I had never seen one, so being able to see two was very interesting to me. The Sukkah was gorgeous! I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Jewish or even just WWII history, it was well worth the five hours spent between the Synagogue complex and the Jewish Historical Museum.

Fascinating to hear about the development of the Synagogue. Audio self-guided tour was wonderful. Staff was helpful in guiding us where to go so we didn't miss anything.

The richness of the Jewish Community from the 1600s until 1940 can be found in the Museum and nearby Synagogue. The museum will also explain what happened to the Jewish Community during the years of Nazi occupation, when 80% of the community was deported and murdered at Sobibor, Auschwitz and elsewhere. Just opened within a block is the Daniel Liebeskind - designed National Holocaust NamenMonument - where every one of the 100,000+ Dutch victims of the Nazi's is named in a stunning and moving memorial. This visit is worth your time. The Synagogue, in particular, was extremely unique.

Visiting with Jewish relatives made this synagogue more meaningful. So much persecution for the faith, heartbreaking.

disappointing we were on time to meet the guide never seen and had to discuss for the ticket and no audio guide

Beautiful synagogue of harmonious and serene construction. The audio tour offers many interesting information about its history. As a negative add that 22€ for the ticket seems really excessive

We have a 2 hour guided tour in German on Anne Frank and 2. Participated in World War II. This was very interesting and also very informative. Unfortunately, the tour of the Anne Frank House was not there. It was also not possible to get online maps since January , which was a pity. Otherwise from architecture etc Amsterdam is a beautiful city.

It is a synagogue, still in use, built in the 16th century by Portuguese Jews expelled by the Portuguese Inquisition, hence the name. Important to acquire the audio guide in several languages to understand each space and its meaning. The ticket, around 19/20 euros, helps the maintenance of a place that needs to be continuously preserved. I consider it important and I do not claim to pay in artistic and historical places. There is a store with books and interesting objects. In front, across the street, there is also the Jewish Museum. It is important to have the passport at hand and in high season to buy a ticket in advance, attaching a document.

The price is a little high, but there is a free audio guide which will greatly help with the visit. 3 areas: around the Synagogue, where there is little to see, at the bottom, you can go up to see the Women's gallery. In the basement, immediately on the right upon entering, there is the treasure room, where above all you can follow a short documentary which explains the whole history of this very interesting place. Do it first to better understand the rest. Finally, in the center, the main one, the Synagogue itself, where there is a particular pleasant smell. The ticket also allows you to visit the Jewish museum, right next door, in the following month.

The tour consists of a visit to the historic Synagogue and the museum that contains the history of the Semitic religion. Plenty of information for those who like audio guides.