Easily, the Anne Frank House was the highlight of our Amsterdam trip. Pre book in advance obviously, because the slots are filled up soon. You can start booking two months before your actual visit in order to escape long queues. You are giving a particular time slot to visit this iconic attraction. Come half an hour before your actual visit. However, I would emphasize and state that you should club your ticket with THE INTRODUCTORY PROGRAM at a nominal cost. The benefit of the introductory program is that it sets the momentum for the emotional visit. A lot of people may not know the entire history and the backdrop of the Anne Frank House; so listening to the person narrating the tale with pictures can keep you in the right mindset, before you proceed with the actual houdse tour. The tour takes 2 hours, as you absorb the poignant story with pictures, furniture, bedroom, bathroom, bookshelf of the actual house. While some furniture may have needed sprucing up to keep up with changing time, many things like stairs, bathrooms, the moving cupboard with the secret door, the hiding place... are just the way they were in the original house. In winter, when the lines are fewer, you can feel more relaxed going through the house. Do keep in mind, that there are steep stairs, but they are not dangerous, if you keep your eyes open. Anne Frank House has some of the best audio guides among many museums that I have visited, with the right tonality and good blending with the quotes and scripts on the display. You are left in a daze with the Frank Story as you leave the house. Anne Frank Story is a personification of what independence really means to an individual. Don't miss this piece of history cradled in the Second World War. What happened with the Frank Family is sure to shock you, if you already don't know about it. At the end, there is a little program with celebrities and eminent personalities talking about Anne Frank. Lastly, this is one of the rare museums that keeps you hooked, even after you leave the place. At first, I was a little pissed with the fact that taking photos were not allowed in this museum. But I think that this is the best decision ever. Because the effect would have been diluted with people missing the finer details by focusing more on repeated camera clicks, as it is the norm in so many places.

Recommend that you buy tickets a month or two in advance, especially during the summer months. A thought provoking, sobering experience as you walk around the building where Anne Frank and her family & friends secretly hid for two years. There is no furniture but an exhibit in miniature to show you what it was like. There are still Anne's posters of film stars etc on the wall, some faded but they're original and protected. You walk through all the rooms apart from the attic, but they have a mirror so you can see the chestnut tree mentioned in Anne's diary.

I read the diaries over three years ago but it is a story you never forget. Seeing the stark reality of their lives was a definite eye opener. We visited early afternoon on New Years Eve and it wasn't overly busy. Don't forget tickets can only be purchased online and are released a month beforehand, with a small number released on the date. The free audio guides, in a number of languages, give you a fantastic insight as you move through the various rooms. It is amazing how many authentic details and artifacts from the time have been preserved.