Heineken Experience Photos
Recommended Reviews - Heineken Experience
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
This is a classic experience that just have to do when you go to Amsterdam. Tickets are available online as well as in person and there's plenty of tickets available for each time slots. The staff was friendly and after listening to something in the beginning you go through your own pace through the rest of the experience. You do get a small beer halfway through as well as one in their taproom. They also have a gift shop and rooftop bar!
I was informed by several travel blogs that this is a tourist trap, but honestly, SO WHAT IF IT IS?? In my opinion, t's absolutely worth the time and money for a 90-minute Heineken experience! Not to mention, my husband and I each got 2 beers for free!! We had to wait a little bit to get in, even though it was a weekday. The lockers were almost full, but I heard that there was a coat check area. The tour guide was very interactive with the audience and we also had moments to sit down and watch a 360 degree video in an elevator. I didn't pay for the roof top extra access, because I wanted to spend more on souvenirs and customized beer bottles. Next time if I ever go back to Amsterdam, I would absolutely go back again just for the gift shop and the beer.
This was a pretty cool experience. We went at 4:30pm on a Thursday so it was pretty busy but not overwhelming. We had the ticket including the rooftop. The museum was first and it was interesting but I did find it moved quick and could be a bit surface level. I may be judging too harshly after visiting another brewery earlier in the year. Where I think Heineken did an excellent job was the tasting room at the end. The pint pulling option was a fun addition and the space itself really cool and welcoming. I also enjoyed the rooftop despite there being scaffolding. I also appreciated the rooms on FIFA and Formula 1. Lastly, since I was in Amsterdam for the Dutch Grand Prix I loved being able to design my own bottle for a unique souvenir.
Touring the original Heineken brewery and learning how their beer is made was a delight. There is a small walk-through history exhibit in the old grain silo area that describes Heineken's origins and how the business grew. I appreciated the honest look at the company's humble beginnings. Every great business venture has to start somewhere. The most critical lesson: success is rarely an overnight feat. It takes years of dedication, effort, and learning. Learning not just from your mistakes, but from other people who've gone before you. My experience featured a "Brew You" immersive attraction that puts you in the brew chamber and production line. The bottling line is (not really) transformed into a roller coaster, ending in a taste of the Heineken signature beer. There's a brewery-style bar where you can hang out and enjoy your beer. I opted to go up to the rooftop. You get a few more options for your drink and you get to enjoy views of the Amsterdam skyline. I liked their rooftop and will happily go up there again. I can see it from my hotel.
This brewery tour was so much fun. It was interactive, informational, and educational. A really big and spacious campus. We learned all about the history of Heineken, what goes into the process to make the beer, and so much more. At the end of the tour we were treated to complimentary pours. There were fun activities as well as a gift shop. We had a blast.
The Heineken Experience could do so much more to make the history come alive! I have traveled a bit and been on many tours! This tour lacked the sharing of knowledge about the roots of Heineken and didn't lean into the tech they have for visitors to experience! Get VR Headsets...share more history and engage the groups more with questions. I feel with this museum..you have an opportunity to have an impact vs. feeling like you scamming people on an experience that doesn't deliver!
Way better than I expected. Been to a lot of brewery tours, most of which were a bit boring. This stands out from all of them. Lots of effort put into their walkthrough. Your ticket comes with two tokens that are good for two half pints of Heineken at the end of the tour (you end up at a bar where fresh, crisp half pint Heinekens are on tap). Coolest part of the tour is sort of a 3D ride inside an enclosed room. Lots of dazzling visuals. Probably not a good idea if you're claustrophobic or easily affected by visual stimuli. Near the end of the tour, there are kiosks where you can order a Heineken bottle that you can customize with your name (or whatever you'd want to put there that doesn't go over the word count limit). Costs about 17 euro, but I think it's a nice souvenir. Check this museum out if you're out here. Well worth it.
Heineken is a well worth stop during your time in Amsterdam! A Dutch staple of course!! It's super cool to see the origin of Heineken, where it made and how. I recommend purchasing tours ahead of time and including the roof top in your tour. You get to explore the factory on a guided tour and at the end, you can go to the rooftop to enjoy the views and have another beer complementary. At the end of the tour you can enjoy a Heineken at the "Best Dam Bar". Enjoying a Heineken where it originated, what can be better?! This is for sure a must visit, even if you're not extremely into beer everyone knows the name Heineken, so it's informative at the least!
Purchased walk-in tickets on a Monday for ~5pm. Experience starts off with a history lesson (as expected). Then comes the "immersive" portion, which was a lot of augmented reality, video games (FIFA, etc), photobooths, and more. Don't forget to email the photobooth pics to yourself! Our ticket tier gave us 2 tokens to use for drinks. Our guide threw an extra token on the ground at the beginning of the tour if you're keen on getting an extra drink. Lots of walking, decent amount of stairs. The drinking area floor was pretty sticky, and there are staff who are constantly floating around to take away empty glasses *immediately*. Bathroom attendants also very attentive. You can purchase a personalized bottle mid-tour, which becomes ready for pick-up at the end. Overall, pretty fun experience for all ages whether or not you like beer (but especially the male audience). Definitely on the pricey side, but still fun. Don't forget about the tax refund if you purchase more than $50.
I'll be honest, I am not the biggest support of Heineken beer, living in the US with so many craft breweries around. But when in Amsterdam... This venue and experience was on prior to leaving the for Amsterdam, but I would not have been upset had we not made it. Thankfully on our last full day in the city we walked from Amsterdam-Noord, took the ferry across the IJ and made our way south to arrive at a large red bricked building off S100 or Stadhouderskade. We entered the building with Heineken bottles lining the ceiling and using the self service machines wanted to purchased two tickets with roof top access. Unfortunately, not reserving prior to arriving, the roof top experience was sold out, so we opted for the cheaper tour tickets. Yes, we would still get a free Heineken or two or four. MY girlfriend checked her coat and bag as we queued in the line waiting to be admitted to the start of the tour, as our tickets were validated, we made our way into a stone and brick waiting area that designated the start of the tour. after about 20 minutes our guide finally welcomed us to the experience. We just happened to be standing in front of the guide, who was speaking to the group from up on a rounder and tossed me a circular plastic coin good for "1 consumptie." We had already been give two prior to entering. These would be redeemed later for our free beers. The tour was quite interesting and informational. The guides discussed the history of the Heineken, how it came to the US, the ingredients and brewing and bottling process. I'll admit it did get a bit "commercial" after learning about the beer and process it goes through. Heineken is tied world wide with advertising, so it wasn't surprising to see this included in the tour. The tour ended and we had the opportunity to purchase personalized bottles of the beer. I spent the extra money and picked one up for a friend of mine who loves his Heine! It was finally time to consume some fresh Heineken. Now, like I started this review, I will be honest, it was damn good! Maybe I was just thirsty and yearning for a beer, but the flavor was so much better than what I'd tasted in the US. Think I knocked back 4 beers before we left the bar and picked up our personalized bottle. But here was the cool part. My girlfriend went to pick up her bag and coat and started talking to the gal behind the desk. A few minutes later a young guy working for the Experience appeared and the four of us started talking. They asked where we were from, we did the same and about 20 minutes later, the guy asked if we were going to the rooftop experience. I said tickets were sold out, so he provided us with some drink chits and escorted us to the elevator for the rooftop. We got to the rooftop, grabbed our two beers and joined everyone else out of the roof that provided a beautiful view of Amsterdam. The beer? Fantastic! I had some special version of the beer only brewed for the Heineken Experience. Recommend? Oh hell yes! Great fun. Great experience! Just make sure you secure reservations if you want to visit the rooftop. Cheers!
We wanted to find something beyond the art museums to explore to break up our time in Amsterdam. The Heineken Experience turned out to be a perfect option for all the history, education, entertainment and fun it provided. https://lisaefreedman.com/inside-the-heineken-experience-a-journey-through-amsterdams-most-famous-brewery/
It was a fun experience to learn about Heineken. The place tells you all about the history and there is a tour guide who explains the process. Your ticket comes with 2.5 beers which is plenty. The end of the tour is the bar where there's lots of people, and then exits through the gift shop. The experience is pleasant and staff are friendly.
Overall a cool experience thats like a one and done kind of thing. It's pretty made up, but not as intense as the Guiness museum in Ireland. You start on the ground floor and see come racecar displays and then go up where it more of a self-guided walking tour, seeing the barrels. Once you get into the room where you get your pint glass, there's someone speaking to you. Then there's various photobooths (meant for tall people, I was on my tippy toes to get my floating head in) and semi-random activations like a biking activity. The top floor is like a frat house where the floor is so sticky from beer so opt to drink in the rooftop area instead.
What an experience. Interactive exhibits with a walk through ride. Historical artifacts, post tour brews. Heineken has a Long history of alcohol production in Amsterdam . We got a tour and a boat ride to the island across the river. It was fun. We tried our hands at pouring a Heineken also. There's an art form behind the pour. It's a visit for sure if you're into Heineken - fun trip! read more
7 years ago
If you're into beer or learning about the history of Heineken, this is worth trying. Located close to the museum area of Amsterdam, the Heineken Experience is easy to get to and find. Tickets are €21 for a standard tour, which comes with a wristband that allows you two beers. You'll gather just off the main entryway with a group of other tourists, and the first portion of the tour is somewhat guided. No spoilers here, just enjoy the bits they have to share. Plenty of opportunities to spend your money on swag, they take cards, and restrooms are clean and plenty. read more
The Heineken Experience is easily one of the best brewery tours I've been on. Buy your tickets in advance online! The line is out the door for admission tickets. The time and hassle saved is worth it. I did both the VIP and regular tours. The VIP tour is guided and includes everything on the regular tour (with more detail and explanation from the guide). The VIP tour ends with an in depth tasting in a private room with your tour guide and tour group, with the beers paired with cheese. The tour is very well done. It combines regular museum exhibits with interactive displays without being too dry. There are employees stationed along the way to answer questions or to do demonstrations. I'm very impressed with the friendliness of the employees at the Heineken Experience. Everyone seemed very cheerful and helpful and as if they followed the message at the entrance: "When you enter this iconic building it doesn't matter where you're from, what color you are, which religion you have, if you are straight or gay, poor or rich. We like you just the way you are." I would like to know the training and/or recruiting program that finds/trains exceptional people who work here and appear to enjoy it. On the regular tour, the tasting takes place in a large room where they pour you a small glass and an employee talks you through, while demonstrating, how to taste the beer. Having been on many brewery tours, I thought I knew how to taste beer. I learned at Heineken how to get under the foam so the beer stays bubbly. There's also a ride toward the end of each tour where you go in-depth into the beer making process. It's cute. All tours end at the rooftop bar where you can get two pours included with the price of your ticket. I highly recommend a visit during a visit to Amsterdam. read more
9 years ago
I wasn't sure really what to expect going into this. Was it a guided tour? I kinda thought so, but it's not. I bought tickets in advance online. We arrived a little early and went in with no problem. The first part of the experience you walk through and see the different phases of Heineken. It shows you the history and how the brand evolved. You can go at your own pace. You then reach a point where you go downstairs and someone gives you a brief speech about the facility and then teaches you how to properly drink a heineken with a taster. You then reach some interactive areas that have photobooths, game rooms, music rooms and you can even fill your own bottle and have it engraved with whatever you'd like. Eventually you reach the bar and this is where you turn in your tokens from the wrist band given at the beginning to cash in your free beers. I think this was worth it and we had a good time! read more
3 years ago
Mostly just a walk through museum. Obviously the beer at the end was good, but don't expect to actually see beer being made. A couple neat artifacts, and a short glimpse into the history of Heineken, but maybe not worth the entry fee. All the guides speak English, bring headphones if you don't want to hear the tour in English, you can listen through a website to other languages. read more
7 years ago
A great experience. History of the company,family and the beer. The venue is very nicely done. With interactive experiences throughout. You get brewed, bottled during the "rIde". Many photo opportunities. And of courses few Heineken to drink at the bar. The staff was amazing. Each a role to play and did it well. They were pleasant , informative and cheerful. The stables are kept pristine. Only one horse was in the day we were there. When asked I was told the rest were out on tour or on vacation. The horses get 6 weeks vacation each year! You can personalize your own bottle of Heineken. Interact with several different experiences. After finishing your beer the merchandise available is plentiful. All in all a very nicely done experience. Definitely recommend. read more
Coming from someone who doesn't drink Heineken, I would say that it was pretty enjoyable. They really try to make it entertaining for all. Order tickets online to save euros and time. We went on a whim, and had to wait around 45 minutes in the rain. The hosts were friendly, offering the crowd umbrellas. The tour is "self-guided", and will take around two hours give or take. There are different experiences, from learning about the four main ingredients to walking around the old brewery room, and an interesting 4D "ride". After, there's a tasting room where you can down a glass of their iconic beer. For those underage or uninterested, you can customize your own Heineken bottle, which was pretty expensive. There's also many, many Instagrammable photo ops and photobooths, like bottle walls and other gimmicks. There's a gift shop of course, with various branded products. The tour admission includes two beers, so at the end you can go into the bar and turn in your tokens for drinks. Not sure about those who are under 18, I hope they get water or juice or something. The bar is cool, but pretty loud and has sticky floors. I personally wouldn't put this too high on my itinerary of things to do in Amsterdam, it was fairly pricey and the souvenirs were expensive. But it's a good mix of history and fun. read more
By far one of my most favorite things we got to experience while in Amsterdam! 10/10 recommend going if you have the time and if you just love beer. We went on the self guided tour which allows you to take as little or as much time as you'd like going through. You get to try ice cold beer in one of the rooms and then at the end of the tour you get 2 glasses of beer. It was so interesting learning about how Heineken was started and to see where it's at now. On one of the floors, towards the end of the tour they have areas were you can play games and take photos in photo booths. If I ever have the chance to go back to Amsterdam, the Heineken tour will be at the top of my list! read more
5 years ago
A pretty cool experience learning about Heineken and about the beer making process. They also definitely give you a decent amount of Heineken to enjoy while here. It's a pretty cool building that has a lot of history. I think it's worth a visit once! read more
7 years ago
Had an amazing time here! This was our first stop on our vacation. It was listed as the top thing to do in Amsterdam. If you like drinking beers and like to learn about the history about an iconic beer, you should definitely check this place out. It is very budget friendly at 18 euros and it makes up for itself at the end because you get two free beers at the end! Make sure to buy your tickets online. When we got there we only waited like 5 min in line before we were let in. First we had a tour guide who gives us a brief run down about Heineken and it's production and about the tour itself. It's really go at your own pace your and each area there are guides that explain everything to you. Going through the history was pretty nice. Learning about the family and how the business got started. Going through the tour you'll get to learn how their beer is made and all the processes involved. There is a section where you can customize your own beer! Also there are sections where you can take photo booth and have the photos sent to you. Pretty awesome! There is a unique virtual experience where you become the beer and you go through the ride of being bottling up. Funny staff members said the experience would be especially nice if your on one of the drugs Amsterdam is known for. Coming out of the virtual experience you get a small glass of refreshing Heineken and they teach you how to drink it. I've been drinking it wrong all this time! Then there are some gift shops at the end of the tour and there are quite a nice souvenirs to buy here. Finally at the end of the tour you get to have your two free beers. The beers are on tap and you have to use your two tokens on your wrist band. I definitely recommend to do the draft pour challenge. You along with three others have to pour the beer the correct way with just the correct amount of foam and beer. Super fun! Good experience! Definitely come if your a beer fan! read more
We went on this because I was tired of all of the museums we had been frequenting the previous week. Although there is a museum aspect to the tour, the "experience" is cool and a bit of a respite nonetheless. I enjoyed the old building and seeing all of the facts and how it all started. The brew room is no longer used, but it is still cool with the stained glass and everything. Be sure to book in advance because the lines can get quite long as with everything in Europe from May to September. There is a point when you are thirsting for a beer soo bad you can't stand it, but they sense it and have a quick "Proost" and give you a beer. You quickly drink that and then are ushered onto another part of the tour. It ends with the gift shop, ala Disney and then you have two "tokens" on your wristband that you can trade in for beers in the "Best dam bar". You can pour your own beer against other patrons or just chill and enjoy your beers. There is an optional rooftop bar with another beer that is definitely worth the extra money. It is not much, just a few euros. Do it, the view is great. My only complaint is there is no food, but I guess they want to keep the line moving. I don't know that I would go back, but I definitely would recommend it for an hour or two to kill in Amsterdam and are tired of the other museums. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Cheers to a great time ! We enjoyed the tour, and the bar at the end was a lively , fun gathering of people. read more
8 years ago
Heineken Experience is a must see for beer lovers, even if you particularly do not like Heineken itself. The tour is full of awesome artifacts from the original brewery and is full of informational portions as well. The flow of the tour is great and there is lots of space between the various groups save for a few parts. The room where you 'become a Heineken' was really awesome and the beer they give you after really hits the spot. Something about walking all day and a cold refreshing beer just can't be beat. Lastly, the ending part where you redeem your 2 beers is pretty cool. Typical bar type area with quick service (they only serve Heineken of course). Cool music and vibes really make this pop off. Also, there is an area before the end where you can create a custom Heineken label and have it put on a bottle for a souvenir. We ended up going with the 2 for 10 Euros, which wasn't too bad in my opinion. Definitely pleased! read more
7 years ago
The Heineken experience was cool. Not completely what I expected, but the tour did have a lot of different elements to it that you wouldn't get in a typical brewery tour. First half is educational and the second half is all fun. The one thing I would have liked would have been to try some of their different beers. You get 2 beer tokens at the end but only get to try their Pilsner. read more
7 years ago
I agree with Danielle P. "Most Important Information: DO THE VIP EXPERIENCE!!!" I am not a beer drinker AT ALL! However, my husband is. I was so impressed with this experience! You get 3 tours for the price of one. 1. The Heineken Experience 2. Canal Tour 3. Lookout Tower The Heineken Experience, where each person gets 2 "sample" size beers and at the end of the tour 2 more glasses of beer or soda. All together if you were to put the beer in glasses, you end up 3 glasses of properly chilled beer! We listened to the story of how Heineken was born to present day. After the factory tour, we took the Canal Tour...so peaceful and lovely...we sat at the back of the boat and loved every minute of it! We were dropped off at The Lookout Tower and went to the top of the tower, where the view is to die for. After The Lookout Tower, we headed back on the FREE ferry to the Central Train Station. We will definitely return in March of 2020 for another Heineken Experience...however, next time we will be bringing our friends! 10 stars to The Heineken Experience!!! read more
10 years ago
I think many of us can agree that Heineken is an international brewery giant with mediocre suds. I'd never choose to buy their beer anywhere. Additionally, Heineken is a word with bad connotations for me personally. Since this is a very public website, I'll leave it at that. But looking beyond those points, I have to say the brand did an incredible job creating this brewery experience. I was at Guinness Storehouse in September and LOVED it despite my generally "meh" feelings on their stout, so I figured I should go into a tour of Heineken open minded too. I chose the tour that included the canal ride and lookout experience. I'm glad I did! Spending a little extra was totally worth it for the mini tour on the water and the awesome views. The tour allegedly takes an hour and a half but I did it in an hour by skipping rooms I didn't care about...like the sports area. Zzzz. I liked that they have bathrooms everywhere. So smart. So along the tour route you enter a bunch of different rooms. You can take funny photo booth pictures with photoshopped backgrounds, pour your own lager, see horses, and learn all about the brewery's history. My favorite part was the interactive movie. You become part of the beer! It's so cool because you have to hold a railing while the floor shakes and mist falls and bubbles pop up. It sounds weird but I swear it's fun! At the end (before the gift shop) you can redeem your two tokens. This is even after you share a toast and beer notes analysis of a smaller size with a big group in a special green room. For my redemption I opened for one larger size "extra cold" lager. It was okay. And if I'm being honest, it was my first taste of Heineken ever. It's an interesting tour and I'm glad I had the cultural experience. Will I try Heineken again in the future? That's a hard no. Even so, I do think the tour is worthy of a visit. read more
6 years ago
By far the best brewery tour I have done! This tour is partly instructor in the beginning and then walk through at your own pace after. It was very interactive. They have a "ride" as part of the experience that is a room you stand in and it simulates as if you were the beer and you are being brewed. It was pretty cute. The tour includes 2 free beers at the end plus a tasting in between. By the time we got to the end people were giving out free beer buttons so the beers we had paid for the experience all on its own! Lol definitely worth it. read more
I was expecting a short tour to keep out of the cold for about an hour and learn about the history of Heineken but what I got was a much more interactive and fun experience. Ended up spending about 3 hours here. Got 3 drinks included in the ticket price. Totally worth it. read more
This is a great little tour, and I would rank it right up there with the Guinness tour in Ireland. At first, you might think that a historic landmark or a church might be better use of your time, but I am here to say that for some the Heineken Brewery is a religious experience... And besides there is beer. The tour was just as good as the complimentary beer, and as other reviewers have stated, the tour is great; however, my favorite part of the tour was the puppets...yes, that is right, Beer Fans, I said puppets. Toward the end of the tour there is a stop animation film on the history of Heineken Beer, and I found this to be informative and entertaining. A lot of people pass by this section of the tour, but I say don't for it is the best part of the tour...besides the beer, of course.. read more
SO MUCH FUN! If you are in Amsterdam you definitely have to check out the Heineken Experience! It's worth every penny :) It takes you on a 2 hour interactive tour of the history of Heineken and how their beer is made. There are photo opportunities, DJ Heineken games and a Virtual Reality ride~! On top of that you get 3 glasses of beers (1 in the middle and 2 at the end). When we bought our entrance ticket, they gave us 2 extra beer tokens! Plus 5 stars right there already! I loved every moment of it and everyone needs to experience this if they are ever in Amsterdam! read more
12 years ago
I was told to skip the Heineken Museum, but I am so glad I didn't. it was my favorite activity in Amsterdam. After countless artsy museums and crappy food, my fiancée and I wanted to do something fun. We arrived pretty early and there were only a few people inside. A ticket was $16.50 but includes the entire museum experience, a few drinks, and gifts. We did the whole everything inside. Learned about Heineken and the beer brewing system, had some samples, played some games, took some souvenir pictures, and sampled a few beers. My fiancée even got a lesson in professional beer-pouring. I guess you could say he's an expert now. After getting our fill of beers we picked up our souvenirs, a decent-sized Heineken glass. If I had to come back to Amsterdam, I would pass on all the museums and just hang at the Heineken Museum. Very informative and fun. read more
Very cool tour - plus beer! This tour is self-guided and has a number of staircases to climb. There are elevators but you need to go off-route to use them, then find your way back to the tour points. There was a LOT of history presented in various formats. Then there was a tour of the old brewhouse with the large wort containers. Then we walked near the horse stables. We went on the Brew You ride of sorts. Sort of neat. We walked through a large number of interactive displays. The younger crowd really got into these displays. Then we drank beer! There were 2 tastings. The last one, we got the Super Cold Heineken. Very nice! This was a cool tour and a must-see in Amsterdam! read more
2 years ago
8 years ago
Wow! I did not expect Heineken to go hard like that! Do not be discouraged by the line it moves fast. I booked my experience online with the A'DAM Lookout experience. But you can buy your ticket at the location, in fact the online booking line was longer than the on site purchase lol This is a self guided tour for the most part, there are parts that have staff explaining areas of the Heineken company. You also have the ability to skip through the historical and brewing parts, but I recommend you go through them because you have to get your moneys worth. You do get 2 (actually 3) glasses of beer included in the tour. I am not a beer person so you can imagine what I was going through. I ended up giving on of my tokens to someone else. The progression of the tour is what caught me off guard! As you are waking through the modernity of the experience becomes apparent. Again, I will not tell you about what was there, but I'm sure you see the pictures and other peoples reviews. It was a very interactive experience! This is a must if you are coming to Amsterdam! read more
To be honest, I didn't go to the Heineken Experience with high expectations, but after leaving the self-guided tour I was quite impressed at how good it was. The tour wasn't just a 1.5 hour exhibit about the history of the beer, how it is brewed and all of those semi-boring facts, but it was an entire 'Experience' as indicated by its title! At the very beginning of the tour, the experience does introduce visitors to the history of Heineken from the past to the present and how it is brewed, however after those exhibits, the fun part really began. There were many fun interactive activities that were presented to visitors as the tour winded on, such as, kicking a rugby football through interactive goal posts on a screen, trying to pour the perfect glass of beer and photo booths --- just to name a few. Parts of the tour focused heavily on Heineken's involvement with global sports, such as the olympics, soccer and rugby. In addition, of course, there was the obligatory taste test of Heineken beer, which included 2 more free full glasses of beer at the end of the tour! Overall, there was lots to learn, see and do during the tour and it was a great experience! If you move at an average pace it would take about 1.5 hours as it did for us. read more
I recommend visiting this place if you're in Amsterdam. It's about a 30 minutes walk from Dam Sqaure or a 15 minute train ride. 8 Euros per person for the train ride each way. The tickets for the Heineken Experience was 16 Euros per person and you get 2 glasses of beer at the end. It's a fun place - learning about the history of the beer and its transformation over the years. It's a good 2 hours minimum for the whole experience. It's very interactive and it's just fun. read more
The Heineken Experience is arguably the most theatrical brewery tour I've ever been on, as well as the most technologically advanced. From free wi-fi to a fully immersive brewing 'ride' where -you- are the beer, there's entertainment around every turn. We lucked into getting in the tickets queue behind a girl who happened to pick up a spare €2-off coupon somewhere (I presume street hawkers must hand them out around town). This brought the price down from a moderate €15 to a more reasonable €13 a head. Not a steal, by any means, but a vast improvement. Once inside, the tour is self-guided these days. You get to view some of the early history of the Heineken brewery, its founder and early leaders, the various awards they won, and basically a winding climb through an elaborate case. Then, you pour out into the more open brewing facilities with old vats that have since been converted into looped video screens that explain the brewing process - handy background information for those who've not already learned about how beer is produced. I did like seeing the Heineken horses, which reportedly still draw carts around the city. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but the horses were very real (and so was their scent) and pretty, too! Heading back upstairs, we queued up for about twenty minutes for the fully interactive moving platform show about how Heineken beer is made, complete with water splatters and beer suds. Talk about Disney circa 1990... And after all the song and dance, you do get to the real stuff - a small tasting room with two massive star-shaped counters where a gent talked us through how to taste the beer: examining the colour, looking at the head on the top, why they use a wet swipe on the foam, and then actually enjoying a cold draught. Chug your sample quickly, because they churn folks through this section and onto the advertisement studio (I think that's an apt description... literally, it's a panoramic video wall that shows past Heineken commercials). And with your entry, you do get two half-pints or so worth of beer at the end of the tour. According to the boy, this used to be at least a full pint during the tour and a full pint or two after, so perhaps it's gotten more stingy over time. Regardless, it was enough to have me feeling pretty good and refreshed after a lot of queueing. I don't expect I'd ever want to come back to the Heineken Experience for another round, but for a touristy activity on a rainy afternoon, this is a perfect kind of excuse to escape the Amsterdam weather whilst being educated about the evolution of a truly international brand. read more
*SPOILER ALERT* I believe a tour can be incredibly touristy and lame, but also fun. I went in 2009. Went on a simulator where you pretend to be bottles- I called it Star Brewers. In the process we got sprayed with water (filtered) and heated with lamps (pasteurized) and I was tempted to smack the head in front of me during the bottlecapping segment but showed some reserve. We got to sample the beer before fermentation, which strangely I liked (cold, it tasted like iced tea and corn tortillas; hot, it tasted like corn on the cob water). We had a toast "Prost!" and learned that foam is actually good (keeps in the carbon dioxide- problem is nobody wants to pay for foam). We got to videotape ourselves singing a traditional Dutch drinking song from a canal boat (screenshot). The tour ends with a dark, modern club with oversized vinyl cubes to sit on surrounded wall to wall with a bombardment of pulseating club music and quickly edited video images. I felt like Clockwork Orange's Alex with my eyes forced open on Willy Wonka's boat. Finally there is an actual pub (World Bar) where you can enjoy two more Heinekens (we learned the "e" is called a smiling e--- look at it) on digital tables with cyber-coasters. We tried singing that Dutch singing song but some local girl slapped me. Apparently I accidentally sang that I wanted to farm her vagina. So sing in English is my advice. read more
2 years ago
More info about Heineken Experience
Stadhouderskade 78
1072 AE Amsterdam
The Netherlands
De Pijp, Zuid
Directions
020-5239222
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.heinekenexperience.com
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Services
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
Heineken Experience Reviews in Other Languages
Review Highlights - Heineken Experience
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
17 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
9 years ago
10 years ago
11 years ago
8 years ago
12 years ago
4 years ago
7 years ago
7 years ago
10 years ago
8 years ago
14 years ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
