Even though I don’t even drink beer, as a Dutchie I am extremely proud of one of our biggest export products and the world’s most famous beer, Heineken.
We have visited Amsterdam many times, but never did the Heineken Experience. So it was about time. During our recent trip to Amsterdam we finally did the Heineken Experience and we are happy to share our experiences.
This blog was written by travel writer and Traveltomtom team member Ashley. She was invited to visit and experience the Heineken Experience on behalf of Traveltomtom, and wrote this blog about her experiences.
Table of Contents
How to get to
The Heineken Experience is located in the center of Amsterdam. Within walking distance of the Museumplein, Leidseplein and Vondelpark. Trams 1, 7, 19 and 24 and metro 52 stop right around the corner. The Heineken Experience is open daily from 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM. On Fridays and Saturdays it is even open until 9:00 PM.
The Heineken Experience is located within Heineken’s oldest brewery, located at the Singelgracht in the heart of Amsterdam. The Heineken story once began in this building. In 1988 the former brewery closed down, because they got too big for their boots.
Today, the historical building serves as a venue where you can learn all about Heineken heritage, the brewing process, their sometimes crazy innovations, their sponsoring and the story behind the star. You’ll also learn about the best way to taste and enjoy your Heineken beer.
Tours
It is good to know that there are several tours to choose from, so depending on what you want, you can choose the best tour for you.
Heineken Tour
The standard tour is the Heineken Tour. Immerse yourself in the world of Heineken, at your own pace.This tour lasts about an hour and a half. Two delicious Heineken beers are included. The price for the Heineken Tour is €25.95 EUR, about $29 USD.
Heineken Tour + Rooftop
This is the standard Heineken Tour with a little extra. You end up in their rooftop bar with an amazing view over Amsterdam. This one takes about two hours and even includes three delicious Heineken beers. For this tour you pay €29.95 EUR about $33 USD.
Heineken Flagship Cruise
This tour combines two of the best things Amsterdam has to offer, namely the Heineken Experience and a one-hour canal cruise. After the tour you will board the boat and enjoy the beautiful Amsterdam canals with a Heineken. Doesn’t that sound perfect? For this tour you pay €47.95 EUR, about $53 USD.
Rock the City
Almost the same tour as the Heineken Flagship Cruise, only here you board a different boat and enjoy a 45-minute canal cruise. This tour costs €40.00 EUR, about $44 USD.
The Perfect Match
The Perfect Match provides access to two of Amsterdam’s famous attractions, the Heineken Tour and the Johan Cruijff Arena, home of Ajax. If you plan to do both attractions this could be a good deal for you and save some money. These two attractions together cost with this Perfect Match only €34.00 EUR, about $38 USD.
VIP tour
Finally, they also have the VIP Tour, and we were one of the lucky ones to experience it. Get the full experience with behind-the-scenes access and a personal guide. The VIP tour will take you around the Heineken Experience for 2,5 hours.
Your guide will take you through the brewery and explain everything there is to know about the company. And that’s not all! Because the best is yet to come.
To finish the visit you will be taken to their private and secret bar where you will be served five premium beers from the Heineken portfolio, accompanied by snacks that have been carefully selected to match the beers. This is the ultimate experience. In this intimate environment you have the chance to connect and interact with your guide, as well as with the other guests.
After enjoying five full size beers and delicious snacks, it’s time to move on. You join the regular tour to enjoy the rest of the Experience.
You will see Heineken’s sponsorship of Formula 1, the Champions League and of course our Dutch hero Max Verstappen.
Finally you end up in the bar, where you can enjoy two beers just like all other tours.We were there at a busy time and it looked like a disco. Lots of people, beers and good music. Incredible view and a great place to meet other travelers.
We really enjoyed the VIP Tour. It really is the next level brewery experience. For the real Heineken lover the VIP Tour is a must. Certainly the five beers in the secret bar are the highlight of the tour.
The VIP Tour costs €65 EUR ($71 USD) and that is considerably more expensive than the other tours. Keep in mind that you will see much more, that you will get a unique beer tasting with five full size beers and snacks and on top of that also the standard two beers at the end of the tour. Also your unique own Heineken bottle is included. I think that the VIP Tour is really a must for the real Heineken fans.
Exclusive personalized gifts
The VIP Tour also includes an exclusive gift. You get a Heineken beer with your own name on it. How cool is that?! If you have come to Amsterdam by plane and are only traveling with hand luggage, make sure you open the bottle carefully and drink the beer before you fly back. The bottle is more than 100 ml and is not allowed in hand luggage when filled.
Don’t worry, even if you don’t do the VIP tour, you can have a bottle made with your own name in this original Heineken brewery. Of course, this is not included in the other tours and you have to pay extra for it.
During the tour you will pass various Bottle Your Own kiosks. On these screens you can order your own bottle. At the end of the tour you can pick up your unique bottle. You can order and have more personal gifts made at the end of the tour. For example, we had unique personal coasters made. I really like these kinds of personalized gifts and they make it just that little bit extra special for me.
Heineken Flagship Store
The Heineken Flagship Store at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam is the only official Heineken store in the world. So it really is the ultimate place to buy Heineken merchandise and souvenirs. Just like the Heineken Experience it is located in the first built Heineken brewery. You don’t need a ticket to visit the store, it is accessible for everyone. The store is open every day of the year.
It took us many years and several trips to Amsterdam before we finally experienced the Heineken Experience. It is easy to talk in hindsight, but what a shame we did not do this sooner. Heineken is a proud Dutch brand that is known worldwide and for which people come to Amsterdam from all over the world.
Of course you don’t have to do the VIP Tour to have a cool experience. The other tours also offer a good experience and include Heineken beers. The Heineken Experience is an absolute must do if you visit Amsterdam.
