Heineken Experience Amsterdam


The Heineken Experience is a museum dedicated to Heineken beer. The world famous beer brand decided to turn the former Heineken factory into a museum, when the location proved incapable for keeping up with today’s demand. The location right in the center of Amsterdam would have been a logistical nightmare and thus was turned into a museum. Now visitors like you can learn about the brewing process, the story and of course enjoy a beer on the rooftop terrace.

As you could have guessed the Heineken museum is all about the former Heineken brewery. So expect to learn all about the production; from the brewing process, to the bottling. But apart from the production, the maybe more interesting might be the story about how Heineken managed to grow from a tiny brewery to a world player featured in many famous Hollywood movies. Nowadays it’s almost impossible to find a bar in the world with a bright beer assortment that doesn’t serve Heineken or one of the many beer brands that are part of Heineken.

Included in the ticket price is a self guided tour through the former brewery. Expect staff along the route of the self guided tour to explain you what you’re actually seeing. Feel free to ask them anything! Make sure you bring a smartphone, as the tour works with an app. In case you do forget, you can rent a device for a small fee. The tour is available in the following languages: English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, French, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch.

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Heineken Experience - brewing kettles
In the factory hall you can admire the majestic brewing kettles

Heineken Museum introduction video

Heineken Experience FAQ

Can I visit the Heineken Experience in a wheelchair?

The majority if the Heineken Experience is wheelchair accessible. There is however one part which isn’t but you can skip this part by using the elevator. You can request a wheelchair free of charge via info<at>heinekenexperience.com.

Is there a queue for the Heineken Experience?

Yes, usually there is. Especially in high season, the queue can be quite long that’s why we advice purchase your “skip the line tickets” online.

Do I need a discount code in order to get Heineken Experience tickets for less?

On top of the regular online discount of €2,- per ticket, our ticket partners sometimes offer an extra discount. Check the tickets section for any codes or special discounts.

Is the Heineken Experience a still being used as a brewery?

No, there is a mini brewery to give visitors an insight on how Heineken beer is being brewed, but it’s not a production location anymore. The location of the Heineken Experience in the city centre is not practical for today’s demand.

How much time do I need for the Heineken Experience tour?

For the Heineken Experience itself, you’ll need about 90 minutes. There are several games and activities which might keep you occupied longer if you want to.

Is the Heineken Experience suitable for children?

Yes, children under 18 can be brought under adult supervision.

Does the Heineken Experience offer discounts for groups?

Yes, but only for groups with over 20 persons that made a reservation 48-hours upfront. Group discounts can be requested via sales.experience<at>heineken.com. Our ticket partners also offer €2,- discount on the regular price for skip-the-line e-tickets.

Are there other Heineken activities to do in Amsterdam?

Yes, you can visit the Ice Bar Amsterdam and get yourself an Xtracold Heineken in this frozen bar.

Our Heineken Experience & photo impression

Of course, we visited the Heineken Experience as well. So if you’d like to read some more on what to expect from the museum, keep on reading!

 

Spoiler alert: if you’ve already decided to visit the Heineken Experience, you might want to skip this part as you will know what is coming already!

 

The Heineken Experience is a very popular attraction in Amsterdam. Last year, over 1 million people visited it. We decided to pay a visit on a Friday evening, which usually is one of the busiest moments, but given the time of year (November) it was very doable. We didn’t experience it as being crowded. We had pre-purchased our tickets for the Heineken Experience online and thus could skip the line in front of the building.

Heineken experience - intro video
Heineken experience – intro video

The Heineken Experience is not just about beer and brewing, it’s also focussed on the brand and the company. Something that I could appreciate as I’m interested in business and marketing matters. Another thing you’ll notice is that effort is put in really making it an experience rather than a museum. I spoke to a former employee of the Heineken Experience, and he told me that in the development of the attraction someone from Disneyland had been involved. While over thinking that, I realized that the atmosphere created did feel a bit like a Disney ride at some points in a positive way.

Heineken experience - host explaining
Heineken experience – host explaining

Once you’ve passed the first introduction video, the Heineken tour through the former brewery continues to an area a host will be waiting to give you more information on the history of Heineken. You will learn how Heineken expanded its beer-empire from delivering beer with horse and carriage in the city of Amsterdam to a multinational company. Heineken was the first beer brewer to enter the U.S. market shortly after the prohibition, this fueled the growth of the company. In the Netherlands the company also expanded quickly by buying competing breweries.

Heineken experience - first bottle
Back in the 1900’s Heineken wasn’t bottled in the iconic green bottles

After the story on the history of Heineken, the tour continues to several rooms with historic images, displays and guiding texts. You will learn about the evolution of the company, the factory, and the marketing efforts which made Heineken the world-famous beer brand it is today.

Heineken experience - Heineken Logo on beer mats
The evolution of the Heineken logo captured on beer mats

After the historical part of on Heineken, it’s time to move on to the part that’s focussed on the brewing process. First of all, a host will give you information on the ingredients in beer, the brewing process and the different types of beer.

Heineken Experience - explanation of brewing process
A host explaining the ingredients and brewing process of beer

Heineken Experience - brewing kettles
In the factory hall, you can admire the old majestic brewing kettles

 

When leaving the factory hall with the brewing kettles, you’ll get the possibility to taste the semifinished product; water with barely, heated and filtered. If you ask me it tastes quite good already! The factory tour now moves on to the last stage; beer tasting! You’ll be served a fresh cold Heineken with a short explanation on how to drink it.

Heineken Experience - personalized beer bottle
Our very own ThingstodoinAmsterdam beer bottle

After the first beer the Heineken Experience, there’s still a lot more to see and do. One of the cool things is the possibility to get a personalized beer bottle, for instance with your name on it. Nice souvenir or gift for your loved ones! We took the opportunity to get our own ThingstodoinAmsterdam bottle. Furthermore, you’ll find an interactive area where you can play games, learn to tap your own beer and much more. After that, you’ve got to be thirsty. So finally, you end up in a bar area where you can enjoy two Heineken (or soda if you’re with children) for free. In the summertime, you can enjoy a beer on the rooftop terrace.

As you might know, the slogan of Heineken is “Enjoy Responsibly”. In their communications and through campaigns they’re making a statement against excessive drinking. For the credibility of these campaigns, it wouldn’t help to have visitors drunk in their own ‘temple’. Thus, Heineken came up with a clever way to prevent this from happening; in the Heineken Experience, you receive a rubber bracelet with two ‘coins’ that you can use to get a beer at the bar. The bar doesn’t accept cash money, nor cards. So after your three beers, you’ll have to go elsewhere for a drink.

Overall we found the Heineken Experience a fun thing to do, and good value for money. Included in your ticket price is three beers, so that makes up for approximately €10,-. So, in the end, the museum visit only costs you around €8, which is quite cheap!

Opening hours Heineken Experience

The Heineken Experience is open 7 days a week 365 days a year, including national holidays like King’s day, Christmas day and New Year’s day.

Note: no more visitors can be allowed in 2 hours before closing, as the tour takes at least 1,5 hours. Make sure you’re at the entrance two hours in advance to avoid disappointments.

Daily  10:30 – 19:30 || Fridays, Saturday & Sunday 21:00
Period from July – up to August  10:30 – 21:00 ||
On December 24 and December 31  10:30 – 16:00 ||

Heineken Experience tickets for discount prices

Tickets are available at the entrance of the Heineken Museum. The regular admission price at the entrance is €21,-. However, if you book your tickets online you get skip-the-line tickets, which can save you up a lot of time as the Heineken Experience is a popular attraction. In the end, you don’t want to waste your valuable time in Amsterdam in a queue. You can use this link or one of the blue buttons to book your ticket online. Your e-tickets will be sent instantly to your e-mail and can be scanned from your smartphone, so there’s no need to print anything. At the entrance, the employee will be able to scan the code right from the screen of your mobile phone. Your tickets include two Heineken beers or soft drinks.

Note: children under 18 are admitted only when accompanied by an adult, they won’t be served any alcoholic beverages.

Regular entrance prices at the door

Adults € 21,- (1,5 hour tour and 2 beers or soft drinks included)
Child 12-17 € 14,5 (1,5 hour tour and only soft drinks included)
Child 0-11 € 0 (1,5 hour tour and soft drinks excluded)
VIP tour € 49 (2,5 hour tour, 5 premium beers and some snacks included)

Combi-tickets

Ticket partner Tours & Tickets also offers a combination ticket for a 1-hour canal cruise and the Heineken Experience. Feel like you want to discover other famous parts of the city? Discover Amsterdam from the canals, with a combi ticket for the Heineken Experience plus a canal cruise.

Address, contact information and route to the brewery

The Heineken Experience is located at Stadhouderskade 76. The easiest way to get to the museum is by using the public transport. You can find the exact information below this paragraph.

Adress
Heineken Experience
Stadhouderskade 76
1072 AE Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 523 9222
[email protected]
https://www.heineken.com/

Heineken Experience Amsterdam

Public transport

You can get to the museum from many places. One of the easiest ways is to go via from Amsterdam Central station or the Leidseplein. It is even possible to stop directly with a Canal Boat in front of the building. If you go for this option, make sure your Canal Cruise will drop by the right location. The following trams will take you to the museum:

From Amsterdam Central Station:

      • Tram 16, heading to VU Medisch Centrum

From Amsterdam Leidseplein:
Tram 7 heading to Weesperzijde or Azartplein, stop Weesperplein

With the widget below you can find accurate advice for the real-time travel times based on your current location. This application will help you when you are not sure which bus or tram you can take from your location.

Reviews of the Heineken Experience

We are always interested to find out about our visitors experiences. Please leave your Heineken Experience review below and help fellow travelers! What did you think of the Heineken Experience? Would you recommend it to friends? Did you have to wait long at the entrance? Include all you want in you review. Please by patient as we check all reviews by hand, it will be posted soon!


Reviews

Entertaining Experience

I’m not sure whether museum is the right word, but it was fun!

0

Good

It’s not your regular type of museum. We ordered our Heineken experience tickets online and found it very convenient. We got in faster and paid less. Overall cool thing to do.

0

Heineken Experience Not Your Average Brewery

Booking the Heineken Experience was kind of interesting. At first we were wondering, how would you turn something like a brewery tour into an experience? Yes, you would get a taste and learn a bit about the history but would this be different? A lot, in fact. Everything is presented in an interactive manner, it makes you want to explore and discover! After the entrance (to the self guided tour) you first get to know about the history of Heineken, their location in Amsterdam, you get to learn about the ingredients and the secret for Heinekens distinct taste – the special yeast which was developed just for Heineken and is sent to other Heineken breweries around the world. The yeast is the ingredient that turns the barley and water into alcohol later in the process. You can even have a taste of barley mixed with water in the room with the copper brewery boilers. Kind of unique and the aftertaste definitely lasts a while! But so far, this is just a brewery tour like any other. The unique part comes, when you also learn about the marketing that goes into Heineken. Their TV spots, their posters… And you even get a taste of fresh Heineken along the way! But also there is a more interactive area for visitors to enjoy, too. You like karaoke? Then you will love riding a bike in front of a green screen while singing „Tulips from Amsterdam“ (at least that would be my understanding of the Dutch lyrics). They even have a photobooth and you can get a copy straight to your email! Also you might find the big Christmas tree made out of Heineken bottles or find a couple of the so called „World Bottles“. These are meant to be used to build houses in developing nations. Another thing in their exhibition is Heineken and sports like soccer / football and rugby. If you want to, you can even get a custom bottle with your text on it! All of that happens before you go to the best place on the tour, in my opinion. The rooftop bar. Being the last stop on the tour, it is also the most impressive one. Being on top of the brewery and enjoying a cool Heineken (or two actually) was a great experience. Just looking over the area in general and just enjoying your stay. Marvelous! To summarize things: Though the Heineken experience sounds just like any other brewery tour, it definitely is not! There is just something about it, that makes it distinctive. And this comes from a person who has been to a lot of breweries! Definitely a must see!

0

Nice Rooftop Terrace

I was there this summer. Experience is kind of fun, but the best part is the rooftop terrace if you ask me!

0

4.3 / 5
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