Heineken Experience -Review, Tickets, Duration, History

The Heineken Experience is one of the highlights of your Amsterdam Travel, even if you are not a beer fan. One may note that it is not an actual brewery but more of an interactive self-guided experience into the world of Heineken, one of the biggest brands of beer in the world.

Once you step into the world of Heineken experience, you are introduced to the history of the company, the natural ingredients that go into the manufacture of the beer, the brewing process shown through audiovisual interaction room, the surreal virtual reality experience, beer tasting, and shopping. In the end, one can also enjoy two glasses of tasty Heineken beer!

Heineken Experience tickets and Discount Prices

An adult ticket costs $18 euro per person. This means you would have to chip out 21 euros for tickets offline. Of course, the rates are subject to change. Please check the official website for changes in ticket prices, if any.

Also, there is a possibility of wasting time waiting in the long line for your ticket, if you buy offline. For youth between ages 12 and 17, it is 14.5 euros. For people below 11 years of age, the entrance is free of cost. There has to be an adult person applying, for a youth or child to be accompanied.

When you book online, you not only benefit from a 3-euro discount, you can also book your own preferable time slot and day of the visit. The hour slots that are depicted in red are the ‘busiest’ times, which means there can be long wait time.

There is no need to take print-out of the tickets. You get the tickets in your mail, which you can show the officials at the entrance of the Heineken Experience.

The self-guided tour lasts for an estimated 1.5 hours. At the end of the tour, you get 2 chilled beers at the bar. You also get a free city map with the best-hidden gems of Amsterdam. Visitors who are under 18, need to be accompanied by an adult. Also, if you are doing group bookings, avoid Saturdays when there is a rush.

How much time can you spend in the Heineken Experience?

Though the stated time is 1.5 hours, expect to spend 2 hours or slightly more, because you may end up chilling at the bar, after you get your drinks in a ‘party-like ambiance’. Then, there is a huge souvenirs sections, where you can buy merchandise with ‘Heineken’ imprinted on it.

Is Heineken Experience only in English?

True, it is in English. But the Heineken Experience app is good enough to give you both audio and video-based information in languages like English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese.

What is Heineken VIP Tour?

The VIP Tour is based on a pre-decided date and time. The Heineken VIP tour lasts for 2.5 hours and includes the tour with a personalized English speaking guide You can taste 5 premium beers along with Dutch cheese. You get to check out the ‘behind the scenes’ work behind the ‘experience’. In the end, the patron is given a personalized gift. You should be 18 years of age to be a part of the VIP tour. The maximum number of people allowed is 10. For the VIP tour, you have to write a mail to the sales team – sales.experience@heineken.com

Heineken Experience -Timings and hours of operation

Mon – Thu

10:30 AM – 7:30 PM (Last Admission – 5.15 PM)

Fri – Sun

10:30 AM – 9:00 PM (Last admission – 6.45 PM)

If you are going on public holidays, Christmas and New Year, please check the timings before booking. Also, the timings may be subject to change as do the rates. So always, check their official website before visiting the place.

The Heineken Story (History)

As you may experience in the museum with photos and visual displays, it all began in 1864 when the then 22 year old Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought a small brewery in the center of Amsterdam. It was called De Hooiberg (the haystack). In 1869, Heineken made use of what is known as bottom-fermenting yeast to manufacture the beer. In 1886, the ‘Heineken-A-yeast’ was developed which is one of the key ingredients in the beer.

Ever since they started brewing in those days, the ensuing four generations have expanded the brand and made it one of the most loved beer brands in the world. Heineken is the number one brewer in Europe and one of the largest in terms of volume, in the world.

The grandson of Gerard, Freddy is instrumental in making Heinken an internationally loved brand. He entered the business in 1941 when the company was no longer owned by the family. He brought several company stocks and created Heineken Holding that owns 50 percent of Heineken International.

The Heineken Experience is located at the site where the first brewery came into existence. This brewery had to close down because it was difficult to cede to the burgeoning demand. After the closure in 1988, this brewery was transformed into The Heineken Experience, an interactive tour that reflects the history, heritage, brewing process, and innovations of the brand. Call it a giant promotional tour, but what the heck – it is interesting!

Heineken can be called a Disneyland experience for beer lovers. So, expect a lot of interactive displays, virtual reality and photo-ops.

Heineken Experience – The Tour

As you enter, you are given green bands to be worn around your wrist, which can be exchanged for two beers.

As a part of the beginning of the Heineken experience, staff members give you a brief introduction about the brewery, the brewing process, and the making of the Heineken brand.

Then you get to see a photographic representation of the beer brand, the first beer, and the people behind it, including Gerard Adriaan Heineken. You also see a visual display of the Heineken story through a glass, where the billionaire businesswoman Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken (also the richest person in the Netherlands with a net worth of $16.3 billion) gives us a glimpse of the growth of the Heineken brand, started by her grand-father Gerard Adriaan and expanded by her father Freddy Heineken.

Then you get to see the way the bottles have evolved over a period of time. One of the highlights is the part of the original horse wagons and stables inside the brewery.

You can also smell and get a taste of the four ingredients that go into making the Heineken beer. Since it is a self-guided tour, you can do it at your own pace.

The virtual tour is the icing on the cake. The 4D experience (for 20 people at one time) called ‘Brew U’ (where you go from brew to the bottles) makes you experience how it feels from being brewed to bottled.! From different fun ‘n’ games to the dozens of photo ops and the cycle simulation video, it is just a fun 2 hours to regale yourselves. The words ‘Heineken experience’ is apt, because is an event full of colors and entertainment beyond the sheer beer.

Of course, as mentioned, the beer is there too. You get two big tasty glasses of beer at a club in exchange of that green wrist band around your hand. If you are a non-alcoholic, you can get two soft drinks as well. Finally, you end up at the Heineken souvenir shop where fangirls and fanboys can buy anything Heineken related.

One thing, we didn’t like was that if you go to a particular room, you can’t go back. For instance, after you come from the bar and check out the souvenir shop, you cannot go back to the bar, even though your friends may be in there.

You also get those fun memories like ‘the photos you clicked as trophy winners’ and the ‘cycle simulation’ video in your email.

Heineken Experience and Canal Cruise Combination Ticket

You can also combine Heineken Experience with a Canal Cruise to save on your time and money With this combination ticket, you get

A 75-minute cruise along the bridges and canals of Amsterdam
Skip-the-line ticket to the Heineken Experience
You get to choose what you want to do first – the cruise or the Heineken Experience.

Get the combination ticket