Heineken Experience in Amsterdam: Tickets and Tours

The Netherlands is renowned for its beer culture, and there are many brands of beer produced in Holland, although Heineken is the one we have all heard of and tried on more than one occasion. If you are visiting Amsterdam, you can (and should) take the opportunity to visit the Heineken factory and its famous Heineken Experience. Here's how.

The basic option

Amsterdam Heineken Experience Tickets

Learn about the brewing process of Amsterdam's most popular beer and taste it for yourself.

With your tickets to the Heineken Experience, you can visit the brewery, discover its history and even taste it for yourself with the two drinks included.

From €25 at Hellotickets

Discover everything behind the Netherlands' most exported product with these tickets to the Heineken factory, where you will go through all the stages of beer production. From the fermentation tanks to the bottling line, you will learn everything about the evolution of this drink, one of the most consumed in the world.

Thanks to the audio guide included with this ticket, you will have the opportunity to delve into the popular Heineken brand and learn the secrets of the most international beer. And of course, you'll have the opportunity to try up to two drinks so you can see for yourself the taste of this exquisite blend of barley, hops and water.

Why I like this option: for only about £18, you get access to the Heineken factory in Amsterdam, where you can discover the history of beer and taste it too.

The most comprehensive option

Amsterdam Offer: Canal Cruise and Heineken Experience Tickets

The two essential experiences in Amsterdam, at the best price

Take advantage of this opportunity to book your Heineken Experience together with a canal cruise to get the best price on the city's most popular attractions.

From €36 at Hellotickets

With this ticket package for the Heineken Experience and cruise, you can visit the old Heineken factory, where you will learn about the brewing process of one of the most prized commodities in the Netherlands.

But in addition to the visit to the Heineken Experience, you will get to relax on one of the typical cruises that sail through the city's canals. The boats depart every half hour, giving you more flexibility when choosing your schedule.

Why I like this option: this is the most complete option if you are thinking of enjoying both experiences. By purchasing them together, you will save time at the ticket office and money, as it is cheaper than buying them separately.

If you want to discover all the secrets of Amsterdam's most iconic beer, you can book your ticket to the Heineken Experience and enjoy an interactive tour of the historic factory, where you will learn all about its history and brewing process.

Save with your ticket + cruise

If you want to save time and money, you can also choose the package that combines the Heineken Experience with a cruise through the canals of Amsterdam. This option includes admission to the factory with tasting and a 1-hour boat tour of the World Heritage-listed canals, passing iconic sights such as the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. It's the perfect way to enjoy two of the city's most popular experiences in a single day.

If you plan to spend several days in the Dutch capital, one of the most practical and economical ways to discover the Heineken Experience is to purchase a tourist pass. Depending on the pass you choose, you can include this visit and many other essential attractions in the city:

The Heineken Experience is mainly a self-guided tour, following an interactive route that combines information panels, audiovisual projections and immersive experiences about the history of the brand and the beer-making process. During the visit, you will find staff at different points who will offer explanations and interesting facts in English, but this is not a traditional guided tour with a guide accompanying you throughout the tour.

For those looking to get to know Amsterdam in more depth and make the most of the experience, a good option is to combine your ticket with other activities, such as a cruise through the city's canals.

This experience is located inside the original Heineken family factory, built in the centre of Amsterdam in 1867 to produce all the brand's beverages until, due to the high demand for beer in the 1980s, the company had to move to a larger plant on the outskirts of the city. So, in 2001, to make the most of this historic building, the Heineken Museum was created.

Tickets to the Heineken Experience include an interactive tour and an audio guide available in several languages, which will tell you about the origins and evolution of this renowned brand, its four natural ingredients and secrets, and the actual processes involved in brewing Heineken beer. You'll see the huge copper tanks that were originally used in production and you can even try your hand at brewing your own beer for a day!

There's also an app with a guide to the Heineken Experience, which you can download to get the most out of your tour, which lasts an hour and a half. Millions of visitors enjoy the Heineken Experience every year, so if you don't want to miss out, I recommend getting your tickets in advance to avoid the queues.

The Heineken Museum is located in the centre of Amsterdam, so it is very easy to get there by tram, specifically lines 7, 10, 16, 24, 25 and 78.

Thanks to its privileged location, there are several attractions near the Heineken Museum that are also worth visiting during your trip to Amsterdam. Two of the city's must-see museums are located nearby, including the Rijksmuseum, the city's main art gallery with over 8,000 works of art, just 492 metres away, and the city's second most visited museum, the wonderful Van Gogh Museum, which exhibits over 200 original works by the Dutch painter.

Nearby, about 600 metres away, you can visit the amazing house of Amsterdam's ruling family, the Van Loons, in their Van Loon Museum on Keizersgracht. About 960 metres away, you should visit the Flower Market, where locals often buy their seeds, gardening supplies, plants and flowers because it is a veritable orchard with hundreds of species and tulips of all colours, as befits the Netherlands' national flower.

I also recommend that you take advantage of your day at the Heineken Experience to try a pannenkoeken, a typical Dutch pancake with sweet and savoury fillings that is really typical of this city. Nearby you will find one of the best places to try them, at De Carrousel Pannenkoeken, at H.M. van Randwijkplantsoen 1, a curious restaurant built on an old carousel.

If, as well as falling in love with Amsterdam, you want to make the most of your trip by discovering the surrounding area, you're in luck, because there are lots of day trips that will take you to the famous Dutch windmills, tulip fields and best-known cities, such as Rotterdam and The Hague. To help you choose your trip, I've created this practical guide: 5 Best Day Trips from Amsterdam. If you'll allow me, I'd like to recommend my favourite, the one to Bruges. I'll tell you all about it here: Day Trips to Bruges from Amsterdam.