I had heard good things about the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam so we decided to check it out. I will say that trying to find out if it was a family friendly event was a bit challenging. The websites were a bit confusing so I used TripAdvisor and found out that it was not only family friendly but that kids enjoyed it. I was recently told by one person they missed out because she said the website said it was not for kids. So if your traveling with kids you can bring them and they’ll probably enjoy it as well. My TripAdvisor review is here
You can buy the adult tickets online for a discount €16 instead of €18 but you have to buy the kids tickets at the counter so I skipped buying online. We did stop at the Cobra restaurant to get the adult tickets at the discounted price of €16, it’s right behind the I Amsterdam sign and has bathrooms in the building. Tickets for kids are €12,50 for kids 12-17 and free for kids 11 and under. It was €44.50 for 2 adults and 1 kid, Bea was free.
We arrived on 11 am on a Tuesday and there were NO lines, we walked right in and bought the kids tickets. Everyone gets a bracelet with 2 buttons for drinks, the kids get 2 pepsi’s and the adult can have 2 beers or pepsi for the non-beer drinkers. There is a free coat check as well. Bathrooms are located after you get through the paid area.
There is also free wifi here which will make any teenager happy 😉 I had 2 bracelets on for the photo, the button is the ones you turn in for a drink, 2 per bracelet.
It’s a self guided tour and you walk through the building to see the different displays.
The first room has several scenes you can pull out an take photos in, Mr. B and I had to try it out.
There are a few rooms where you stop to get a demo. In the first one we got to taste the barley and hops that they use. I’ve never tasted a hop before so that was different.
Then you get to the beer tasting room where they tell you how to drink a beer. Everyone (except the kids) gets a small beer here, so really you get 3 beers and possibly 4. The bartender ask questions and if you answer one correctly you get an extra free beer.
They have a stable area as well so you can see the horses unfortunately when we went in April they were not there because the stable was being renovated.
As you get towards the end there are some interactive games and even a foosball table where we stopped to have a family match before continuing on. There is also a 4D ride which is neat.
At the end you’ll come a bar & seating area where you can cash in the buttons on your bracelet to get your free drinks. Plan on spending at least an hour here and it could easily be more.
As you exit you’ll pass through the store, get a voucher for a free gift from the Heineken store that is a 10 min walk away. It’s for a free small glass and everyone can get one.
You can take a free 30 minute canal boat tour to the store as well, the boat runs from 1 pm to 7 pm so when we finished around 12:20 it was not running yet. We decided to come back later and take it. However when we went back later we would’ve had to wait 45 mins for the next boat so we just walked down to the store instead.
The store is near the Rembrandt plaza and was a bit tricky to find but we found it. The staff here was amazing and super friendly! There are also free bathrooms here as well. We picked up our 4 free drink glasses and a small souvenir here.
Overall it was a great family friendly experience. I had no idea what to expect but we ended up having a good time and the kids even had a bit of fun (11 and 14). They enjoyed the sodas too. It was great that it was not crowded so we could move along as slowly or quickly as we wanted.
Know Before You Go
What: Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
How To Get There: It’s about a 10 min walk from the Rijksmuseum and IAmsterdam sign.
Parking: is not recommended but there are several parking areas near there.
Cost: €18 for adults, €16 if you buy online or at a store before arrival. Kids are €12,50 for 12-17 and free for kids 11 and under.
Traveling with little kids: We seen kids of all ages here. Younger kids may get bored more easily than older kids.
How long: Plan on at least an hour for the self tour, longer if you want to check out all of the displays, etc.
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