Amsterdam is filled with unique experiences that you can’t find anywhere else in Europe. Coffee shops, the red-light district, and touring the Keukenhof to name a few. But while we were there, we decided to partake in the Heineken “Rock The City” experience. I had heard of the Heineken Museum before, but I was curious about the all-inclusive package deal that this excursion claimed to offer. Here is my recap of the entire experience so you can decide for yourself if it’s “worth it” or if you should “skip it.”
The day started with a tour of the actual Heineken Museum which resides in the old Heineken factory. Inside we learned about the history of the brand, how the beer is made, and how to properly taste a Heineken. (Apparently, it is supposed to taste like banana?) The tour also features a ton of interactive games and opportunities for photos! The tour ends at a cool bar where you receive two beers that were included in the price of your ticket. At the bar, we met Marcella, a girl from Brazil who was studying in Portugal but vacationing in Amsterdam on her own. We invited her to hang out with us and ended up spending the rest of the day with her.
After the museum, the “Rock The City” experience includes a canal tour which lasts about an hour. The trip took place in a covered boat which was nice considering the chilly weather in Amsterdam. When we arrived at the ship, we were given an audio guide, but our speakers were either broken or very difficult to hear, so we ended up opting out of the audio tour in favor of taking in the beautiful Amsterdam views.
Lastly, the “Rock The City” experience includes free entrance to the A’DAM lookout which is an observation deck with a view of the entire city. Unfortunately, the A’DAM lookout is located far from the museum and canal tour, and it was around dinner time when we arrived back on shore from the trip. As a result, we choose to head toward a popular restaurant area instead of visiting the lookout spot.
In my opinion, even without visiting the A’DAM lookout, I would say the Heineken experience was “worth it.” The museum and canal tour was interesting, and those two activities alone are enough to fill an entire day in Amsterdam. If you want to check all three activities off of your list, I would recommend getting an early start to your day and monitoring the time you spend inside the museum. I would recommend this excursion for anyone who is looking to have a unique experience in Amsterdam and to make some new friends along the way!
Tripping with Maddie 