Discover the amazing ‘Rock the City’ tour in Amsterdam
If you are looking to experience some Dutch culture but perhaps of the fizzy, alcohol kind, then the Heineken Brewery tour is a must! If you want to maximise your day out in Amsterdam however, then the Rock the City Tour is your ticket to one great day-out in Amsterdam.
The Rock the City ticket is really three tickets in one: The Heineken Brewery Tour, a canal cruise, and the A’Dam Lookout; all for just €32.50 – guaranteed cheapest day out in Amsterdam!
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The Heineken Brewery Tour
I have to say I really enjoyed the Heineken brewery tour but it felt a little squashed at the beginning. You get to learn about how the company came to be, where the first brewery was, and who owned it – everything you’d expect for the start of a brewery tour!
This part of the tour requires reading and for some people who don’t like tight spaces and on busy day it may not be worth it. But the tour transcends from words to pictures as you are taken through the brewing process by pictures, videos, and staff explaining the process.
You will get to see the huge copper baths involved in the brewing process and will get to try wort – which if you are brave enough tasted literally like a farm. Next you will be brought out to the horses in the stables but unfortunately they weren’t there when we visited.
In the stables you are also shown how to drink Heineken to make the most out of the flavours. You are given a pretty decent sized, half-pint glass to try so that’s nice – but they do reassure you that these aren’t the two free drinks included in your ticket!
You then proceed through the part of the tour where you experience Heineken’s advertising efforts throughout the years. You get to have fun in their photo-booths, play games, and even play PlayStation. This part of the tour felt quite modern and was a bit of fun with friends.
After that you make your way to the bar downstairs where you get to drink your two free Heineken which amount to a pint!
I don’t want to give away too much about the brewery tour but it is a lot of fun and it’s something to say that you’ve been to the home of Heineken! Next you’ll move onto part two of the Rock the City tour.
Canal Cruise
The next part of your Rock the City ticket is the canal cruise. Right across the road from the Heineken building when you came out is the canal. Walk across the road – mindful of the cyclists – and you will find a Heineken themed canal boat which will take you on a forty minute cruise around the canals and over to the A’Dam lookout for the final destination on the Rock the City tour. You can buy beers on-board – Heineken of course – but they aren’t free and cost €5.
I’ve never been on a canal cruise and I have to say it provided a completely different view of the city of Amsterdam. It was great to walk around, but once you’re as low as you can possibly go and you’re looking up at everything it provides an really different viewpoint.
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Plus it’s a really nice way to chill out with your partner or friends and have a beer!
A’Dam Lookout
The final part of the Rock the City ticket is the A’Dam lookout. The A’Dam Lookout is essentially a really tall building with a rooftop that you can look out over the city of Amsterdam from. It also has a fancy restaurant!
When arrive you will get to have your photograph taken which you can pick up at the end of your visit. If you’re with a group it’s quite a nice momento!
You take an elevator ride to the top where you arrive at the observation deck. They have a little light show in the elevator which is a fun touch!
The observation deck seemed like it was too fancy for the person who is just going there to experience the view and leave soon after.
There is a pricey bar and even pricier restaurant which was completely reserved – obviously this is a nice spot to dine what being hundreds of feet in the air – but I couldn’t help but feel that it didn’t mix well.
It wasn’t a comfortable place to be as seats were limited so you had to stand and drink your drink if you bought one!
That combined with trying to find a place to stand where you’re not completely in somebody’s way was difficult!
But the real prize was heading upstairs and outside!
Up there were raised platforms for you to take a selfie with Amsterdam city and binoculars to lookout from but the most impressive thing was a swing, which you could literally swing out over the side of the building on.
It was electric and you were strapped in but boy was it an unusual experience to find yourself swinging off the side of a building really high in the sky!
If you’re nice the workers they will take your phone and take some photos for you!
Tip: It wasn’t customary but a tip should be given. These people are dealing with hundreds of people everyday pretty cold conditions so two euro for taking an amazing photo of you is a nice gesture, makes them happy, and if you tip before you go up and aren’t rude – you’re more likely to get some amazing shots!
Once your done taking in the Amazing views of Amsterdam you can head back down and out the main entrance, there you will find a ferry which brings you straight back to Centraal station for free! Which is the perfect place to be dropped as literally all connections go through Centraal!
So that was a quick synopsis of the Rock the City tour. You can start off at either the Heineken brewery or A’dam but for those amazing sunset photos I recommend leaving the A’Dam lookout for last!
You get to pick the time of your Heineken tour and of your cruise! I recommend giving 2.5 hours to the tour, especially if you want to chill out and enjoy your beers!
I really don’t think you can get as much for so cheap in Amsterdam or in fact a lot of places! It is worth every penny!
Also if you find yourself peckish afterward, there’s a gorgeous Wagamama in Centraal station!
Again, the Rock the City tour is only €32.50 so you get an action packed day out in Amsterdam for very cheap! If you’re in Europe, have you thought about visiting Eastern Europe?
If you enjoyed this then you might enjoy reading about Amsterdam’s counter-culture.
