Amsterdam: Icebar Entry Ticket with 3 Drinks

Amsterdam’s Icebar takes the idea of a themed bar quite literally: the walls, seats, glasses, and bar are made from natural ice, backed by colored lights and party music. You begin with a welcome cocktail in a warm lounge, then put on a jacket and gloves for the minus 10°C ice room.

I like the clear two-part setup and the fact that your ticket includes three drinks, not just entry. I also like the short, easy-to-fit schedule, which works well before dinner or after a walk around Rembrandtplein. The main catch is the small ice room, which can feel crowded, and the gloves may not fully protect your hands from the cold.

Key points at a glance

• 35 tons of ice: The bar, furniture, walls, and drinking glasses use natural ice.
• Three drinks included: You get one welcome cocktail, then two drinks inside the ice room.
• Minus 10°C for up to 20 minutes: The cold is the main event, so dress for it even with the supplied jacket.
• Fixed entry time: You must arrive for your chosen slot, and the welcome drink may need to be finished quickly.
• Central location: The venue is around the corner from Rembrandtplein, with tram 4 or 14 stopping nearby.
• Best for a quirky night out: This suits adults, birthday groups, couples, and friends who want a short novelty experience.

What the Amsterdam Icebar experience is really like

The Amsterdam Icebar is not a long sightseeing tour or a serious cocktail evening. It is a compact, playful stop built around one strong idea: have a drink in a room kept at minus 10 degrees Celsius.

That focus works. The cold gives the visit a sense of occasion, and the ice itself provides plenty to look at. Mood lighting colors the frozen walls and sculptures, while music keeps the room from feeling like a silent freezer. You are there for the setting as much as the drinks.

The full visit lasts about 45 minutes, though the time is split unevenly. The ice room portion lasts up to 20 minutes. You can stay in the warm lounge before or after, but your entry into the cold room is tied to a specific time slot.

I would treat this as a fun add-on to an Amsterdam day, not as an evening that replaces a good bar crawl. It is short, visual, social, and a little silly in the best sense.

Starting in the warm lounge near Rembrandtplein

The venue is located around the corner from Rembrandtplein, a central part of Amsterdam with plenty of restaurants, bars, and nightlife nearby. Tram numbers 4 and 14 serve the area, and the nearest GVB stop is Rembrandtplein.

On arrival, you exchange your voucher for entry at your chosen time. The first space is warm and designed like a regular bar, giving you a place to settle in before the cold section. This is where you receive your freshly made welcome cocktail, though you can choose a beer instead if you prefer.

The lounge matters more than it may first appear. A drink before entering helps make the visit feel like a complete bar experience rather than a quick photo stop. You can also spend time here after the ice room, which gives your hands and face a chance to warm up.

There is one timing detail to watch. Your welcome drink may be served before your fixed ice room entry, and the next group may be called soon after. One visitor found there was only a couple of minutes to finish the cocktail before going inside. If you want to enjoy it slowly, arrive with enough time and ask staff how the timing works at your session.

The lounge has its own atmosphere, with a bar area styled around a ship theme. Staff often add much of the energy, with friendly service and playful banter. Wouter and Erion were singled out for making the visit especially enjoyable, while the character Captain Jack has also helped create the pirate-style mood.

Putting on the jacket and entering the ice room

Before you enter the cold section, the staff provide winter clothing. You receive a jacket and gloves, then step into a room kept at minus 10°C. This is cold enough to matter, even if you visit Amsterdam in summer.

I recommend wearing warm trousers and proper shoes rather than treating the supplied jacket as a complete winter outfit. The jacket is useful, but it does not turn the room into a comfortable indoor temperature. Your hands are the weak point. Several people found the gloves too thin, especially when holding an ice glass that begins to melt against your fingers.

The room itself is built from roughly 35 tons of ice. The frozen walls, furniture, bar, and sculptures create the visual payoff. Colored lighting brings out the shapes in the ice, and the music gives the place a party-bar feel rather than a museum feel.

The room is not large. That can make it feel lively when the group is well managed, but crowded sessions are less comfortable. You may need to share limited space around the bar and wait briefly while others take photos or collect their drinks. If you dislike tight spaces or get cold quickly, the 20-minute limit will probably feel sensible.

The cold also affects how you handle your drink. An ice glass is part of the fun, but it is not as easy to hold as a normal glass. Take a few photos early, then focus on enjoying the drink before your fingers lose patience.

The three included drinks and what you actually get

The ticket includes one welcome cocktail in the warm lounge and two drinks inside the ice room. The two cold-room choices include regular vodka, two flavored vodkas, sambuca, rum, Heineken beer, or orange juice.

The wording can create confusion, since the welcome drink and the two ice-room drinks are different parts of the package. In practical terms, you should expect:

• One freshly made cocktail or beer in the warm lounge
• Two drinks inside the Icebar
• Ice glasses for the drinks served in the frozen room

The welcome cocktail is a nice touch, but cocktail quality may depend on your taste. Some people found it too sweet and syrupy, while others enjoyed it. If you prefer something simple, choosing a beer in the lounge may be the safer option.

The ice-room drinks are more straightforward. Flavored vodka shots are a popular pick, and Heineken gives you a less intense alternative. Orange juice is available for anyone who does not want alcohol, though the experience is limited to those aged 18 and over.

Some people have assumed that the included drinks cover full cocktails inside the ice room. They do not appear to be a full cocktail menu there. If you want additional drinks, the regular bar in the venue serves paid drinks before or after the ice room.

Why the short visit works, and where it falls short

Twenty minutes inside a minus 10°C room is enough for most people. You can look at the icework, take pictures, collect both drinks, and enjoy the novelty without turning the experience into an endurance test.

The 45-minute total duration also fits neatly into a busy Amsterdam itinerary. You can visit after sightseeing in the historic center, then continue to dinner nearby. It is also easy to pair with an evening around Rembrandtplein.

Still, the time can feel rushed if the room is crowded. You may want to take photos, listen to the staff’s explanation, and finish two drinks, all while wearing bulky winter gear. A few people wished they had more room or more time, and one person felt hurried before finishing the second drink.

The lounge helps balance this. You are not forced to leave as soon as you exit the ice room, and you can buy another drink there if you want to warm up and continue the evening. So the advertised 45 minutes is best understood as the organized part of the visit, not necessarily the full time you must spend at the venue.

Staff, atmosphere, and the social side

The staff can make a real difference here. This is a lighthearted experience, and a stiff or rushed welcome would take much of the fun away. The strongest impressions come from staff who keep the mood friendly, help people with the winter gear, and make the pirate theme part of the show.

The experience is social by design. Groups enter together, share the small frozen room, and take turns at the bar and photo spots. You do not need a guide for a long lecture, but a bit of explanation and friendly direction helps the session run well.

Crowd control is important. When the number of people is kept reasonable, the room feels lively. When too many people enter at once, it becomes harder to move, take pictures, or enjoy the drinks. If you have a choice of times, a less busy session may give you a more relaxed visit, though the supplied information does not identify a guaranteed quiet period.

The music, lighting, and costumes make this better suited to people who enjoy themed entertainment. If you want a quiet, refined cocktail bar, choose a conventional venue instead.

Photos and small souvenirs

The ice room is naturally set up for pictures. The frozen walls and colored lights give you a memorable background, and a professional photographer may be available during the visit.

Photos and souvenirs cost extra. Items such as fridge magnets and key rings are available, and some people liked the quality of the pictures enough to buy them. I would decide before you arrive how much you want to spend, since the included ticket covers the visit and drinks, not the photographs or merchandise.

Take your own pictures early in the session. Your phone is easier to handle before your hands get cold, and the room may become busier as everyone starts taking turns at the best spots.

Is the $26 ticket good value?

At about $26 per person, the ticket is reasonably priced if you value the setting and the three included drinks. Buying three drinks separately in a central Amsterdam bar could take a sizeable part of that amount, though the included drinks are not all full cocktails.

The real value comes from the construction and the novelty. You are paying for access to a bar made with 35 tons of ice, winter gear, lighting, music, and a planned short session. If you only want cheap drinks, this is not the right purchase. If you want a memorable activity that gives you something to talk about and photograph, the price makes more sense.

The package is particularly good for a birthday, a first visit to Amsterdam, or a group looking for something different from museums and canal-side bars. It is also useful on a rainy day, since the main activity takes place indoors.

I would be less enthusiastic if you dislike cold rooms, crowded attractions, sweet drinks, or fixed schedules. The ticket cannot be treated as an anytime admission. You need to visit at the selected time, so leave room in your day for getting to Rembrandtplein.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the booking, and a reserve-now, pay-later option is offered. Those terms help if your Amsterdam plans are still changing, but you should still watch the chosen time carefully.

Who should book the Amsterdam Icebar?

I think this works best for adults aged 18 and over who want a short, unusual activity rather than a major cultural attraction. Couples can make it a playful date stop, and groups will likely enjoy the shared jokes, drinks, and pictures.

It is also a good fit for:

• Birthday celebrations
• Friends looking for a themed night out
• First-time Amsterdam visitors seeking a quirky stop
• People who enjoy novelty bars and photo opportunities
• Anyone needing a compact indoor activity near central Amsterdam

You should think twice if you are very sensitive to cold or need generous space. The supplied gloves may not be enough for everyone, and the ice room can feel cramped during busy sessions. People with a strong preference for quality cocktails may also find the welcome drink too sweet.

Practical tips for a smoother visit

Arrive early enough to find the venue and settle into the lounge. Your ice room entry is tied to a chosen time, so arriving late could cut into the warm drink or make the transition feel rushed.

Wear warm clothes under the supplied jacket. Long trousers and closed shoes are a sensible choice, and you may want thin liner gloves if your hands get cold easily. The venue provides gloves, but some people found them inadequate once the ice glasses began to melt.

Use the restroom before entering the ice room and take important photos near the start. Twenty minutes passes quickly when you are collecting drinks, looking at the sculptures, and sharing the limited space.

If you want a second drink in the warm bar, budget for it separately. The welcome cocktail is included, but extra lounge drinks are paid for with real money.

Finally, book ahead if your schedule is tight. The Icebar is popular, and the fixed time slots mean you cannot simply assume you will walk in whenever you reach the neighborhood.

Should you book it?

Book the Amsterdam Icebar if you want a fun, unusual stop with three included drinks, a strong photo setting, and a central location. The staff, themed lounge, frozen construction, and short schedule give the experience enough substance for the price.

Skip it if you want a spacious bar, carefully made cocktails, or a long relaxed evening. The cold is serious, the room can be crowded, and the supplied gloves may leave your hands uncomfortable.

For most adults who approach it as a 45-minute novelty experience, I think it is worth doing once. Go in warm clothes, arrive on time, and treat the ice room as a quick adventure rather than a place to settle in for the night.

FAQ

How cold is Amsterdam’s Icebar?

The ice room is kept at minus 10°C. Jackets and gloves are provided, but you should still wear warm clothing because the supplied gloves may not fully protect your hands.

How long does the experience last?

The recommended total time is 45 minutes. You can stay inside the ice room for up to 20 minutes, while the warm lounge can be used before or after the ice room.

How many drinks are included?

You receive one freshly made welcome cocktail or beer in the lounge and two additional drinks inside the ice room.

What drinks can I choose inside the Icebar?

The available choices include two flavored vodkas, regular vodka, sambuca, rum, Heineken beer, and orange juice.

Do I need to book a specific time?

Yes. You can only enter the Icebar at your chosen time slot, so plan to arrive in time for the scheduled entry.

Where is Amsterdam’s Icebar located?

The venue is around the corner from Rembrandtplein. Tram numbers 4 and 14 serve the area, and the nearest GVB tram stop is Rembrandtplein.

Who can enter the Icebar?

The experience is available only to people aged 18 and over. Smoking is not allowed.