Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam, 3 Drinks Included

Amsterdam’s Xtracold Icebar turns a drink into a short Arctic-style stunt. You begin in a warm lounge, then put on supplied thermal clothing and enter a room kept at 14°F (-10°C), where ice sculptures, walls, seats, and even your glass create the show.

I like the clever split between the lounge and the ice room, and I like that the ticket includes three drinks rather than charging you for every small extra. The catch is size: the cold room can feel cramped and crowded, and the sweet, limited drink menu will not satisfy anyone looking for a proper cocktail bar.

Key points at a glance

• Three drinks are included: one welcome cocktail or large Heineken, plus two beers or flavored shots in the ice room.
• The cold room is genuinely cold: plan for about 15 to 25 minutes inside, not a long evening at the bar.
• Thermal coats and gloves are provided: wear warm clothes anyway, especially proper shoes and long trousers.
• The lounge matters: you can have your first drink before or after the ice room, so you do not need to rush it.
• Ice glasses are part of the fun: beers and shots are served in glasses made from solid ice.
• The experience suits a short city-break stop: it lasts about 45 minutes and accepts a maximum of 15 people per booking.

What Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam is really like

The main attraction is simple and hard to fake: you drink inside a room held at -10°C. The walls and furnishings are made of ice, and detailed sculptures are lit in changing colored light. A pirate theme has been used for some visits, giving the room a playful, slightly cheesy character rather than a sleek fine-dining feel.

You are not meant to spend an entire night in the cold room. The full visit takes about 45 minutes, with only part of that time spent below freezing. The exact cold-room portion can feel short, with a practical limit of roughly 20 to 25 minutes. That is enough time for photos, two drinks, and a good shiver.

I would think of this as a novelty attraction with drinks, not as one of Amsterdam’s best cocktail bars. You are paying for the setting, the ice sculptures, the silly gloves, and the story you can tell afterward. The drinks support the idea, but they are not the main reason to come.

Your first drink in the warm lounge

You start in the regular bar and lounge area. This is where you can mix with your group, get your bearings, and use the included welcome drink. Your first token covers either a welcome cocktail or a large Heineken beer.

The lounge is important because it gives you a choice. You can drink here before entering the ice room, or save the included drink for afterward. If you want to enter the cold room without rushing, have the first drink at the end. If you want to warm up and settle in first, use it at the beginning.

The lounge also gives you a normal place to talk. Inside the ice room, conversation, photos, and drinking all compete with the cold. At busy times, seating in the warm area may be limited, so do not count on a long, relaxed table session.

This part of the visit helps make the ticket feel like more than a quick photo opportunity. Still, keep your expectations in check. The warm bar is a staging area and social space, not a full evening destination with an extensive drinks program.

Entering the 14°F ice room

When it is time to go in, you receive special thermal clothing for the cold-room visit. Coats and gloves are supplied, and you should use both. Several people found the room manageable for 20 to 30 minutes, while others felt the provided coats were not warm enough.

Dress for the occasion before you arrive. Wear layers, long trousers, socks, and closed shoes. Shorts and sandals are a poor match for -10°C, and cold hands make it difficult to hold a glass or take photographs. The supplied gloves also make phone use awkward, so take your pictures early or remove one glove briefly when needed.

The temperature is not a marketing trick. Your fingers can become painfully cold, especially if you stand still while waiting at the bar. The experience works best when you accept that the cold is the point, but keep an eye on your own comfort rather than trying to prove you can last longer than everyone else.

You might manage 25 minutes, but you do not need to. Fifteen to 20 minutes is enough for most people to see the sculptures, take pictures, and enjoy the novelty. Once your fingers stop feeling useful, head back to the lounge. There is no prize for staying until you become an ice sculpture yourself.

Ice sculptures, pirate details, and the photo factor

The room is built around visual appeal. Ice sculptures are lit with colored lighting, and the pirate theme used during some visits adds props and a little theatrical humor. An ice polar bear carving has also been part of the room’s decoration.

This is a compact space, not a huge frozen palace. The room can feel small when a group enters together, and crowding can make it hard to frame a clean photo. You may need to wait your turn near a sculpture or take a quick picture before the next person moves in.

Photography is one of the strongest reasons to book. The ice glass in your hand, the frosted walls, and the colored lighting make a more unusual souvenir than a standard bar snapshot. Photos may also be taken inside for purchase, giving you another option if you want a polished keepsake.

The gloves create a tradeoff. They protect your hands, but they make it harder to operate a phone. I would decide ahead of time who in your group will handle photos, then keep the session brief. In the cold, you will get better pictures by planning than by fumbling with your camera for ten minutes.

Understanding the three included drinks

The drink arrangement is easy to understand once you know where each token works:

• One welcome cocktail or large Heineken in the regular lounge
• Two flavored shots or beers inside the ice room
• Drinks served in ice glasses inside the cold room

The inside selection can include vodka shots and Heineken, with several flavored options. Coconut, nuts and nougat, and other sweet flavors have appeared on the menu. The choices are more limited than those in the warm bar, and the drinks tend toward sugary novelty flavors.

If you prefer beer, the large Heineken is the safer choice. If you enjoy sweet flavored vodka, the shots add to the playful mood. If you want a carefully balanced cocktail, this is not the place to set high hopes. Some people find the syrupy drinks enjoyable, while others find them unpleasant or headache-inducing.

The cold changes how you drink. A frozen glass is fun, but it is not a normal pint glass. One practical point is that you may only be allowed to carry one glass at a time. If you choose a shot first and then a beer, the serving arrangement may leave you holding or finishing the first drink before taking the next.

Your second drink also needs attention. The ice glass begins to melt, especially when it contains a cold drink in a room full of people. Take a picture, sip it, and avoid setting it down for too long. It is part of the attraction, but it is not the most convenient drinking vessel in Amsterdam.

Three included drinks sounds generous, and it adds value if you like the available choices. It does not mean three strong drinks. The short visit and light pours are designed more for the theme than for getting tipsy. If you are drinking, pace yourself and eat beforehand.

Timing, queues, and the 45-minute visit

The advertised visit lasts about 45 minutes. That includes time in the regular lounge, the wait to enter the cold room, the cold-room visit itself, and the return to warmth.

Your actual time inside may be limited to roughly 20 or 25 minutes. That is sensible from a comfort and safety point of view, but it can feel short if you expect a full bar session. The experience is better viewed as a timed attraction than as a place where you can linger.

Crowding is the biggest practical complaint. At busy periods, especially around Friday evening, groups can gather at the entrance and inside the room. One bartender serving several people can create a queue, and you may spend more time waiting for a token drink than you expected.

The operator lists a maximum of 15 people for the activity, but the flow can still feel packed at popular times. If you are sensitive to crowds, choose a quieter booking time if the schedule gives you that option. The supplied information does not identify specific quiet hours, so I would simply avoid assuming that every visit will feel spacious.

The best strategy is to treat the schedule as a short, lively stop. Have a plan for your two inside drinks, take the important photos early, and do not wait until your final minutes to collect a token drink. If you are with friends, agree on a meeting point in the lounge so nobody gets separated in the cold-room queue.

Is the $24.30 price good value?

At $24.30 per person, the price is fair if you want the full novelty package. You receive admission, thermal clothing, three drinks, Wi-Fi, and a short visit to a venue that is unlike an ordinary Amsterdam pub.

The value weakens if you judge the ticket by the drinks alone. Two people could spend a similar amount at another bar and receive a wider selection of cocktails, better seating, and more time. The ice room is small, and the included shots may taste more like sweetened novelty drinks than premium spirits.

I would compare it with the cost of a simple attraction plus a couple of drinks, not with a luxury bar. The ticket works for a first ice-bar visit, a birthday stop, a couple looking for unusual photographs, or a group adding something silly between museums and dinner.

It is less convincing for anyone who has visited several ice bars. Other venues may offer larger rooms, more places to sit, or a broader drink menu. If you have already done this concept elsewhere, Amsterdam’s version may feel familiar and compact.

The average booking lead time is 19 days, which suggests you should not leave it until the last minute if the ice bar is important to your plan. A mobile ticket keeps the arrival simple, and transportation to and from the attraction is not included, so you arrange your own way there.

Who will enjoy this most?

I would recommend Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam to you if you enjoy playful attractions and do not mind a little discomfort for a good photo. It is especially suitable for:

• Friends on a night out
• Couples wanting an unusual short activity
• First-time ice-bar visitors
• Groups who like themed settings and flavored shots
• Parents bringing an older teenager who meets the minimum drinking age

The minimum drinking age is 18. Since all three included drinks are alcoholic, this is not an attraction for younger children or for anyone who does not drink.

Older visitors can still enjoy it, but the cold is the main test, not age. One group brought a father and had a good time, while another person found the coats insufficient. If you have poor cold tolerance, circulation concerns, or simply dislike shivering, consider skipping it.

The social mood can vary. Some staff members have been described as fun, friendly, and accommodating, while other visits included complaints about rude or hurried service. I would not book this for a polished, quiet evening. Book it for the ice, the laughs, and the unusual setting, then keep your expectations practical.

Small details that make the visit easier

Arrive with enough time to find the attraction, since the ticket covers the activity but not transportation. Confirmation is provided at booking, and the mobile ticket is useful for a city itinerary that already lives on your phone.

Use the supplied gloves, even if Amsterdam itself feels mild. The cold room is a different matter. Keep your phone secure, and expect to remove a glove if you want to take a clear picture.

Choose your inside drink with the temperature in mind. A beer or shot is easier to finish promptly than a drink you plan to nurse. Do not save both included inside drinks until the last few minutes, since queues can eat into your time.

If you need to cancel, free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam?

Book it if you have never tried an ice bar, want a quick activity with three included drinks, and enjoy themed photographs more than serious mixology. The frozen glasses, illuminated sculptures, and real -10°C temperature give you a clear, memorable reason to go.

Skip it if you want a spacious room, strong or carefully made cocktails, warm comfort, or a long evening at the bar. The room is small, the drink menu is limited, and busy periods can mean queuing.

For most first-timers, I think the $24.30 price is reasonable as a short Amsterdam diversion. Wear proper layers, use the gloves, take pictures early, and remember that 15 to 25 minutes in the ice room is plenty. The cold is not a side effect of the attraction. It is the attraction.

FAQ

How long does the Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam visit last?

The full activity lasts approximately 45 minutes. The time inside the -10°C ice room is shorter, generally around 20 to 25 minutes.

How many drinks are included?

You receive three drinks. One is a welcome cocktail or large Heineken in the regular bar, and two are flavored shots or beers in the ice room.

Are coats and gloves provided?

Yes. Special thermal clothing is provided for the ice-bar visit, including coats and gloves. You should still wear warm layers, long trousers, socks, and closed shoes.

What is the minimum drinking age?

The minimum drinking age is 18.

Is transportation included?

No. You must arrange transportation to and from the attraction yourself.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations and changes made less than 24 hours before the local start time are not accepted for a refund.