Things to Do in Düsseldorf: Best Sights, Map & 1–2 Day Itinerary
Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, grew up where the little Düssel stream flows into the Rhine. Its old town, the Altstadt, has a Renaissance town hall, a lone castle tower and the Gothic St. Lambertus, but it is best known for its roughly 260 pubs, brewpubs and restaurants – locals call it the longest bar in the world. Since 1993 traffic has run through a tunnel, and the car-free Rhine promenade above it links the Altstadt with the Rhine Tower and the MedienHafen. A few minutes east lies the Königsallee with its tree-lined canal.
On this page you will find our picks for a first visit, a one-day and a two-day itinerary with day-trip ideas for Cologne, Brühl and Wuppertal, getting in from Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) and the full list of Düsseldorf sights in the tripto.de catalog. Opening hours and prices are on each attraction page – please check with the venue before you go.
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Why visit
- A flat walk along the Rhine links the Altstadt, the riverside promenade, the Rhine Tower and the MedienHafen, and the Kö is just a few minutes east.
- Trains from the airport reach the main station in 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the connection.
- The Altstadt, the Königsallee, the MedienHafen and the Benrath Palace park are all free.
- The old-town brewpubs pour Altbier, Düsseldorf's local copper-colored beer, fresh from the barrel.
- Cologne, Brühl's UNESCO-listed palace and the Wuppertal Suspension Railway are easy trips by regional train on the Deutschlandticket.
Top 6: what to see first
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Old towns & squares
Düsseldorf Old Town (Altstadt)
Düsseldorf
The Altstadt (Old Town) of Düsseldorf is the historic heart of the city and one of Germany's liveliest nightlife districts. Packed into roughly half a square kilometer on the Rhine are churches, museums, a Renaissance town hall and around…
120–360 min Free entry1. The historic core with the 1570s town hall, the Jan Wellem statue, St. Lambertus and the Castle Tower – plus about 260 bars. In brewpubs the waiter keeps the Altbier coming until you put a coaster on your glass.
Landmarks
Königsallee
Düsseldorf
The Königsallee in Düsseldorf, known locally as the "Kö," is Germany's most famous luxury shopping boulevard and one of the most elegant city streets in the country. A tree-lined canal runs down the middle, framed by stone bridges and foun…
60–120 min Free entry2. The Kö: about a kilometer of canal, plane trees and the Triton Fountain, with flagship luxury stores on the east side and banks and grand hotels on the west. Strolling costs nothing.
Viewpoints
Rheinturm (Rhine Tower)
Düsseldorf
The Rheinturm in Düsseldorf is the city's tallest structure at 240.5 m (789 ft) and its best-known landmark. This telecommunications tower rises right on the Rhine between the state parliament and the MedienHafen, and its observation deck…
45–90 min3. 240.5 meters tall with a viewing deck at 168 meters, open daily 10 am to midnight. At night its light-clock shows the time. Free on your birthday with ID; card payment only.
Landmarks
MedienHafen (Media Harbor)
Düsseldorf
The MedienHafen (Media Harbor) in Düsseldorf is the city's showcase of contemporary architecture. On the site of an old Rhine cargo port, you now find Frank Gehry's famous twisting buildings, colorful office towers, design hotels and water…
60–120 min Free entry4. A converted harbor with Frank Gehry's three 'dancing' Neuer Zollhof buildings from 1998/99, the colorful Colorium tower and about 40 restaurants and bars. Best at blue hour.
Museums
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (K20/K21)
Düsseldorf
The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf is one of Germany's leading museums of 20th- and 21st-century art, spread across two buildings: K20 on Grabbeplatz in the Old Town, home to modern classics from Paul Klee to Jackson Pollo…
120–300 min5. Modern art in two buildings: K20 on Grabbeplatz with Klee, Picasso and Pollock, and K21 in the Ständehaus with contemporary art. Free under 18, and free for everyone from 6 pm on the first Wednesday of the month.
Palaces
Benrath Palace
Düsseldorf
Benrath Palace (Schloss Benrath) in southern Düsseldorf is a pink late-baroque pleasure palace built between 1755 and 1771 for Elector Palatine Karl Theodor by his court architect Nicolas de Pigage. Together with its wings, a long reflecti…
120–240 min6. A pink pleasure palace built 1755–1771, hiding about 80 rooms behind a seemingly one-story facade, set in a free 61-hectare park. The museums close on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Top sights on the map
Open the full map1-day itinerary
Morning: Königsallee
Take the subway to Steinstrasse/Königsallee and walk along the canal to the Triton Fountain at the north end. Weekday mornings are the quietest.
Places: Königsallee
Noon: Altstadt
A few minutes west: the market square with the town hall, St. Lambertus and the Burgplatz with the Castle Tower. Have lunch in one of the brewpubs.
Places: Düsseldorf Old Town (Altstadt)
Afternoon: MedienHafen
About 20 minutes along the Rhine promenade to the Gehry buildings, then loop around the harbor basins.
Places: MedienHafen (Media Harbor)
Evening: Rhine Tower
Go up to the 168-meter deck for sunset; from 8 pm the cheaper Late Night ticket applies. On October 14, 23 and 31, 2026 the deck closes early.
Places: Rheinturm (Rhine Tower)
2-day itinerary
Day 1: Altstadt, art and the Kö
K20 on Grabbeplatz
Arrive at the 11 am opening for Klee, Picasso, Pollock and Beuys. Two hours is enough for one building, and the combined K20/K21 ticket is valid for a year.
Altstadt
Burgplatz, the town hall, St. Lambertus and Bolkerstrasse with the Heinrich Heine House, then an Altbier in a traditional brewpub.
Places: Düsseldorf Old Town (Altstadt)
Königsallee
Stroll the Kö in the late afternoon and rest on a bench by the canal. Toward evening you will hear the wild parakeets in the plane trees.
Places: Königsallee
Day 2: Palace, harbor and tower
Benrath Palace
Take the U72 to the Schloss Benrath stop. The museums open at 11 am on Mondays, Tuesdays and weekends; the park is open daily and free.
Places: Benrath Palace
MedienHafen
Head back downtown and take tram 708 or 709 to Landtag/Kniebrücke, then walk around the harbor past the Gehry buildings and the Colorium.
Places: MedienHafen (Media Harbor)
Rhine Tower
Right next door. A visit usually takes 45 to 90 minutes; diners at the revolving restaurant ride up for free.
Places: Rheinturm (Rhine Tower)
Getting there
From DUS airport: Trains reach Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof in 5 to 10 minutes depending on the connection. The S11 stops below the terminal, while ICE and regional trains use the long-distance station at the east end of the airport, linked to the terminals by the SkyTrain.
From the main station: The subway takes you a few stops to Heinrich-Heine-Allee on the edge of the Altstadt or to Steinstrasse/Königsallee. On foot it is 20 to 25 minutes to the Altstadt.
Getting around and day trips: Trams 708 and 709 run to Landtag/Kniebrücke for the Rhine Tower and MedienHafen, and the U72 goes to Benrath. The Deutschlandticket (63 euros a month in 2026) covers all VRR buses and trains and regional trains – including to Cologne, where the cathedral stands right next to the main station, the RE 5 to Brühl for Augustusburg Palace, and Wuppertal, where the Suspension Railway leaves from outside the main station. The Altstadt is largely car-free; use the garages on its edge.
When to go
Spring to fall life moves to the Rhine promenade, and at sunset the steps on the Burgplatz fill up. In October the plane trees on the Kö turn gold.
Advent: The Christmas market runs from November 19 to December 30, 2026, Sunday to Thursday 11 am–8 pm and Friday and Saturday until 9 pm. It is closed on November 22 and December 25. There is also a Ferris wheel on the Burgplatz and the Kö on Ice skating rink.
Carnival: The Altstadt is packed around November 11 and on Weiberfastnacht. The Kunstsammlung NRW closes on Weiberfastnacht and Rose Monday. Augustusburg Palace in Brühl closes for the season from December to February.
FAQ
How many days do you need in Düsseldorf?
One day covers the Altstadt, the Kö, the MedienHafen and the Rhine Tower. A second day adds the Kunstsammlung NRW and Benrath Palace, and a third a trip to Cologne, Brühl or Wuppertal.
How do I get from Düsseldorf Airport to the city center?
Take the S11 from the station below the terminal, or a regional or long-distance train from the airport's long-distance station, which the SkyTrain connects to the terminals. The ride to the main station takes 5 to 10 minutes.
What is free to see in Düsseldorf?
The Altstadt and Rhine promenade, the Königsallee, the MedienHafen and the Benrath Palace park are free. The Kunstsammlung NRW is free for anyone under 18, and for everyone from 6 pm on the first Wednesday of each month.
Is Düsseldorf good for kids?
Yes. Kids love looking straight down through the tilted windows of the Rhine Tower, watching the boats from the promenade, and the Benrath Palace park with its natural history museum. Children under 6 ride up the Rhine Tower for free.
What is 'the longest bar in the world'?
That is what locals call the Altstadt, with around 260 pubs, brewpubs, bars and restaurants packed into about half a square kilometer. Nightlife centers on Bolkerstrasse, Kurze Strasse and Ratinger Strasse.
When is the Düsseldorf Christmas market in 2026?
From November 19 to December 30, 2026 in the city center, Sunday to Thursday 11 am–8 pm and Friday and Saturday 11 am–9 pm. It closes at 3 pm on Christmas Eve and is closed on November 22 and December 25.
All attractions (8)
Old towns & squares
Düsseldorf Old Town (Altstadt)
Düsseldorf
The Altstadt (Old Town) of Düsseldorf is the historic heart of the city and one of Germany's liveliest nightlife districts. Packed into roughly half a square kilometer on the Rhine are churches, museums, a Renaissance town hall and around…
120–360 min Free entry
Fortresses
Kaiserswerth Imperial Palace
Düsseldorf
The Kaiserpfalz Kaiserswerth (Imperial Palace of Kaiserswerth) is the ruin of a mighty medieval stronghold on the banks of the Rhine in northern Düsseldorf. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa turned an older royal palace into a near-impregnable…
30–180 min Free entry
Landmarks
Königsallee
Düsseldorf
The Königsallee in Düsseldorf, known locally as the "Kö," is Germany's most famous luxury shopping boulevard and one of the most elegant city streets in the country. A tree-lined canal runs down the middle, framed by stone bridges and foun…
60–120 min Free entry
Museums
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (K20/K21)
Düsseldorf
The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf is one of Germany's leading museums of 20th- and 21st-century art, spread across two buildings: K20 on Grabbeplatz in the Old Town, home to modern classics from Paul Klee to Jackson Pollo…
120–300 min
Landmarks
MedienHafen (Media Harbor)
Düsseldorf
The MedienHafen (Media Harbor) in Düsseldorf is the city's showcase of contemporary architecture. On the site of an old Rhine cargo port, you now find Frank Gehry's famous twisting buildings, colorful office towers, design hotels and water…
60–120 min Free entry
Museums
Museum Kunstpalast
Düsseldorf
Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf is the city's big art museum, set in the brick Ehrenhof complex on the banks of the Rhine, a short walk north of the Old Town. Under one roof it brings together Flemish Baroque painting including Rubens, th…
120–180 min
Viewpoints
Rheinturm (Rhine Tower)
Düsseldorf
The Rheinturm in Düsseldorf is the city's tallest structure at 240.5 m (789 ft) and its best-known landmark. This telecommunications tower rises right on the Rhine between the state parliament and the MedienHafen, and its observation deck…
45–90 min
Palaces
Benrath Palace
Düsseldorf
Benrath Palace (Schloss Benrath) in southern Düsseldorf is a pink late-baroque pleasure palace built between 1755 and 1771 for Elector Palatine Karl Theodor by his court architect Nicolas de Pigage. Together with its wings, a long reflecti…
120–240 min