In a nutshell
- A great city tour lets you experience Düsseldorf from a completely different angle. In this article, we’ve rounded up 11 truly special Düsseldorf tours — from classic sightseeing to culinary adventures and off-beat experiences.
- The Old Town Tour is the classic first choice. You’ll get a great overview of the city, see many top highlights, and cap it off with an Altbier at a traditional brewhouse.
- On the Sweet Temptations tour, you’ll taste your way through the city’s best pastry shops, chocolate stores, and cafés — local and international treats included.
- The Interactive Crime Tour is perfect for amateur detectives — you’ll search for clues like Sherlock Holmes, solve puzzles, and learn some fascinating city history along the way.
- And all the other tours we’ve picked out for you are absolutely worth it too — there’s something here for every kind of traveler!
Classic City Tours in Düsseldorf
Old Town Tour with Altbier Tasting
If you’ve never been to Düsseldorf before — or you’d simply like to dig into the city’s stories and hidden anecdotes — a guided tour through the Old Town is the perfect starting point.
For a first visit, this Düsseldorf city tour is a great choice: you’ll get a solid overview of the old quarter, leaving you perfectly set up to explore on your own afterward.
During the tour, you’ll also visit a traditional Düsseldorf brewhouse, where you get to sample an Altbier. Honestly, that alone is worth the price of admission.
Note: the tour is offered in German only and lasts two hours.
Book the Old Town + Altbier Tour
Medienhafen Tour
Düsseldorf’s newest neighborhood is a stark contrast to the historic old town — and that contrast is exactly what makes it so interesting.
The Medienhafen has only developed over the past few decades, and it’s packed with stories as well as seriously striking modern architecture.
On this two-hour stroll through the neighborhood, you won’t just pass by the famous Gehry buildings along the Rhine — you’ll also see the old warehouses from the not-so-distant past, when the area was still an industrial harbor.
It’s really fascinating to see how quickly the face of a neighborhood can change.
This is one of those Düsseldorf guided tours that takes you somewhere most visitors never think to go. You’ll discover corners of the city you’d never stumble across on your own.
Night Watchman City Tour
The Night Watchman tour reveals a completely different side of Düsseldorf. In the narrow alleyways of the Old Town — well beyond the party strip — there’s plenty to discover that even longtime locals won’t already know.
Equipped with a lantern, a horn, and a halberd, your guide leads you through the city in a way you won’t forget.
Our tip: If you have the option, go on a Thursday. The group will be smaller than on weekends, which makes the whole experience much more intimate.
Traveling with a bigger group? Book a private tour. For 13 or more people, it’s actually cheaper than the public tour — and you get to choose your own start time. Pick the latest slot available; the darker it is, the better the atmosphere.
Book the Night Watchman Tour
Important: Dress warmly in winter! You’ll be entirely outdoors, and even the most gripping stories won’t keep the cold at bay forever.
Culinary Tours in Düsseldorf
Sushi, Sake & Japanese Lifestyle
Huh? Japanese lifestyle in Düsseldorf? Yes!
Nowhere else in Germany do so many Japanese people live in one place. The area around Immermannstraße, not far from the main train station, is something of a Little Tokyo — Japanese restaurants, hotels, bakeries, and bookstores line the streets.
On this tour, you’ll learn all kinds of things about the neighborhood, sushi, sake, and manga. You’ll also take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and find out what the difference is between morning, midday, and evening rice.
If you want a genuine glimpse into Japanese food culture and customs, this is one of the best tours in Düsseldorf to book. Especially if you love Japanese food — there’s plenty to taste along the way.
The tour lasts two hours.
Flingern Food Tour
Düsseldorf has a lot going on when it comes to food. The trendy Flingern neighborhood in particular is home to countless restaurants, cafés, and bars just waiting to be discovered.
On this tour, you’ll experience the colorful neighborhood up close and sample five international culinary specialties along the way.
Book the Culinary Tour through Flingern
Sweet Temptations
Düsseldorf isn’t just about Altbier — it also has a remarkable number of pastry shops, chocolate stores, and cafés just waiting for you.
On this private tour with your very own guide, you’ll taste your way through all kinds of sweet specialties and learn more about the city’s sweeter side.
Regional treats as well as international favorites like macarons are all on the menu.
Your guide will take you through culinary highlights in the historic center and along the famous Königsallee — also known as the “Kö.”
This guided walk through Düsseldorf’s sweet side lasts 2.5 hours.
Book the Sweet Tour through Düsseldorf
The More Unusual City Tours through Düsseldorf
Architecture Tour
Into architecture? Then this one’s for you. From the Königsallee to the Old Town, the Art Academy, and the Ehrenhof, you’ll encounter both historic landmarks and some seriously impressive modern buildings.
Düsseldorf packs an extraordinary range of architecture into a very small area — Expressionist structures sit right next to works by current superstars of the architecture world, such as Daniel Libeskind, Helmut Hentrich, and Bernhard Pfau.
The two-hour tour isn’t just about the buildings themselves — it’s also about the fascinating stories behind them.
The public tour runs every Sunday. On all other days, the architecture tour is available as a private booking only.
Interactive Crime Tour through the Old Town
Mystery fans will be in their element on this one.
On this interactive tour through Düsseldorf’s Old Town, you’ll search for clues and solve puzzles — all while picking up plenty of city history and learning about the neighborhood’s many breweries.
And yes, you’ll sample a few beers along the way. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?
The tour lasts three hours and is conducted in German.
Book the Crime Tour through Düsseldorf
Tour of the Wehrhahn Line
The Wehrhahn Line is Düsseldorf’s newest subway line.
Wait… a tour of the subway?
Exactly! The construction of the Wehrhahn Line involved several artists, which means the new stations are essentially enormous works of art.
If you just stand in one of the six new stations, you might already notice how beautiful they are. But there’s actually a lot more going on beneath the surface.
The artists and engineers worked together to give each station its own distinct character. Your guide will explain the thinking behind the extraordinary designs — and why one of the artists recently filed a lawsuit against Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Book the Tour of the Wehrhahn Line
Note: In addition to your tour ticket, you’ll also need a public transportation ticket, since you’ll be riding from one station to the next. Unfortunately, this isn’t included in the tour price.
Your best bet is to grab a day pass for that day. If you’re planning to do more sightseeing, the Düsseldorf Card is probably worth it too — it covers public transportation and gets you discounts at many attractions.
Sound of Düsseldorf
Die Toten Hosen are probably the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name of this tour. But Düsseldorf’s hometown export around Campino is far from the only thing the city has to offer musically. It’s no coincidence that David Bowie kept a close eye on what was happening here.
If you have even a passing interest in music, the Sound of Düsseldorf tour is absolutely worth your time. Music journalists Sven and Michael will show you the Düsseldorf locations where music history was made.
The punk scene of the ’70s gets its moment in the spotlight, as does the question of when and how electronics entered the music world. You’ll also learn how Kraftwerk triggered an earthquake in the music industry whose aftershocks are still being felt today.
Throughout the two-hour tour, you’ll get to hear musical highlights again and again — for example, “Ein Jahr” by Fehlfarben, “Verschwende deine Jugend” by DAF, or “Düsseldorf” by La Düsseldorf. And don’t worry — Die Toten Hosen get their fair share of attention too!
Book the Sound of Düsseldorf Tour
By the way: Sven and Michael are the perfect guides for this experience. The two are deeply embedded in Düsseldorf’s music scene and in 2018 published a book called Keine Atempause: Musik aus Düsseldorf.
Urban Art Walk
And once again it’s all about art — this time, street art. Düsseldorf’s walls are home to all kinds of under-the-radar finds.
If you’re into street art, this guided tour is a must. There’s no way you’d track down the secret highlights — whether punk, pop, or graffiti — on your own.
On the Urban Art Walk, you’ll stroll through the Bilk and Friedrichstadt neighborhoods with Klaus Rosskothen, the owner of the Pretty Portal gallery. Off the tourist trail, you’ll learn plenty about the history and development of Düsseldorf’s street art scene, plus the stories behind individual works and artists.
Public tours run every Saturday. On all other days, you can request a private outing.
Book the Two-Hour Urban Art Walk
