📝 About the Author: Matthias
What is there to do in Düsseldorf? You’ll find the answer to this question right here in this article. I’ll share the best indoor and outdoor activities in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area—whether you’re traveling alone, as a couple, or in a group. From historic brewery tours and spa experiences to quirky activities like the Holo-Café, there’s something for everyone—even if it rains.
Many of the Düsseldorf activities listed here can be enjoyed even in bad weather.
Here in my list, you’ll find a good mix of activities:
- Things to do in Düsseldorf, even when it rains
- Indoor and outdoor activities
- Things to Do in Düsseldorf for Couples and Dates
- Great ideas for team events and bachelor/bachelorette parties
- Leisure activities and games you can enjoy on your own
- Many of these activities in Düsseldorf also make great gifts for birthdays, Christmas, weddings, and other occasions.
If you’re visiting Düsseldorf and its sights and want to save money at the same time, the Düsseldorf Card is a great option.
Are you looking for unique spots in Düsseldorf and sights you can explore on your own? Then check this out:
But enough with the introduction. Let’s get right to the activities in Düsseldorf:
1. Brewery Tour
Düsseldorf is the city of Altbier. Brewing this top-fermented beer has been a tradition here for hundreds of years, and the Old Town is still home to five traditional breweries and their taprooms. On a brewery tour, you’ll explore them all—with tastings, of course—and learn a lot about the city’s history and the craft of brewing along the way.
Here are some other options for brewery tours in Düsseldorf:
- Brewery tour with tasting
- 2.5-hour beer tour
- 3-hour Altbier tour featuring 5 tastings, a hearty meal, and a quiz with an Altbier certificate
2. Hop-on, Hop-off City Tour
Visit the top sights on a city tour aboard one of these cool red buses. The best part about the ticket is that it’s valid for 24 hours, so you can take your time exploring all of Düsseldorf’s sights.
On the bus, you’ll receive information about each stop, but you can also get off at any time and hop back on the next bus.
3. Segway Tour
Riding a Segway is a lot of fun. Especially along the Rhine promenade in Düsseldorf, you have plenty of space and a great view to enjoy.
But on a Segway tour of Düsseldorf, you’ll explore much more than just the Rhine promenade. Give it a try yourself! There are various tours offered by different providers:
4. Explore the river Rhine by boat
At the Düsseldorf Kasematten, there are two companies that offer boat tours along the Rhine:
- White Fleet
- Cologne-Düsseldorf
Both offer various panoramic tours, including trips to Kaiserswerth and along the Medienhafen. You can also order drinks on deck.
The ticket booths are located right on the Rhine at the Kasematten. However, you can book the boat tours online in advance.
You can book alternative boat tours online here:
- Evening boat cruise on the Rhine with a live DJ (2 hours)
- If you’d like to combine a Rhine river cruise with a delicious breakfast buffet (at a hotel beforehand), why not book a full-day tour that offers exactly that: a Rhine river cruise with breakfast.
- A slightly more action-packed alternative is a tour on a motorboat along the Rhine. Not only will you be taken for a ride, but after a brief orientation, you’ll also get to take the wheel yourself.
5. Scooters
They’re everywhere, blocking the way—the electric scooters you can use to zip through the city. Some people even toss them into the Rhine. But overall, e-scooters are hugely popular with both tourists and locals. You can even take guided city tours on e-scooters with a guide.
6. Culinary Tour of the City
In addition to Altbier, Düsseldorf offers many other culinary specialties. For example, Düsseldorf has its own mustard and one of the world’s largest food markets. You can explore and sample all of this on a culinary tour of the city. There are several interesting options to discover on the various tours.
Here are a few more food tours in Düsseldorf:
7. Explore Little Tokyo
Düsseldorf is home to the largest Japanese community in Germany. Many Japanese companies are based here, and there is even an annual Japan Day.
You’ll find the heart of Japanese culture in Düsseldorf around Immermannstraße. There are plenty of manga shops, Japanese restaurants, and even street signs with Japanese characters. However, many of the restaurants often require a reservation to
This list features a selection of unique shops in Little Tokyo:
- Dae Yang – Japanese and Asian Foods
- Nippon Bookstore – Books on the Japanese language and manga
- Rune – Lots of comics and manga
- Tagaki – A wide selection of Japanese-themed items (manga, artwork, books, etc.)
- Kyoto – All kinds of Japanese goods and gifts
- Kumo – Japanese dorayaki and soft-serve ice cream
Satsuki has compiled a very extensive list featuring many other Japanese finds.
Click here for a tour that offers an even closer look at Japanese lifestyle in Düsseldorf: Düsseldorf: Sushi, Sake & Japanese Lifestyle (2 hours).
8. Get an adrenaline rush with bungee jumping
Want to experience the thrill of free fall? Then bungee jumping is an activity you absolutely have to try. And since it’s twice as much fun with a partner, why not give tandem bungee jumping a try with your best friend, your partner, or someone else?
At the 100-meter tandem bungee in Erkrath, you can just hang out with a friend from April through October. You’ll get a briefing beforehand, and all the equipment is provided. Of course, you can also do it on your own at the same bungee arena. Are you brave enough?
9. Become an airplane captain in a flight simulator
Make your dream of flying come true. In this activity, you’ll climb into an Airbus 320 simulator alongside a professional pilot, complete with authentic instruments, functions, and sounds:
The whole thing takes 60 minutes, and you can bring up to 6 guests for free.
10. Escape Room
Escape rooms have been a popular activity for people of all ages for years, and they’re especially great for team-building events. In an escape room, you and a group are locked in a room and must work together to solve various puzzles and find hidden objects within a limited time to win.
There is a wide variety of escape room providers in Düsseldorf. Most offer several rooms with different stories and adventures (including in English):
- Team Escape Düsseldorf
- Mission: 60 Minutes
- Exit Zone
- Locked Room
- Exit Doors
- The Code Agency
- QUEXIT
- 7th Space
But escape games aren’t just for indoors. You can also find self-guided outdoor escape games where you have to solve puzzles and get to know a neighborhood in a fun way. Check out the following tour: Outdoor Escape Game with a Game Master
11. Wine Tastings and Wine Seminars
Düsseldorf is a hub for the wine trade. No wonder there are plenty of great wine bars all over the city, as you can read here.
But there are also many providers of wine tastings and wine seminars where you don’t just drink wine, but also learn a lot about its history, origins, and production.
Here is a selection:
- Wine events at Jaques
- French wines and cheeses at La Passion du vin
- Flingern Nature Boys
- A wine shop in a former gas station
12. Coffee roasters
Do you love it when the aroma of freshly roasted coffee fills the room, and you can’t wait to treat yourself to a sip of that delicious black beverage?
Then you should definitely check out one of the many cool coffee roasteries—most of which also have a café attached. Not only can you enjoy delicious coffee and cake there, but you can also conveniently stock up on coffee for home.
These are the most famous coffee roasters in Düsseldorf:
- Schvartz Coffee Roastery in Flingern
- “Die Kaffee” – Olga Sabristova’s private roastery
- Röstzeit Coffee Roastery
- Pure Pastry
- Kaffeschmiede
- Röstmeisterei
13. 3D Black Light Mini Golf
Pretty much everyone has played mini-golf at least once in their life, even if it was just as a kid on a family vacation. But playing mini-golf in the dark with glowing 3D light effects and awesome sounds is something really special.
Does that sound like something you might enjoy? Then why not give it a try…
14. Mini-golf
All right, if 3D black-light mini-golf is a bit too out there for you, then you can, of course, just play regular mini-golf. There are several courses in Düsseldorf:
- Sports and Recreation Center / Mini-Golf on the Rhine (92 Am Pappelwäldchen in Oberkassel)
- City Mini Golf
- Südpark Mini Golf
- Mini-golf at Unterbacher See
15. Indoor Paintball
Want to blast someone with plastic balls filled with colorful liquid paint? Then paintball is just the thing for you. While there aren’t any facilities right in the city, you can easily reach the following venues in the surrounding area by car:
16. Laser Tag
Since the TV series “How I Met Your Mother,” laser tag arenas have become popular in Germany as well. Just like Barney Stinson in the show, you too can run through the corridors of the following venues in Düsseldorf:
17. Holocafé
The name of this café is somewhat reminiscent of the holodeck on the Starship Enterprise. And there are indeed a few parallels. In any case, the Holocafé is definitely not your average café.
That’s because here you can do more than just order coffee and cake—you can immerse yourself in virtual worlds and play a wide variety of virtual reality games with others in multiplayer mode. It’s basically like playing multiplayer games on your home computer, except that at the Holocafé, you put on a VR headset and play and socialize with your friends or family members right there in the same space.
18. Foosball
You often find them in bars, where they attract a lot of customers: foosball tables. The most common game is 2-on-2 “winner stays.” In this game, the winning team stays at the table, and the challengers have to pay for the next round. You can find foosball tables at the following venues:
- TFC Düsseldorf – a foosball club that also hosts tournaments
- Papidoux – a heavy metal bar that’s been around since 1985 and also has a foosball table
- Billiards – Forum – Also has billiards and snooker tables
- Billiards Center – Also has a foosball table.
19. Pool and darts
Pool tables and dartboards are usually found in bars, and it’s really fun to take turns competing with your friends while enjoying a beer. Here are a few great bars where you can do both in a cozy atmosphere:
- Zum Goldenen Fass—watch soccer, enjoy good food, and play pool and darts. What more could you ask for?
- Frank’s Billiards Café
- Billiards – Forum – Also has a foosball table and two snooker tables
- Pool tables at the B8 Center in Flingern
- Zielhoff – A traditional pub with a top-notch pool table and darts
- Billiards Center – 16 tournament-quality billiards tables (14 pool, 1 carom, 1 snooker) in an 800-square-meter space
- In the Gaming Zone at Cosmo-Sports
20. Arcade Games
Who doesn’t know them—the arcades with those bulky, colorful cabinets that once housed the world’s first computer games back in the ’80s: from Pac-Man to Asteroids to pinball. But more modern versions were also a hit, such as racing games that offer a very realistic experience or dance machines where you have to jump back and forth on the screen to the beat.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a real arcade in Düsseldorf. To find one, you’d have to make the trip out to the Giga-Center in Cologne.
There is one exception each year at the Retro Wave Arcade at the Dokomi Expo. This is Germany’s largest Japan Expo.
But here and there you’ll also find smaller arcade areas in Düsseldorf, for example here:
- Cosmo-Sports has a small arcade area.
- In addition to pool and darts, the Gaming Zone at Bowling Planet in Flingern also has a few slot machines.
- There are also various vending machines at Bowling-Planet Gerresheim.
- In Gamer, you can play various games against your friends in a game show-style format
21. Wildlife Parks & Petting Zoos
Petting zoos aren’t just special for kids. Adults can often learn something new there and relax as well. That’s why it’s the perfect activity for families with children.
The most famous park for this is Grafenberg Wildlife Park. Here, across a 40-hectare area, there are all kinds of animals to admire and feed. However, you should only use the food from the feed dispensers located at the park entrance. Some of the animals roam freely around the grounds—such as the fallow deer—and only show themselves to visitors when they feel like it… or when they’re hungry. There are also wild boars, raccoons, bees, pheasants, foxes, wildcats, and many more to discover.
In addition, the wildlife park offers many other attractions that are especially popular with children, such as a playground, a forest school with lots of interactive games (which I thought were pretty cool even as an adult ;) and a trail lined with all the trees of the year.
The petting zoo in Südpark is a bit smaller but just as exciting. The petting zoo is a former farm that is now even a listed historic building. Here, you can watch the chubby pigs sunbathing, stroll through the flower and vegetable garden while listening to the bees buzzing, or pet the little goats, sheep, and rabbits.
22. Water playgrounds
You can find regular playgrounds in every city, in virtually every residential area. But water playgrounds are something special, especially on warm summer days. You can find a great overview of the best water playgrounds here.
23. Film Art Cinema
Most Hollywood blockbusters in the big theaters are boring. Why not try something a little more sophisticated instead? Düsseldorf has quite a few good, small theaters that regularly show films outside the mainstream:
- Bambi Film Studio
- Cinema Filmkunstkino on Schneider-Wibbel-Gasse in the Old Town
- Metropol Cinema in Bilk
- Atelier Kino at the Savoy Theater
- Basement
- Vier Linden Open-Air (with beer garden)
Here is the program. There are also screenings in Original language with subtitles.
24. Cabaret & Variety Shows
Düsseldorf has a wide selection of small cabaret theaters:
25. Theater & Opera
Large-scale cultural events take place in the main auditoriums of Düsseldorf’s theaters:
- Schauspielhaus Theater – You can find an overview of performances and tickets here
- Capitol Theater
- Deutsche Oper am Rhein – You can find an overview of performances and tickets here
- Theater an der Kö
26. Apollo Variety Theater
Roncalli’s Apollo Varieté Theater, located beneath the Rheinkniebrücke, stands out from a distance thanks to its colorful neon sign. Performers, acrobats, and comedians from all over the world take the stage here in fantastic shows.
One of the most spectacular activities here is the “Show and Dine” experience (dinner and variety show). During the event, you’ll be served a three-course meal between the spectacular show performances. The whole experience lasts 3.5 hours.
27. Trampoline Park
Got too much energy and need to burn it off somehow? You can do just that at these places by competing with your friends to see who can jump the highest and practicing somersaults:
- Superfly
- Jump Galaxy
- Trampoline (more for kids)
- Hi-Fly
If you don’t want to handle anything yourself, you can also find vouchers here for admission to the trampoline park for two.
28. Aquazoo
The Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum reopened in 2017 after extensive renovations and is a real highlight, especially for families with children. It’s a combination of a zoo, an aquarium, and a natural history museum, and here you can not only learn a lot about the animal world but also observe live animals. Admission starts at €10.
29. Skiing at the Neuss Indoor Ski Center
There aren’t really any mountains in the Rhineland. But you can still go skiing and snowboarding—at the Alpenpark near Neuss. It’s especially suitable for beginners, and they also offer special skiing and snowboarding lessons.
30. Water skiing
In water skiing and wakeboarding, a boat pulls you across the water at high speed. But not everyone has a boat. Luckily, there are several water ski facilities in the Düsseldorf area that are also a lot of fun.
31. Bowling
Want to knock down all nine pins just like “The Jesus” in the movie “The Big Lebowski”? At these bowling alleys, you can just let it roll:
- COSMO Sports
- Bowling Sports Center
- Bowling at the Brauhaus am Dreieck
- Bowling Planet – in Flingern and Gerresheim
32. Swimming
Want to take a dip in the cool water and swim a few laps? You can do that in Düsseldorf, both outdoors and indoors. The Düsselstrand recreational pool is a top spot for the whole family.
Indoor swimming in indoor pools:
- Münster-Therme (in a cool historic building from the “spa era”)
- Swim in Bilk
- Unterrath Indoor Swimming Pool
- Rheinbad (also has a large outdoor area)
- Aqua aerobics (pool where classes are held)
Swimming outdoors at public pools:
- Lörick Beach
- Nordstrand and Südstrand Beaches on Lake Unterbach
- Flingern Outdoor Pool
You can find a helpful overview of all the options, including a map, here:
33. Planetarium
In Hochdahl, a small town east of Düsseldorf, you’ll find the planetarium at the Neanderhöhe Hochdahl Observatory. Here, you can enjoy impressive 360° panoramic animations and explore the universe.
34. Neanderthal Museum
In the valley where the remains of a Neanderthal were once found, there is now a museum where you can visit a fascinating exhibition on the history of humanity.
35. Climbing Park
If you want to aim high, why not start by swinging from branch to branch through the treetops along ropes and suspension bridges? There are all kinds of adventure parks in the Düsseldorf area where you can do just that. Some are located right in the forest, and others are indoors:
- Cross-Country (High Ropes Course)
- Move (Climbing Gym)
- Monkeyspot (Bouldering)
- Tree2Tree (Outdoor in Duisburg)
36. Street Art Tour
All over Düsseldorf, you can experience urban subculture, street art, and colorful graffiti. Highlights include Kiefernstraße, where every building is painted in vibrant colors, and the Pretty Portal gallery, where you can also purchase urban art. But in many other side streets and lesser-known corners as well, building facades become canvases and walls turn into works of art.
The best way to explore the best spots is with a local guide on one of the street art tours.
37. Japanese Culture at the EKŌ Haus in Düsseldorf
You can get a taste of Japan at the EKŌ House, with its beautiful Japanese garden. The center also offers a wide variety of courses, such as calligraphy and Japanese language classes, as well as Buddhist events.
38. Wellness at the Spa and Sauna
You can simply forget about your daily routine and unwind at one of Düsseldorf’s spa and wellness centers. There are some truly amazing wellness destinations here that attract guests from all over North Rhine-Westphalia:
- Vabali Spa – There are 10 saunas, two steam rooms, a laconium, two pools, and numerous relaxation rooms. Plus, the spa is nestled in the heart of nature, right on the shores of Lake Elbsee. Just be aware that guests are completely naked here.
- Momentum Spa – In addition to a wide variety of wellness treatments, there is a saltwater pool and a sauna area.
But there are also options for a city break with spa treatments in Düsseldorf for two. The four-star Meliá Hotel not only has a truly luxurious spa area, but you can also book a two-night spa weekend for two right there, and it’s not even that expensive.
39. Cageball (indoor soccer) and Bubble Ball
Another popular activity in Düsseldorf is indoor soccer—or the slightly crazier version, Bubble Ball, where you’re inside an inflatable plastic ball and try to kick your opponents away rather than the ball. Both are a lot of fun, and there are several places that offer them:
- Cageball Düsseldorf
- COSMO Sports
- Berghausen Sports Center (Indoor soccer only)
40. Nacht der Museen (Night of Museums)
Every spring, Düsseldorf hosts Nacht der Museen (Museum Night), an event thatculture lovers shouldn’tmiss. With a single ticket, you get access to all the museums and exhibitions in the city, and there are also shuttles to take you from one to the next.
41. Ferris wheel
The Wheel of Vision is set up on Burgplatz for several weeks each year. As you ride the Ferris wheel, you can look out over the rooftops of the Old Town and enjoy the city panorama. It’s most beautiful at night, when everything is brightly lit.
42. The Largest Fair on the Rhine
Did you know that the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes is Germany’s second-largest folk festival after Munich’s Oktoberfest? Every year, around 4 million visitors create quite a buzz along the Rhine meadows in Oberkassel. You have to experience this at least once.
43. Axe throwing
Yes, you read that right. Axe throwing is actually a popular activity in Düsseldorf and a new trend sport that has made its way from the U.S. to Germany. You’re given an axe that you have to throw with both hands over your head from several meters away at a target. The whole thing takes place in designated, safe lanes.
And it’s a lot of fun, even if you’re not one of those amateur lumberjacks from Scandinavia.
- At AxeZone in Düsseldorf, you don’t just throw axes—you can also choose from knives, spades, and even ninja throwing stars.
- In addition to virtual reality experiences, 7th Space also offers axe throwing.
- You can also try axe throwing at COSMO Sports.
- The Code Agency is actually more of an escape room provider. But they now offer axe throwing as well.
44. Go-karting
For all speed enthusiasts, there are two large go-kart tracks in the Düsseldorf area:
- Hans-Sachs Ring in Hilden, southeast of Düsseldorf
- RS Speedworld in Kaarst near Neuss
45. Take a hot rod tour
Just like with a go-kart, you can really let loose in a hot rod—but on real roads instead of in a gym.
We’re the coolest when we’re cruising, when we’re zooming through the city. Massive beats
Hotrod Tour Düsseldorf offers a variety of guided tours at different price points. With just under 14 horsepower, you’ll zoom through the area at speeds of up to 90 km/h. Before the tour, experienced guides will explain the mechanics and what to watch out for on the road.
46. Ride a real wave
The Rheinriff in Meerbusch is a fantastic new beach destination where you can do more than just play beach volleyball, practice yoga, and hang out at the cool beach bar. You can even take surfing lessons and learn to ride the waves in the wave pool with a real wave. There’s something for everyone, from beginners to advanced surfers.
47. Christmas Markets in Düsseldorf
The Christmas market in Düsseldorf is open from November 23 to December 30. What makes it special is that there isn’t just one large market, but many small themed markets scattered throughout the Old Town and downtown, which together form a veritable mini Christmas town. You can easily visit all of these markets one after another on foot.
These are the various themed markets:
- Ferris wheel – At Burgplatz, you’ll always find the Ferris wheel alongside a few Christmas stalls.
- Crafts Market at City Hall – Lots of craft stalls and one of the most famous spots for Feuerzangenbowle
- Old Town Market – Along Flingern Street
- Engelchen Market – Right next to the subway stairs at Heinrich-Heine Platz, with a large roundabout in the middle
- Sternchen Market – Tucked away in the courtyard of the Wilhelm-Marx-Haus, but one of the most romantic Christmas markets in Düsseldorf
- Ice Rink – You can go ice skating right at Corneliusplatz on a total area of approximately 1,700 square meters.
- Kö-Lichter-Markt – The perfect photo spot along the magnificent Königsallee shopping street
- Fairytale Market – Apple Store and mulled wine, right on Schadowplatz and along Schadowstraße
- Kö-Bogen Market – between the Schauspielhaus and the new green Kö-Bogen II
- Schadow Market – Replacement for the Sternchen Market
By the way, the Christmas markets are closed on Remembrance Sunday and Christmas Day. There are also smaller Christmas markets outside the city center with their own stalls and stands. One worth mentioning is the Christmas market along Nordstraße, which has been there for over 30 years.
48. Le Petit Chef – A Culinary Experience with 3D Cinema
Le Petit Chef is a restaurant, but not just any restaurant. Here, your meal is served alongside a creative 3D show projected onto the table using projectors.
In this experience, a young chef prepares your meal right before your eyes. Everything you see in the 3D show is then actually served to you. You can choose from three different menus beforehand.
A show lasts about 1.5 to 2 hours. Please note: There must always be 3–4 people seated at a table for the show. If you book for just two people, the remaining two seats at the table will be filled by someone else.
49. Golf – Driving Range
Düsseldorf has several courses where you can simply rent a club and a few golf balls and then practice your swing on the driving range.
By the way: This activity in Düsseldorf is also a great way to relieve stress.
- Driving Range in Düsseldorf-Grafenberg: 30 covered hitting bays – Golf club membership is required
- GSV Golf-Sport-Verein Düsseldorf e.V.: Open to the public, even without a membership
- Golf and more in Duisburg: Over 60 indoor driving ranges spread across two floors
50. Game On – A Very Special Team Event
Game On is a game in which teams compete against each other in various challenges testing their knowledge, skills, and athleticism over the course of about 2.5 hours.
You can book tickets for Game On here.
A total of 9 games will be played in 3 different rooms.
51. Discover Düsseldorf from an unusual perspective on a hot-air balloon ride
Experience a unique sense of freedom as you gently lift off the ground and float through the air. On a hot-air balloon ride, you’ll enjoy the tranquility of the skies and an unbeatable view of the landscape from above. Of course, you’ll be accompanied by an experienced pilot, so you won’t have to worry about a thing.
Here you can order gift certificates for a hot-air balloon ride directly. You can redeem them within the next three years. To take a balloon ride, you need good weather—and, above all, favorable wind conditions. That’s why it’s a good idea to be flexible when planning this kind of activity.
In the summer, hot-air balloon rides often take off at sunrise and two hours before sunset, because that’s when the thermal conditions are best.
Tip: Bring a pair of binoculars or a good zoom lens for your camera.
More things to do in Düsseldorf
If you think that’s all there is to cool activities, you’re completely wrong. Because there’s a whole universe of possibilities out there. These include, for example,
- An architectural tour of the city’s coolest buildings
- An Interactive Mystery Tour Through the Old Town
- Guided Tour: Düsseldorf in 120 Minutes
- Media Harbor Tour
As you can see, there are plenty of great things to do in Düsseldorf. Which ones have you tried so far? Are there any other activities in Düsseldorf that should be added to this list? Let us know in the comments!!
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