Here’s your ultimate Düsseldorf Guide in 5 days from a local perspective! Why? Because we all have visitors throughout the year and most of us have no idea where to take them. Here are some unique ideas for an enjoyable, relaxing, and exciting 5 days in Düsseldorf!
PS: We also have a printable guide with more than 100 FREE things to do in Düsseldorf if that helps you as well!
5-Day Düsseldorf Guide – Itinerary
Day 1: Düsseldorf Arrival
Where you or your visitors are arriving from may be different depending on the location. Most visitors arrive at the Hauptbahnhof Düsseldorf or the DUS Airport. Regardless, make your way to the hotel and drop off your stuff before exploring the city for the day.
I always take the first day to adjust to my surroundings and get all my bearings straight. Here are a few excellent things to do on day one:
Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour
Yes, you’ll feel like a typical tourist, but it’s a very neat way to get to know a little more about the city and figure out where you’d like to head back to for the remainder of your trip. The Düsseldorf Hop-On-Hop-Off is actually a lot more interesting than others that I’ve visited.
KD Rhein Tour
Even if you’re a local, I bet most of you reading this post haven’t done the KD Rhein Tour yet. There’s a boat that drives between Köln, Düsseldorf, and Duisburg offering scenic and informative tours. Since you or your guests have just arrived in Düsseldorf, I would recommend doing the short 45-minute tour that takes you passed the Altstadt, into the Medienhafen and back to your original docking point.
Walk around the Altstadt
The Altstadt is a great place to start your trip. Explore on foot, do a little window shopping and get to know what life is all about in the city.
While you’re still in the Altstadt, be sure to stop for a classic German meal at Schweine Janes and grab a beer at one of the local breweries.
Day 2: Düsseldorf Explorations
Now that you have your bearings straight, you’ll be ready to explore the city. Try and take note of what intrigued you while on the Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour and head back to these spots. Here are a few places that I enjoy taking my visitors to.
Tour Through the MedienHafen
The architecture here is incredible. Don’t miss out on the Frank O. Gehry buildings and the Chicago Bean look-alike (the pebble).
Stop off at the Japanese Gardens
If you’re visiting in the spring or summer, this is a fantastic place to enjoy nature. If you’re really enjoying yourself, feel free to head over to the Botanical Gardens in Bilk too!
Explore the Shops of Flingern
Flingern is known to have a lot of interesting and small artsy places. This could be a great place to stop off for lunch as well!
Don’t forget to head to Kiefernstraße where the entire street is covered from pavement to roof in art!
Enjoy an evening at the Benrath Palace
You have to go check out the pink castle at some point, why not make an evening out of it? There are some beautiful walks around the gardens, and they offer wonderful tours of the inside as well.
Day 3: Biking to Kaiserswerth
Grab a bike and ride along the Rhine River. You can take a half-day trip and bike along the Rhine until you reach the old town of Kaiserswerth. You’re still in Düsseldorf, but it feels like you’ve reached a new town altogether. Kaiserwerth has a beautiful old ruined castle, wonderful little cobblestone streets to stroll along, and some awesome spots to enjoy a beautiful view of the Rhine and a delicious meal.
Day 4: Day Trip to Zons or Duisburg
I couldn’t pick just one, but I’ll leave the choice up to you.
Zons
If you enjoy old historical towns, Zons is a beautiful little old town along the Rhine River just across the way from Benrath/Garrath area. You can even take a taxi boat across the river to get there. The town can be explored by foot (it’s really, really tiny) and you can peek into the cute little shops along the way. There is a beautiful old windmill just outside of the town walls and it’s a nice drive outside of the city.
Duisburg
Duisburg is a city of imagination and culture. If you’re into photography, this place is magical. Duisburg is one of the largest industrial cities in Germany and is home to some of the coolest industrial structures that are now open to the public to explore. Landschaftspark is one of my favorites, it includes a climbing park, old bunkers, old gasometers used for scuba diving, an outdoor summer theatre, and climbing stairs to the industrial sites. The entire park is illuminated in different colors by night. If you’d like to read more, I’ve created a Weekend Getaway Guide to Duisburg.
Day 5: Rest and Relaxation
You’re probably just about packed and ready to head out, but if you’ve got the entire day to explore a little more, you should dive into some rest and relaxation. While there’s certainly no shortage of saunas or hammams around the area, if the weather is nice, go out and enjoy the Rhine and if it’s nice outside, hit the beach!
Check out the grass grazing sheep, walk along the Rhine bridges, explore the beautiful homes of Oberkassel, and enjoy one last meal along the water’s edge.
This article is now available as a mobile app. To download this article for offline reading or travel directions to the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Düsseldorf on GPSmyCity.
