What to See in Düsseldorf: 8 Sights With 2026 Hours and Prices

The 8 sights worth your time in Düsseldorf are the Rheinturm, the Königsallee, the K20 and K21 art museums, the Kunsthalle, the Filmmuseum, the Stadtmuseum, KIT and Little Tokyo, and all eight sit within about 30 minutes’ walk of each other in the city centre. Six of them are indoor, which is why Düsseldorf holds up better than most German cities in bad weather. Below is each one with its 2026 opening hours, closing days and adult ticket price, followed by whether the DüsseldorfCard actually saves you money.

The 8 sights, in the order most visitors take them

The eight are listed below in the order that works on foot, starting at the tower and finishing in the Japanese quarter behind the main station.

1. Rheinturm

The Rheinturm is Düsseldorf’s television tower and the highest point you can stand on in the city, at 240.5 m (789 ft). It is the tallest structure in Düsseldorf and the tenth-tallest television tower in Germany, and its viewing level has floor-to-ceiling windows that lean outwards, so you look down past your own feet at the Rhine. Above the deck is the M168 bar and, higher still, the QOMO restaurant.

Running up the shaft is the Lichtzeitpegel, a column of coloured lights that has told the time in decimal form since 24 November 1981 and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest decimal time scale in the world. Reading it takes a minute: the lights count seconds, minutes and hours in stacked groups.

• Address: Stromstraße 20, 40221 Düsseldorf, in the MedienHafen
• Opening hours: viewing level and M168 daily 10.00 to 00.00
• Admission: €12.50 (about $15, £11) adults, €10 (about $12, £9) ages 14 to 17 and over-65s, €9 (about $11, £8) ages 6 to 13, free under 6, €30 (about $35, £26) family of two adults and up to three children
• Cheaper slots: €9 before 12.00 (Early Bird) and €9 from 20.00 (Late Night), and free entry on your birthday with ID
• Payment: card only, the tower stopped taking cash, and DüsseldorfCard holders get their discount at the ticket desk

2. Königsallee

The Königsallee is Düsseldorf’s shopping boulevard and the reason people call the city a fashion capital, and walking it costs nothing. Locals shorten it to the Kö. The street runs about 1 km along both banks of the Kö-Graben, the old city moat, which is 31 m wide and crossed by ornamental bridges. The city counts 220 trees along it in up to five rows, 115 chestnuts and 100 plane trees, which is what makes the walk pleasant even if you have no intention of going into the shops.

The east side holds the international luxury houses and the covered Kö-Galerie and Kö-Bogen centres; the west side is quieter and greener. High-street chains sit a few streets west on Schadowstraße instead.

3. K20 and K21, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

The Kunstsammlung NRW is the state art collection and the strongest art on this list, split over two buildings a 15-minute walk apart. K20 on Grabbeplatz holds the classical modern collection, including a large group of Paul Klee works; K21 in the former state parliament, the Ständehaus, holds contemporary art, including Tomás Saraceno’s walk-on wire installation under the glass dome.

• Addresses: K20, Grabbeplatz 5; K21, Ständehausstraße 1
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays 11.00 to 18.00, and until 22.00 every first Wednesday of the month, closed Mondays except public holidays
• Admission: €20 (about $23, £17) combined ticket for both houses, valid a year; K20 collection only €9 (about $11, £8); K20 collection and exhibition €16 (about $19, £14); K21 collection only €8 (about $9, £7); K21 collection and exhibition €14 (about $16, £12); under-18s free; students and apprentices over 18 pay €5 (about $6, £4)
• Free slot: entry is free from 18.00 on the first Wednesday of every month
• DüsseldorfCard holders pay the reduced rate rather than getting in free

4. Kunsthalle Düsseldorf

The Kunsthalle Düsseldorf is a temporary-exhibition space rather than a museum, and this matters more than anything else on the page: it owns no collection, so when one show comes down and the next is being installed, the building shuts completely. Check what is on before you plan a day around it. The 2026 autumn show is Gregor Schneider’s Haus u r 2026, running from 17 October 2026 to 17 January 2027.

• Address: Grabbeplatz 4, 40213 Düsseldorf, next door to K20
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays 11.00 to 18.00, Thursday 11.00 to 21.00, closed Mondays and closed between exhibitions
• Admission: €6 (about $7, £5) adults, €3 (about $3.50, £2.60) reduced and for groups of 10 or more, free under 18, and a five-visit ticket costs €10 (about $12, £9)
• Free slots: the second Sunday of each month, and the last Thursday of the month from 18.00 to 21.00, which also covers the Kunstverein in the same building
• Tickets are sold at the door only, there is no online sale

5. Filmmuseum Düsseldorf

The Filmmuseum runs over four floors of film history and is the one museum here that repays a full afternoon. It covers costumes, camera technique, projection and set-building, holds thousands of photographs, posters, prints and books, and the interactive stations let you work the early equipment yourself rather than read about it. In the basement is the Black Box, the museum’s own cinema, which programmes repertory and original-language films.

• Address: Schulstraße 4, 40213 Düsseldorf
• Opening hours: Wednesday 12.00 to 21.00, Thursday to Sunday and public holidays 12.00 to 18.00, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and also closed on Weiberfastnacht, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December and New Year’s Day
• Admission: €5 (about $6, £4) adults, €2.50 (about $3, £2) reduced, free for everyone up to and including age 21
• Black Box cinema: €7 (about $8, £6) a screening, €5 reduced, free under 22
• The Filmmuseum is free with the DüsseldorfCard

6. Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf

The Stadtmuseum tells the city’s story from its founding to the present, and the small entrance door hides a much larger building. Its displays run to posters, photographs, models, paintings, documents and film, and the art it has picked up along the way is better than a city-history museum usually manages. Give it 90 minutes.

• Address: Berger Allee 2, 40213 Düsseldorf, in Carlstadt
• Opening hours: Wednesday 12.00 to 18.00, Thursday 12.00 to 21.00, Friday to Sunday 12.00 to 18.00, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
• Admission: €5 (about $6, £4) for the collections and the special exhibition, €2.50 (about $3, £2) reduced, free for everyone up to and including age 21

7. KIT, Kunst im Tunnel

KIT is an exhibition hall built into the tunnel structure underneath the Rhine embankment, and you will walk straight past it unless you know it is there. The only thing visible from street level is its glass pavilion café; the gallery itself is the long white vault below. It shows young and emerging artists in four to six exhibitions a year, and like the Kunsthalle it closes between shows.

• Address: Mannesmannufer 1b, 40213 Düsseldorf, under the Rhine river promenade
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays 11.00 to 18.00, Thursday 11.00 to 21.00, closed Mondays and between exhibitions
• Admission: €4 (about $4.50, £3.50) adults, €3 (about $3.50, £2.60) reduced and groups of 10 or more, free under 18, free for everyone on the second Sunday of each month

8. Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo is the Japanese quarter around Immermannstraße, two minutes from the main station, and it is the only Japantown in Germany. Düsseldorf has the country’s largest Japanese community; Visit Düsseldorf puts it at around 15,000 people in and around the city, the third-largest in Europe after London and Paris. What that means on the ground is a run of ramen counters, izakaya, bakeries, bookshops and a Japanese supermarket, mostly along Immermannstraße and Klosterstraße.

Come hungry and come early: the queues at the better ramen shops start before 12.00 and run to closing. Once a year the community takes over the Rhine embankment for Japan-Tag Düsseldorf/NRW, held on a Saturday in May and closing with Japanese fireworks over the river.

Is the DüsseldorfCard worth it?

The DüsseldorfCard is worth it if you use public transport at all, because the 24-hour card costs less than a day’s travel on its own. Visit Düsseldorf sells the single 24-hour card at €13.90 (about $16, £12), while a 24-hour public transport ticket for the city and surrounding area alone costs €17.90 (about $21, £15). Every museum you then visit is on top of that at nothing or at a discount.

What the card includes:

• Free travel on buses and trams in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area
• Discounts of up to 100% on more than 80 offers, including museums, guided tours, city bus tours and souvenirs
• Validity of 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours, as a single card or as a group card for up to 3 adults, or 2 adults plus 2 children aged 4 to 14
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before arrival, and a print-at-home ticket you can use immediately

Two variants change the maths. The DüsseldorfCard Plus adds free travel across the wider VRR and VRS regions, so it pays off if you are day-tripping to Cologne, Essen or Duisburg, and it starts at 48 hours rather than 24. The DüsseldorfCard Bike swaps the transport for a rental bike and is a 24-hour card only.

Check which museum the card actually covers before counting on it. The Filmmuseum and the SchifffahrtMuseum in the Schlossturm are free with it, the Rheinturm and the Kunstsammlung give card holders a reduction rather than free entry, and a few houses run their own separate art:card scheme instead.

What to see in Düsseldorf when it rains

When it rains in Düsseldorf, head for the museum cluster on Grabbeplatz, because K20, the Kunsthalle and the Kunstverein sit on the same square and the Filmmuseum, the Stadtmuseum and KIT are all within a ten-minute walk of it. That is six indoor sights inside a small area, and the tram network covers the gaps.

A wet-weather day that works: start at K20 when it opens at 11.00, cross the square to the Kunsthalle, walk down to the Filmmuseum for the afternoon, then take the tram to the Rheinturm for the Late Night ticket at €9 after 20.00, when the city below is lit and the weather matters less. If the rain sets in properly, the Kö-Galerie and Kö-Bogen on the Königsallee are covered, and the arcades of the Altstadt keep you dry between brewery inns.

How to get around Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf’s public transport is dense enough that you rarely wait more than a few minutes, which is the main practical argument for the DüsseldorfCard. The U-Bahn, trams and buses are run by Rheinbahn on one ticket, Heinrich-Heine-Allee is the interchange for the Altstadt and the museums, and the S-Bahn links the main station to the airport in about 12 minutes.

Arriving from elsewhere in Germany, the city sits on the main north-south line, with Cologne about 25 minutes away and Berlin about four hours. Compare fares for German rail tickets before you book, since advance fares drop sharply.

Where to stay in Düsseldorf

Stay within walking distance of the Altstadt if the museums are your reason for coming, because seven of the eight sights above are inside that radius. The Altstadt itself is loud after dark, Carlstadt just south of it is quieter and equally central, Unterbilk and the MedienHafen put you next to the Rheinturm, and the streets around the main station put you in Little Tokyo.

We stayed at the Boutique Hotel Sir & Lady Astor, in the Japanese quarter about ten minutes’ walk from the train station. The room was large enough to work in, with a seating area and a proper desk, and the breakfast was the strongest part: waffles made to order, eggs however you want them, fresh fruit, vegetables and good bread. Staff were the kind of friendly that makes a place feel like somewhere to come back to. Check rates for the Sir & Lady Astor before the trade-fair weeks, when prices across the city rise sharply.

For a wider choice of hotels, filter Booking.com’s Germany listings down to Düsseldorf and then to the district you want. If you would rather have a kitchen and more space, Vrbo carries the larger selection of apartments in the city.

Frequently asked questions

Is Düsseldorf worth visiting for a day? Yes, for one day, if you pick two museums and a walk. A workable day is the Grabbeplatz museums in the morning, the Königsallee and the Altstadt in the afternoon and the Rheinturm at dusk.

How many days do you need in Düsseldorf? Two days covers the eight sights on this page without rushing. A third day is worth having if you want to add a Rhine cruise or a trip out to Cologne or Essen, which the DüsseldorfCard Plus covers.

What is Düsseldorf famous for? Düsseldorf is known for Altbier, the Königsallee, the largest Japanese community in Germany and a concentration of modern and contemporary art in K20, K21 and the Kunstakademie. The Rheinturm and its decimal clock are the city’s visual landmark.

Are Düsseldorf’s museums open on Mondays? Mostly not. K20, K21, the Kunsthalle and KIT close on Mondays, and the Filmmuseum and Stadtmuseum close on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Rheinturm is open daily, which makes Monday the day to go up it.

Is the DüsseldorfCard cheaper than buying tickets separately? It usually is, because the 24-hour card at €13.90 costs less than the €17.90 day ticket for buses and trams alone. If you are staying in the centre and walking everywhere, buy museum tickets individually instead.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

Five things we learned visiting Düsseldorf’s museums are worth knowing before you set out.

1. Check whether the Kunsthalle and KIT are between exhibitions. Both close completely while a show is being installed, with no permanent collection to fall back on. We arrived at KIT to find the hall shut for exactly that reason, and it is still how both houses work, so check each one’s current show on its own site before you go.
2. Time your visit to a free day if you can. KIT is free on the second Sunday of every month, the Kunsthalle is free on the second Sunday and on the last Thursday from 18.00 to 21.00, and K20 and K21 are free from 18.00 on the first Wednesday.
3. Buy the 24-hour DüsseldorfCard before the day starts, not after. At €13.90 it undercuts the €17.90 day ticket for buses and trams on its own, so it pays for itself before you have seen anything.
4. Take the tram rather than walking back from the Rheinturm. It is a 40-minute walk from the tower back to the Altstadt hotels, which is a long way in rain. Trams run every few minutes and the card covers them.
5. Bring a card for the Rheinturm. The tower stopped accepting cash, so tickets are bought online or at the desk by Girocard, Mastercard, Visa or Amex only, and the DüsseldorfCard discount is applied at the desk rather than online.

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About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the first-hand notes in this post come from two days she spent in Düsseldorf as a guest of Düsseldorf Tourismus, working through the city’s museums with a DüsseldorfCard in the rain. The team covers Germany for independent travellers, including the museums, city cards, hotels and apartments worth booking in Düsseldorf, and updates this page when prices, opening hours and exhibition dates change.