Düsseldorf Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour 24 Hour Ticket

Königsallee, Düsseldorf's grand boulevard

The tour starts on the Königsallee, known locally as the Kö, a boulevard about one kilometre long laid out in the early 19th century along an old city moat. The water channel still runs down the middle, lined with chestnut trees and crossed by small stone bridges, and at its northern end stands the Triton fountain from 1902. One side is lined with banks and offices, while the other is one of the most elegant shopping streets in Germany.

The main stop of the Düsseldorf hop-on hop-off bus is right on the Kö, so it is the natural place to start and finish your day. Walk the length of the boulevard, browse the arcades and galleries, and step into the side streets towards the Old Town, only a few minutes away. In late summer the Kö hosts open-air events, and in December its lights and markets make it one of the best things to do in Düsseldorf in winter.

The Old Town, Burgplatz and the Rhine promenade

Hop off at Burgplatz to reach the heart of the Old Town (Altstadt), where narrow lanes lead to the Market Square with its Renaissance town hall and bronze equestrian statue. On the square by the river stands the Castle Tower, the last remains of the ducal palace that burned down in 1872; it now holds a small museum of Rhine shipping. Nearby, St Lambertus church is easy to recognise by its famously twisted spire.

From Burgplatz, the Rhine promenade stretches south along the river, built in the 1990s on top of a road tunnel so that walkers, cyclists and cafés could reclaim the riverbank. Its wide steps are a favourite place for locals to sit at sunset. The Old Town is compact, so an hour or two here is enough for a good first visit before catching the next bus. Note that this stop is not served from 20 November to 30 December.

The Rhine Tower and the Media Harbour

The Rhine Tower stop brings you to Düsseldorf's tallest landmark, a 240-metre telecommunications tower opened in the early 1980s, with an observation deck at 168 metres and a giant light clock running up its shaft. Next to it stands the circular state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, and beyond lies the Media Harbour, a former commercial port reborn since the 1990s as a showcase of contemporary architecture.

Here old warehouses and cranes stand beside bold new buildings, including the curving, leaning white, brick and steel towers of the Neuer Zollhof, the most photographed spot in modern Düsseldorf. Media and design companies fill the offices, and the quays are lined with restaurants. Spend at least an hour exploring on foot, or combine the stop with Rhine Tower tickets for the view from the top.

The Rhine terraces, the Ehrenhof and the Art Academy

North of the Old Town, the bus stops at the Rhine terraces and the Ehrenhof, an ensemble of expressionist brick buildings created for a great exhibition in 1926. Today they house the Kunstpalast art museum and the NRW-Forum for photography and culture, while the domed Tonhalle, once a planetarium, is now one of the city's main concert halls. The lawns and terraces along the river are perfect for a short break.

Close by stands the Art Academy (Kunstakademie), founded in 1773 and still one of the most respected art schools in Europe; its imposing 19th-century building faces the Rhine. The Kunstakademie stop is not served on Saturdays, so plan this part of your day for another weekday if you want to hop off here. Museum entries are not included in the bus ticket and are paid on site.

Nordpark, the aquarium zoo and the main railway station

The northernmost stop leads to Nordpark, a large landscaped park with fountains, flower beds and a peaceful Japanese garden, a gift from the city's Japanese community in 1975 with ponds, stone lanterns and carefully shaped trees. At the park's edge stands the Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum, an aquarium and natural history museum where children can see sharks, penguins, reptiles and tropical fish, a good family stop on rainy days.

The loop also passes the main railway station area, close to Immermannstraße, the heart of Düsseldorf's Japanese district, known for its noodle restaurants, bakeries and shops. If you arrive by train, the station stop makes it easy to start your sightseeing straight away. With a ticket valid for 24 hours, you can ride the full loop first, then go back to the places you liked most.