Our guide Rythyma lives in Heidelberg and gets asked the same question at the end of almost every tour: what should we do next? This page is her answer. It covers the eight things she recommends most in the city, five day trips that are easy by local transport, and a few more for when you have extra time. No sponsored entries, just the places she sends her own guests.
Start with the Old Town on foot
Heidelberg's Old Town is compact, and almost everything else on this list starts from it. A walk through the Altstadt on your first morning gives you your bearings: where the Old Bridge is, how the Hauptstrasse ties the town together, and where the Bergbahn leaves from.
Our English walking tour meets at the Rathaus on Marktplatz (Marktplatz 10, 69117 Heidelberg), by the fountain near the main door. It takes about 2 hours and covers 9 stops, including the Alte Brücke, the Heiliggeistkirche, Heidelberg University and the historic Student Jail. It ends near the Bergbahn, so the first pick below is right in front of you when we finish.
Shared tour: €27 per person, never more than 6 guests. Private tour for your own group: €100 for up to 5 people. You pay a 50% deposit by card when you book and the rest in cash on the day. Tours are in English.
See dates and bookTravelling with family or friends? The private walking tour covers the same route for your group only. Only here for a day? Our Heidelberg in one day plan puts the tour, the castle and the Philosophenweg in a sensible order.
8 things to do in Heidelberg
Heidelberg Castle and the Bergbahn
The castle is the one sight nobody should skip. Take the Bergbahn funicular from Kornmarkt rather than climbing: the castle ticket includes the Bergbahn ride, so you save your legs for the ruins and gardens. If you still have energy afterwards, stay on and ride further up to the Königstuhl, the hill above the castle. Our Heidelberg Castle guide covers what to see inside.
Climb the Himmelsleiter
The Himmelsleiter, or "Stairway to Heaven", is about 1,200 stone steps up through the forest to the Königstuhl. It is tough, and you will feel it the next day, but reaching the top on your own feet is one of the most satisfying things you can do in Heidelberg. Save your knees and ride the Bergbahn back down. Wear proper shoes and bring water.
Walk the Philosophenweg
Heidelberg's most famous walk runs along the hillside across the Neckar from the Old Town. Cross the Old Bridge and climb the steep Schlangenweg, a winding stone path, to reach it. From up there you get the best view of the Old Town, the river and the bridge below. Our Philosophers' Walk guide explains the routes up and down.
Take a boat trip on the Neckar
Seeing Heidelberg from the water is a relaxed change of pace after a day on cobblestones. The Weisse Flotte runs city cruises from the pier by the Stadthalle, on the Old Town side of the river. Boats are seasonal, so check the operator's website for current departures before you plan around it.
Hike the Heiligenberg
If you enjoyed the Philosophenweg, keep going. The path continues up into the forest on the Heiligenberg, where you find two very different pieces of history close together: the Thingstätte, an open-air amphitheatre built in the 1930s, and the ruins of an 11th-century monastery. The Waldschenke, a forest inn on the hill, is our guide's pick for lunch on the way.
Relax on the Neckarwiese
Cross the Theodor-Heuss-Brücke to the northern bank and you reach the Neckarwiese, the big riverside lawn where locals picnic, read and relax on warm days. Bring something to eat, find a spot on the grass and enjoy the view back across the water. It is the easiest way to spend an afternoon like someone who lives here.
Visit the Kurpfälzisches Museum
On the Hauptstrasse, the Kurpfälzisches Museum is the place to see what Heidelberg used to look like. It has paintings of old Heidelberg alongside Celtic and Roman finds from the region. It is also a good plan for a rainy afternoon.
Go out in the evening
Heidelberg is a student town, so there is more to do after dark than you might expect. Our guide's three picks:
- Cave 54: a jazz club with a long history and a weekly jam session.
- Karlstorbahnhof: our pick for concerts.
- halle02: the place for club nights (18+).
Check each venue's own programme to see what is on while you are in town.
Visiting in December? Our Heidelberg Christmas market guide covers the markets around the Old Town.
5 day trips from Heidelberg
Heidelberg makes a good base. These are our guide's favourite day trips, with rough travel times by local transport from Heidelberg. Connections vary, so check the Deutsche Bahn app on the day.
Schwetzingen Palace and Gardens
The draw here is the baroque garden, which is full of surprises as you walk through it: a garden mosque, an Apollo temple and a rococo theatre. Give yourself time to wander rather than rush from one to the next.
Neckarsteinach and Dilsberg
Neckarsteinach has four medieval castles lined up on one ridge above the river. Across the Neckar sits Dilsberg, a fortress village on top of a hill. In season you can make the trip by boat, which is half the fun.
Speyer
Speyer's Romanesque cathedral, where emperors are buried, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Right next door, the Technik Museum lets you climb inside a Boeing 747, which makes this a rare day trip that works for history fans and kids at the same time.
Felsenmeer ("Sea of Rocks")
The Felsenmeer is a river of giant boulders running down a forested hillside, and the fun is scrambling up it. Look out for the Roman-era stone column lying in the forest nearby. Wear good shoes with grip; this is not a trip for sandals.
Weinheim and Ladenburg
Weinheim is close and packs a lot in: the Windeck castle ruin above the town, the Hermannshof garden, and the Exotenwald, a forest with giant sequoias. On the way, stop in Ladenburg, a town with Roman roots where Carl Benz lived.
Also worth it
- Burg Guttenberg: a castle known for its birds-of-prey shows.
- Kloster Maulbronn: a monastery listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Bad Wimpfen: a medieval old town with its landmark Blue Tower.
Where to eat, drink and get coffee
We have kept restaurants, bars and cafés off this page on purpose. Tour guests receive our guide's personal list of where to eat, drink and get coffee in Heidelberg after the tour: the places she actually goes to herself.
Book a tour to get the listFrequently asked questions
What is Heidelberg best known for?
Heidelberg is best known for its castle ruin above the Old Town, its university (founded 1386), the Old Bridge over the Neckar and the Philosophenweg on the opposite bank. Most of it is within walking distance, which is why the Old Town is best explored on foot.
How many days do you need in Heidelberg?
One day covers the highlights: the Old Town, the castle and part of the Philosophenweg. Two or three days give you time for the Himmelsleiter or the Heiligenberg hike, a boat trip on the Neckar, a museum and an evening out. Add more days if you want to use Heidelberg as a base for day trips.
What are the best day trips from Heidelberg?
Our guide's picks are Schwetzingen Palace and Gardens (about 25 minutes), Neckarsteinach and Dilsberg (about 20 minutes), Speyer with its cathedral and Technik Museum (about 50 minutes), the Felsenmeer (about 1 hour 15 minutes) and Weinheim with a stop in Ladenburg (about 15 minutes). Times are rough estimates by local transport from Heidelberg.
What should I do first in Heidelberg?
Start with the Old Town on foot. Our 2-hour English walking tour meets at the Rathaus on Marktplatz (Marktplatz 10, 69117 Heidelberg), by the fountain near the main door, covers 9 stops and ends near the Bergbahn, so you can head straight up to the castle afterwards.
Is the Bergbahn included in the castle ticket?
Yes, the castle ticket includes the Bergbahn ride from Kornmarkt up to the castle. From the castle you can ride on up to the Königstuhl. Check the castle and Bergbahn operators for current tickets and times.