Whenever I visit a new city, I like to join an introductory guided tour to learn about the place and gain insights I wouldn’t discover on my own. Unfortunately, the guided tour I took in Düsseldorf was the most disappointing experience I’ve ever had on such a tour. I arrived in the city with colleagues from work and booked an English-language tour. It became clear very quickly that the guide’s English was extremely poor, and that he was unfamiliar with the city and its history. One striking example occurred when we passed a monument from 1927: the guide claimed it was a memorial for soldiers of World War II. When I gently pointed out that World War II had not yet begun in 1927, he corrected himself and said it was a memorial for World War I — which is also obviously incorrect. In another instance, when we passed by a church, all he could tell us was that it was… a church. I certainly don’t need a guide for that. Ultimately, the tour was a complete waste of money. It was by far the worst and most disappointing guided tour I have ever taken, and I definitely would not recommend it to anyone.

A lovely walk through the old city with Eliana, who was a pleasure to be with and very knowledgeable. Great to do it as a private tour, as I was able to go where I wanted to and ask all the questions I wanted to ask. The length of 2 hours is enough to explore the highlights, and I didn't feel rushed at all.

The walking tour is mostly flat but be prepared for 2 hours of it. Beautiful and historic old town area! Ambling through the park was lovely too. Eliana, our guide, was delightful and very knowledgeable.