A brewpub on the Alter Markt, pubs in the Kreuzviertel, clubs in the Brückviertel and the stadium by day: here's how to plan your stag do or hen party in Dortmund, with no closing time and the best things to do for women and men alike.
Good to know
A 0.5 l draught beer costs €5.00 on average in Dortmund, €4.50 at the Prinz-Börse and up to €6.10 in the brewpub. Cocktails at the gin bar Balke cost €12–15, long drinks at the Weinkeller €6.99. All guide prices.
All costs and money-saving tips ↓The NachtExpress runs on Friday and Saturday nights and before public holidays from about 01:00, fanning out from the Reinoldikirche to the districts, 17 lines in all. During the week most Stadtbahn lines run until about 01:00. Taxi: Taxi Dortmund 0231 144444.
DSW21 NachtExpress ↗Dortmund has abolished the general closing time for pubs and restaurants; the public order office can only set one for individual venues. The city no longer charges entertainment tax on dance events. The party pub on the Alter Markt is open until 05:00.
Around the Signal Iduna Park there's a glass ban zone from 3 hours before to 2 hours after every home game. The techno club Tresor.West explicitly asks you not to come in stag or hen costumes. At weekends the Dortmund Guides accompany people going out between the clubs.
The first Dortmunder Export was brewed by Heinrich Wenker in 1843 at the Krone brewery on the Markt. Today DAB and Hövels are the 2 remaining traditional Dortmund breweries. People also drink at the Bude, the Ruhr area's kiosks, and in the pub the small Stößchen glass is popular.
By train you'll reach Dortmund from Düsseldorf in 55 minutes, from Cologne in 1 hour 10 minutes, from Frankfurt in 2 hours 31 minutes, from Hamburg in 2 hours 47 minutes and from Berlin in 4 hours 31 minutes. The AirportExpress takes around 25 minutes from the airport to the main station, for €10.00.
The city centre is the most popular place to stay. A 3-star hotel costs €97 a night on average, Saturday is the most expensive day at €142, and October the most expensive month. During Jagd & Hund in February and Intermodellbau in April the Westfalenhallen are full.
Summer suits the harbour, the Phoenix-See and the beer garden, and August is the warmest month on average. When it rains, try escape rooms in the city centre, laser tag in the Nordstadt, go-karting in Barop, the Football Museum and the Brewery Museum.
Plan & map
Brewpubs, pubs, clubs and activities on one map: filter by type, add your favourites with “+ Add to plan” and share the plan with your group via a link, no account needed. Rather have a ready-made schedule? The itinerary generator builds one for you.
Dortmund activities by type: click an idea and the list and map show only what matches.
A tour with tasting at the Brewery Museum, a brewery tour at Hövels, Export beer at the blast furnace or a tour of the kiosks in the Unionviertel.
A guided pub crawl with shots through the city-centre pubs, private just for your group, or as a walk along the Westenhellweg with a drink.
Battle mode, team bride against team groom, on the Westenhellweg, rooms for up to 12 people at Grafenhof, VR escape as an alternative.
For stag and hen dos alike: indoor go-karting in Barop, laser tag in the Nordstadt, cosmic bowling on Fridays and Saturdays.
A stadium walk with the South Stand and the dressing room, the Football Museum at the main station, matches live at Strobels by the stadium or in the Gästeblock at Mit Schmackes.
A private spa suite with sauna and whirlpool, a cocktail workshop in Brackel, gin tasting at Balke or a wine tasting with wines from South Africa.
A high ropes course with a zip line in Wischlingen, the view from the Florianturm, the skywalk on the blast furnace and a photo tour at the Phoenix-See for your group pictures.
Pub restaurant in the Kreuzviertel with Westphalian home cooking in an industrial setting, co-run by former BVB player Kevin Großkreutz. Groups can hire the “Gästeblock” (away end) or the whole place. Open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Irish pub on Neuer Graben with Guinness, Kilkenny and Hop House 13 on draught, and Kronen 0.5 l for €5.50. Live music from 20:00 with free entry, a pub quiz once a month, plus steel-tip darts and a beer garden. Reservations online.
Bar, restaurant and café on Neuer Graben in the Kreuzviertel with Mediterranean and local dishes and cocktails. The place explicitly advertises itself as suitable for groups; reserve tables online. Until 24:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, closed on Sundays.
Small gin bar on Hohe Straße with its own Balke Gin, gin and tonic from €8, cocktails €12–15. Reservations only from 10 people and only in the side room; otherwise it's first come, first served. Until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays; gin tastings bookable.
Container bar right on the water in Dortmund harbour on Speicherstraße, with DJs and live acts. Only open when the sun is out, Fridays and Saturdays from 14:00, Sundays from 12:00. One for warm afternoons in season, not for a rainy day.
Restaurant, bar and party venue right by the Signal Iduna Park, known for its “39° parties”. Every BVB match is shown on big screens, you grill at your own table, and in winter it's in a heated tent. Long drinks cost €9.50; closed on Mondays and Sundays.
Traditional pub on Landgrafenstraße since 1974: DAB or Kronen on draught, 0.5 l for €4.50, a Stößchen for €1.70. Every BVB match live, and regular dice tournaments. Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 with no fixed closing time, closed on Mondays.
Bar and bodega on Weißenburger Straße in the Kaiserstraßenviertel. According to its website open until 23:00 Tuesday to Thursday and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, closed on Sundays and Mondays. Reserve tables by email; check briefly first.
Cocktail bar on Kampstraße with classic cocktails, its own creations, gin, rum and whisky, from the team behind Klubhaus Dortmund. Fridays and Saturdays from 18:00 to 02:00, Tuesday to Thursday from 19:00. Group offers and tables via the website.
Sports bar and restaurant on Kleppingstraße with a fixed weekly schedule: karaoke on Fridays, a live DJ or football on Saturdays, a pub quiz on Mondays. Until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. The Klubhaus explicitly takes group enquiries for stag and hen dos too.
Party pub with a dance floor on Betenstraße by the Alter Markt, according to the operator a Dortmund cult venue for 30 years and a haunt for BVB fans. Open only on Fridays and Saturdays, from 21:00 to 05:00. A stop for late in the night.
Music and culture centre for jazz and creative music on Hansastraße, in Dortmund since 1969. The party nights are interesting for groups: on Saturdays from 22:00 “Saturday Soul” with jazz, funk, soul, disco and house. The bar lounge opens from 18:30.
South African wine bar and wine shop in the Pariser Bogen in Stadtkrone Ost, with wines from South Africa only. Wine tastings on Thursdays for a maximum of 10 guests at €49 per person, and for groups on dates of your choice too. Closing time in the evening is 22:00.
Concert and party venue by the Dortmunder U with three rooms: a hall for up to 1,300 people, a club for 300, plus a bar. Mainly concerts during the week and parties at weekends, strictly over-18s only. The bar and cloakroom are completely cashless.
Cultural centre on a former scrapyard in the Nordstadt, with a hall, an open-air area and bars made from old shipping containers. The programme of concerts, club nights and comedy changes a lot. Tickets in advance; check the programme first.
Music club at the entrance to the wholesale market with a '60s feel, away from the mainstream. Parties mostly on Saturdays from 23:00, such as “Rock It” with rock to metal or “Nice Up!” with Afrobeats, reggae and Latin. The club can be hired, and the house rule is “Let Love Rule”.
Party vault in an old wine cellar on Märkische Straße, Wednesday to Saturday with party series and music mainly from the 2000s and 2010s, no dress code. A 0.33 l beer costs €3.65, long drinks €6.99. Tickets for events are sold in advance.
Big club east of the Nordstadt with four areas, from Afro, dancehall and amapiano in the Arena to old school in the Luxor. Parties on Saturdays from 23:00; tables for group parties via the website. At “Ladies Rush”, free entry until 00:00 in a pink outfit, €10 minimum spend.
Dortmund's oldest club on Reinoldistraße, formerly Tanzcafé Hösl. The city named it best club with the first Dortmund club award. According to OpenStreetMap open on Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00; there's no website of its own.
Club for techno, house and electronic music culture on the Westenhellweg, one minute from the Westentor / Dortmunder U U-Bahn stop. Open on Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00 and for special events. More of a scene club, for groups in the mood for electronic music.
Escape rooms on the Westenhellweg, entrance on the side street Am Trissel, daily until 22:30. The “Secret Service” room takes up to 12 people, from €31 per person. On request, the stag and hen offer runs in battle mode, team bride against team groom.
Escape room centre at Grafenhof next to the Thier-Galerie with 7 rooms. “Die Zeitmaschine” (The Time Machine) takes up to 12 people, and in the battle room “Revolución Olé” two teams play with up to 16 between them. Its own stag and hen page, plus outdoor escape games through the city centre.
Bowling centre on Mallinckrodtstraße with 14 lanes, darts and pool. On Fridays and Saturdays from 19:00 there's cosmic bowling with blacklight and music. The party package gets you 3 hours of bowling, shoe hire, two beer tubes and Feigling fig liqueur shots for up to 8 people.
Entertainment centre on Bornstraße with a laser tag arena of over 800 m², Pixel Games and an arcade corner. Laser tag with 3 games costs €19.90 per person. Its own stag and hen offer, and in the lounge you can bring your own food or have it delivered.
Indoor go-kart track in Barop with a 1600 m circuit in a 10,900 m² hall. 16 minutes in a hire kart cost €27, and the Grand Prix with qualifying and a 30-minute race €57 per driver, for which you need a driving licence. A balaclava is compulsory under the hire helmet.
Municipal museum in the former engine house of the Hansa brewery, free entry. For groups of 15 to 25 people there's a tour plus a tasting of four Dortmund beers in the old brewhouse for €14.50 per person. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Museum opposite the main station, Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Groups of 10 or more pay €15 a head instead of €19. The exclusive guided tour takes around 2 hours including the 3D cinema and costs a flat €110 for up to 20 people.
Stadium tours start at the BVB FanWelt on Strobelallee. The stadium walk without a guide costs €12, with the South Stand, the players' dressing room and the dugout. Private guided tours are charged for at least 15 paying people. No tours on home match days.
Private spa suites with sauna, whirlpool and rain shower on Wittekindstraße near the Westfalenhallen, daily from 09:00 to 01:00. One suite is designed for up to 4 people, from €26 per hour per guest. Larger groups book several suites; over-18s only.
Observation and TV tower in the Westfalenpark, 208.56 m high. The ride up costs €4, and the combined ticket with park entry €7. On Fridays and Saturdays the platform is open until 23:00, and at weekends Turm 137 runs a café and bar in the tower.
High ropes course in the Revierpark Wischlingen with over 165 climbing elements on 14 courses and a 235 m zip line over the lake. Groups of 10 or more pay €40 including equipment, and stag and hen groups are explicitly welcome. Only in season and in suitable weather.
Cocktail workshops by City-Cocktails at the S&E Grillakademie on Flughafenstraße in Brackel. The basic workshop lasts 3 hours, with three cocktails, a creation of your own and finger food from the grill, for €89 per person. Fixed dates with few places, so book early.
Brewpub on the Alter Markt and the original home of Dortmunder Kronen, with its own Wenkers Urtrüb, 0.5 l for €5.90. For groups there's the “Rundum sorglos” (all-inclusive) package with a 10-litre keg, a schnitzel platter and schnapps for €324 for 10 people. Every football match live.
Brewpub with a restaurant and beer garden on Hoher Wall next to the Thier-Galerie, Hövels Original 0.5 l for €6.10. From 10 people there's a 45-minute brewery tour for €18 including 0.3 l of beer, plus a 10-litre party keg to tap yourselves.
Westphalian restaurant right on the Alter Markt, opened in 1956, with Pfefferpotthast (peppery beef stew), Dortmunder Krüstchen (schnitzel on toast with a fried egg) and grilled pork knuckle on the menu. Mains between €19 and €29. Open until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, until 23:00 on Sundays.
Steakhouse right on the Alter Markt with an outdoor terrace on the square, formerly Brinkhoff's No. 1. The speciality is Argentinian steak, plus schnitzel, salmon, salads and vegetarian and vegan dishes. Reserve tables online via the website.
Steakhouse with a bar in the historic vaulted cellar of the Dortmunder U: cuts from the 800° grill, burgers, pasta and seafood. Groups of more than 11 people book via a separate form, and the whole restaurant can be hired. Plus regular gin, whisky and meat tastings.
Restaurant with a big bar on Europaplatz not far from the Phoenix-See, with room for around 250 guests on two levels plus a terrace. Happy hour at half price on cocktails, long drinks and beer Sunday to Friday from 17:00 to 19:00. Open until 24:00 on Saturdays.
Bavarian inn with a bar and beer garden on Friedensplatz right by the town hall: Benediktiner Hell 0.5 l €5.90, a Maß €9, Viennese-style schnitzel €20.90. For groups of 10 or more there's “Epic Escape”, a puzzle tour through the city centre with a 3-course menu.
A beer tasting on the site of the disused Phoenix-West blast furnace works: at four stations you try Dortmunder Export, while two guides tell you about the steelworks, beer and structural change. Meeting point at Phoenixplatz according to the listing.
A guided tour through the Unionviertel to the Trinkhallen, the kiosks known in the Ruhr area as a Bude. Starts at the high-rise bunker on Rittershausstraße according to the listing, with a mixed bag of sweets along the way and stories about kiosk culture. Tour in German.
A private pub crawl just for your group: according to the listing, three to four bars, shots, drinking games and a city quiz with your own party guide. Explicitly meant for stag and hen dos, club trips and company parties; price per group as per the listing.
A guided pub walk through Dortmund city centre: according to the listing, five cult pubs, five shots and five stories about the beer city. Good as a way into the evening before you carry on by yourselves. Price and meeting point as per the listing.
A guided walk along the historic blast furnace pipeline at Phoenix-West, high above the former steelworks. A daytime programme with views and industrial culture that combines well with the Phoenix-See. Meeting point as per the listing.
An escape room in virtual reality: 45 minutes of puzzles as a team, wireless with VR headsets. An alternative to the classic escape room if it's raining or the rooms in the city centre are booked up. Location and price as per the listing.
A city tour along the Westenhellweg on the question of what made Dortmund rich, with a drink along the way. A quiet afternoon programme item before heading to the pubs. Content, meeting point and price as per the listing.
A photo tour around the Phoenix-See, according to the operator a Dortmund landmark. An idea for a group photo shoot on the day of the stag or hen do, with the lake and the harbour promenade as a backdrop. Schedule, meeting point and price as per the listing.
A tour of the Phoenix-West blast furnace high above the city followed by dinner, prepared according to the listing by the team at EMIL. The expensive, special programme for a quiet stag or hen evening. What's included and price as per the listing.
One of the oldest squares in the city, south of the Westenhellweg. In summer the square is almost entirely filled with tables, and on its edge stand the Bläserbrunnen fountain and the original home of Dortmunder Kronen. In Advent it's the centre of the Christmas market.
The former high-rise of the Union brewery, 70 m high, with the 9 m gilded “U” on the roof. Today a centre for art with the Museum Ostwall, and the “Flying Pictures” on the roof crown run until 24:00. A few minutes' walk from the main station.
Where almost every group arrives: 16 platform tracks, around 130,000 travellers a day and a Stadtbahn station underneath. On the north-western edge of the city centre; the Football Museum is opposite, and the Dortmunder U is a few minutes' walk away.
Artificial lake of about 24 hectares on the former steelworks site in Hörde, with a 3.2 km circular path. Along the harbour promenade there's a bakery, an ice cream café, a steakhouse and other places to eat and drink. Swimming in the lake is not allowed.
Park of 70 hectares with the Florianturm, a rose garden, a cable car and a miniature railway. Entry costs €4.50 in summer and €2 in the evening. From the main station take the U45 or U49 to the Westfalenpark stop. Juicy Beats takes place here in July.
Central events square with the town hall and the old red-sandstone Stadthaus, where BVB celebrates its titles. For public viewing, 15,000–20,000 people fit on the square. Next to it are the Stadtgarten with its U-Bahn stop and the Benediktiner Wirtshaus.
Guide prices excluding travel, food & accommodation. Check the provider for today's prices.
🗺️ Open route in Google MapsNeighbourhoods
Dortmund doesn't have a single party strip: in the evening you head to the Kreuzviertel, the Brückviertel and around the Alter Markt, and at weekends to the clubs in the city centre and the Nordstadt. By day the harbour, the Westfalenpark and the stadium are the draw.
For clubs, karaoke and cocktails
The city calls the Brückviertel its nightlife and scene quarter; around 1900 it was called a smaller St. Pauli. This is home to Oma Doris, the oldest club in the city, and the Domicil has Saturday Soul on Saturdays. Right next door: cocktails on Kampstraße and karaoke on Fridays on Kleppingstraße.
For a brewpub, steak and long nights
On the Alter Markt, Heinrich Wenker brewed the first Dortmunder Export, and in summer the square is almost entirely filled with tables. At Wenkers there's its own Urtrüb, and next door Westphalian food since 1956 and Argentinian steaks. On Betenstraße the party goes on until 05:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
For pubs, an Irish pub and gin
In the Kreuzviertel, a late-19th-century quarter, pubs and bars line up around Vinkeplatz and Kreuzstraße. You start with home cooking at Mit Schmackes, drink Guinness in the Irish pub on Neuer Graben, eat Mediterranean at Luups and end up in the gin bar on Hohe Straße.
For gigs, techno and steak
Around the Dortmunder U, the old high-rise of the Union brewery with the golden U: at the FZW there are concerts during the week and parties for over-18s at weekends, Stollen134 on the Westenhellweg goes electronic, and in the U's vaulted cellar there are steaks from an 800° grill.
For a container bar and a big club
At the harbour on Speicherstraße you sit in the sun at the container bar by the water, and in late August there's the Hafenspaziergang harbour festival. Around the Nordstadt, JunkYard parties on an old scrapyard, Rush Hour has four areas, and the Brewery Museum offers a tour with a beer tasting.
For BVB, views and a spa
At the Signal Iduna Park the stadium walk starts at the BVB FanWelt, and next door at Strobels you grill at your own table and watch every BVB match. In the Westfalenpark you ride up the Florianturm, and on Wittekindstraße by the Westfalenhallen you can hire a private spa suite.
Sample itinerary
This is what a weekend that works in Dortmund looks like, whether it's a stag do, a hen do or a laid-back group. You'll find every venue in the planner above, where you can swap out individual stops.
Group package with a 10-litre keg of Urtrüb and a schnitzel platter at Wenkers.
Karaoke on Fridays on Kleppingstraße, open until 02:00.
The oldest club in the city, Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00.
Grand Prix with qualifying and a 30-minute race; driving licence required.
Without a guide from the BVB FanWelt, not on home match days.
Home cooking at Mit Schmackes, then the Irish pub with live music from 20:00.
Party vault with music from the 2000s and 2010s, no dress code.
Bavarian food on Friedensplatz, a Maß for €9.
Cocktail bar on Kampstraße; book a table via the website.
Parties Wednesday to Saturday, tickets in advance.
Private sauna and whirlpool, up to 4 people per suite.
Battle, team bride against team groom, on the Westenhellweg.
Vaulted cellar, with a separate form for groups of more than 11 people.
At Ladies Rush, free entry until 00:00 in a pink outfit.
Westphalian food right on the square, since 1956.
Gin tastings bookable; from 10 people reserve the side room.
Combined ticket with the tower ride for €7.
Groups of 10 or more pay €15 a head.
Brewery tour from 10 people, from 12:00 at weekends.
Restaurant with a big bar on Europaplatz, open until 24:00 on Saturdays.
Your group's a bit different? The itinerary generator builds a plan around your group, budget and mood, using the same venues.
Budget
Dortmund is a beer city: a half-litre in the pub costs €5.00 on average, and there's no general closing time. What costs more is go-karting, spa suites, the steakhouse and weekends with a big trade fair.
| Option | Per person | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| One night out | €35–75 | brewpub or pub with food, bar, club |
| A day with an activity | €70–140 | plus escape room, laser tag, go-karting or stadium walk |
| Weekend | €140–310 | two nights out, one activity, one night in a double room, travel not included |
Guide prices per person, based on the prices of the venues and tours on this page. The bride or groom usually doesn't pay; their share is split across the group. The planner above adds up what your programme costs.
Travel isn't included, as that depends on where you're coming from. Accommodation is based on the country's price level. Work out your own budget with the cost calculator.
Seasonal tips
These festivals and trade fairs come round every year. If your weekend falls on one of them, the city will be packed, and during trade fairs the hotels too. If you'd rather keep things relaxed, plan around them.
Big trade fair at the Westfalenhallen in early February over six days, together with Fisch & Angel.
The model-making fair at the Westfalenhallen in April, when hotels in the city are in demand.
Electronic dance music at the Westfalenhallen, on the night before 1 May.
City-centre festival on the first weekend in May, with stages on Friedensplatz, Hansaplatz and at the Reinoldikirche.
Night of industrial culture on the last Saturday in June, in Dortmund including at the Phoenix-West blast furnace.
Open-air party in the Westfalenpark in July, from house to indie, plus a silent disco.
In late August at over 50 locations in the harbour quarter on Speicherstraße, free entry.
From mid or late November, around 260 stalls, and on Hansaplatz a 45 m tree made from around 1,700 spruces.
The German Football Association's museum right by the main station, open Tuesday to Sunday.
Former high-rise of the Union brewery with the golden U, now home to the Museum Ostwall and exhibitions.
Observation tower in the Westfalenpark, built for the Federal Garden Show, with a platform at a height of 141.8 m.
Questions
