Pubs with no fixed closing time on Poelestraat and Peperstraat, canal cruises with drinks on board, karting and laser tag: here's how to plan your stag do or hen party in Groningen, with the best things to do, prices, rules and how to get there.
Good to know
According to the menu, cocktails at the Stockroom cost €13 to €16.50. The club night at VERA costs €5, tickets at FIXY €10.50 to €14. For a group dinner: unlimited spare ribs at Bronco for €31.50, unlimited pancakes at the Pannekoekschip for €18 per person.
All costs and money-saving tips ↓The city centre is small: from the Grote Markt to the central station it's about 900 m on foot. City buses run roughly from 06:00 to 24:00, after which there's a night bus network; check lines and times in the journey planner beforehand. Groningen is a cycling city, and around 57% of residents cycle regularly.
Groningen has no fixed closing times: the pubs decide for themselves when to close, and most stay open until around 05:00. Ocean 41, Wolter Wolthers and Pitchers party until 05:00, as does the shot bar Chupitos from Thursday to Saturday. The club Palace doesn't open until 23:00, so dinner beforehand fits nicely.
At Palace on the Grote Markt you only get in from 18 with ID, and the cloakroom is compulsory. Caps, hats, tracksuits, bodywarmers, sunglasses and sliders aren't allowed. At Simplon night events are also over-18s only, and shoes are compulsory. Palace offers its own packages for stag and hen parties.
An Arriva train runs hourly again between Leer and Groningen; on weekdays you usually change at Winschoten, and at weekends all trains run through. From Bremen and Oldenburg you change at Leer. FlixBus stops at the central station, and from Groningen Eelde airport bus 9 takes about 30 minutes into town.
For a hotel for your stag or hen do in Groningen: according to momondo a night costs about £115 on average, with offers ranging from around £51 to £153. January is the most expensive, when Eurosonic Noorderslag fills the city; April is the cheapest.
Measured at the Groningen Eelde station: an average daytime 22.7 °C in July, 5.2 °C in January. When it rains, head inside: bowling on Gedempte Kattendiep, laser tag on the Oosterkade, Escape Hunt in Kop van Oost, e-karting and climbing in Kardinge, or the Groninger Museum.
Around 60,000 students live in Groningen, about a quarter of the population; the university was founded in 1614. You'll notice it on Peperstraat with its student crowd and at student nights like Thursdays at Pitchers. In August the KEI-week fills the city with freshers.
Plan & map
Bars, clubs, restaurants 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.
Groningen activities by type: click an idea and the list and map show only what matches.
For the stag do, but not only: e-karting on a track of almost 500 m at TeamSport, bowling right in the city, laser tag over 2 floors and Escape Hunt, where two teams play against each other.
Supervised climbing at Bjoeks, bouldering with an instructor at Gropo and a City Challenge where teams hunt for 15 places in the city centre.
Boat trips with the Borrelvloot, a canal cruise with unlimited drinks, the floating terrace with a bar and the self-drive electric boat from De Toeter.
A brewery tour at Martinus, 19 taps at De Toeter, a pub crawl with a pub quiz and a craft beer tasting with beers from the region.
Cocktail workshops at Donovan's and Mr. Smith's Loft, a cocktail tour through 3 bars, a private karaoke room at Duke of Tokyo and the karaoke booths at De Drie Gezusters.
The 97 m Martinitoren, the colourful Groninger Museum, the roof terrace at the Forum, sip & paint with drinks and an Old Town walk in German.
Large grand café on the Grote Markt with a sports bar, Café Hoppe, the dance bar De Draaibar, a heated terrace and 5 karaoke booths. Onbeperkt Tafelen (unlimited dining) from 17:00 to 21:00 costs €42.50 per person Thursday to Saturday. Open until 03:00 on Fridays.
Street food restaurant and cocktail bar in a listed warehouse looking out over the water. On Fridays and Saturdays the dance floor opens with DJs. Cocktail workshop from 10 people for €35 per person, starting at 15:00 or 17:00; plus group menus.
Karaoke bar on Poelestraat with private karaoke booths, plus a cocktail bar and bar dancing. Book the booths online via the booking calendar. A room of your own for the group, without having to sing in front of strangers; drinks are brought to the booth.
Evening café on the Poeleplein, open 6 days a week from 21:00, with a heated terrace and speciality beers. Student associations meet here too, and a hall can be hired for your own party. The square links Poelestraat and Peperstraat.
Beach club-style dance café on the Grote Markt with cocktails, shots and DJs, Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00 to 05:00. Cocktail workshop €25 per person from 15 people; smaller groups pay a flat €300. Depending on size, private parties are possible outside opening hours too.
Shot bar on Peperstraat with more than 150 different shots, open Thursday to Saturday from 22:30 to 05:00. From 8 people you can book your own corner or a shot tasting; enquiries by email. A stop for late in the night.
1920s-style speakeasy cocktail bar in a former storeroom on Oosterstraat. According to the menu, cocktails cost €13 to €16.50, Fridays and Saturdays from 17:00 to 02:00. Bookings only until 21:00, with the exact number of people, by phone or email.
Irish pub on Oosterstraat in one of the oldest buildings in the city, with food from fish and chips to chicken pie. Open Fridays from 16:00 to 01:00, Saturdays from 14:00; book a table via the form on the website.
City brewery with a proeflokaal and restaurant in the Kostersgang. The tour takes around 50 minutes and costs €17.50 per person with 3 tasting beers, on Fridays at 16:00 and Saturdays at 14:00 and 16:00. Groups of more than 10 only by arrangement.
Whisky and beer pub on Turfsingel with about 350 single malts, 19 taps and more than 200 bottled and canned beers. Fridays and Saturdays from 15:00 to 01:00. Self-drive boats for the canals start from here, and groups book puzzle tours through a partner.
Neighbourhood café by the Noorderplantsoen with 9 taps, pool and chess, Fridays and Saturdays from 16:00 to 02:00. No table bookings; private parties are possible for a maximum of 30 people, and the café stays open to other guests.
Buurtcafé (neighbourhood café) in the Hortus quarter with a terrace under three large lime trees, open daily from 15:00 to 01:00. The programme includes pub quizzes, klaverjassen card games, live music and games. A quiet spot for the afternoon before you head on into the centre.
Café on the Schuitendiep for groups of about 10 to 150 people, also available for exclusive hire. Sip & paint costs €37 per person with unlimited drinks. Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 to 01:00; larger groups should book.
Restaurant with a cocktail bar, its own distillery, a rooftop wine bar and a terrace next to the Academiegebouw; robotic arms work at the wine and cocktail bars. Groups of 8 or more enquire by email, including for a cocktail workshop. The bar opens on Fridays and Saturdays from 16:00.
Café-restaurant on Poelestraat with food sharing, its own coffee roastery, craft beers and cocktails, daily from 10:00. Thursday to Saturday the Pausehause party area opens from 20:00, also for private parties. From 7 people, book by phone or email.
Brown café on Turftorenstraat with a classic pool table and paintings and poetry on the walls. Open Thursday to Saturday from 15:00, with gigs and live music according to the programme. Quieter than Poelestraat and Peperstraat, good for the first beer of the evening.
Drag bar on the Westerhaven with bingo, karaoke and a quiz every week, and drag shows with changing performers on some Saturdays each month. Fridays from 18:00 to 01:00, Saturdays from 18:00 until the party's over. Enquire about parties and group events by email.
Club right on the Grote Markt, whose floors open onto the dance floor like an arena, Thursdays and Saturdays from 23:00. Palace offers its own packages for stag and hen parties. Entry from 18 with ID, the cloakroom is compulsory, and caps and tracksuits aren't allowed.
Disco club on Poelestraat, Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00 to 05:00, with regular resident DJs playing disco, funk and house. The club also runs its own day festival at the Graanfabriek. Entry prices and minimum age aren't on the website.
Club on Peperstraat for dancing into the early hours, open from 23:00 to 05:00. According to the programme, student night on Thursdays, Pitchers Weekend on Saturdays and special parties on some Fridays. Enquire about group packages by email.
Club and vinyl bar in a listed building on Oosterstraat. Club nights mostly run from 23:00 to 05:00 with house, UK garage and techno, and tickets cost €10.50 to €14. DJs play in the bar Thursday to Saturday; book tables online.
Cult club for indie and alternative on Oosterstraat that calls itself the Club for the International Pop Underground. Gigs on the Mainstage and Downstage cost about €5 to €22 depending on the act, and the Club VERA club night costs €5, with entry from 23:00 to 03:00.
Music venue on the Boterdiep with gigs, comedy and club nights like Housequake. Night events are over-18s only; show your ID on request, bag checks are possible and shoes are compulsory. Tickets via the ticket shop.
City café and stage on the Vismarkt with a restaurant and a large hall that holds 850 people. The programme runs from disco and techno nights to salsa nights, live cover bands and quiz nights. Groups can hire the hall.
Event venue on a former grain silo site on the Eemskanaal, with two halls, a terrace and outdoor grounds for 50 to 3,500 guests. There are no club nights of its own; festivals and big parties come from outside promoters. Worth it if your weekend falls on an event.
Bowling right in the city centre on Gedempte Kattendiep, around 400 m from the Grote Markt. A lane costs €34 an hour from 18:00 on Fridays and on Saturdays, so you split it. Plus disco bowling, grilling and group packages; best to book by phone.
Laser tag in a dark maze over 2 floors on the Oosterkade. A game lasts 15 minutes and costs €8.50 per person, 2 games €17; with the briefing, allow about 1 hour. Bookings from 6 people, and you can pre-book a borrel board for €12.50.
Escape operator in Kop van Oost, about 1 km east of the Grote Markt, with 6 rooms in 3 themes: each theme exists twice, so two teams can compete. The vrijgezellen (stag and hen) package is for 2 to 30 players, with a game master and a group photo in costume; around 1.5 hours.
Indoor e-karting track in Kardinge, about 2.7 km north-east of the centre: almost 500 m of track with 14 corners, a bridge and a tunnel. The most booked option is 2 heats of 12 minutes each. Plus 10 bowling lanes for up to 6 people; open until 00:00 on Fridays.
Climbing centre in Kardinge, about 3.3 km north-east of the centre. Supervised climbing for groups of 6 or more costs €20 per person; the instructors belay you, so you don't need a course. Book by phone or email, right next to the karting track.
Bouldering gym on Ulgersmaweg, about 2 km north-east of the centre. For over-25s entry costs €12.50; from 8 people you only boulder with an instructor, and the session lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. Afterwards there's a café and a terrace on the water with craft beer and food.
Cocktail workshop on Peperstraat for groups of 10 to 100 people; the operator explicitly mentions stag and hen parties. Three versions at €24.50, €29.50 or €34.50 per person, with 3 to 5 cocktails, shots and 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on the version, always with a welcome drink.
Boat trips on the canals from the Schuitendiep, or by arrangement from the central station. The sloop holds a good 20 people, the biggest boat 50; on board there's beer, soft drinks and wine. On offer: a 1.5-hour round trip, a pub quiz cruise and a BBQ boat.
At 97 m the tallest structure in the city, right on the Grote Markt. The first viewing platform is at 39 m, and there's no lift. Adult entry €7, Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 17:00; groups book the tower exclusively through Visit Groningen.
Colourful museum building by Alessandro Mendini, Michele de Lucchi, Philippe Starck and Coop Himmelb(l)au on islands in the Verbindingskanaal, between the central station and the city centre. More than 80,000 objects; entry €19.50, Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.
Cultural and library building on the Nieuwe Markt, a good 200 m from the Grote Markt, with a cinema, freely accessible areas and a roof terrace looking out over the city. Fridays and Saturdays from 09:00 to 00:00; from October to March the roof terrace closes at 18:00.
Steakhouse on the Grote Markt with spare ribs and steaks from the grill and room for groups of up to 85 people. From 10 people there are group menus, such as unlimited spare ribs with fries and salad for €31.50 per person; the whole group agrees on one menu.
Pancake restaurant on a restored sailing ship on the Oosterkade with 240 seats in the bow, the hold and on deck. At the pirate banquet for 7 to 160 people there are unlimited pancakes for €18 per person; bookings from 7 people. The menu is available in German.
Eetcafé on the Schuitendiep with a terrace on the water and a hall in the hayloft for parties. Fridays and Saturdays from 16:00 to 01:00, kitchen from 17:00 to 22:00. Group menus from 15 people cost €27.50 or €32.50 per person.
City café on the Vismarkt for lunch and dinner, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 23:00. For groups there are seasonal menus from 10 people and group dinners for 10 to 150 people; in the Vierseizoenenraum up to 30 people can eat on their own.
Restaurant on the Martinikerkhof, a few steps from the Martinitoren and the Grote Markt, Monday to Saturday from 10:30 to 23:00. For groups there are 3-course menus or a walking dinner, plus six rooms of its own for private parties; prices on request.
Café-restaurant on the ground floor of The Market Hotel with a terrace right on the Grote Markt. Open daily from 07:00 to 24:00, kitchen until 22:00, with old Dutch dishes prepared in a modern way. There's a private dining room for groups.
Korean barbecue on Oosterstraat: on the 2nd floor you grill marinated meat yourselves at the table, and on the 1st floor there's Korean fried chicken. Almost 100 drinks, including cocktails with Korean spirits. Enquire about stag and hen parties by email; Fridays and Saturdays 17:00 to 22:00.
Guided pub crawl that, according to the listing, starts with a pub quiz as an icebreaker and then moves through the city centre's bars and clubs, with free entry to 5 venues and 4 shots or drinks. The guides wear purple shirts. Around 4 hours, from approx. €27 per person.
Canal cruise with the Borrelvloot: according to the listing, the skipper tells you about the city along the way, and there are unlimited drinks and music on board; the operator explicitly mentions stag and hen parties. Alcohol only from 18, and groups are combined. 1 to 1.5 hours, from approx. €23 per person.
Floating terrace with its own bar and a convertible roof that closes when it rains: according to the listing, not a guided tour but an hour of drinks on the water, and you pay for drinks on board. Boarding at the central station, to the left of the bridge to the Groninger Museum. From approx. €18 per person.
Self-drive electric boat for an hour: according to the listing, you get a briefing and a map of the canals, and there's one drink per person, lager, wine or lemonade. The meeting point is Café De Toeter on Turfsingel. From approx. €14 per person.
Painting with drinks at the Borrelkade on the Schuitendiep: according to the listing, you get a canvas, brushes, paint and an apron, a short introduction and music, and at the end you take your painting home. It's in English. Around 1.5 hours, from approx. €29 per person.
Beer tasting with beers from the region, according to the listing an IPA, a blond, a tripel and a cloudy wheat beer from the Groningen brand GRUNN, plus stories about brewing. The ride to the brewery and back is included, and it can also be booked in German. 2 to 3 hours, from approx. €20 per person.
A cocktail round on your own through 3 bars: according to the listing, the tables are booked, a gin cocktail is waiting in each bar, and you go at your own pace. Bring ID; over-18s only. Up to 4 hours, from approx. €35 per person.
City game for teams with a game leader: according to the listing, each team hunts for 15 places in the city centre and collects points with photo and knowledge tasks, ending with a prize-giving and an online photo album. Also in German, around 2.5 hours, from approx. €290 per group.
A karaoke room of your own at Duke of Tokyo on Poelestraat for 2 hours: according to the listing, more than 20,000 songs and two wireless microphones, and you order drinks to the booth via a tablet. Book at least 2 hours ahead and bring ID. From approx. €32 per person.
Ticket for the Martinitoren on the Grote Markt, the highest accessible viewpoint in the city: according to the listing, there's a film about the city's history on the first floor, and you exchange the voucher at the Groningen Store in the Forum. From approx. €7 per person, good for the morning.
Guided Old Town walk, around 1.5 hours according to the listing, with a maximum of 20 people per group, also in German. The meeting point is the Forum Groningen outside the tourist information shop. From the Martinitoren to the pub streets, from approx. €19 per person.
The Old Town's central market square, with the Martinitoren rising above it, the Stadhuis and the Goudkantoor from 1635. The north and east sides were almost completely destroyed in April 1945 and rebuilt in a modern style. From here it's just a few steps to Poelestraat.
The street runs from the Grote Markt to the Schuitendiep and is one of the city's main nightlife areas. It was first mentioned in 1325, and the wide part was long a horse market. At the Poeleplein it meets Peperstraat, where the pubs and clubs cluster.
Side street off Poelestraat right in the centre, known for its many pubs with a student crowd. The name is said to go back to horse traders who paid with little bags of pepper. At the end of the street stands the Pepergasthuis from 1405.
Long square, one of three open squares in the city centre; the Korenbeurs closes it off to the west, with the A-kerk behind. The name has been recorded since the early 15th century, and the square has 17 Rijksmonumenten, including Huize Maas.
20-hectare city park on the north-western edge of the city centre, opened in 1880 on the ramparts of the old fortress; the moats became four ponds. Every August the Noorderzon festival takes place here. Neighbourhood cafés like De Bres are all around.
Forecourt of the central station on the southern edge of the city centre, across the Verbindingskanaal. Isaac Gosschalk's station building was completed in 1896 and mixes Renaissance and Gothic. The Groninger Museum is opposite, and the Grote Markt is about 900 m away.
Guide prices excluding travel, food & accommodation. Check the provider for today's prices.
🗺️ Open route in Google MapsNeighbourhoods
Groningen parties in a small area: the Grote Markt, Poelestraat, Peperstraat and Oosterstraat are a few minutes' walk apart. It gets quieter at the Vismarkt, around the Noorderplantsoen and by the water on the Schuitendiep.
For a grand café, disco and cocktails
The evening starts on the Grote Markt: karaoke booths and a dance bar at De Drie Gezusters, and next door Club Palace with packages for stag and hen parties. On Poelestraat, resident DJs play at Wolter Wolthers, and at Mr. Smith's Loft the dance floor opens at weekends.
For shots, a student club and karaoke
On Peperstraat a student crowd parties: more than 150 shots at Chupitos, student night and Pitchers Weekend at Pitchers until 05:00. On the Poeleplein, De Brouwerij opens from 21:00, and right next door you sing in your own karaoke booth at Duke of Tokyo.
For an indie club, a speakeasy and an Irish pub
Oosterstraat has two clubs: VERA for indie and alternative, with its club night for €5, and FIXY with house and techno from 23:00 to 05:00. Before that there are cocktails at the speakeasy The Stockroom and fish and chips at O'Malleys, in one of the oldest buildings in the city.
For a city café, a drag show and a brown café
On the Vismarkt, Huize Maas has a hall for 850 people and parties from salsa nights to techno nights, and next door the group eats at Stadscafé Pronk. Further west there's pool at Wolthoorn & Co and drag shows with karaoke at Dorothy's on the Westerhaven.
For neighbourhood cafés and a music venue
Around the Noorderplantsoen things are quieter: 9 taps and pool at De Bres, a terrace under lime trees at De Minnaar, 350 single malts at De Toeter on Turfsingel. On the Boterdiep, Simplon hosts gigs and club nights like Housequake.
For boats, group dinners and sip & paint
By the water east of the Old Town, the Borrelvloot casts off from the Schuitendiep, and the Borrelkade takes groups of up to 150 people and offers sip & paint. Dinner is at Het Zwarte Schaap, with a hall in the hayloft, or on the Pannekoekschip on the Oosterkade.
Sample itinerary
This is what a weekend that works in Groningen looks like, whether it's a stag do, a hen party or a quieter group. You'll find every venue in the planner above, where you can swap out individual stops.
Unlimited spare ribs on the Grote Markt.
With a pub quiz, shots and free entry.
Disco and funk on Poelestraat until 05:00.
2 heats of e-karting in Kardinge.
A maze over 2 floors.
Cocktail workshop on Peperstraat.
Club on the Grote Markt, from 18 with ID.
Cocktails in a speakeasy.
Korean barbecue at the table.
Karaoke or a drag show on the Westerhaven.
View over the Grote Markt.
With unlimited drinks on board.
Painting with drinks at the Borrelkade.
Group menu, then the dance floor.
A karaoke booth of your own.
Tour with 3 tasting beers.
Dinner on the Schuitendiep.
Whisky and beer on Turfsingel.
Art on islands in the canal.
Boat trip from the Schuitendiep.
The view from the roof terrace.
Group dinner on the Vismarkt.
Your group's a bit different? The itinerary generator builds a plan around your group, budget and mood, using the same venues.
Budget
In Groningen cocktails at the speakeasy cost €13 to €16.50, and the club night at VERA just €5. The cocktail workshop, karting and group menus cost more; pancakes on the boat, laser tag and bowling, when lots of you share a lane, keep it down.
| Option | Per person | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| One night out | €50–110 | dinner, two bars on Poelestraat or Oosterstraat and a club |
| A day with an activity | €110–220 | plus karting, laser tag, a boat trip, a cocktail workshop or a brewery tour |
| Weekend | €200–440 | 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 dates come round every year. If your weekend falls on one of them, the city will be packed. If you'd rather keep things relaxed, plan around them.
Over 4 days in January, around 300 acts play this showcase festival for European pop music, and about 33,000 visitors come; hotels are at their most expensive in January.
11 days of theatre, music and art in August in the Noorderplantsoen, right among the neighbourhood cafés north of the city centre.
In August the academic year starts with KEI-week, when more than 5,000 freshers roam the city and its pubs.
On 28 August the city celebrates Gronings Ontzet, the victory over Bommen Berend in 1672.
At 97 m the tallest building in the city; at a height of 39 m you walk round the outside of the tower and look out over the Grote Markt.
The colourful, postmodern building on three islands in the canal between the central station and the city centre is an attraction in itself.
The 45 m cultural and library building has a cinema and a publicly accessible roof terrace above the Old Town.
Questions
