12 Best Tourist Experiences in Frankfurt, 2025
When people think about Frankfurt, they rarely think about tourism. The financial hub of Germany is a popular work destination and is often regarded as a city with numerous offices and commercial complexes. But there are many lovely places in Frankfurt that tourists can visit—some historical and some modern.
Since I live in Darmstadt, a small city about 35 km south of Frankfurt, I have had many opportunities to visit Frankfurt. And, over the years, I have visited many places in the city.
Today’s post is about the 12 best experiences in Frankfurt, which include interesting places to visit with your family. Finally, I have also shared recommendations on how to spend your day in the city if you are a first-time visitor, helping you make the most of your Frankfurt visit.
Before I delve into the details about places to visit and the best experiences, let me start with transportation, i.e., how to reach Frankfurt and travel within the city.
Reaching Frankfurt
Frankfurt can be reached by air, road or train. I have discussed all the options below:
By Air
Frankfurt is an important city with an international Airport, Frankfurt Flughafen, 10 km southwest of the city centre.
You can check various flight options to Frankfurt here.
If you have arrived in Frankfurt by flight and want to go towards the city centre, you can do so in many ways:
Using Public Transport: Look for the signs for the Regional Bahnhof. Regional Bahnhof means regional train station. From there, you can take a train to the city centre. Your destination station depends on where you want to go in the city. For the best connectivity to all the local places, you can also reach the central station, Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. From there, you can take a Strassenbahn (tram), S-Bahn (Suburban Train) OR U-Bahn (metro) to reach different places.
By rental car or taxi: You can book a rental car. We have used rental cars from SIXT on several occasions and found their service and great vehicles to be top-notch. You can book a cab if you don’t want to drive yourself. I have used Freenow and have always found it reliable. However, taxi costs are significantly higher than those of public transport. Download the FreeNow app to find taxis near you.
By shuttle bus: There is a bus called der Airliner, but its services are only available for travel between Frankfurt and Darmstadt. This is a very convenient option for travelling between the two cities. You can see its timetable here.
By Train
Frankfurt can be reached by train from any city in Germany or elsewhere in Europe. Trains can be booked using Deutsche Bahn’s official website. Alternatively, you can compare various train options from your location to Frankfurt here.
By Road
Frankfurt is well connected by road. Taking the Autobahn is the fastest way to reach Frankfurt from any other location by road.
Travelling within Frankfurt
Frankfurt is a big city, and the places you wish to visit could be far from each other. Here are the various options you can use for travelling within the city:
Public Transport:
To travel within the city of Frankfurt using public transport, you can get tickets from the RMV kiosks at the stops and stations OR online. It is best to download the RMV Go App, which will help you find the connectivity between different locations. The link below gives you all the information about buying tickets for local transport: https://www.rmv.de/c/en/tickets
If you wish to combine visits (such as museum visits and river cruises) with public transportation, you can purchase a Frankfurt City Pass. This pass allows you to use public transport and access various activities, museum entry tickets, etc., at discounted prices. Check it out using this link.
If you want to visit a couple of nearby areas (other than Frankfurt), you can buy the RheinMainCard. This card allows unlimited travel in the RMV Area and discounts on many attractions, museum entries, etc.
By Car:
You can use your car to travel within the city or rent a car and explore the city in comfort. I find the services at SIXT quite good. The cars are of good quality, and the paperwork is hassle-free.
Using a Taxi:
I have used Freenow and find it reliable. However, taxi costs are significantly higher than those of public transport. Download the FreeNow app to find taxis near you.
In addition to the above options, e-bikes and e-scooters are also available in Frankfurt.
Accommodation in Frankfurt:
Since Frankfurt is very well connected, you can book accommodation based on your budget and not worry too much about transportation. However, if you plan to travel somewhere further away from the city centre and intend to use public transport, be aware that the frequency may be lower, which could result in waiting and wasting your time. So, try to stay near the places you want to visit.
If accommodation in Frankfurt is expensive, you can look for accommodation in nearby areas such as Darmstadt, Langen, Neu-Isenburg or Morfelden-Waldorf, etc. These are towns and cities well-connected to Frankfurt and may offer more affordable accommodations.
12 of my most recommended Experiences in Frankfurt
1. Römerberg
The most important landmark in Frankfurt is Römerberg. Characterised by a medieval building called the Römer (now the town hall, known as Rathaus in German), historical monuments, and numerous cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops, Römerberg is always bustling with activity. The fountain right in the middle, along with numerous places of interest (including churches and museums) in the vicinity, make Römerberg one of the most popular destinations in Frankfurt. 
While in Römerberg, don’t miss checking out local shops and stopping by a cafe to enjoy the sights and sounds. Check out the memorial for Book Burning ( that happened during the Nazi era), The Fountain of Justice (Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen in German)-which played an important role at emperor coronations when a large public festival was held on the Römerberg. The fountain was then filled with wine instead of water, and the people of Frankfurt could enjoy the drink. Here, I recommend taking a 2-hour walking tour with a local to understand the places better.
This is also the centre of the Christmas Market in Frankfurt. So, if you visit Frankfurt between the end of November and 24th December, you can experience Frankfurt´s Christmas Market here.
2. Nikolaikirche
On the Römerberg, you will find St. Nikolas Church (Nikolaikirche). This 12th-century Protestant church is a significant landmark and should not be missed. It is open to the public and is a nice, quiet place amidst the noisy city centre.
3. Historischesmuseum (History Museum)
The Historical Museum Frankfurt is the city’s oldest museum that collects, researches, preserves, and exhibits Frankfurt’s cultural heritage. They also have a Jungemuseum focused on children, youth and families. Plenty of workshops and events are organised, keeping this target group in focus.
You can find more details on their official website: https://junges-museum-frankfurt.de/. Note that if you have a city card, entry to this museum is discounted by 50%, and you don’t have to pay the full amount for this visit.
4. River Cruise on the Main
A short walk from Römerberg brings you to Primus Linie’s ticketing station. They organise river cruises on the Main River during the summer months. You can choose the cruise based on the duration (50 minutes or 100 minutes). Enjoy the lovely sights of Frankfurt while you comfortably sit on one of the chairs on the terrace or inside and enjoy a beverage and snacks. They also have an audio guide informing the visitors about the various landmarks they cross while on the cruise.
You can book your tickets here to avoid long queues and waiting times.
5. Stroll/bike along the Main
The next, not-to-miss experience is a walk along the Main River. Along both banks, there are walking and cycling paths. There are also plenty of green spaces. As you walk, you will likely witness a food festival, a flea market, Christmas Market or other events, as this place is the hub of many public activities in Frankfurt. Various bridges connect the two banks -some are pedestrian-only bridges, and others are for both cars and pedestrians. Stand on the bridge to witness boat races, river cruises, the crowd’s hustle and bustle, and the beauty of the Main River.
6. Visit the Euro Tower
The Euro Tower is a 40-storey, 148-metre skyscraper in a small park near the tram station. Built in the 1970s, this structure is made of steel-reinforced concrete, aluminium, and glass and is a prominent landmark in Frankfurt. You can visit the tower, spend time at the park, and enjoy a meal at any nearby restaurant.
7. Visit Palmengarten
Palmengarten is a lovely garden in Frankfurt. Although it looks beautiful throughout the year, its charm is enhanced manifold in the spring season. During spring, the rhododendrons bloom and fill the garden with their lovely colours. Palmengarten also has greenhouses for tropical plants, so, despite being in Germany, you can see rare species of cacti, palms and other succulent plants. Palmengarten also had an indoor butterfly park and a small lake where you could enjoy boating.
Find more details about Palmengarten on their website: https://www.palmengarten.de/de/index.html. Note that if you have the Frankfurt city card, the entry fee to Palmengarten is reduced by 50%.
8. Experiminta:
Experiminta is a science experience centre in Frankfurt. This place features more than 130 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) related activities and stations, through which kids can learn through fun, play, and hands-on activities. STEM is called MINT in German, which shows in the place’s name.
We have visited this place a few times, and my children have also attended summer workshops here, always finding them engaging and interesting. So, if you have time and your kids are interested, visit Experiminta. You can book your tickets here.
9. Trickfilmland:
Trickfilmland is an animation studio in Frankfurt. Here, you can attend a backstage experience tour and see how various technologies are used in creating animations. If you live in Frankfurt, you can even enrol your child in a summer workshop to try their hand at animation.
We have attended a 1.5-hour tour of Trickfilmland and found it quite interesting. You can find out more about this place here.
10. Fraport Visitor Center
Located in Terminal 1 of Frankfurt Airport, Fraport has more than 30 interactive exhibitions through which you can learn about what goes on behind the scenes at an airport. These exhibits offer intriguing insights into the behind-the-scenes world of Frankfurt Airport and aviation. You can buy the tickets at the reception. Or, if you have the Frankfurt City Card, you get a 20% discount on your ticket.
11. Climb the Main Tower for Lovely Views of the City and its vicinity
The Main Tower, built in 1999, is Frankfurt’s first skyscraper with a glass facade. This building, used for official purposes by Helaba Bank, has a viewing platform on the 55th floor (at a height of 200 m), which the public can access.
You can buy tickets at the reception, then take a lift and reach the observation deck. On a nice, bright, sunny day with clear skies, you can see many prominent landmarks of Frankfurt. You can visit it at reduced prices with the Frankfurt city card. If you wish, you can combine this visit with a meal at a fine-dining restaurant on the 54th Floor.
12. Visit Deutsches Film Museum
The Deutsches Film Museum is a one-of-a-kind institution in Frankfurt that takes you through the filmmaking journey from its inception to its current state. They have many interactive exhibits, making the visit quite enjoyable for both children and adults. If you explore everything, you can easily spend 2-3 hours in the museum. They usually have a Dauerausstellung (a permanent exhibition) and a Sonderausstellung (a special exhibition that changes from time to time). You can buy tickets for either or both, depending on your interest.
You can buy the tickets at the reception. You get a 50% discount on the ticket with the Frankfurt city card.
Let me now take you through planning your day trip to Frankfurt.
Planning your day trip to Frankfurt:
If you are a first-time visitor, make sure you add these experiences to your day in Frankfurt.
- Start by visiting Palmengarten. If you love spending time with nature, you can easily spend 2-3 hours there.
- After visiting Palmengarten, visit the Euro Tower and head towards Römerberg. Have lunch at Römerberg.
- Post lunch, explore the important landmarks in and around Römerberg, such as Nikolaikirche, Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, etc.
- Head to the History Museum and spend your afternoon there. Alternatively, skip it and head to Domturm to climb to the viewing platform for lovely city views.
- Then, head towards the Main river. Enjoy a river cruise and/or a walk on the banks of the Main River, and enjoy the sunset view on the Main.
- With this, you can call it a day.
If you have more time in Frankfurt and are travelling with kids, I recommend adding one or all of the following: Experiminta, Deutsches Film Museum, and Trickfilmland, depending on your interests and time availability.
For more holiday ideas in and around Germany, click here.
My article Top 20 Day Trips from Frankfurt You Must Experience, may also interest you.
Check out many more pictures of Frankfurt here.
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