Explore Heidelberg on Your Own — Super Fun & Great Value! 🎉

Our cruise docked at the port of Mannheim. The included excursion was “Speyer Discovery,” while the paid upgrade was the “Heidelberg Highlights Tour” for ¥1,678. We originally planned to just follow the group, so we didn’t sign up for the upgrade—and almost missed an amazing experience! Not only is Heidelberg itself totally worth visiting, but this last-minute DIY trip also gave us our first taste of German trains and buses, plus plenty of time to explore freely. After attending the excursion briefing the day before, we learned that the paid tour included a bus ride to Heidelberg in the morning, a guided visit to Heidelberg Castle and the university, lunch, and free time in the afternoon. That night, we did some research online and realized how special Heidelberg is. Just as we started regretting not joining the paid tour, we discovered we could actually go on our own—what a happy surprise! 🥳 Before heading out, just remember your ship’s return time. For everything else, follow my guide below! 🐦 Early bird gets the worm! To make the most of our day, we set off around 7:40 AM. It took less than 20 minutes to walk from the port to Mannheim Central Station—just follow Google Maps along the railway tracks. At the station, we found self-service ticket machines (like the one in Fig. 4 🖼️). Select “Heidelberg Hbf” and your departure time. A one-way ticket costs €7.30. You can only buy one ticket per transaction—repeat for more. The machine prints two slips: your ticket and a receipt. Keep both! We took the 8:30 AM train. The ticket itself doesn’t show much info. Check the big display board for your platform. If multiple trains depart around the same time, it might be confusing since the board only shows origin and final destination—info we didn’t have when buying the ticket. You can check online or, the easiest way: ask staff! 🗣️ There was no ticket check or security at the entrance, but inspectors on the train can fine you heavily if you’re without a ticket! ⚠️ The ride to Heidelberg took only 15 minutes. Our DIY route: 🚶 Walk from Heidelberg Station to Bismarckplatz (20 mins) 🌉 Cross the bridge to Philosophers' Walk (10 mins) ⛰️ Hike up—enjoy stunning views of the Neckar River, the Old Bridge, and the castle 🐍 Descend via the serpentine “Snake Path” (Fig. 11) leading directly to the Old Bridge 🐵 See the famous monkey statue with a polished mirror (for good luck!) at the bridge end 🛍️ Have lunch at a restaurant in the shopping street, explore local shops 🏰 Visit Heidelberg Castle & Heidelberg University in the afternoon 🚌 Take public bus back to the station, then train back to the ship No rush, no crowd—just us and beautiful Heidelberg! #Germany #Heidelberg #TravelDIY #BudgetTravel #HeidelbergCastle #PhilosophersWalk