Plan your trip to the Ring around the Nurburgring opening hours to make sure you’ll have the opportunity to get some laps in. Find the full Nurburgring calendar, info on opening times, closing times, bonus driving days and when the season finishes all within this article.
Updated 4th Jan 20253 with newly released Nurburgring 2025 dates and opening times.
Nurburgring 2025 opening times
The official Nurburgring website lists the Nurburgring opening hours for Touristenfahrten (tourist driving) on both the Nordschleife and GP track (different calendars for each). Click the links below to see the calendar with specific opening times for every day.
Note – The Ring is not open for Touristenfahrten every day. Other events such as track days, driver training days or race meetings will take priority over the tourist driving sessions on many occasions. So don’t just assume it will be open every day. Check the calendar.
Want the Nurburgring calendar for your phone or PC? I’ve put all the dates in a much easier to read iCalendar that you can download below.
Enter your details below to receive the Nurburgring 2024 calendar
2025 Nurburgring opening weekend
The first day the Nurburgring is open for Touristenfahrten in 2025 is Saturday 8th March from 08:00 – 18:30. It’s also open on Sunday 9th March for the same hours.
This will be a very busy weekend as everyone will be keen to get their first laps in for the year.
2025 Nurburgring bonus driving days
At a few random points throughout the year the Ring management like to throw a few bonus driving days our way in the form of mid-week dates where the track’s open all day.
Think about these when you’re planning your trips for 2025 as you may be able to factor in an extra full day of driving in the week. These dates are all listed below, but are subject to change at the Ring management’s discretion.
Easter weekend & Car Freitag. The most infamous weekend of the year at the Ring, where the track is open for four full days of lapping and it will be absolutely heaving. Especially on the Friday, known as Car Freitag.
Green Hell Driving Days. A couple of times throughout the year there’s some long weekends of full days of lapping.
Below are all the ‘bonus’ full driving days throughout the year.
- Friday 18th April (Car Freitag) – 10am to 7pm
- Monday 21st April (Easter Monday) – 8am to 7pm
- Thursday 1st May (Green Hell Driving Day) – 8am to 7pm
- Thursday 29th May – 8am to 7pm
- Monday 9th June – 8am to 7pm
- Friday 3rd October (Green Hell Driving Day) – 8am to 7pm
Can you just turn up and drive?
The Ring is classed as a public road. So long as your car is road legal, you have a valid driver’s licence and insurance then you are eligible to drive the ‘Ring during Touristenfahrten.
You need to purchase a lap ticket beforehand, and you need to make sure you’re aware of the Nurburgring opening hours.
Before you head out on track, read our quick guide to the complete list of Nurburgring rules. You should try and familiarise yourself with all of these before you head out for some laps.
And don’t forget that the circuit is incredibly long, so check out our article on learning the Nurburgring to help have an idea of the track before you get behind the wheel.
Is the Nurburgring open all year?
The Nurburgring is closed in the winter months for both tourist driving and trackdays. Normally some time in early November will be the last driving day of the year and mid-March will be the first.
The weather in the Eifel mountains can be pretty unpredictable at the best of times, with the locals often shunning those who rely too heavily on the forecasts. But one thing that is normally fairly certain is that the winter months can be pretty bleak – lots of rain, cold temperatures and snow are all likely to fall across the region.
Additionally, Nurburgring management normally needs some time to do work on the circuit. Often this involves resurfacing the tarmac, altering kerbs and run-off areas and replacing armco. Hopefully it will soon also include installation of more robust safety measures.
Green light for comprehensive digitalisation measure at the Nürburgring Nordschleife 🚦
— Nürburgring (@nuerburgring) January 23, 2023
➡️ Launch for one of the largest construction projects
➡️ Digitalisation of the Nordschleife takes safety to a whole new level
👇 Everything you need to know 👇https://t.co/ejXceUHmuX pic.twitter.com/YJObJz7JRt
In 2025, the last planned day of tourist driving is November 16th, but as with all dates this is subject to change. The risk of poor weather at this time of year is pretty high!
Don’t forget you can check the Nurburgring webcams to get a live view of the conditions, traffic, and whether it looks like the track’s open.
Check out our list of other things to do near the Nurburgring for ideas on how to fill your tiem when the circuit is closed.
What time does the Nurburgring open?
During weekdays, the Nordschleife is usually only open for evening sessions. The circuit opens at either 17:00, 17:15 or 17:30, depending on the specific schedule for that day. There are some exceptions to this, however – see the ‘bonus driving days’ section later on in this article.
On the weekends the Nurburgring opening hours can vary. The earliest the circuit will open is 08:00, and this is usually for a full day of lapping. But the exact opening time will depend on the day as there may be other events on the track in the morning. Check the Nurburgring calendar before you go to be sure.
Usually the weekday sessions are not too busy, and on the weekends if you can get there for 8am the first 90mins or so are normally some of the clearest lapping of the day, before the queues build up.
Motorbike riders take note – There are some dates on the Nurburgring calendar that say ‘closed to motorbikes’. This is likely to be after a race event in the morning where the build up of tyre rubber and other debris from the racing is deemed too dangerous for bikes. Check the calendar carefully before booking.
What time does the Nurburgring close?
During weekdays the Nordschleife normally closes at 19:30 in the summer months (up to the end of September) allowing a minimum of 2 hours of lapping for an evening session.
On weekends the latest the circuit will close is 19:00 in the lighter months, usually April up to and including September. From October onwards the closing times get gradually earlier – 17:00 at the end of October and 16:30 for the last day of lapping in November.
Can you drive the Nurburgring at night?
Unless you are lucky enough to be competing in the 24 hours of the Nurburgring, then no. The circuit closing times for tourist driving are scheduled to avoid driving in the dark. As we saw above, the closing times get gradually early as winter sets in.
Whilst the circuit is a public road, even the management are smart enough to not increase risk by letting the general public loose on the track at night. But man, that would be one heck of an experience!
Let’s go and do some notracing
See you there notBon