The Nürburgring Backstage Tour offers a rare look behind the public areas of one of the world’s most famous motorsport venues. Instead of simply seeing the circuit from the outside, visitors can explore parts of the complex normally associated with race weekends, teams and media operations. The Nürburgring combines the modern Grand Prix track with the legendary Nordschleife, a 20.832-kilometre circuit winding through Germany’s Eifel landscape. Known worldwide as the “Green Hell”, the Nordschleife gives the entire complex an atmosphere unlike that of a conventional modern racing circuit.
The official tour lasts around 90 minutes and takes visitors through selected areas of the complex. Possible stops include the pits and pit lane, the paddock, the media centre and the winners’ podium, giving visitors a much better idea of what happens behind the scenes during major motorsport events. Because this is a working racing venue, the exact route is adapted to current track operations, so not every tour is identical.
That flexibility is worth keeping in mind when planning your visit. This is not a fixed museum route where every room is guaranteed to be accessible on every tour. Instead, what you see can depend on what is happening at the circuit that day, which is also part of the appeal. Check the official Nürburgring Backstage Tour for current details.
The standard Backstage Tour takes approximately 1.5 hours. Tours are offered on selected dates throughout the year, and departure times vary according to the Nürburgring calendar. Because the schedule can be affected by events and track operations, it is worth checking the official calendar shortly before your planned visit rather than relying on an older timetable.
Tours begin at the info°center. Ticket prices, available dates and other booking details can change, so even when we provide current information, we recommend confirming them directly before travelling. This is particularly important at a working circuit, where major race weekends and other events can affect normal visitor activities.
The famous nickname is associated with three-time Formula One World Champion Jackie Stewart and captures what made the Nordschleife so intimidating: a long and technically demanding circuit running through dense forest, combined with substantial elevation changes and the unpredictable weather of the Eifel region.
Even by modern standards, the Nordschleife remains extraordinary. Its 20.832 kilometres of asphalt wind through the landscape rather than sitting inside a compact, purpose-built racing facility. This combination of scale, history and natural surroundings is a major reason why visiting the Nürburgring feels so different from visiting most contemporary motorsport venues.
Yes, although driving the circuit is completely separate from taking the Backstage Tour. During public Touristenfahrten, visitors can take an eligible road vehicle onto the Nordschleife when the circuit is open for tourist driving. Dates, opening hours and prices vary, so these should always be checked before planning a visit around a driving session.
The choice depends on what you want from your visit. The Backstage Tour is better suited to travelers interested in how the venue operates, its restricted areas and the stories behind the circuit. A Tourist Drive, by contrast, is about experiencing the Nordschleife from behind the wheel. Some motorsport fans may want to do both, but they should be treated as separate activities when planning time and budget. Check the official Nürburgring Tourist Drives information for current dates and conditions.
For visitors who want to experience the Nordschleife at speed without driving themselves, a professional passenger ride offers another alternative. Instead of taking your own vehicle onto the circuit, you ride with an experienced driver in a high-performance car, making this a very different proposition from either the Backstage Tour or Touristenfahrten.
Available providers, vehicles and prices can change, so we would not plan a trip around an old Ring Taxi price found in an earlier travel guide. Check the available passenger experiences close to your travel date, particularly if a high-speed lap is one of your main reasons for visiting.
Older Nürburgring guides may recommend combining the Backstage Tour with a visit to the ring°werk motorsport museum, but this is one part of the experience where current information matters. If the museum is closed or undergoing redevelopment when you visit, it should not be included as a guaranteed part of your itinerary.
Before setting aside time for it, check the current status on the official ring°werk information page. This is especially important when planning a full day at the circuit, as older itineraries and travel guides may no longer reflect what is actually open.
The Nürburgring opened in 1927 and has accumulated almost a century of motorsport history. Drivers associated with the circuit range from Rudolf Caracciola and Juan Manuel Fangio to Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher and Sabine Schmitz. Yet the appeal of visiting today is not simply nostalgia: historic reputation and modern motorsport still exist side by side here.
If historic racing venues are part of your travels, our Monza Circuit Tour guide explores a very different European motorsport landmark, with its Italian Grand Prix heritage and surviving sections of the famous old banking.
The experience feels different from a conventional stadium-style circuit tour because the venue is spread across a large working motorsport complex and is inseparable from the Nordschleife. Rather than focusing only on a grandstand, paddock or modern race circuit, a visit is shaped by the contrast between the contemporary Grand Prix facilities and the legendary track disappearing into the surrounding Eifel forest.
Monza offers a stronger connection with historic Formula One architecture and banking, while the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya provides another example of a modern behind-the-scenes racing experience. If you are comparing European motorsport destinations, see our Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Guided Tour.
Accessible facilities are available in several visitor areas, but the Backstage Tour deserves a little extra planning because its exact route can change according to track operations. Travelers with reduced mobility should therefore confirm the accessibility of the specific tour before booking rather than assuming that every possible backstage area will be accessible.
The circuit publishes current details on its official accessibility information page. For broader trip planning, our accessible travel guides cover practical accessibility considerations for destinations around the world.
For motorsport fans, the Backstage Tour is particularly worthwhile if you want more than a photograph of the circuit from outside. Its real appeal is not one specific room or landmark, but the opportunity to move through a working racing complex and understand how the areas normally associated with teams, media and major events connect with the track itself.
It is also a good choice for visitors fascinated by the Green Hell who have no intention of driving the Nordschleife themselves. Those looking primarily for speed and adrenaline may prefer a Tourist Drive or professional passenger ride, but for context, access and motorsport history, the Backstage Tour is the better place to start.
Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring offers more than the Austrian Grand Prix. This guide covers the official circuit tour, Welcome Center and driving experiences, along with accessibility and tips for planning a visit. See what makes the venue worth a stop even when no major race is on the calendar.
Bahrain International Circuit offers more than Formula 1 in Sakhir. Open Track sessions, karting, off-road activities and circuit tours give visitors several ways to experience the venue. Compare these options and plan a visit beyond Grand Prix weekend.
A guided tour takes visitors behind the scenes at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. See normally restricted areas and learn how the venue operates outside race weekends. The guide also covers booking, transport, accessibility and planning a trip from Barcelona.
Monza Circuit is Italy’s legendary “Temple of Speed” and home of the Italian Grand Prix. Find out what you can see on a circuit tour, from behind-the-scenes areas to its motorsport history, and compare the visitor experiences available when planning a trip to this historic Formula 1 venue.
Silverstone is the historic home of the British Grand Prix, with more to see than the circuit itself. Compare the tour, Silverstone Museum and Heritage Track Trail, then find out which areas visitors can access, what activities are available and what to check before planning your trip.
Austin’s Circuit of the Americas is home to the United States Grand Prix, but race weekends are only part of its story. This guide covers COTA Tower, driving experiences, Bike Nights and other ways to visit, with practical advice for planning time at this Texas motorsport destination.