Lions. Packers. Downtown Detroit. And a polite reminder that green and gold is not the preferred dress code.
Detroit doesn't play its first NFC North game of the season until Week 7, and it starts with Green Bay at Ford Field. The rivalry, later kickoff and late-October timing make this one of those home games that's worth turning into a full Detroit weekend instead of just showing up Sunday afternoon.
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
Sunday, October 25, 2026
4:25 PM Eastern
Ford Field · Detroit, Michigan
FOX
Detroit's first NFC North game of the 2026 season.
Stay downtown, give yourself Saturday in the city and let Sunday build toward the game. Packers fans are welcome too, of course. Someone has to make the quiet walk back to the hotel.
A 4:25 kickoff already makes the day easier to work with. Add Green Bay, an NFC North matchup and downtown Detroit, and there really isn't much reason to make this a rushed overnight.
Detroit and Green Bay don't need much help making a regular-season game feel important. Division games bring a different atmosphere to Ford Field.
It should actually feel like football season outside, while the game itself stays comfortably indoors at Ford Field.
You have time for breakfast, lunch and a good part of Sunday downtown before heading into the stadium.
Come in Friday or Saturday and the game becomes the centerpiece of the weekend instead of the entire trip.
Ford Field's downtown location is one of the reasons this works so well as a weekend trip. Stay in the right place and you can leave the car alone for a good part of Sunday.
Ford Field
2000 Brush Street · Detroit, Michigan
2002
65,000
FieldTurf Classic HD
Part of the historic Hudson's warehouse was incorporated into Ford Field's design instead of being completely demolished.
For this game, I'd look at the whole weekend before automatically grabbing the cheapest hotel that shows up in a search.
The easiest setup if you want to walk to Ford Field, restaurants and other parts of the downtown weekend.
A room that costs a little more can still make sense if it saves you from dealing with parking, traffic and rideshares on game day.
A Packers weekend can create more interest than a normal home game, especially for hotels within easy walking distance of Ford Field.
A hotel may look close on a map without giving you the kind of easy downtown weekend you thought you were booking.
You've got all day before the rivalry takes over on Sunday. Use it.
Walk along the river and get a view of downtown, the Detroit River and Windsor across the water.
Hitsville U.S.A. is an easy choice if you want something that's actually Detroit instead of filling the weekend with generic tourist stops.
Restaurants and bars give you a reason to get outside the immediate stadium district for part of the day.
An easy addition if you're staying downtown and looking for restaurants or somewhere to go Saturday night.
That's fine. Detroit is a welcoming city. Feed them, show them around, maybe even let them wear the cheesehead. Just remember that kindness has limits once you walk into Ford Field.
The later start is one of the best parts of this weekend. You have time to enjoy Sunday without spending the entire morning watching the clock.
Start the day normally instead of rushing through breakfast and immediately heading toward the stadium.
Spend some time around downtown and the stadium district as more fans arrive instead of treating Ford Field like a last-minute destination.
A later kickoff doesn't mean walking toward the gates at 4:15. Leave enough time for the crowd, security and getting to your seats.
If your schedule allows it, another night downtown beats immediately fighting traffic or racing toward the airport after the game.
One unusual part of Detroit's 2026 schedule is how long it takes to reach an NFC North opponent. The Lions play six games before seeing Green Bay in Week 7, then turn around and host Minnesota the very next Sunday.
Green Bay Packers at Ford Field · October 25
Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field · November 1
Chicago Bears at Ford Field · November 26
The Lions finish the regular season at Green Bay, with the date and kickoff time still to be determined.
If you're going to pick a Lions home game and turn it into a full Detroit weekend, Green Bay makes a lot of sense. Stay downtown, enjoy the city Saturday and use the later kickoff instead of rushing through Sunday. And if you're bringing Packers fans, be nice to them. They've already made enough questionable decisions.
Tell me who's going, how long you want to stay and what you want to do besides the game. I can help look at the hotel, transportation and the rest of the Detroit weekend.
Start Planning My Lions Trip →This is an independent fan-focused travel guide from Rob Sturdy Travels. It is not an official Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, NFL or Ford Field page.