The Best Tours in Cologne – Rhine cruises, Kölsch & the Old Town

Yes. Since 1 July 2026 a visit to the cathedral has cost admission, as its own website states. Visits are generally from 10:00 to 17:45 (Sundays and church holidays 13:30 to 16:30); the tower and the treasury have their own hours, and the tower closes earlier from November to February. Prices and times are on koelner-dom.de. Many city tours show the cathedral only from outside – whether a tour includes admission is stated on its booking page.

By rail: the S19 or the RE6 takes about 15 to 20 minutes to Cologne’s main station, which stands right next to the cathedral. Check the timetable on the day, because the times above come from secondary sources. A private transfer is listed on this site for the few who arrive with heavy luggage or late at night.

Kölsch is Cologne’s own top-fermented beer, served in thin 0.2-litre glasses and refilled until you put a coaster on top. The most-reviewed brewery tour on this site is the 2-hour tour with three Kölsch tastings, about €28 with 3,737 reviews and a 4.7 rating. It is a tasting walk, not a pub dinner – if you want to sit down and eat, book a table in a brewhouse separately.

There are 13 cruises. The most-reviewed, “Experience the Cathedral City from the Water”, takes 1 hour, costs about €20 and has 6,428 reviews but a rating of only 4.2; another 1-hour cruise starts at about €16 and the evening cruise takes 2 hours. The longer harbour tour (3 hours, about €36) has the higher ratings. Check what is on board and whether drinks are included.

Melaten is Cologne’s central cemetery, and a working one. Seven tours go there, from about €14, and the ratings are among the highest on this site (4.8 or higher). They are stories about people, graves and Carnival – calm walks, but outdoors and on uneven paths, so wear sturdy shoes. Check on the booking page what the guide does and does not allow, such as photos.

Few. Only 8 of the 154 offers on this site leave the city: Bonn and Aachen with Monschau by train, Limburg, a Moselle day, and the Drachenburg Castle with Bonn. They have very few reviews between them, so there is little to compare. Bonn is about 20 minutes away by the fastest train and easy to do on your own.

Cologne has several: at the cathedral, in the old town (Heinzels Wintermärchen at Alter Markt and Heumarkt) and at Neumarkt, among others. The opening dates for 2026 differ between sources, so check them with the organisers or on koeln.de before you plan around a date. This site lists 12 winter and Christmas offers, from about €15.

No. The old town is compact and largely pedestrian, trams and the S-Bahn cover the rest, and Cologne has a low-emission zone: only vehicles with a green sticker may enter, according to the city. A hire car makes sense only if you plan to drive out of town.